Well, in Italy there seems to be this unwritten rule that you can drink as much as you want, whenever you want, whoever you are

BUT, it is considered taboo to make a scene of yourself (ie. throwing up in public, picking fights, passing out in the open)
So, some way or another, I have managed to get respectfully drunk while at dinner with some friends, and now I find I can write quite clearly and free of typos, despite being quite inebriated and giddy. It is actually a rather good feeling that US binge drinking really doesn't acknowledge much at all.

Yet, some part of me yearns for a beer bong, a table of full cup beer pong, and shotgunning beers until I can't stand.