Karaoke

Karaoke is wildly popular in Tawain.

By wildly popular, I mean there is a KTV (karaoke bar) on almost every corner. Think of every bar and gas station in your city. Now imagine those are KTV's. That's how ubiquitous they are.

Also, it's not karaoke like we think of it in the states - get smashed and and scream into the microphone - a contest of outrageous. Here, vocal performance is taken very seriously. Think apples to oranges, the WWF to PGA, Conrad to cliff notes... you get the idea.

Anyhow, it has never really been my cup of tea, but now I'm in a position of beat 'em or join 'em. This weekend I'll take a trip into the mountains with my school and everyone will be singing karaoke during the bus ride (departing at 6:30 in the morning). Sleep is not an option, and it will be more fun being part of the action.

I'm determined to learn one song. I just want one song in my back pocket for all future karaoke endeavors. I think I made a good pick. The song is by a Taiwanese rock singer and songwriter, probably one of the biggest stars in Asia. Here it is: 

Wu Bai - Maple Leaf

( 伍佰-楓葉 ) 

 Of course, I can't read the Chinese subtitles so I used google translate to get the pinyin:

Dāng qiūtiān sǎ xià zuìhòu yī bǎ fēngyè shí zhèng shì wǒ yào líkāi de shíhou
kàn zhe shōushí hǎo de xínglǐ xiǎngqǐ yuǎnfāng de nǐ xīnlǐ jìngrán yǒuyī gǔ xìngfú de gǎnjué
jiù zài zhège shíhou dìshàng de fēngyè chànà jiān

fēi qǐlái fēi guòlái fēi jìn wǒ shēn shēn xīnhuái
yuèguò nà níngjìng hǎi chōngmǎn zhe huíyì dì hǎi
nà yángguāng sǎ xià le ài cuīcù zhe wànwù zhànkāi
nà cǎihóng xiàng gè xiǎohái yǒnggǎn de jiāndìng de zhàn qǐlái

fēi guò nà ǎi zhú lí cāguò nà bānbó qiángbì
fā huáng de zhàopiàn li tòngkuài zhe nàme shúxī
bùjīngyì hé nǐ xiāng yù zài tiānkōng piāo zhe xiǎoyǔ
luòxià lái qīngchè de xī tiánměi de měi yīdiǎn měi yīdī

*Fēngyè a zài mǎn zhe wǒ de gǎndòng
fēngyè a qīngtīng zhe wǒ xīnqíng zhōng
shēnqiū li bànsuí zhe liànglì de mèng chōng xiàng wǒ

#huàchéng le mǎn shān hé mǎn gǔ de duì nǐ sīniàn
xiě mǎn le mǎn dì hé mǎn tiān de ài de shīpiān
yǒngtàn zhe shēngmìng dì měilì hé shìjiè de wúxiàn
fēiwǔ zài yǐhòu hé cóngqián tā lián chéng yīpiàn

suí zhe xīliú le qù suí zhe hé yòu liú le lái
lí qù shí xīn gǎnjī huílái shí mǎnxīn qídài
yīnwèi ài suǒyǐ cúnzài lù shī de lǜsè qīngtái
chénxī zhōng yíngfēng ér lái fēi jìn le wǒ xīnzhōng de dàhǎi


I've been listening to it on loop for a couple of hours. Still much more work to be done tomorrow and Friday. (Sidenote, this is a great way to practice pronunciation and intonation.) Wish me luck!