Last night I happened to end up in Xanadu (cf Andreas' comment on blog "Surroundings"). It's an art gallery in central UB but sometimes also becomes the stage for those who want to experience what it's like to sing in a mike in front of an audience. It's the energetic John - whom you may remember from UB -40 - who organises these open mike events. It was supposed to start at 7.30 pm, but when I arrived with Odnoo and a Swiss friend at 8 pm the room was more or less empty and there was no sign at all of any music event. Nothing to worry about, though, we're in Mongolia and things aren't always that exact. Just a little later things started to happen and people arrived, and more people arrived, and they smoked, oh did they smoke! (and there seemed to be no ventilation), and even more people arrived. People were a little slow to sign up for performing, but with John's encouragement there was soon a queue of brave singers wanting to try out their artistic talents.
Please, artists, forgive me, but what I remember most from this night out is how to order a beer that hasn't been chilled in Mongolian. This has nothing to do with the quality of your performance, dear artists, not at all! It's just that I'm so used to making linguistic observations that I can't stop myself.
Open mike with Mongolian backdrop.
Please, artists, forgive me, but what I remember most from this night out is how to order a beer that hasn't been chilled in Mongolian. This has nothing to do with the quality of your performance, dear artists, not at all! It's just that I'm so used to making linguistic observations that I can't stop myself.
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| John |
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