THE SINGER INSIDE THE AUTHOR

Last night a friend of mine and I visited a particular bar for the third time this month. We were drawn into this bar because there were two male Thai singers singing in a manner as if there was no tomorrow. My friend and I looked at each other and said: I have never heard a Thai singing so beautifully. We went inside, were personally welcomed by both owner and singer and soon we were sipping beers and acting as Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul (me as the latter). Both my friend and I agreed: stunning, while I did the Abdul-style (standind and crying).
One of the singers who handled his piano plus connected karaoke apparatus sang opera classics in such a way that even Pavaroti would have been pleased, while the other singer with the stage name Mr. Max sang contemporary and classic pop songs. He is a 1.95 tall Thai (probably the tallest Thai in Thailand) and he is gorgeous . I fell in love with him and his voice. He was an entertainer extraordinaire and blessed with a beautiful deep Tom Jones-style voice. My friend and I were blown away.

During the intermission he sat with us, and while I held his hand, I complimented him straight to heaven and back. Was it the beer inside my body that made his vocal cords sound so wonderful in my ears? No. Everybody in the audience agreed. This guy should be on TV.

Mr. Max told me he was a real-estate agent but because of the economic crisis he was put on unpaid leave. He liked singing, teamed up with the opera musician and started to draw in more crowds than any other bar in the area.

After 4 beers I tend to think I am Barbra Streisand and nearing the end of the evening Mr. Max asked me whether I had a song request. There are three songs that I hate being sung in karaoke bars: My Way, New York New York and This is my Life. Being a rebel and to piss off my friend who also hate the above mentioned songs, I told Max: I wanted to sing New York, New York with Mr. Max. I am not a singer, but a miracle happened. Max started off while I did the second course and grand finale of the song. And God helped me. God made me sound better than The Liza and Frank Sinatra combined I received a standing ovation that lasted minutes. My critical friend who always say: you’d better try not to sing, Pantau, lead the ovation. People handed tips to me, I collected 520 Baht.

I think I need a career change and Max told me to come back tonight to sing a few duets with him. Life is never boring for an author.