AVATAR: Larger Than Life

Since I saw Avatar in the Solana Theatre for the first time this afternoon, it’s pretty much consumed my thoughts, stimulated my curiosity, and exhilarated my imagination to a whole new level. I walked in without any expectations, not knowing anything about the story line or what to expect. And as soon as the movie was over, I could not stop repeating the phrase “Best movie EVER!” It probably didn’t help that the people I came with had already seen Avatar three times.

I’m probably one of a very small minority of people who have waited this long to see Avatar. And never have I agreed more to the saying, ‘All Good Things Are Worth Waiting For.’

I think the last time I was so excited about a movie was when ’300′ came out 3 years ago. And as much as I loved that movie, I don’t think I was already setting another date to go re-watch it within the week. Today is Friday and I’m booking a date to go again on Sunday to watch it in an IMAX theatre. It’s no wonder Avatar has surpassed Titanic as the highest grossing film in history, taking more than $2 Billion worldwide. Avatar has become a cultural phenomenon.

More than the beautiful imagery and the revolutionary, high-tech special effects (costing over USD$500 million, making it the most expensive film ever made), and epic storyline, the movie is an experience. With 20 years in the making and nothing since Titanic more than a decade ago, James Cameron has outdone himself and exceeded all expectations with Avatar.

Avatar shows you a world beyond imagination, an incredibly beautiful world called Pandora with mystical forests, waterfalls, and floating mountains, a place that illuminates in the evening and is filled with fantastical animals and sacred trees. It’s a place where the natives are blue and 10-feet tall and you learn that balance is the key to all life and everything in this world is alive and connected as a collaboration of energies where every individual has something to contribute. (This part eerily resembles Pocahontas, with the exception that Pandora is an alien world and actually toxic to anything coming from Earth).

Basic Synopsis:

Starring Aussie actor Sam Worthington, Avatar tells the epic tale of a paralyzed ex-marine, Jake Sully, who is recruited to enter Pandora as a Na’vi native, through a genetically engineered body called an avatar, so that he can infiltrate the Na’vi clan and convince them to move from their home which happens to be on a precious mineral mine, which can save the Earth’s energy crisis. Rather than fulfill his mission, he finds his place as a member of the Na’vi clan, falls in love with their princess, and leads the Pandoran natives in an epic battle against Earth’s humans.

Best Part:

• Revolutionary High-Tech Effects invented specifically to satisfy James Cameron’s vision
• Avatar introduces you to a world beyond imagination with majestic forests and landscapes, unique creatures and wildlife, flora & fauna
• Avatar takes you on an epic adventure with a perfect balance of action, theory, romance, and evil.
• I love Sam Worthington and he is perfectly cast for this role
• This cinematic experience is so good, I guarantee you will want to watch it again and again. If not, I insist there is something wrong with you.

Comments:

• Storyline is a hybrid of Pocahontas and The Matrix. A bit predictable, but still incredibly moving to deliver a powerful message to a mass audience.
• Due to Chinese censorship, they cut out the sex scene! I can only presume to assume that when they do it, their hair follicles will also connect.
• You MUST see this movie in theatre, preferably in an IMAX theatre (but book ahead)

• English with Chinese subtitles (which is bad if you can’t read Chinese b/c there are quite a few times when the native Na’vi people are speaking in their native language and there are no English subtitles available)
• If you become addicted/obsessed with AVATAR, just remember: MegaBox at Sanlitun is half-price on Tuesdays! Only RMB 40 per ticket

Food for Thought:

With such a larger-than-life movie, it’s expected to receive a diversity of responses – people who love it, hate it, people over-analyzing, people questioning the underlying symbolism and spirituality.

For anyone who has negative things to say about Avatar, I condemn your judgment and question your sanity.  But then again, there are those who are actually losing their sanity after seeing Avatar and claiming to become depressed that ‘Avatar’ is not real.

From an article on CNN:

James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film: “That’s all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about ‘Avatar.’ I guess that helps. It’s so hard I can’t force myself to think that it’s just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na’vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie,” Elequin posted.

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site “Naviblue” that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie: “Ever since I went to see ‘Avatar’ I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them. I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it,” Mike posted. “I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and where everything is the same as in ‘Avatar.’ “

As much as I would love to be a native Na’vi on Pandora just to connect my hair follicles to claim my very own flying dragon to ride around floating mountains, I do not become depressed at the thought of how my life pales in comparison to a fictional movie.

