Obviously, Sober Karaoke Is Just As Weird As It Sounds

Thursday was Thanksgiving which is actually not such a big deal in Indonesia. It was the first time I started to feel a little homesick-y. It's hard not to miss your family during a national holiday dedicated to hanging out with your family. It's also hard not to miss a day dedicated to eating and napping when you are at work [even if said job is pretty easy and stress free]. I went to Chinese food with two of my friends and even treated myself to a couple of Bintangs [Indonesian beer]. The problem with Bintang is that I'm pretty sure it could be legally sold in Utah. This means that all it does is make me very, very sleepy. [This is one of the reasons I have pretty much given up drinking in Indonesia. Soon I will be asking everyone to call me Michaela L. and showing you all the chips I've earned.]

After dinner, my two friends suggested going next door to Happy Puppy Karaoke. Now, I was aware of the Indonesian phenomenon of sober karaoke, but I had never tried it myself [and yes, you are very, very sober after 2 or 3 Bintangs]. I could not imagine going to a karaoke joint that serves only Nescafe and soda. Part of my problem with karaoke in general is my terrible voice. It's not funny bad, it's just bad, bad. I've known this ever since I was one of only 5 children to not make chorus in the fourth grade. Therefore, karaoke under and circumstances has never been one of my faves.

I have ended up at karaoke a few times before, but more than half of these time were with my friends Olivia and Brian. Olivia and Brian are from Dublin. The thing about going out drinking with Irish friends is that drinks are never ordered, they just keep appearing as if by magic. You can try to slow down or keep count, but this never works. Usually you're simply met with a "Go on! You're grand." After which you feel not just silly, but also as if not accepting your drink would also be rude and ungrateful. As a result, yes, I have ended up at the karaoke place on St. Mark's Place on a few occasions after a night out on the town with my friends from the Emerald Isle, but these were always special occasions. During these karaoke sessions with Olivia and Brian and some other friends everyone had all imbibed enough to not just sing karaoke but to act out each song with the total abandon one usually saves for the shower. There was air guitar, fist pumping, and even some Moonwalking. This is what can make karaoke fun. It's silly. You get the chance to do your best Mick Jagger. However, people rarely do their best Mick Jagger in public unless they have had a few too many.

However, sober karaoke is an entirely different animal. Sober karaoke is a lot more earnest. From what I can tell, a bunch of people just rent a room to take turns singing songs out of tune the best they can minus the theatrics usually inspired by too many drinks. For the life of me I can't really figure out what is fun about this. I mean, if any of the three members of my party on Thursday could sing we would probably be lounge singers or pop stars instead of a teacher, an engineer, and the manager of a spa.

But look! My friends Frida and Randy love it! They have a really good time taking turns singing songs they really like. They sing each song pretty seriously and try to hit the right notes. No fist pumping. No air guitar. No Moonwalking. I just don't get it. It's not like I think that you need alcohol to have a good time, but for some activities I think it really helps. I have to say I think karaoke is definitely one of those activities. Frida is Asian. Randy's wife is Asian. Do you see a pattern here? I'm pretty sure I do. I think I am going to have to chalk this up to another cultural disconnect. I don't understand wishing your friend a happy birthday by pelting them with rotten eggs and I don't understand the appeal of sober karaoke. Singing badly should just not be a serious activity. I think I'll save my singing for where it belongs: at my home alone one woman song and dance shows. It's really better than way for everyone. I also think it's more fun.