last saturday night iwent out for my first karoke experience in china. it brought back many memories, and here are a few highlights.

my first karoke experience was a table set up in my high school's dining hall. as we ate a special dinner that consisted of a bunch of fried food (i can't remember what the occasion was) my dorm mates and i went up and sang bohemian rhapsody. (i'm not sure if my college friends realize how far back the group singing of bohemian rhapsody goes back for me.)

my next experiences were in taiwan. there were quite a few, but i think unchained melody on the bus after watching a bootlegged copy of star wars episode one before it was released in the states. the video feature two asian people doing pottery together. how sweet.

the other very memorable time was when we visited a cultural village at sun moon lake. it was like a taiwanese version of williamstown. after our tour and after we had all donned vintage taiwanese garb, we were treated to a dance performance. after they cleared the stage, they gave us the opportunity to sing karoke. justin man, ms. fontaine, and i, in our traditional taiwanese clothes, sang a delightful rendition of knock three times.

this ktv, as they call it here, was not as family friendly. the bar was smoky, and they projected the picture and words onto a blank wall, and people sat in their seats and sang. that way there wasn't as much pressure. i convinced a chinese guy i met there to sing unchained melody with me. it was great. brought back some really nice memories...