K*A*R*O*A*K*E

According to Adam Lonsdale and Adrian North (2010)* one of the main gratifications of music is to encourage social interaction.

Well it is true!

On Valentine's Day, Ryan and I were planning on going to Red Lobster, but when we got out of the temple at 6pm and called, the wait was 1 hr 50 minutes (that's five-zero thank you very much angry waitress on the phone). So we did some quick thinking and decided to go to Se Llama Peru on Center Street instead because every time we pass that place it is hoppin' and besides I served my mission in Texas which pretty much makes me an expert on Peruvian food. (wink wink.)

So we went and wouldn't you know there was a Peruvian mission reunion happening right as we got there and a whole bunch of exuberant 21 year olds were congregating outside. But we pushed our way in and the waitress seated us right in the corner behind the KAROAKE speakers, because apparently KAROAKE is what happens at Se Llama Peru on the Saturday before Valentine's Day (and hopefully all Saturdays?)

There was a middle-aged man in a sportcoat with cufflinks and half of his hair left crooning away on the microphone in Spanish.

He walked from table to table singing and trying to get people to come up and perform, and it did not take long before all three of us were best friends. I didn't even mind when he handed me a microphone so I could comfortably sing "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from my chair. I don't know why no one has thought of this before. How else do you want to pass the uncomfortable hungry minutes waiting for your food? Usually I drink about a gallon of water with too much ice in it before I get my food, or at Mexican restaurants I go through a basket of chips and salsa. Not so at Se Llama Peru. I sang and sang and sang and didn't want to stop when my Aji de Gallina arrived.

Singing together encouraged social interaction so much that I hardly even minded the exceedingly large group of RMs that were quickly overtaking the restaurant. In fact, I wanted them to join us at the microphone and cheered when they did.

My husband served his mission in Taiwan and tells me that Karoake is a really big thing in Asian countries. Apparently it is normal to pay a bunch of money to go out with friends and sing together. After my Valentine's experience, I can add this to the long list of things we should learn from the Asians (right after how to make good stir-fry and live to 100): if you want to bond with someone, SING with them! And make it so socially acceptable that you can bond with perfect strangers within 5 minutes. I think the world would be more peaceful if there was more karoake going on.

And I mean it.

*Lonsdale, A. J., & North, A. C. (2011). Why do we listen to music? A uses and gratifications analysis. British Journal Of Psychology, 102(1), 108-134. doi:10.1348/000712610X506831