Karaoke in Korea
I hate when I somehow republish something, and the silly Napoleon Dynamite thing ended up being on my site like EIGHT times. I was absolutely mortified when I just came in from the karaoke bar. I fixed it, but I was all worried, "Who all say it when there was eighteen of them?!" So, if you did...just don't tell me.
So the Karaoke bar...it's actually misleading and not entirely appropriate. The best way to pronounce the word is: nurraebong. It's not just one big bar with a karaoke set-up. It's a place with many rooms, each with their own karaoke set-up. You rent the room for however long, and do your karaoke thing. There's a couch around the back wall, the karaoke machine where you punch in the numbers, I think 9 TV sets all together (though the lyrics only show up on one, which makes me wonder as to exactly what purpose the others serve), and even a little disco-light-ball thingy. It's a much more conducive environment to make a complete fool of yourself. And speaking of semi-public humiliation, I managed to avoid it. Though I will be so bold (critical?) as to say that I might be one of the few who did. Allow me to share a few details about my evening.
We were all supposed to meet at the school at 9 PM. For me, that's a little late to be out, but okay. It's almost all of the teachers from the elementary school section (translation: Ms. Lee didn't go, which was probably for the best knowing her opinion of drinking). I was under the impression that we were going to go directly to the nurraebong. I was entirely wrong though. I think it's the Korean thing to go get a little relaxed (sloshed) first so the karaoke will be most thoroughly enjoyable (humiliating). How weird is this, that our boss takes all of us to a bar, and buys us all drinks (note the use of plural there)? It was just very surprising to me. I had one drink - wouldn't you know it...a sex on the beach. I don't even like alcohol, but I knew I wasn't going to sing at the nurraebong, so I thought it would be wise to go with the flow on something. (I know it sounds like a cop out, if you're interested in my opinion on drinking, email me, and I'll give you the whole long thing - but not here.) And of course, after I took a sip and someone asked me how I liked it, I said the first word that came into my head, which was, quite possibly, THE worst possible word to use when describing a beverage named "sex on the beach." Because I'm embarrassed though, I refuse to share the actual word.
So we sit around, everybody else has a couple drinks or beers, and then we head down to the nurraebong. We had a very good time. My throat is sore from yelling and laughing. I was the camera-woman, and got some great pictures of the evening, which I hope to be able to post sometime this weekend. I actually ducked out a bit early. It was all wearing on my nerves a little there towards the end. So I came home, and in the three-ish blocks it took me to get home, passed a guy carrying his passed-out girlfriend, two men fighting, and a couple yelling at each other - alcohol was almost tangible in the air...it was no good - simply reinforced my current opinions on drinking. Anyway, I've done a poor job of explaining, but you'll understand better when I post the pictures. I'm off to attempt to go to bed now. I have a lot to do this weekend, but I'm excited, because it's all towards the end of establishing my life here as opposed to a virtual life or a long-distance life. Make sense? Hope so. Good night!
Oh wait...I didn't mention this, but ever since my clever "MMMbop" reference a few days ago, the song has been stuck in my head. You will NEVER guess what Kylie and Donovan sang tonight.... THAT'S RIGHT, "Mmmbop" was a song choice at a karaoke bar in Seoul, Korea. That strike anyone else as utterly bizarre? Oh yeah, also my boss sang "My Way" by Frank Sinatra...and they were punching in the numbers for the song, and I looked down and saw that they also have "My Way" by Limp Bizkit, and the thought that my boss could sing that song - oh...made me laugh SO SO SO hard! (Remember when that song was the theme for some Wrestlemania or something? That was during the brief window when I liked/was obsessed with the former WWF.) Night for real now!
