A Roman Orgy

You can have too much of a good thing. Many years ago, a stunning night of debauchery and gluttony left me pining for a cold bowl of cereal. We feasted on caviar, Beluga and Osetra from the Caspian Sea, washed down by an obscene amount of very expensive frigid vodka from the stock of Tsar Nicolas. Vintage Burgundies and fine whiskies were wasted and unappreciated. Noone had sex and no eggs were fertilized though.

There's nothing exotic about eating fish eggs. A hot serving of chicken curry and fried fish roe at the local mamak shop is staple to many and we enjoy the roe of sea urchin, salmon, crab and the flying fish. Centuries ago, the Egyptians salted and pickled roe for sustenance and not as a delicacy. Today, caviar is available from sturgeon farms in China to Canada.

I love caviar, the way the eggs pop softly and opulently release their oils and juices. When the invitation came for the party, I couldnt refuse, knowing it would be in abundance. This friend has a penchant for throwing parties to impress. He equates good taste to high price. For a party of approximately 15 people, he would have spend in excess of USD 40,000.

I left in a hurry when the ugliness of decadence confronted me. My puke, splattered across his shirt, was worth more than what I had in my wallet.