Random adventures through my life... in all their glory and splendor.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Cruise Day 5 pt2: It's Karaoke time!

(Written Dec. 27th)
Ok, so this one time, we were on a cruise, and I did karaoke...

Clearin' the dance floor, one note at a time...

No seriously, they had karaoke for an hour tonight, and if you think I was going to miss it, well, then you sir have not been reading my blogs. There were a couple of twists tonight that made things memorable and different from what I would consider 'normal' karaoke. For starters, it was a formal wear night for dinner, which means everyone was dressed up except of course those of us who rushed back to our cabins and changed. Secondly, native English singers were in the minority. Good, bad, or otherwise, it was entertaining. And just to make sure the evening was unforgetable, mi familia was there to supply ample peer-pressure and to record the event in case there weren't already enough pictures and footage to keep me out of public office.

So did you know that there's some super cheesey song called "Feel like making love" that is NOT the rockin' one by Bad Company? Yeah, well, I found out the hard way too. Which, as much as I wanted to sing it, it was probably for the best that it was mislabled in the songbook. It was not a 70's classics kind of crowd. It was a karaoke 'standards' crowd, which makes sense in retrospect. If you're going to know any songs in English, it's going to be stuff like Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and apparently... sigh... Neil Diamond. (What is the obsession with singing Neil Diamond at karaoke? Someone explain it to me plz because I've got nothin.) Anyway some guy did La Bamba and it was a huge hit. (Karaoke lingo: any time women dance to the song you're singing, it becomes a 'huge hit.') And I really didn't want to follow that, but fortunately, with all my prior l33t karaoke training, I chose to sing 'Ring of Fire' by Johnny Cash. It's very American with a Spanish flair and just happens to be the only JC song I'm comfortable singing. The other guys that sang came in their suitcoats and had that international smooth groove air about them. I, however, just to be, like, total anti-establishment, performed in sandals and a hoodie, complete with a dance move I like to call the wobbily 'WhiteBoyNeedsMoreToDrink' one-step. I think the name is pretty much self explanitory, but my dad shot video of it if you want to follow along. Anyway, it went over really well and I could tell by the way my family wouldn't make eye-contact with me afterwards that they were duly impressed. (Karaoke lingo tip II, 'going over really well' means that the applause feels genuine, regardless of whether it is or not. Conventional Wisdom dictates that being inebriated helps more songs 'go over really well.')

Anyway, it was a great way to end Day 5. Our bodies are still in the Caribbean, but our hearts are starting to tell us that this vacation will be over soon. Work came up for the first time in conversation at dinner tonight and I'm starting to feel like I've been dealing with the same crazy people for, like, a *week*. On several occasions, Chris has interjected this sentiment into conversation, "I once had a life where I had to get up, go to work, and worry about things every day. Frankly I don't know how I did it. I much prefer this life."

Indeed, and tomorrow my Love, is Aruba.

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