Noraebang

This is one of those (yup, yet another!) unique Korean experiences which is difficult to share – but I’ll give it my best shot none the less.
Noraebang is the Korean word for a singing room. This is not your regular Karaoke experience, think again, think like this: You have your own room, just for you and your friends, it is conveniently sound-proofed and so you (fortunately!) cannot be heard beyond ‘your four walls’ and cannot hear anyone else at the venue.

The room comes fully kitted with psychedelic flashing lights, comfy couches and two fat files/albums full of songs to choose from, cymbals, a hi-tech, very complicated, all-in-Korean remote control to control the high tech screen on which the song lyrics and very odd and super-kitch Korean-style music videos are shown and of course complimentary soft drinks and sweet treats (you think these are chips or cheese snacks but they are in fact sweet, ugh!).As for the soft drinks, BE WARNED! One deep sip and you get a throat-full of mini jelly cubes, I spat it all out on reflex, thinking I had swallowed a fly! Anyway, the soft drinks are mostly unpalatable, as they are incredibly sweet, full of energy-boosters (like red bull but much sweeter) and highly coloured. Oh dear, that leaves only one option: Maekchu! Beer! In 1 litre canisters! To oil those vocal cords! “Maekchu chuseyo” (beer please), at numerous points during the evening! Oh, and I almost forgot: at the foyer of the Noraebang we were offered all shapes and sizes of masks and wigs, oh yeah!! Oh, and let me not forget, there are of course microphones for you to sing along on.

So we had a ball. This was our celebration of Jules’ birthday, and we went out to one of the many Noraebangs in Sangju with James and Barbara (J&B)(our ‘westerner’ neighbours and new friends) and Brad who is an American also teaching in Sangju. We sang and sang and sang ‘til our voices were hoarse! We had a great time. This Noraebang (according to J&B) is one of the more stylish ones in town, and had quite a large collection of English pop and rock songs. So we had all sorts of old favourites “Do you love me?”(Dirty Dancing – Lol and P!), many a Queen hit, “Hello Dolly” (Louis Armstrong – reminded me of my Granny Affie!) “Eye of the tiger”, BeeGees hits (Dan!) Phil Collins etc etc.

A great time certainly was had by all and we can now ‘tick off’ one more Korean must-have experience...one which I’m sure we’ll tick off many more times! Enjoy the pics!

P.S. Almost the best part of the evening was Jules in a Goldilocks wig, “priceless”! (Beat that, Mastercard!)

Gotta love the ‘regalia’!

Brad – a.k.a. Desmond Tutu? We thought so… (the hair is a wig, he’s actually bald!)

Noraebang!!

As I said, Goldilocks – priceless!