So while back home there's all sorts of legal riff-raff about the evils of downloading music off the internet, On the other side of the globe ie. China, there are artists who've risen to fame based entirely on the fact that masses of people downloaded their songs.

Or a single song. 老鼠爱大米 roughly translated as "I love you like a mouse loves rice" has been a sensation for the past six months, started as an immensely popular internet download before spilling over into mainstream radio. The song has taken off in popularity, not only in China, but in Taiwan, Hong Kong and in overseas chinese communities around the world.

Seriously, Google the song. Type "mouse loves rice". Many many hits emerge - even if you type in english. You can even download it in iTunes (again, search for "mouse loves rice").

The song is on heavy karaoke rotation and phone companies use it as their ring tone. Even Craig knows the lyrics (and will burst into song at random). Oh and did I mention my mother is obsessed with the song? I downloaded it for her when I was at home and she kept listening to it on loop for the rest of the night. The next day, she calls me from her office to excitedly inform me that she's found THREE additional covers of the song - one by a male singer 场巨刚, a duet version between 香香 and 场巨刚, and an English version sung again by 香香.

"Uh, mummy," I asked "Did you call home just to tell me you've searched for AND downloaded three more copies of 老鼠爱大米?"

"Yes!"

I can't blame my mum for her enthusiasm because the lyrics are really really cute. The English translation of the chorus is:

I love you, loving you, as a mouse loves rice (Note: This mouse is obviously a chinese mouse. I bet Mickey and Jerry go for cheese over rice any day)
Every day has a storm, I'm always by your side
I miss you, missing you
I don’t care how hard it is
I just want you to be happy
Everything, I do it for you

I love how the translation captures the gramatically-off nature of converting chinese to english.

Anyway now you can watch the song too thanks to the wonders of flash animation. And for your sing-a-long pleasure, here is the hanyu pinyin for the chorus:

wo ai ni ai zhe ni
jiu xiang lao shu ai da mi
bu guan you duo shao feng yu wo dou hui yiran pei zhe ni
wo xiang ni xiang zhe ni
buguan you duo me de ku
zhi yao neng rang ni kai xin wo shen me dou yuan yi
zhe yang ai ni

In other news, I am going to check out the terracotta warriors this coming weekend! Train tickets purchased and hostel booking made today. We leave Thursday night on an overnight sleeper to Xian. I can't wait.