By #23 – Noraebangs
Like most westerners I was hesitant at first to go to a Korean noraebang (karaoke parlor), but now I’m addicted to them. They are a lot fun and a great way to make friends with Koreans in an informal setting. The noraebang experience begins by first purchasing your time to use one of the karaoke rooms inside the noraebang. The noraebangs usually have 10-20 private karaoke rooms for its customers to use. Inside the karaoke room there is of course the karaoke machine and then usually sofas, chairs, and a table for everyone to gather around. The employees at the noraebang usually bring Korean style snacks for their customers to munch on while the singing is going on. The list of songs available at the noraebangs are quite expansive and include plenty of well known English language songs. Being a foreigner the Koreans love to see you get up there and sing their favorite English language songs. You should see me sing Guns-N-Roses, Koreans are probably the only ones that can actually stand hearing me trying to sound like Axl Rose. Some of the noraebangs are so lavish that they actually have a stage with flashing lights for the singer to perform on while being cheered on by their friends. Trust me, I have no singing abilities, but yet I always have a great time at the noraebang.
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Note: This is an ongoing series that is systematically counting down the Top 25 things I like about Korea. Let me know in the comments section if this is something you like about Korea?
12:16 pm on January 30th, 2011 1
The "stage/spotlight" thing is usually only in the big room(usaully in front but could be in the back I suppose). Sex, of course sex is often offered/sold on the premises. Songs, I wouldn't say that the best English songs are offered and certainly not anything very new. I've only been to one that had better/newer than average and that was in Gangnam/more expensive.
1:52 pm on January 30th, 2011 2
So did you buy the sex with it?
10:23 am on January 31st, 2011 3
Another good choice. Always enjoyed the singing room with friends.