Maybe these “depressed” people need to take off their 3D glasses and stick to 2D screens. Urgh, it’s the crazy people like this on Planet Earth that make me desire the reality of another planet to live on rather than the concept of Pandora itself.

I suppose someone more insightful can see how my cynicism here reflects my Atheist beliefs, which brings me back to how the film is actually packed with spiritual symbolism and religious connotations – with people comparing Jesus to an “Avatar,” the concept of having one mate for life after you have chosen the right person to mate with, and when Jake prays to the sacred tree and his prayers are answered when all the native animals step in to attack after all the people are defeated.

And yet, the storyline is appealing to mass audiences, myself included, which I think actually enhances people’s fantasies and search for meaning and truth.

The difference in my search is not in comparing the movie to my reality, but in my quest to understand how in this fantasy world, humans on Earth first discovered Pandora, planted themselves a base camp, and how to create Avatars.

I suppose I must wait for my questions to be answered when they get the Avatar Trilogy Series going.  I just hope the producers don’t flop the trilogy series the way they flopped Star Wars and Matrix.

Fingers Crossed.

CRI Interview with LumDimSum

See below an interview by China Radio International (CRI) featuring LumDimSum as the event coordinator for the HAITI RISE Relief Campaign and our string of fundraising events.

With a goal of raising 200,000RMB in two weeks for quak-stricken Haiti, you can do your part to contribute by participating through some or all of our upcoming events from my “Eat for Haiti” initiative, Model Citizen Party @ BLING this Saturday & last but not least, the “Celebrate for Haiti” Campaign Finale Party @ Hatsune Sanlitun on Thursday, February 4th.

Please come out to support Haiti!  Every little bit helps.

Details for how you can contribute is included in the video and below.

For voucher sales & “Eat for Haiti” info, please contact me: kristen@lumdimsum.com

Funds raised during the RISE UP Campaign will go directly to the following NGOs, to support their relief and development work in Haiti:

Partners in Health – PIH has been providing medical services on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. www.standwithhaiti.org

Global Potential - Empowering Youth. Engaging Communities. Inspiring Change. www.global-potential.org

Link to CRI site:  http://english.cri.cn/7146/2010/01/28/2361s546251.htm

Now This is Worth Trying

Considering “Eat for Haiti” only lasts 10 days, I’ve been making the most of it by dining and supporting as many “HAITI RISE” restaurants as possible.

Before these 10 days fly by, I want to encourage every foodie in Beijing to go out and literally EAT FOR HAITI. Each voucher is RMB 200, which can be used in any participating “HAITI RISE” restaurant, so that’s RMB 200 off your total bill, and each restaurant will donate 100RMB directly to the HAITI RISE Fund. THIS EVENT ENDS ON WED. (FEB. 3)  SO PLEASE BUY NOW! (contact me directly to purchase vouchers).

It’s a great excuse to rally your friends and organize dinner parties and have a great night knowing you are supporting a worthy cause.

Now here’s a story to hopefully motivate you and get you into gear to make a difference and have fun while you’re at it:

Tonight, Tami Zhao organized a dinner party for a dozen of our close friends at The Meat & Wine Co., in addition to the fact that she holds the record so far for selling 150 vouchers alone.  She’s a mad woman. To call her a superstar would be an understatement.  She’s beyond phenomenal and I can not express my gratitude and

Meat & Wine Co.'s Flame Grilled Skewers

amazement in all her efforts to support the HAITI RISE relief campaign.

Back to dinner at my favorite steakhouse…

Interestingly enough, half the table ordered the various Flame-Grilled Skewers, whether it was Angus beef, chicken or seafood, each skewer was impressively presented to the table on a tall, serious skewer display and I would have been jealous of not having my meat served on a sword if I was not madly in love with what I ordered.

The cooler side of the table (my side of course), all ordered the highly recommended ‘Surf and Turf’: 180g Rump steak served on a bed of crushed baby potatoes, mushrooms, prawns, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and red wine jus with truffle oil (RMB 198).  The presentation may not have been as original as the big sword skewer, but the combination of rump steak with the potatoes, mushrooms, shrimp, sauce, everything melted in my mouth and I became so absorbed in my dish, I think I stopped speaking for the rest of the meal.  That’s how good it was. Upon finishing my meal, I immediately texted Meat & Wine Co.’s marketing manager, Darah Roslyn to tell her that the “Surf and Turf is quite possibly the most amazing thing I’ve tried in a long time. It really blew me away.” I really don’t think I could think of a better way to enjoy and use up one of my RMB 200 “Eat for Haiti” vouchers as it was worth every last fen.

