The other day, we went to an arcade after eating our delicious Japanese food. Some of my coworkers decided to play a friendly little game of arcade basketball (Jenny can be seen here, undoubtedly about to sink this basket because she is amazing at this game). This friendly little game turned into a second slightly less friendly game, and then a third and a fourth and maybe a fifth along the same trajectory. Jenny looks small and not particularly intimidating, but she's actually
really amazing at this game. Linnea, Connie, and Matthew--who are all pretty athletic--kept getting their butts kicked.
Anyway, after the arcade shenanigans I somehow became convinced to go engage in KTV. Karaoke bars here are not what they are in the States: in the US, everyone in the bar gets to put songs down on the list, if they want to, and then someone comes up and sings. This singing proves interesting to a limited number of people: the person on stage, surely. Perhaps that person's significant other or close friends. Precious few, however, have any interest at all: who cares if some yahoo does a credible Lynyrd Skynyrd? Nobody, that's who.
Anyway, karaoke here (as in much of Asia) operates in a much more fun way. One gets a room with one's friends and chooses all of the songs--ours were probably about 60% in English, 40% in Chinese. I think Jenny sang a Japanese song at one point. Food and alcohol can come to you via a bevy of adorable waiters dressed in bow-ties, and nobody has to sit through the pain of strangers who think they can actually sing "I Will Always Love You" embarrassing themselves. Significantly preferable to American karaoke bars.
**photo shamelessly stolen from Dave, because it was more adorable than any of mine.
Anyway, karaoke here (as in much of Asia) operates in a much more fun way. One gets a room with one's friends and chooses all of the songs--ours were probably about 60% in English, 40% in Chinese. I think Jenny sang a Japanese song at one point. Food and alcohol can come to you via a bevy of adorable waiters dressed in bow-ties, and nobody has to sit through the pain of strangers who think they can actually sing "I Will Always Love You" embarrassing themselves. Significantly preferable to American karaoke bars.
I absolutely loved Karaoke in the Philippines. I should tell you the story some time of when my American friend and I sang "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy to four Filipino women.
ReplyDeleterawr we almost sang that too Robby! darnit.
ReplyDeleteRobby--that sounds brilliant. I would really, really like to hear you sing this under any circumstances ever.
ReplyDeleteConnie--next time? We have to go KTVing once more before you leave, methinks. Though Shaggy might prove to be another we're-obviously-younger-than-the-rest-of-them thing.