Drinks and Karaoke

Tonight, I went out with my coworkers. We are all finally in the same spot at the same time. I decided to go out tonight, because I have said no to all of the other nights. Mostly, because I am not a big party animal.
We went to a small restaurant/bar in Hasuda. The group had quite a few drinks. I had only one with alcohol. I only ordered about 6 dollars worth of stuff, but because they split everything, my share came to 15 dollars. After drinks, we went to the karaoke place next door. I have to say, it is a lot more fun here than in Japan. You get to sit in a little room that is semi-soundproof and belt out the hits. The most random songs you can think of are available to sing.
Up until tonight, I really didn't feel like most of my new coworkers took me seriously. After the first song though, they started to treat me with more respect.
I am so tired of stereotypes. I know that some people don't even consciously realize they are doing it. To my coworkers, I am a plain, chubby, middle-aged woman. They see me as a bookworm who has no life. While some of this may be true, I assure you, a lot of this is not.
I may choose to lead a different life than they do (I just don't party all of the time). This does not mean that I have no life. i simply find other things to enrich my life. I will still go out to the rare party. I just try to be a little more responsible for myself, that's all. Also, drinking a lot can get very expensive. It can also get you into a lot of trouble.
So tonight, I had fun. We laughed a lot and had a good time. The best part of it though, was that, I didn't feel guilty for going out. I have not gone out every night, so I still have money left. I spent less than 20 dollars tonight and have no regrets.
It is finally nice to be able to afford to pay bill every month and to have money left over. I really hope this lasts.