KARAOKE

A year or two ago, I visited one of my friend’s house in the next compound. It was a small get-together to wish farewell to one of our friends who was leaving Doha. After all the goodbyes, my friend the host, allowed us to sing songs on the Karaoke. There were English, Philipino, Hindi and Tamil Songs. I was thrilled. I looove to sing, especially the Indian film songs. To say that I had the time of my life is an understatement. From then on, I had been pestering my husband to buy a karaoke at home. Every month, we had something or the other on our priority list, and this being a luxury, was pushed to the back always, until we forgot about it.

One day, at another get-together at my sister’s place, my cousin brought his electronic stuff, we downloaded karaoke songs from the internet and again had a great time singing. This time when I went home, I put two choices to my husband – either let me go to India, or buy me a karaoke so that I will not miss my country so much. The next day, we got one. The first day, I sat singing songs till midnight, even though I was alone. The second and third day too wasn’t different. I re-discovered a part of myself.

I reminisced about my time in school when I was on the stage almost every other day either to present the prayer song, read the news or sing the national anthem. Even in college I had somehow found myself in the choir. I remembered more fondly the fun time our family had together singing our favorite hymns in Tamil, Malayalam and English during the half an hour "power cut" time in the evenings, in Kerala. Singing has always been a pleasure to me.

The only singing I had lately was in church and occasionally when I felt the need, I would sit at home and sing hymns from the church hymn book. Now, any visitor to our house had a go at the karaoke even if they are not great singers. They have a nice time and always promise to come back for more. Cheers for whoever invented the karaoke, it is like I found a lost part of my soul.