When I say I went to see a Chinese opera yesterday, I'm telling a lie. It wasn't a full blown bells and whistles opera, more like 5 snapshots of different operas in the genre shall we say.

Anyone who knows me knows that going to an opera is just about the weirdest thing I'm ever likely to do. I'd agree. It was weird. It was designed as a celebration of Chinese opera aimed at "Johny Foreigner" (for the Chinese New Year) and I don't think I've ever seem so many foreigners since I got here. Zhenhai, despite being just down the road from a 5million person city, is small. Trust me.

Anyhow, the opera was odd. I don't know if you know Chinese opera, but there seems to be a lot of girls dressing up as guys in them and singing every note they're presented with. They seemed like happy dudes, but trust me, very formal, very odd. I don't know what to make of it if I'm honest with you.