When I was in my early teens, the family traveled from Southeast Asia to the United States by cargo ship. There were a total of twelve passengers on board, including two older retired gentlemen traveling together. As evidenced by the trash can placed outside their stateroom each morning, they consumed a fifth of vodka per night. That sure was a revelation to my brother and me, as was their habit of referring to the Buddha as ‘buddah’. They’re both dead by now, I reckon.
