que pasa

A friend and I decided to go get us some culture so we went for a Beijing opera last Saturday.  The Chinese title is 狸猫换太子, translated as "Civet, A Substitute for a Prince" (I didn't do the translation). 

I was half expecting some rather wayang-ish opera (i.e. very ching-chong-chang type, Singaporeans will know what I mean) and suspected I would walk out halfway because I didn't understand.  Yet we went anyway because we got the cheapest seats and figured RMB 60 wasn't too much damage...  It turned out quite alright actually. 

Between the short English summaries at the beginning of each scene, a 25% understanding of what was actually being said/sung, and a 50% understanding of the Chinese subtitles projected on the sides of the stage, my friend and I managed to follow the entire play. 

I guess I could go for another one in a few months.  Heh.