Vodka and The Southern Continent

It started out with a small gathering in one of the state rooms and a bottle of vodka. We managed to down most of the bottle when we were invited to have a few more drinks with the Russian crew. Following our new friends we headed into the ships interior where we ended up in the broiler room and took a seat on a small wooden stool in the corner. I was handed a metal cup which was quickly filled with vodka straight from a non labeled bottle and a cigarette. Ten of us squeezed in a room of pipes and gauges drinking quite robustly. I had mentioned that my mother’s father had been born in Samara, Russia and was at once adopted by the crew members, which meant that my cup would never drop below half full. Being a nonsmoker didn’t seem to stop me from joining in working through the cartons of cigarettes that were stacked on a shelf. The small party lasted until the early morning hours and was eventually assisted back to my berth. From then on I was an accepted ship mate by many of the crew. Initiation by vodka. Bransfield Strait, Antarctica