Monday 9 March 2009

Women's Day

Sunday was Women's Day here in China -- a holiday not supported in the UK. It is a day to celebrate women and all of their achievements, so most of the department stores have a big sale for a day or two. Web also contributed to the holiday by taking us all out for dinner. But it wasn't just dinner, it was KTV too.

After finishing work we walked across the road to the same karaoke establishment Kimi and I had previously visited, the "Jolly 100". This time a mini-room would not be enough, what I think must be the largest of rooms was booked for us instead. Inside it was certainly spacious, with a cinema-type screen hung onto the wall -- it made reading the lyrics easy even without wearing my glasses.

The party in full swing

It was supposed to be a social gathering with a bit of singing, drinking, and eating, but it seemed although the idea was there, somehow it got lost along the way. The primary reason for this was the volume of the music, it was so high it was almost impossible to talk to each other. With a bit of shouting and speaking into each others ears, we made some effort to communicate with each other. A few Double Deer beers later and we, "the foreign teachers", even came to the stage to sing, "Hey Jude".

Like so many events and dinners I have attended in China, they don't slowly end with some people leaving early and some people staying until the bitter end. I find that a function will just stop, and within a few minutes almost everybody leaves within a split second. There's never an announcement or talk of leaving soon, just a kind of silent alarm that repels all people in a room. So at 9:15 we rapidly left the establishment, all with Tinnitus ringing in our ears.

7 comments:

The Acolyte Tao said...

I've never even heard of a women's day in the USA. Well, we have mother's day...that's the closest to it that I know of...?

Christopher said...

The Acolyte Tao, it's just the same in the UK. Mother's day is the closest thing to it. There is no men's day in China though.

Anonymous said...

funny how the first international women's day was observed in the U.S

The Acolyte Tao said...

Lol, that is funny if true Lei, I'm too lazy to look it up myself, but that is ironic if we don't even mention it in society though here in the U.S.

mabelp said...

Oh! We have Women's Day in Hong Kong, but it's not a public holiday. It seems Women's Day has a long history: http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

Yes, you're right. In the past, when I went to KTV, I found it hard to speak to others due to the volume of the music.

Anonymous said...

Rather you than me on this mate, ktv's generally suck.

But then I've been a homebird living on 25 rmb a day recently...sad I know, but can't be helped...unemployment sucks...

How you doing,
Alex

大眼睛熊 said...

I forgot to ask.. did u sing Yellow? I like it when u sing it haha, it's ur song now! Hope Chris Martin doesnt mind.
We should do it again,with some of ur close friends,it will be fun! xxxxxxxxxx