Serenading our hosts

Friday night was our first try at Japanese karaoke. From the scores that show up after you sing, our team has some rehearsing to do. It is so much fun.

Our conference room where we had just had a Rotary meeting and done our presentation for the first time, had a machine and several four-inch thick books of song titles in a mix of English and Japanese characters.


Businessmen, often reserved and formal during work, use it as an opportunity to drink and relax their dignified fronts, one Rotarian explained to me.

Some crooned traditional Japanese songs into a microphone, while others gave impressive performances of oldies in English, with little of their usual signature accents seeping through the lyrics.

None reached such new heights of cacophony as our team's rendition of "No Satisfaction." Even after the last Japanese Rotarian went home, we stayed with our translator, Shunske, and a bottle of sake to have our own private karaoke party.

Lesson learned: No more satisfaction.