I just finished reading the thread “When is the best time to leave Taiwan” and thought of a recent incident. On a work related outing I wound up escorting a few newly arrived foreigners to Cashbox to introduce them to their first karaoke experience, and kinda got caught up in the moment with my Taiwanese and ABC friends - needless to say their eyebrows raised watching a waiguoren belt out the Chinese tunes he was reading on the big screen. One of them actually leaned over and asked “What’s WRONG with you?” (HA HA!)
Maybe it’s time to leave?
made me wonder - what do most people here (locals and foreigners alike) sing or do at KTV’s? Grab the mike and sing “IOIO” or dance along when people bust out with Sammi or “Taiwan Song?” Gulp down a beer and bolt for the door?
[quote=“Tomas”]
If I’m drunk, I’ll jump on the table, take off my shirt, and sing “Born to be Wild!”[/quote]
Do you stop at the shirt? And do the xiaojies reciprocate?
I haven’t been to a KTV in ages, when when I used to go from time to time, I gave up expecting to find anything that I really wanted to sing (they don’t seem to have much by Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, the Stones, the Pretenders, et al).
But whatever I attempt to sing, in English or Chinese, it’s always horribly off-key and ends up sounding pretty much the same. I wouldn’t recommend going to one of those places with me.
I can’t imagine ever singing in front of people… unless I’m incredibly drunk… and since I don’t get incredibly drunk anymore, I don’t think it’ll ever happen.
Just returned from our firm vacation… there was karaoke singing on the bus, and as usual, I turned down all suggestions that I sing “Country Roads”…
And a damned noble deed it was too. What an awful song.
My favourites remain almost anything by Wu Bai. Prefer his Taiwanese songs but sadly my Taiwanese (if there was enough to call mine) is so tragically limited I sort of umm a lumm lumm a lumm along.
Great laugh getting out for a singalong. You need the right mix though. More drunken fools like myself, only one mournful xiaojie - only because someone has to speed dial the tunes - and preferrably a woman or women in her/their thirties that know like every good Taiwanese/Mandarin tune of the past thirty years . . . and can sing.
Ronald, David, Lee-Hom, Jacky, Harlem, you name it. You are not alone. I’m a not-so-closeted KTV-aholic. Even joined a competition once (ducks to avoid eggs being thrown by the rest of the forumosans). Nearly shit my pants in front of 1200 people.
Mainly girls songs and mostly Britney’s since singing her songs doesn’t required a lot of skills and talent. I tried to listen to the radio a lot (KISS FM or 92.1, wave…) and tried to memorize the words so when I go to KTV, I can impress my friends. They will correct me if I said the word wrong, which I think was very nice of them.
Dancing on the table, com’on, that is A MUST!! Beside, if I don’t start the party, who will??
I do have friends that just sit around and do nothing, then what is the point of going right??
Been a while but a group of us used to KTV it sometimes. Was foreigners only, and any Taiwanese partneres etc had to realise that it was going to be mostly English somgs sung very very badly.
I liked to sing:
English songs:
It’s Tricky
Getting Jiggy with it (these were the only two ‘hip hop’ songs at Cashobx)
Delilah
We are the World (group effort)
La Bamba (OK, it’s Spanish)
Various 80s hits
Chinese Songs:
A few Wong Fei songs I like
Ah-Mei’s Bad Boy and Bowling
Zhang Zheng Yue’s songs - Baba Wo Yao Qian etc
That Wu Bai song ‘Chong chong chong’ (all in Taiwanese, but we used to make upt he words)
[quote=“Omniloquacious”][quote=“Tomas”]
But whatever I attempt to sing, in English or Chinese, it’s always horribly off-key and ends up sounding pretty much the same. [/quote][/quote]
From the diaphragm, Omniloquacious, from the diaphragm.
I usually stick to Wong Li Hong, some Jay Chou (jiandan ai 簡單愛 is a nice one, anything else just destroys my vocal chords) and zi you 自由 which has been done by so many people that someone is bound to pick it.
Also Zuo You Wei Nan 左右為難 when I can get someone to accompany.
“The Gambler” and “Great Balls of Fire” usually after a few beers.
Miaka, you and Tomas should go karaokeing together. That’d be lively, especially if the booze was flowing. You could dance on the table together, shed clothes in unison, and compete to see who wowed your fellow revellers the most. You might even croon a duet or two while you’re at it.
[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]If any posts in this thread contain mando-pop songs sung badly out of of tune they will be deleted, please talk about them, but NO SINGING!
Thank you for your attention,
Your KTV-hating Big Fluffy Moderator :P[/quote]
So – bolting out the door then, is it? At least have a beer or two dozen first.
Miaka, you and Tomas should go karaokeing together. That’d be lively, especially if the booze was flowing. You could dance on the table together, shed clothes in unison, and compete to see who wowed your fellow revellers the most. You might even croon a duet or two while you’re at it. [/quote]
Reminds me of a racy, Taiwanese version of the movie “Duets.” Frankly, I’m not sure Miaka could keep up with me .
Miaka, you and Tomas should go karaokeing together. That’d be lively, especially if the booze was flowing. You could dance on the table together, shed clothes in unison, and compete to see who wowed your fellow revellers the most. You might even croon a duet or two while you’re at it. [/quote]
Reminds me of a racy, Taiwanese version of the movie “Duets.” Frankly, I’m not sure Miaka could keep up with me .[/quote]
Miaka, are you going to take that lying down? [no pun] Surely I think it’s a challenge and dont’ call me Shirley.
[quote]Big Fluffy Matthew wrote:
If any posts in this thread contain mando-pop songs sung badly out of of tune they will be deleted, please talk about them, but NO SINGING!
Thank you for your attention,
Your KTV-hating Big Fluffy Moderator
So – bolting out the door then, is it? At least have a beer or two dozen first. [/quote]
Wait Fluffy, don’t go yet, Total Eclipse of the Heart is coming on in a minute … Fluffy?
We shoudl organise a Forumosa KTV sometime. Rules would have to be. Noone who can actually sing can come. Maximum 1 in 4 Chinese songs. Everyboday drinks, everybody sings.
(HA HA!)
At least have a beer or two dozen first. 
.