Wine and Socializing

Wine plays an important adhesive role in social communications. As the Chinese saying goes, 'For a congenial friend a thousand toasts are too few; in a disagreeable conversation one word more is too many.' Making toasts is a way of expressing friendliness. As another saying goes, `In order to make friends, often make toasts.' Wine has an intrinsic relationship with socializing and drinking wine provides us with an opportunity to make friends. Wine can serve as a lubricant in your friendships. Lines like `let me tell my son to trade the five-colored jade horse and precious fur for delicious wine; /and let drown our woes of ten thousand generations` (Li Bai), and 'saints have always been lonely since ancient times, 1 only those who drank have left their names` constitute a spontaneous outflow of the artists` true emotions. Wine is also an effective means to dissolve personal enmities. No matter how deep-rooted their rancor may be,it almost always dissolves the moment the two parties raise their glasses and propose a toast. Wine drinking also provides an opportunity to make friends. Attending a banquet at a friend's may enable you to make more friends; your friend's friends may become yours too. If you keep this virtuous cycle rolling, you will have friends all over the world. `Wine of common minds' drunk at the same time and `wine of oath' drunk with crossed arms around necks not only can deepen our understanding of each other, arouse intimate feelings, but also may encourage the parties involved to cast in our lot with each other. Wine parties also provide us with chances to demonstrate our personal charm. Graceful carriage, appropriate conduct, and civilized speech may leave your good impression on others and improve your social status as well as your fame and popularity.