Happy National Women's Day

March 8 is a holiday.  It is National Women’s Day, and government buildings, schools, and some businesses closed early to celebrate.  Also, the principal at school gave all of the female faculty members a case of toilet paper to celebrate.  I’m not sure when this holiday started or why it is significant, and no one I asked could tell me either. One teacher in the first grade office just said, “I don’t know.  Be happy. You are free from school!” And so, I was happy.

What do teachers do in the afternoon of a half school day in China? Well, pretty much the same thing they might do here: go to McDonald’s for lunch and then out to sing karaoke!  When Vicky suggested I join her friends for this outing, I felt right at home; I know several teachers at my school who like to do karaoke and like to eat at McDonald’s.  The only difference here is I couldn’t refuse!  I usually tell my friends that karaoke is too late for my bedtime, but since we were going at noon, I had no excuse.

We walked to a large shopping mall where there were all kinds of pretty shops and restaurants.  The large food court was filled with all sorts of things to eat, including Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and, of course, Chez McDonald’s.  The menu was fairly similar to what I’ve seen, but there were no salads, and there was something called the McWing.  It was not a sandwich, just little wings, like buffalo wings, only not breaded or covered in sauce.  Maybe we have these in the states too, but I tried one, and it was very spicy and bitter. My cheeseburger and fries were exactly the same.

After we finished eating, we went up to a glitzy karaoke place called Create KTV.  I had seen poster advertisements for this place before, but I didn’t know what it was.  We checked in, and a smart looking attendant led us down a corridor to a private booth where our group only would sing.  What a relief!  I was willing to be a good sport, but I was afraid that I would be singing in front of lots of strangers.  The attendant brought us snacks and drinks, and we began.  The music teacher from Vicky’s school sang first, and, naturally, sounded like a pro.  Everyone was eager to hear a song in English, and so I had to go next.  I was surprised that I didn’t know many of the available English language songs.  I recognized many of the artists, Britney Spears, Lady GaGa, Justin Beiber, Justin Timberlake, and Madonna, but I didn’t recognize the songs.  I guess these artists have success in China with different songs than are popular in the U.S.  Luckily for me, “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow, my most favorite star in the world, was on the playlist.  I sang my heart out about Lola and Tony, and everyone was amused, but slightly confused.  The video that showed on the screen while the music played featured polka dancers in Polish costume.  I tried to explain the story of the song, and Vicky interpreted, but it was lost.  Alas.

Nearly everyone else took at turn or two.  I ended up singing a few more songs, including “Like a Prayer,” “These Boots are Made for Walking,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” I listened to lots of Chinese songs, too.  Some of them I really liked.  I wonder if I can find them on iTunes when I get home?  Finally, “My Heart Will Go On,” from Titanic came up, and everyone shrieked with laughter.  The music teacher sang it with me as a duet, and I was surprised that many of the other teachers knew the words, too. 

Vicky and I had to leave early to make it home in time for dinner, but it looked like the party would continue without us for a couple more hours.  What fun! Happy Women’s Day!