verging_on_random

Better than Nintendo

June 21, 2008 on 8:54 pm | In Uncategorized |

Here are some new friends of mine.

They’re in a little road side eatery in Navotas City, Metro Manila, Philippines. That’s a microphone, because they’re singing to a videoke machine.

Here’s another view.

See the television thingie? It’s like a jukebox … put in one peso (about three cents) and it plays a song you pick from hundreds of popular songs - music minus the words - while the lyrics track across the screen.

These things are HUGE in the Philippines. In some neighbourhoods (not the one I stayed in, fortunately) people stay up until 4 or 5 am singing along. Moreover, they do it without the assistance of intoxicating liquor, believe it or not. Maybe that’s why they usually sing in tune (these kids were just awesome).

It’s a pretty childish past-time of course, not something that serious Western grown-ups would bother with.

Still … my version of ‘That’s Why the Lady Is a Tramp’ blew them away … and I hadn’t even had breakfast. That came next … fried noodles with bacon and egg, with extra egg on top and a glass of water. 27 pesos (70 cents) please .