careless whisper

So here I am in the Dominican Republic, with many new things to see and learn. But one of my first and lasting impressions has got to be the music - not necessarily merengue and bachata, but true soft rock gems of the 80s and 90s. The first night I was here, I stayed in a hotel where there was a concert ... a Richard Marx concert. Remember him? Yeah. I was very tempted to see how much tickets were, but this unpaid intern is on a tight budget and I couldn't justify that expense, even to just say I had attended the ridiculousness. Then while I ate breakfast the next morning and while lounging later at the hotel pool, I had the pleasure of listening to what must have been Michael Bolton's greatest hits on repeat. Silly me, I thought it was just a hotel phenomenon...

As you may know, I'm living above a bar. They have a jukebox which means I get to hear whatever fantastic songs the patrons are in the mood for. Their selections follow a general pattern. Not only does some man shout "ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Tito Puente!" at least three times a night, but invariably we also get some Michael Jackson (Billie Jean), Madonna (Like a Prayer or La Isla Bonita), Wham! (Careless Whisper), and Celine Dion (My Heart Will Go On). Did I mention the patrons sing along at the tops of their lungs in broken, accented, not-quite-correct lyrical accompaniment? And squeal with delight when the first notes start playing? After hearing "Endless Love" at least twice a day in the office, I could use a break from the genre. (The current selection of Kenny G hits wafting my way doesn't count.)

You know something is a little off when the cars driving by have the bass cranked up so high it sets off car alarms not because they are playing some badass rap or reggaeton song, but because they are thugging out to Celine.