I sat between two of the leaving teachers (the two that spoke English, that I will miss the most). Of course, just about the only thing in English they said to me was "Which song are you going to sing?"
Singing, like everything else, is apparently mandatory.
Well, I thought to myself, how bad can it be? I was reassured that you didn't have to be able to sing, to sing karaoke.
So I started to pore through the foreign section of the song book, while listening to my co-workers go crazy on their favorite songs.
My co-workers...were already drunk at the end of the enkai. Really drunk. Or really acting like they were drunk (possible, in my mind). And they kept drinking at the 2nd party. So it was getting crazy. Some of them started to take their shirts off, but stopped when they got down to just a t-shirt.
And almost everyone sang almost every song. Some song would come up, and everyone would start singing together. It was cool.
But...then I realized...if I chose a song, it would be in English, and they wouldn't know it, and they wouldn't sing. So, I would be singing on my own. Well, that's no good.
And then a teacher sang a song on his own. Aha! I thought, if he's not so good, and everyone still has fun, I'll follow.
Well, let's just say he wouldn't get kicked off American Idol. So I backed out, and didn't sing, which was sad for me, because it's the last time I'm going to be in a karaoke bar with two of my favorite teachers (who both wanted me to sing).
But worse was the realization that I don't really know any songs. At least, not any songs in the songbook. I know that the words are on the screen, I'm refering to the melody. I kept trying to think of how a song would go, and I couldn't picture it. I really stopped listening to music in 2000, when I went to university. I would still listen to some stuff while programming or doing homework, but not always. And now I am completely out of touch.
I saw this game, "Karaoke Revolution" for the PS2, where you sing the songs, like karaoke, and the game scores you based on how closely you follow the melody and stay on pitch. I really, REALLY want to get this game now. To the point where I'm almost willing to push back paying off my credit cards a little bit, to order it. Of course, I would still need to order a PS2 as well. I found this site (modchipworld.com), a Canadian company that sells pre-modded PS2s, and it looks like they even still have non-slim PS2s in stock (I don't like the slim PStwos, they can't be upgraded). Unfortunately, the system I want is $329.99, the HD-Advance with adapter combo (because I have a hard drive just sitting here) is another $59.99, and shipping to Japan is $127.79!!! I don't HAVE $517.77 to spend just to learn to sing, and that's not even counting the game itself, which is another $30. They can ship to US/APO addresses for $20, but I don't have an APO address. Sigh. Once again, so close...and yet...so far.
I really really want to learn to sing though. We sing in class, too, and I feel like an outsider, because my singing makes children cry. I would take lessons, if they were cheap and effective enough, and I had spare time (which I don't, but one can wish). I'm going to add that to my goals list for Japan:
- Learn Japanese enough to pass the JLPT Level 1 test.
- Travel: Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa
- Travel: Guam, China, Thailand, Singapore
Eat more fish- LEARN TO SING!
Posts
How often do you find yourself just sitting there unable to understand the conversation going on around you?
ReplyDelete99% of the time. :-(
ReplyDelete...just like in America. Ahaha!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add the really sad part! After all that drinking, I walked home (it's illegal to drive if you have had any alcohol at all). And I was completely stone sober. WTF? I'm beginning to suspect that they gave me fake beer, as a joke.
ReplyDeleteplease, eat more fish. PLEASE.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the advice, Kaori. I'll eat more sea-chicken. I love sea-chicken. :-) I've had sea-chicken sandwiches all week, and I was going to have sea-chicken for dinner (but I accidentally bought cabbage instead of lettuce, which is REALLY sad because it's WRITTEN ON THE PACKAGE. I have no excuse).
ReplyDeleteMost seafood, for me, is like dark-meat chicken. Except more-so. I can eat it, but it's difficult, and it's not getting any easier. Whatever is for lunch at school, I always take a bite, even if I KNOW I won't like it (because we've had it before), because I hope to develop a taste for it. So far, it hasn't happened. :-(
Don't eat more fish, eat more vegetables! SAVE THE FISH!!!!! Anyway. if you're interested in karaoke games, there's another one called SingStar which was released in Britain not too long ago. I've no idea if it's been released in America or Japan, but if you find a Japanese version let me know - I'd love to have a go on it!
ReplyDeleteSingStar Party (the sequel) also works with EyeToy. :-) It's on my To-Buy list (after my credit cards are paid off, in September).
ReplyDeleteAh, so does the original SingStar. (*^-^*)
ReplyDeleteLewis! Where did your excellent post about food in Japan go? It was an wonderful rant. If I had known you were going to remove it (or reword it, apparently), I would have saved it.
ReplyDelete"I told you I don't eat fish! This is part of a fish!"
Ah...the memory has already faded. :'-(
What was the vegetable that you hated? Daikon? I can't even remember that part.
Oooh, a sequel that works with EyeToy - sounds great! I'll look out for that one.
ReplyDeleteAs for the food post - I think the one you're talking about was only an article in JetFuel. I didn't think it was appropriate for the website, because I was worried that some people would take it too seriously - I actually do like a lot of Japanese food, but a rant is always funnier...ne?
Ach! Of course! I remember reading it at the office (and thinking that my co-workers were giving me funny looks because I kept laughing). I just assumed that I had read it on your blog. No wonder I couldn't find it later! Duh!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I just read it again, and it's still hilarious. :D I keep picturing a video of it in my mind, with you in various locations narrating your rant. Here's your student reading the letter, here's you writing your reply, here's you with a plate of wood...
ReplyDeleteSomehow, it's just funnier to think it in your British accent. :-P
If I could write like that, I'd pen a book. I tend to be too wordy (fine for NaNoWriMo, bad for business).
Wow, high praise indeed! I'm glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteNow there's an interesting topic of discussion - are things funnier when they're said in a British accent...