Whenever I've joined friends for a videoke evening, I've been surprised at how well they can sing. But I shouldn't be surprised in a country of singers. Singing is a great Philippine pastime. In church, I feel inspired by the beautiful songs rendered by the Sunday choir. On TV I've watched children sing like professionals. And at any party, the whole family sings while reading the lyrics on the TV screen. But I'm surprised by my videoke friends because I've never heard them sing when I knew them in grade school. Now when they grab that mike, I hear Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra or Andy Williams. After each song a score comes up on screen to show how well the singer did. And my friends usually get a score of 97 and up. One of my earliest scores was 76. I was so humiliated. I only knew one song, Girl from Ipanema , when I started going out with friends. And I was afraid to sing in front of confident men who would unexpectedly say, "Haaa" at
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener