Angelika Now I would like to contribute something to your amusement. As Michael already mentioned once, we will probably be going on vacation to Japan in the near future. That's why this year for Christmas, there were all sorts of gifts related to "Japan." Michael was delighted with sake cups (sake = Japanese rice wine), various types of sake, miso soup bowls, and the highlight, a Japanese language class that we will both start in April. But what would Japan be without karaoke? You know, that's the thing where you sing along to well-known music. Usually, a video plays on the screen, the music plays, and the lyrics are displayed--but you have to sing yourself. Now, Michael's Japanese colleague at work loves "karaoke." She says that singing relaxes her completely. During a Christmas party at the house of Michael's other colleague, she tried to persuade us to go to karaoke with her. At first, I turned pale with shock, as I assumed I would have to sing on a stage in front of several hundred people (that's how I knew it from television).

Not at all. In Japan, karaoke is quite different: You rent a room equipped with a TV, video, and of course, a microphone and gigantic speakers, and you sing among yourselves. In Japan, for example, it's popular to first go out to eat with friends and then later rent a karaoke room. Since I was in an especially good mood at the aforementioned Christmas party, I gladly agreed, which made Michael turn a bit pale. Said and done: In Japantown in San Francisco, you can not only eat good sushi (raw fish) but also rent karaoke rooms in a karaoke studio (that's all they do). It was exactly as described: A small room with a TV, sound system, and couch, as well as huge binders from which you select the songs you want to sing (one binder was filled with English songs, another with Japanese songs). Then you enter the song number into the karaoke machine using a remote control, and immediately the music starts playing and the video appears with the lyrics on the screen. To know when to start singing, the lyrics are highlighted in color.

By the way, they don't play the well-known music videos that belong to the original songs there, probably due to copyright reasons, and instead use completely different movies, which can be hilarious at times. You should have seen us. Michael, of course, sang "Sharp Dressed Man" by "ZZ Top" -- priceless. By the way, the whole thing is not that easy. You often start at the wrong time, even though the lyrics are highlighted, and because of the microphone and the amplification, it's not easy to stay on pitch. But the more off-key the singing gets, the funnier it is! And Michael's colleague was right. The whole thing is actually relaxing. The two hours we rented the room just flew by. So, would any of you like to try it out when you visit us next time?

So, that's it once again from the wild, wild West from your intrepid newsletter reporters who fear neither death nor the devil. Four fists for a hallelujah, yeehaw!

Michael und Angelika

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Gun Laws in California
  	Vacation in Las Vegas
  	Las Vegas Hotelroom Shenanigans
  	Death Valley
  	Trip to Germany
  	News in Politics
  	Chaos On the Electrical Grid