Repair shops and karaokes

I have seen in many of the cities that it looks like different parts are dedicated to different kind of businesses. For instance, some areas in Taipei are full of western shops or big department stores; other are swarming with official buildings. Around where I live, and close to the campus, there are many (small or very small) car o scooter repair shops or, in my street, many karaokes.


At the beginning, when I still couldn't understand what the signs meant, I was thinking that, from they way they looked like, some of them might be, let's say, places of doubtful reputation. Problems of coming from where I com from. I do not know if they are or not, the sign outside reads karaoke. In Chinese way, where the 'ra' syllable is pronounced 'la'. Some clichés are partially right. With the mix of Japanese and Chinese speakers that I can observe, it is very funny to check the opposing trends of both groups when it is time to pronounce those sounds.