Last weekend, we attended the birthday celebration of a family friend in one of those Chinese restaurants in Greenhills. We were seated in a table with old couples (almost the same age as my parents). For a typical Chinese birthday party, it was good. The food was prepared creatively and everyone seemed to enjoy the take home presents given by the hosts.
When it came to the final meal, the host's family stood up and started mingling with the guests. One of the hosts came to our table and started chatting with us. One of the mothers in our table asked the host why her son did not perform during the meal.
Everyone at the party knew about the host's son, who was a great vocalist and a gifted tenor. He loved to song those high operatic music, and everyone adored his voice.
The mother explained that her son was resting his voice for a performance the next day. A few of the mothers in our table started calling the poor boy (who was unfortunately standing a few tables away). They started pressuring him to sing.
I could not help but pity the young man, he smiled and politely tried to decline. But the mothers were relentless, they continued to coerce him to sing for them. I thought this sort of thing only happens to small kids (when their mothers trick them to dance or sing at parties). Here we have a mature college student being forced to do something he didn't want to do.
The mothers continued to badger him, even my mother (and the boy's mother) joined in. They finally convinced him to sing one song and he did perform quite well (in acapella). After he finished, some of the mothers clamoured for another one. But this time he refused and was saved by his father (who called him to talk to the waiters).
I don't know if I should feel sorry for the boy. With great musical talent comes great pressure to perform in front of relatives and friends. But then again, he must enjoy the clamouring and the adoration. Why else would he put up will all these mothers bugging him to sing all the time?
"Showbiz" 媽媽攻擊
上週我們在清山一個餐廳參加一個生日宴會。我們跟一些老夫婦(大概像我父母一樣的年齡)坐在一起。
雖然這是一個普通的中國生日宴會﹐做的菜很不錯。每餐創造的很好﹐大家也喜歡主持人送的禮物。
在出甜食的時候﹐主持人一家站起來﹐開始跟客人談話。一個主持人來我們桌子﹐跟大家聊天。桌子的一個母親問主持人﹕“為什麼妳兒子吃飯時沒有表演﹖”
大家知道她的兒子是一個天才的男高音.大家喜歡聽他唱歌。
主持人就解釋她兒子明天有大表演﹐所以在休止他的咽喉。我們桌子的一些媽媽開始叫那個孩子(他很倒霉﹐站在附近的桌子)。這些媽媽就開始勉強他去唱歌。
我真的對不起這個傢伙。他笑一笑﹐文雅的拒絕。但是這些母親不間斷的強迫他。我以為這種事只發生在小孩子們(他們母親在宴會時﹐叫他們去跳舞﹐唱歌)但是這個是一個年輕﹐讀大學的男人﹐被強迫做他不喜歡做的事。
這些媽媽繼續強迫他﹐連我媽媽(跟主持人)也在鬧了。他們終於叫他唱一首歌。他唱的不錯。唱完時﹐有些媽媽又叫他唱新的歌。當時他爸爸來救他(叫他去看服務員)。
我該不該對不起這個孩子﹖有這麼大的音樂天才﹐也有這麼大的壓力來向別人表演。其實他也喜歡被敬愛﹐被喧鬧。他為什麼願意忍受這些母親的強迫呢﹖
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