Karaoke! Karajokey!

No trip to the Philippines would be complete without having a go at karaoke. When you are wandering in a mall, or in the streets of Manila, it is not uncommon to hear an ethereal sound of voices, from a distance, then, as you approach closer, you often wish you were walking in the opposite direction.

Many filipinos have very beautiful voices. Think Lea Salonga, for one. And our friends Lourdes and Jheneth in particular from Payatas sing beautifully. BUT. It seems to be a rule that those who enjoy karaoke do so because they may well not be allowed near a microphone under any other circusmtances!! There are karaoke bars in malls, and generally you see an enthusiastic singer at the microphone, and many others listening. I am never too sure whether they have nothing better to do or are patiently awaiting their turn, and hoping that if they sat and listened, others will do the same when they step up to the mike.

We were on our way back from Sipalay, and stopped at a roadside restaurant for the CR (essential term for anyone journeying in the Philippines), and sure enough, in a deserted restaurant, was a karaoke machine, and the owner or manager was belting out a song, to no-one in particular. Least said about it, the better, except to say that it was no surprise the restaurant was deserted and that we only stopped for a comfort break, not even a drink....

Still, when in Rome, as they say.... On the Thursday evening, having spent a very satisfying two days at Payatas at the build, we all went out for a meal, including the four young people we had invited back to the accommodation with us, as a treat. And afterwards, seven of us decided that the night was yet young, and we also wanted a beer (!) so we headed for the karaoke bar, perhaps to give the Philippines a taste of its own medicine, or to unleash our vocal talents on an unsuspecting neighbourhood. The bar was not packed. There were the seven of us, about four staff, the owner, as far as I could make out, and a drunk bloke. The beers were ordered, and dutch courage was produced, as one by one, we had our go. Josh first, with his tour de force version of Mustang Sally. I should add that part of the attraction is that these machines score the singer's performance, though I have never quite recovered from the shame of being beaten out of sight by one of Emma's daughters, who sang the same song as me, but out of tune, missing words out, etc, but LOUDLY. There is the key, I think. Because Josh sang it very well, very enthusiastically... But sadly, did not turn the microphone on, so did not register a score. Null points for Great Britain, though not for the first time....

After much persuasion, up I stepped to the mike. I even switched it on.... And sang "Yesterday" by the Beatles, with the distinct advantage that the backing was recognisable, as was my singing. Result, 94, and the machine's reassurance that I am well on my way to being a star.... I could relax now.

Up steps Ami, with Maroon 5's "She will be loved". I am not sure whether the machine got confused by gender issues, as it is a song which should be sung by a boy to a girl, or whether some of the last bit of the song was a bit different from the original which makes it hard to sing along. I am not going to recall her score - truth be told, I can't remember it, but it was lower than mine, haha.

Then Deb. She sang Fairground Attraction's "Perfect". Better known now for its use in a supermarket ad. It was a good effort, enthusiastically received by the "crowd" in the bar, but still not up to Jo's standard. Not quite perfect, according to the machine.

And then, Reg. Selecting that well known karaoke classic, Amazing Grace. Actually, that was one of many christian songs and hymns in the catalogue, reflecting the Philippines strong Christian ethic. Four verses later, delivered in a way which would have made our old choir mistress at church proud of Reg, and he too scored 94. Or was it 92? My desire to win the competition is not that great.... Anyway, a good job...

But we were saving the best till last. The combined forces of the UK and the Philippines. A literally show-stopping duet between Ian and some random Filipino bloke in the bar, who had been very appreciative of our efforts up till then. Sadly for Ian, random Filipino bloke chose the song, and Ian did not know it. Even more sadly, neither did the random filipino bloke. So we were treated to three minutes of karaoke komedy kaos!!! Much to everyone's amusement. Particularly when the bloke decided he really needed to get really close to Ian, to share the microphone. I forget the score, but it really was immaterial. This was one of the funniest moments of the trip. We laughed till tears were streaming down our faces. Maybe we needed the release of laughter, after what we had seen earlier, on Father Paul's tour.

Needless to say, that was an act impossible to follow. So Emma, our last representative, did not get the chance to demonstrate her vocal skills. Was she upset? I think not...

We made our way back to the accommodation, happy that we had shared in one of the Philippines' favourite social activities. And probably performed better than many a hapless British Eurovision entrant. Well, the machine scored us high...