But let’s not forget my favorite part of each meal – dessert.  I ordered the Warm Chocolate & Pistachio

Meat & Wine Co.'s Chocolate Fondante

Fondante - warm dark chocolate fondante with a white chocolate and pistachio heart served with vanilla ice cream (RMB 88).  Warm, gooey rich chocolate that oozes all over the plate combined with sweet ice cream is a killer combination.  And not to mention, the portion is massive.  One order is good to share between 3 people…unless you have a sweet tooth and weakness for chocolate like me, in which case, I would recommend to just share between two.

For anyone who has yet to dine in The Meat & Wine Co., I would advise for you to order their prime cuts of steak, imported wines, Surf and Turf, desserts, and I hear their Portuguese Chicken also comes highly recommended.

Rating of Meat & Wine Co.: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 8
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 9

Tips:  Swap the french fries for mashed potatoes and Every Tuesday, Ribs are two-for-one!

Model Citizen Auction Party @ BLING

This Saturday, January 30, HAITI RISE will be hosting a Model Citizen Auction Party @ BLING.

This is going to be the BEST PARTY EVER!!!!    Please help me spread the word!!!

100% of Auction bids will be donated directly to Partners in Health – PIH has been providing medical services on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. www.standwithhaiti.org

Event Details:

Model Citizens @ BLING

Model Citizen Auction Party by “HAITI RISE” Relief Campaign @ BLING

With the tragedy that has struck Haiti and left Port-Au-Prince in disaster, everyone is trying to do their part in helping out, including some of Beijing’s top models! Bling will be hosting an auction for your chance to go on a dinner-date with some of the hottest ladies in Beijing! Courtesy of BLING, there’s a chance that even the SEXY DJ Keza will be up for grabs along with other handsome bachelors.

Bids for all “Model Citizens” start at RMB 100, CASH ONLY and 100% will go to Partners in Health.

In addition, 20% of all bottle purchases will also be donated to the Partners in Health by the HAITI RISE Relief Campaign. So do your part and come party and makes some bids for HAITI.

Be a Model Citizen. Exclusively @ BLING.

Date: Saturday, January 30
Party Starts at 9pm.
Live Auction Starts at Midnight.

See you Saturday!!!!

Half Way There…

Thank you for supporting the HAITI RISE campaign kick-off celebration!

Your participation in this campaign, and your overwhelming generosity on Friday, our campaign launch at The Bookworm, demonstrated the solidarity the Beijing community has shown for Haiti.

At the end of the night, we raised RMB 11,765. However, after personal and organizational matching an AMAZING 1:7 donation match was set up. Meaning every RMB100 you gave became RMB700.

IN TOTAL: USD 15,200 or approximately RMB 103,846 was donated to Partners In Health’s STAND WITH HAITI Campaign.

Last night, our donations were sent to PIH and will soon be on the ground in Haiti, enabling PIH to continue to partner with Haitians to build back better.

Ophelia Dahl, Director of Partners In Health, sent us a message which includes a special shout out to the Beijing community.

This is the start of a campaign focused on funding and promoting sustainable development in Haiti.

Don’t forget, you are invited to join HAITI RISE for more events.

Beijing, RISE UP for HAITI

‘HAITI RISE’ RELIEF CAMPAIGN

Funds raised during the RISE UP Campaign will go directly to the following NGOs, to support their relief and development work in Haiti: Partners in Health – PIH has been providing medical services on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. www.standwithhaiti.org
Global Potential - Empowering Youth. Engaging Communities. Inspiring Change. www.global-potential.org

3. Eat for Haiti
Dates: Sunday, January 24 – Wednesday, February 3

**Complete List of participating restaurants:

End of Campaign Party @ Hatsune in Sanlitun Village.

