I did a massive amount of singing this weekend, and it was ridiculously fun. I mean, being able to grab a mike and break it down to old skool hip hop or R&B song, or even some sort of 90′s rock ballad. That’s classic!

I also ended up going to karaoke at a friend’s party and we got a private room in K-town. There was a mixed crowd in the bunch, so I thought I’d re-post some of my mantras if you ever find yourself in a karaoke spot/room. Note: Try to bring someone Asian as they’ll be able to speak the language and make for a pleasant experience.

Here are some things to remember:

Don’t Let the Random Background Videos confuse you- In private Korean karaoke spots, your song will play and there will usually be Korean dramas playing on the TV. Don’t be confused, scared, or weirded out. This is just the way it is, so enjoy the random videos of Asian couples who walk in the countryside.

Beware of the Quiet, Shy One- Yeah, at karaoke, there’s always that one quiet, shy person who claims to never have done karaoke. Um, yeah, then an hour later, they’re totally hogging the machine. haha…

Service- In Korean spots, this means they’ll give you something for free. Again, if you bring an Asian person, they will work it out.

Be courteous- In these spots, if you’re not Asian/Asian-American, you will probably feel odd, but hey, just have fun, kick back, and sing. The point is to make a fool out of yourself and have fun. It’s okay, you can rap Biggie, sing like Bon Jovi, or pretend that you’re Britney Spears in her “Oops, I did it again, days.”

Now, the karaoke bars where you go up and perform in front of a bunch of strangers, that’s a whole other post which I’m diligently working on. This is karaoke, you know. Serious stuff. Don’t mess, yo.

Oh, and BTW, this is a GREAT song to dance/sing to. It also puts you in a good mood which ya know, is necessary in times like these. Here In Your Arms by Hello Goodbye