In China with the Addams Family and a Con Artist

I went to the theatre last night!  For the first time in over two years!  I wore my ridiculously pink Tanzanian dress that makes me look like a 10 year old at a birthday party!

It was a delightful evening, made all the more so by relief, since in the morning, my friend/employer was anxiously on the phone for a very long time (in Chinese, so I had no idea what was going on) then announced that he was a suspect in a money laundering case, would be detained for 4-6 months and the police were on their way.  Making the situation unnecessarily more stressful, the emergency number for the U.S. embassy was unavailable.  As was the regular number.  And the number for the consulate in Guangzhou.

The whole situation turned out, eventually, to be a phone scam, as became obvious when the supposed police called about a number to wire money to in order to have this taken care of.  When, however, we didn't realize this was a scam, couldn't contact the embassy, and the "police" were threatening torture, this was really scary.  I would also like to point out that it was a well done scam with several people involved in the "police" department, all talking above what sounded like the normal background noise of a police station, according to my friend.

As it turned out, the worst thing to develop from this was that my friend's mother called from the U.S. with a very long lecture on the darkness of human society while I sent the embassy a somewhat irate email about the fact that their emergency numbers don't necessarily work.

Anyway, theatre.  The Addams Family at the Guangzhou opera house, which is about an hour's trip away from Huadu, but that's okay.  I'm told Chinese traffic jams are a tourist attraction.  I think whoever told me this is slightly confused about the meaning of the word "attraction."  But theatre.  It's a cute little opera house.

There are Christmas lights on everything, everywhere, in China.
I love it!

My camera doesn't do well with low light, but you get the idea.

There is a pond outside with a dragonboat!  As well there should be.

The Addams Family specifically as a musical has very wonderful messages in that the way to honor your dead ancestors is to dance with them and that all marital problems can be solved with a well-choreographed tango.   I could critique some things.  I could think deeply about the plot.   But honestly, I was so happy to be there and that my friend was not being tortured in a Chinese jail, that I was just indiscriminately enthusiastic about the entire thing, small scenery malfunctions notwithstanding.  Everything was wonderful!  Singing and dancing gothic types in love, such the delight!