Last night I spent the night on a floating Karaoke raft being pulled around a lake the size of a small country. Although I've been immersed in the Karaoke Culture for some time now, it just keeps taking me to new levels of "Karaoke Awareness". Their love for the off-key song surpasses all...
30 Thai teachers, J and myself were transported to Karaoke World by a longtail boat in several trips, also hauling along all the food and alcohol supplies for the evening. All on board by about 6pm in time for a not so spectacular sunset due to cloud cover. They got the music cranking before we even alighted ship! After everyone was on board and settled at tables, the Karaoke was immediately cranked up! It was all pretty mediocre until after dark when the teachers went wild! Talk about Jekyll and Hyde!! Those teachers know how to partay. Pretty much everyone is called up one after the other to sing and they're all desperate to be next in line to sing (!!)..it was inevitable that my name would be called..so up I went, did my little bit of speaking Thai to much applause and laughter, but all they wanted was English (they were all English teachers!) and of course for me to "Sing-a-song, english english". I bitterly disappointed them as I just couldn't bring myself to do it. J on the other hand ran up to the stage, started extravagantly dancing and sang a few Thai classics to get the party rockin' again!!
Amongst the festivities we were served a 5 course meal of snacks, seafood platter, grilled fish, Tom Yum Goong, Curry, Vegies and rice and dessert of fruit! I was so stuffed after this effort I couldn't move for a good hour but the teachers got up again for more singing and dancing all throughout the meal! Crazy cats... Most people crashed about midnight and the boat closes everything down at about 1.30am - everyone has to work in the morning! A few of the men tried to continue gambling by aid of lighters but didn't last long (they were the first to rise int he morning and start gambling again before the sun was up!). With all of us mashed together in the back of the boat there wasn't much space for sleeping...everyone was up at 6am anyway for sunrise and back to the mainland for a quick breakfast before going to work. Thais don't really get the concept of a weekend! They'll do anything, any day of the week! Love it...
30 Thai teachers, J and myself were transported to Karaoke World by a longtail boat in several trips, also hauling along all the food and alcohol supplies for the evening. All on board by about 6pm in time for a not so spectacular sunset due to cloud cover. They got the music cranking before we even alighted ship! After everyone was on board and settled at tables, the Karaoke was immediately cranked up! It was all pretty mediocre until after dark when the teachers went wild! Talk about Jekyll and Hyde!! Those teachers know how to partay. Pretty much everyone is called up one after the other to sing and they're all desperate to be next in line to sing (!!)..it was inevitable that my name would be called..so up I went, did my little bit of speaking Thai to much applause and laughter, but all they wanted was English (they were all English teachers!) and of course for me to "Sing-a-song, english english". I bitterly disappointed them as I just couldn't bring myself to do it. J on the other hand ran up to the stage, started extravagantly dancing and sang a few Thai classics to get the party rockin' again!!
Amongst the festivities we were served a 5 course meal of snacks, seafood platter, grilled fish, Tom Yum Goong, Curry, Vegies and rice and dessert of fruit! I was so stuffed after this effort I couldn't move for a good hour but the teachers got up again for more singing and dancing all throughout the meal! Crazy cats... Most people crashed about midnight and the boat closes everything down at about 1.30am - everyone has to work in the morning! A few of the men tried to continue gambling by aid of lighters but didn't last long (they were the first to rise int he morning and start gambling again before the sun was up!). With all of us mashed together in the back of the boat there wasn't much space for sleeping...everyone was up at 6am anyway for sunrise and back to the mainland for a quick breakfast before going to work. Thais don't really get the concept of a weekend! They'll do anything, any day of the week! Love it...
The Karaoke Raft
Sleeping area at the back
The lake, the raft, the tow boat
Forgot to mention - all this was for free (courtesy of the teachers)!!
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