Grooving up slowly

Children's Day was fine, but the evening that followed was better.

When the Thai staff arrived back at the school, they pulled up chairs in the kitchen and dove into the leftover rice and ribs from Children's Day. Somebody filled a pitcher with ice and poured over it a big bottle of red Fanta, then dumped in some dozen straws and they passed it around. I didn't understand much of what was said, but this was such a magical experience of communal eating and bonding over the day that it made me miss communal meals like that. I've eaten in groups in restaurants here, but the focus is always something else. This meal had a great sense of relief and accomplishment and leftovers. It was fantastic.

Later, Bert took Autumn and me on a little road trip in his newly on-the-road-again Mercedes where we visited a village on stilts. There were cows.



Afterward, we went to dinner where I had tasty Pad See Ew Goong and Bert installed karaoke software on his laptop. As we were the only people in the restaurant, it was important that we make sure that the new program worked. We chose "California Dreamin'" and "Unchained Melody." This, of course, was only the beginning.

Bert brought his new portable karaoke machine to Fern Bar! I sang a few songs with Autumn. Later, Bert was singing "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and this guy apparated out of the aether and sang the drunkest, loudest karaoke I've heard.



He was amazing. I tried to get some really epic tunes out of him (Dream On was a failure, but Stairway to Heaven was glorious.) We sang like fifteen songs. I don't even remember everything we sang, but "Come Together" by the Beatles and "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles stand out. I do appreciate that the audience was so supportive of my karaoke problem.

After Bert and his karaoke went home, I went to Oliver's for a bit and then tried to sing more karaoke at the place on my street but they shut down about five minutes after we got there. Instead, I sat in the dark and chatted with cool people for about an hour before heading home.

I'm always happiest when I have a song in my head, and I don't know if it's because singing makes me happy or because happiness brings out song, but karaoke nights are always the best nights, especially after a long Saturday.