Turn on the heat!

On November 15th, the Beijing energy authority turned on the central heating for the city. All the big metal heaters in most people's houses are controlled by the government and turned on in the middle of November for the cold winter. People can buy electric heaters to supplement the heating or start early. I think it is interesting that the government controls when central heating will start. The heating is completely coal powered. I also hear that the pollution levels jump in the winter because of the burning of coal. They have yellow and red alerts on days when the air quality is so bad people should not be going out.

Last Friday was November 11th. Because all the digits of that date are 1s, the Chinese call it International Singles Day. At least that is what my students told me. Anyway a group of students wanted to take me out for dinner last Friday. That was the first time that has happened, so I took them up on it. We went to a restaurant/bar with a live band. The place was big and had the feel of an American restaurant/bar. They served a fruit plate, popcorn and french fries with ketchup. I ate that and drank some vodka. Uggh. But it was my students treat. Later, they all wanted to go to Karaoke. Again, it was their treat and the end of mid-terms, so I didn't refuse. I figured it would not last more than a couple of hours. The place we went to was one of the largest specialty Karaoke centers in the city. A whole building, maybe 8-10 stories tall for Karaoke. Every floor had dozens of rooms of all sizes with music machines, TVs, lights, microphones, sofas etc etc.
The English songs for guys that were available included, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, The Eagles, The Bee Gees, and for those of you who like pop music, the BackStreet Boys. Ehhg! Anyway, after singing all the Bon Jovi songs I could muster, I fell asleep. But they didn't stop singing and dancing in that little Karaoke room until 6:30 AM.

It was interesting for me to listen to Chinese people sing. They sung in Mandarin, Cantonese, and some English. I get a kick out of listening to people speak or sing the language that I am studying so hard. Its amazing they have so much of what I am striving for in their heads, but I can't get it out of them and have it for my own.
For me, going out for Karaoke is fun once in a great while. However Karaoke has really taken off in China. The place our group went to was completely packed from night till day despite being pretty expensive for the average Chinese, no less than 10 US dollars an hour. I hear Chinese say it gives them a chance to express themselves, provides a form of entertainment in a entertainment-scarce city, offers seclusion from other groups that bars and restaurants can't provide, etc.

I did enjoy the fact I could sing in English better than anyone there. The people I went with were very happy to hear me sing in English. Though I may not be considered a great singer in America, in China I could sing and feel like a superstar.