The GlobalCapital Asia awards drinks were a characteristically cosy affair and I was lucky enough to get an invitation. We all know what a great social lubricant alcohol can be and bankers who mercilessly slagged each other off during the pitches appeared to become the best of friends under its influence.
Secrets too were spilled amid all the revelry and the number of empty bottles in the room suggested that everyone had forgotten that the next day was a working one.
The warm flush of alcohol helped to fuel some competitive spirits in the room as bankers enthusiastically took on the challenge of drinking their rivals under the table. No questions need be asked about who emerged victorious.
I, of course, was at my charming best and effortlessly glided between the journalists and my chums, sharing my pearls of wisdom with my eager listeners. But one downcast fellow reminded me how lucky I was to have retired from banking when I did.
The violent moods of the market and the shadow of rising risk that is enveloping Asia made the aftershocks of the 2008 financial crisis look positively tame in comparison, he said. It didn’t help matters that every European lender and its brother is cutting jobs.
There, there, I tutted, handing him another drink. Keep calm and party on.