Karaoke - Vietnamese Style

Now that I have three months and counting left in Vietnam, I am starting to get a little nostalgic about some of the things that I know I will miss when I return to the US in December.

One of those things, strangely enough, is Vietnamese karaoke. First let me paint a picture as to what Vietnamese karaoke entails as I know that before arriving in Vietnam I, myself, always thought of karaoke as an embarrassing and sometimes painful activity in which case someone volunteers to get up on a stage and sing to a room full of strangers.

Vietnamese karaoke is very different -- your party receives an individual room complete with couches, a television and a karaoke machine. Once in the room, everyone takes turns picking out songs from a Vietnamese song book (and if you are lucky there are a few English songs -- if you are really lucky, there is a separate book full of English songs!), programming them into the machine and then singing the songs at the top of their lungs. Typically the karaoke machine is set to play at maximum volume and is accompanied by a colorful disco ball on the ceiling -- so, needless to say, it is usually a very LOUD and colorful experience.

People usually order drinks and food as well. At the mention of food you may be thinking of typical American snack food such as popcorn and candy. Yet, the Vietnamese typically serve fresh fruit with a chili and salt mixture (which is actually quite delicious!).

Now, let me take a moment to mention that there have been many occasions in which case I have said, "No. I cannot take any more Vietnamese karaoke!" Yet, now that I am on the verge of losing Vietnamese karaoke as a regular social activity when I return home, it has become much more special and something that I want to truly appreciate in my remaining months here.

In fact, that is the case now with many things here -- food, coffee shops, driving a bike, etc. etc. So, my next few blogs will be dedicated to sharing some of the things that I love about living in Vietnam overall, even if I have had some difficulty in adjusting to them along the way.

Below are a few recent pictures from a work karaoke party - we had a great time singing our hearts out and being silly together.