Some of the beautiful things about visiting another culture are the opportunity to experience their way of life, the ability to see their outlook on the world and being able to appreciate and understand the values that matter most to them closer to home. However, the main reason for travelling in the 21st century is, as far as I can tell, to learn new swear words and drinking games. American television and the Internet had entirely educated me as to their profanity before I got here, but the latter category is still serving up some gold.
I’ve taught you about sake bombs, and shared with you the time I made a clumsy mess of losing my beer pong virginity (but hey, it was my first time, and I’m getting pretty good now), and as of last night I’ve now been initiated into yet another American tradition.
Flip Cup is a simple game. Avoiding the myriad rules of card- or language-based drinking games, flip cup focuses directly on plastic cups filled with cheap ‘beer’ (as they insist on calling it). Teams line up opposite one another along a long table, and one pair of competitors facing eachother begin drinking at a mutually agreed sign. Upon finishing one’s drink, the aim is then to place the empty cup on the edge of the table and flip it so that it rests upside-down on the table, using only one hand and a graceful motion. Swiss Toni would doubtless have an appropriate analogy for this action. The next person along may then begin drinking, until the winning team wins by dint of winning.
In related news, I’ve discovered that my local diner will cook me breakfast at any hour of the morning. What’s not to love about this city?
Xx
I’ve been playing this in Britain since I was 16!
Still jealous about the diner though