Yule Cheer

by Aditha Dissanayake

Imagine writing in your diary on January 1st 2006, Confession. I have been drinking excessively lately. Water. Its been terribly hot the past few weeks. Eh? Water?

Surely not. Not if 'the past few weeks' refer to the weeks before Christmas. To the day of the office party to be precise. Yes, it's that time of the year once more. The season of good living, good drinking, and good partying.

GOOD PARTYING. Is that the correct adjective to use when it comes to the office party. Why not. Isn't this the single best moment of the whole year when people you have lived with from nine to five or even longer, every working day of the last eleven months turn into close buddies filled with mirth and cracking jokes and guzzling down tons of liquids with varying strengths of intoxicating capacities.

Or is it the worst moment when you find yourself with a glass filled with a golden coloured drink you would much rather not have had, and meeting people you have been trying to avoid throughout the past eleven months.

Is the office party a grim duty to be endured for the sake of protocol or is it a smashing event filled with great fun. Depends. Depends entirely on what and how much alcohol you consume. Beware of its evils.

Because alcohol will blur the well defined lines of rank and status, make you over confident, more jocular, lead you into doing things that would make you the butt of jokes till at least March, next year, and even worse, may make you throw up on the CEO's lap.

So, here are some tips to get through this years office party with your reputation still in tact.

a) Attend the party however much you might wish to be doing something else, somewhere else with somebody else (snoozing in front of the TV watching a political discussion with your cat curled up beside you).

b) Arrive early but don't be the last to leave, if you do you might regret it in the morning.

c) Avoid excessive amounts of drinking, dancing and tasteless jokes.

d) Don't get overtly familiar with colleagues of the opposite sex, lest they be misinterpreted.

e) Bosses this one is for you! Attend the party by all means, but leave early. Remember this is for the troops and not the generals.

But hey, folks a party is still a party, so there 's no harm in enjoying yourselves. Go ahead, but remember to hold on to your centre while you have fun, because this party is the OFFICE PARTY. Catch you in 2007. Till then, hope you have a magical time!

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