Karaoke....

Last i had been to a karaoke bar, the first time in my life.During my last trip to Japan, i had been with a couple of friends to a restaurant that had karaoke, but it wasn't the same as going to a karaoke bar.Well if you have not been to a karaoke bar , here is some basic gyan..

• you go into one of these rooms, that have a TV and a sound system
• You can select songs you want to sing
• Song lyrics get displayed on the screen to help you sing the song you selected
• Grab the microphone and test your vocal skills..

I realised i couldn't sing ( except for "all apologies" by Nirvana).This song was the first sung by me , and it set the expectations from me, for the rest of the evening :).

It was fun, but i wonder why its such a craze in Japan. I could see lot of people of various ages and group sizes coming in there. Karaoke is one of the main social activities of Japanese adults, especially businessmen or “salarymen”. These men visit “lounge” or “snack” bars after work, drink for hours.
But karaoke is much more than just businessmen loosening their ties. The bars are popular with people from all walks of life. It is a staple form of entertainment. There are even those who are so concerned with “losing face” or appearing talentless in front of their friends, colleagues or boss, that there are even professional karaoke coaches.

Some more gyan on Karaoke which i picked up from a website..

Karaoke: Where does it come from?

Kara means empty, and oke is the abbreviation of okesutura - a Japanese reading of the word “orchestra”.
The phenomenon of the “empty orchestra” originated in the city of Kobe 20 years go. When a guitarist could not perform in a snack bar one night, the inspired owner encouraged his patrons to sing along to instrumental tape recordings.
It began on tape format and went through many technological developments until the home karaoke kit was created. Unfortunately, Japanese houses tend to be very close together and poorly insulated so this never took off and instead, the karaoke box was invented.
Karaoke boxes are roadside facilities containing closed-door, insulated rooms where you can sing you heart out without bothering the neighbours. The first one appeared in Okayama in 1984, based on a converted freight car.
The fad soon spread across the whole of Japan. In urban areas karaoke was set up in buildings with individual, fairly soundproofed rooms.
From these humble beginnings, it did not take long for the karaoke fever, ignited in Japan, to spread across the rest of the world. It was just 1987 when the fad hit the West.
It is difficult to believe that karaoke is such a recent invention as it is so well embedded into the culture of Japan. It is the country’s fourth most popular form of entertainment behind cinema, restaurants and bars. At present there are more than 100,000 karaoke boxes and buildings in Japan.
Karaoke appeals to all types of people. It is the perfect way to relax with friends and a great icebreaker with a new group. In the small room, amongst friends and colleagues, you can become a pop idol. For a few minutes, anyway.

Highlight of the evening was "Hotel California" sung with an Indian accent.(Sung by Badari Kotejoshyer)

Wishlist.......

I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
The christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top
I wish I was the evidence,I wish I was the grounds
For 50 million hands upraised and open toward the sky
I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good
I wish I was the full moon shining off a camaros hood
I wish I was an alien at home behind the sun
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on
I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down
I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up
I wish...
I wish...

We have a choice....

My last post was about vegetarian food in Japan. Japan is a country where vegetarian food is totally unheard of, at least i have not met a Japanese who claims he/she is vegetarian.
I think vegetarianism has gained popularity in the western world, in the last 2-3 decades( at least people consider it as a healthy option).
I have met a couple of people in Germany , who wondered how i grew to my size with vegetarian food ( i am 6 ft 1 inch, weighing 175 lbs). I think some have even claimed after a relishing vegetarian meal at an Indian restaurant, that although they are full, they still don't feel complete :)
OK, let me come to the point, i read this excerpt from the book i am currently reading( Meditation - Common sense directions for an uncommon life - Eknath Easwaran), its interesting read on...
"I like to think of the contrast between two British writers, great favorites of mine when i was a professor of English in India: George Bernard Shaw and GK Chesterson. Both appeared often in the news , and we heard a lot about their personal lives. What a difference between them! Shaw was a tall , thin man, not an ounce of extra weight on him. He took to vegetarianism when little was known about it in England, and the literary world feared that a promising writer would be cut off prematurely. The eminent physicians of London too warned him that his life would be shortened by his new way of eating. Of course he went on to produce remarkable plays even in his eighties, and his friends naturally suggested that he go back to those physicians and show them how well he was doing."I like to", he replied "But unfortunately , none of them is around anymore".
Chesterson , on the other hand, weighed three hundred pounds and hugely loved the pleasures of the table. You can imagine how they looked together when they met. Both had a marvelous sense of humor, and each enjoyed making sharp thrusts of wit at the other. Once, it is said, Chesterson cast an appraising eye on Shaw and said " To look at you, GBS, one would think there is a famine in merry old England." And Shaw replied "To look at you, GKC, one would know what caused it.""

Indian food in Japan

For those of you who think Japan is not a country for vegetarians, think again. I have found umpteen number of wonderful Indian restaurants in Japan.
I have seen the Indian restaurants in Europe that serve " Europeanised" indian food, which frankly sucks.
Indian restuarants in Japan serve authentic indian food.
I have discovered an Indian restaurant in almost every JR railway station on the JR West line in Osaka.
here is a preview list, the list will be updated with photographs in future posts...enjoy.

- Gaylord ( JR Tarumi , south indian food on request )
- Sanatana (JR Ashiya)
- Shanti (JR Ashiya)
- Shiva (JR Sannomiya)
- Bombay (JR Akashi)