Wait... What The...?

You know what's awesome? Going to visit one of your best friends in Dubai...
You know what's not awesome? Accidentally entering yourself into a Karaoke competition...
Ok. Yes. I like to sing. And yes. I like karaoke. But competitive karaoke? That's a completely different story - especially when I don't know I'm competing.

Kate - my Dubai friend - and I found the Karaoke bar on one of my last nights in the U.A.E. We saw the sign and knew it was fate... our two previous karaoke attempts had been foiled by technical difficulties and a 3 hour wait.

If you've read my previous "Humpty Hump" post then you might remember my karaoke song of choice: Sweet Caroline. Since I was in a new karaoke bar I decided to go with my standard. It's easy to sing and it always gets the crowd going. I found the song in the book and wrote down the info on the little slip of paper. But then... what's this? The man behind the counter gave me a number and pointed toward a sign on a nearby column. The sign said, "criteria" at the top and listed different methods of judging the performance.
Judging!?!?!! I was not prepared. But before I could run back to the DJ and resign from the contest the music began and three judges walked into the room. There was no turning back now.

I sat through the first few performances. It was clear that these people took their karaoke seriously. Everyone had an excellent voice and they chose songs I'd never even heard of before. That's not what karaoke is about! Where was "I Will Survive" and "Baby Got Back?" I was panicking and Kate was doing everything she could to keep me from running out of the room. But then.... it was my turn.

I walked timidly up to the stage and took the microphone. I smiled at the judges and turned to face the tv screen. The music started and I did my best not to faint. It wasn't until the first chorus that I really started to gain confidence. By the end of the "Good times never felt so good..." I was back to my usual karaoke self. I did an awkward jig and sang a little louder. I don't know if I sounded okay or not, but I'm just proud of myself for staying upright.

Next time I go to a karaoke bar in Dubai, I'll know better.

And no, I did not win. Not even close.