Dinner theatre

5:19 Friday

I added pictures to the most recent posting. Then it was time to go. I changed into a nicer top and pants. Then we went to the elevators to meet Michele. She wasn't there so I went to her room and knocked. A voice said “Who is it?” and I replied ”your mother.” But it was Marie that opened the door and said Michele had already left. Chris and I took the lift down to the first floor. Michele was waiting by the front door. Cecily came out of the bar to say hello before we left. They were having dinner at the hotel and we (and more than half of the group) were having dinner out. We boarded the bus and left about 6:10. We arrived at 7. It was like a dinner theatre, where tables replaced the traditional seating.
We had complimentary menus/programs which we could keep. But we did not order, we accepted the dishes that were preselected for our group. It was more food than we could eat but not as much more as many places so far. The waitresses did not speak much English if at all so it was no use asking what a food was. We were served rice wine in a three-footed cup, which was refilled constantly. It was good and did not taste alcoholic.

The guide left a note in Chinese on my placemat. I assumed it said 'gluten-free'. The first course chicken in sauce with dumpling and salad. I did not get a dumpling and my chicken was spiced but not in a sauce. Then we got mushroom soup. It had a strong mushroom flavor. Chris gave me his. Then there was crispy prawns and fried fish with cashews glazed in sesame seeds. My prawns were boiled or steamed, and I got broccoli. Michele gave me her cashews.
I left the theatre to use the bathroom. The guide said it was a 6 star bathroom. The facility was a 4, but the service was a 6. A lady greeted me as I came in. She pointed me to a stall. She went in first and wiped the seat. When I came out, she turned on the water at the sink. She put soap in my hand, and handed me a paper towel when my hands were clean. I was looking around to see if the other ladies were tipping her, But no one had finished washing their hands. I asked her, but she did not understand. So I asked a lady nearby if I should give a tip and she said no. So I went back to our table.
The meal ended with Orange Sago Surprise. It tasted like orange soup with tapioca balls in it. A tiered tray of sweets was placed on each table. Up to this time, there was a row of female musicians playing on the stage in front of a beautiful red curtain.

They finished and we clapped. Then they left. Other musicians filled in both sides near the stage. There was much picture taking until the lights dimmed. There were two screens, one on either side of the stage and high up. The far one was in English and gave a synopsis of each act, but it was hard to read from where we sat.
The play was about the first (and only) female Empress of China. It was all done with dancing and costumes. I enjoyed it very much but there wasn't enough history in it for Chris. It lasted about an hour. Then we trouped out to the lobby to meet our guide. We boarded the bus and headed back to the hotel. Along the way, we saw many beautiful lights on buildings, and the city wall. I tried taking pics, but most were blurry.
When we arrived at the hotel, we went to our room. I sat down to type up my blog, and then pack for the trip to Beijing tomorrow.