Karaoke Singing

This article was written on August 23, 2013

Author: Lü Jianfeng

Do you like karaoke? Invite three or five friends, find a private room, order a few bottles of wine, drinks, and a fruit platter, and sing from 8 or 9 PM until 2 AM. What you eat or drink doesn't matter; the key is good sound, people who can get excited, and songs one after another without awkward pauses. If you leave early, you're not a true karaoke enthusiast.

I have many such enthusiasts around me, and I often join these gatherings. In the past decade or so, the places I went to most were Beijing's Cashbox and Partyworld, and Kunming's Windsor. I don't like singing, but I don't mind listening to songs. Back then, there were no smartphones, so I couldn't play with anything while listening. I usually finished the fruit platter first, then lay down to listen, and fell asleep. At first, friends would wake me up, but later they got used to it and let me sleep while they continued singing, only waking me up when it was time to go home. In recent years, with smartphones, I basically don't sleep. They keep singing, and I keep playing with my phone.

I don't drink much, have no girlfriend, and have never had a job, so I'm always available when invited. I'm not someone who never sings, but the key is that after hearing me sing, they immediately become super confident. So I'm the best person to make up the numbers. That's fine too. Playing with my phone alone is not as comfortable as listening to free songs while playing with my phone, and all sung by friends.

Tonight, I listened to songs all night again. Remember, next time invite me to karaoke together.