karaokeeee!

it was inevitable. to honour a family tradition, i must not leave tokyo before karaoke-ing. at least twice. so tonight was the conference after-party reception, and upon my urging, followed by...karaoke. must get one practice round before the real deal with the Fuji family saturday.

but as it turns out, all these japanese guys from the conference, with suits and fancy huge touch screen telephones arguing for 20 minutes couldn't agree on a karaoke place nearby, and i was the only person that recalled seeing one or two on my jetlagged dazy walk though rappongi.

there was lots of bowing when i offered to show them a place to go, and so 20 minutes later, here we were in some fancy lobby with crytal chandeliers, ordering a room on the 10th floor, overlooking the city. 

this place is fancier than my hotel

it started off nice enough, confident japanese balads and some madonna. it took a while to get a hang of all the electonics, and what to order "drink menu so crazy!" and we got maracas and tambourines to do it right. 

it was all pretty normal until i ordered japanese sweet potato whiskey shots and some guy took his shirt off...

ummmm

and then we sang a duet...

practicing the shapiro rendition of "rawhide" for saturday

and then, as the only native speaker in the room who could read fast enough i was asked to do "american rap song very please!" and ended the evening screaming biyaaatch and singing about pimps and hos and drugs and thugs and thankfully no one understood but loved it all the same.  oyasuminasai!