I found myself late one night in a noraebong, looking at the guys
around me singing their hearts out, wondering how it was possible not
to love doing this.

Going to a noraebong with a bunch of friends is probably one of the
most pleasent experiences you can have in your life. It's not like
traditional karaoke in the States because it's not like your making a
fool out of yourself with a big bunch of people -- you're just doing it
with your friends who don't care that you can't sing.

The noraebong is a bonding moment for any group of friends, but there
is a certian art to it. You have to gauge the mood of the folks you're
doing it with.
You have to decide quickly if people want rocking music or if they want
a slow jam that will break the ice.

A lot of it, I think, comes from how well you know the people you're
noraebonging with. If you are good friends, you can start with pretty
much anything. But if your crowd is new to Korea or noraebongs, they
will be so nervous about the experience that they need to hide it in an
over-the-top song that lets them jump around and be silly. It's not
until the booze starts to kick in later in the evening that you can
start to go back and forth between fast stuff and slow stuff.

I think my love of the noraebong came from having a great first month
in Korea. Within my group of friends it was just expected that you eat
a lot, drink a lot, then top the night off with a few hours of singing
at the top of your lungs.