9:30pm-1:00am

Entrance Fee is RMB 100 (includes one drink), donated directly to the HAITI RISE Fund.
50% of all additional proceeds will be donated directly to the HAITI RISE Fund.

for more info on campaign contact – haitirise@jumpfoundation.org
for more info on events contact – kristen@lumdimsum.com

Step Aside Blue Frog

This Wednesday, January 20th, come to All-Star Sports Bar & Grill to discuss the upcoming ‘Haiti Rise’ fundraiser event (headed by JUMP foundation director Justin Bedard) to directly donate and make a difference to rescue and recover work being done by Partners in Health (www.pih.org)

…plus it’s our amazing weekly promotion:  Buy-One-Get-One-Free Burger Wednesdays!

NEW! All-Star's SteakHouse Burger

Featuring a newly updated menu with an extensive new burger selection, All-Star is treating you to the best burger deal in town.  From our Steakhouse burger and Swiss & Shrooms Burger to our Bacon Blue Cheese Burger, bring a friend and get two-for-one on all new All-Star burgers!

Buy-One-Get-One-Free BURGER WEDNESDAYS

ONLY @ All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

New Burgers @ All-Star include:

SWISS & SHROOMS BURGER RMB 70

Two slices of delectable Swiss Emmental cheese melted onto a charbroiled beef patty together with sautéed mushrooms, crispy pork bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayo on a toasted bun to create an exciting twist on a classic flavor combo!

BLUE CHEESE & BACON BURGER RMB 72

If you like blue cheese, you’ll never forget this gourmet burger. Created with all our favorite ingredients from melted blue cheese, pork bacon, arugula, tomatoes, onions and mayo on a toasted bun, the vibrant flavors of blue cheese and smoky bacon are a winning combination made just for your taste buds to celebrate!

HAWAIIAN TERIYAKI CHEESEBURGER RMB 68

Our Hawaiian-inspired burger topped with marinated & grilled pineapple, melted Swiss Emmental cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo and our homemade teriyaki glaze on a toasted bun.

THE STEAKHOUSE BURGER RMB 70

Introducing the Ultimate Steakhouse Burger, an icon for the American Dream. Charred beef patty melted with American cheddar cheese, topped with crunchy onion strings, A-1 sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and our special horseradish mayo on a toasted bun.

Round up your crew and come out to All-Star this Wednesday!

(Buy-One-Get-One-Free Burger Special is available every Wednesday)

WE GOT IT

I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun for 10 days in a row!

This year’s NanShan Open was not only incredibly successful as Asia’s largest snowboarding stop on the Swatch Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour, but more than that, I am left with priceless memories.

Here’s a recap of the past week (after the first qualifying round of the NanShan Open when the top 13 snowboarders were announced from the original 30 pro-snowboarders):

In the final competition day on Sunday, January 10th, the 13 finalists were narrowed down to the top four: Juuso Laivisto (FIN), David Bertschinger Karg (SUI), Sergey Lapushkin (RUS), and Nick Hyne (NZ) who secured their place in the afternoon’s Super Finals.

Rider: Sergey Lapushkin

Rider: Juuso Laivisto

Out of the four superstars, Juuso Laivisto took first place in the super finals followed by Sergey Lapushkin, David Bertschinger and Nick Hyne.

“I’m really happy! It’s my first time in China and the resort reminds me of my home mountain, so it was kinda special to win here! This trip is so well organized and we’re all having such a good time… now where’s the beer!?” – Juuso Laivisto on grabbing first place

After the competition, everyone got loose with a karaoke dinner and a wicked house party worthy of going down in history. To sum up the night, just imagine: beer spraying, nudity (just the men), stomping/breaking tables, smashing lamps, and basically utter destruction of the entire cabin.  In the end, 2 people went to the hospital and I believe the damages to that one room totaled over 30,000 RMB. Rough.

Classic shots of the beginning of the night of total annihilation:

The next few days were booked for trekking on the Great Wall, ice biking in HouHai, shopping at Silk or Yashow, dinner party at Alan Wong‘s sick apartment and finishing off with a record Official Competition After-Party at Vics (where else is open with people on a Tuesday night?)

LumDimSum Photo Gallery:

**Shout out to Steve, Olli & the Mellowparks crew for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible experience.

**Thank you to Marc & Tobi for helping me realize I am in fact NOT Goofy, but Regular and now ‘I GOT IT!’ I can snowboard and it feels GOOD!!

**To all the riders/filmers/photographers who came to Beijing for the NanShan Open: It was such a pleasure to get to know each and every one of you. Thank you for the best 10 days ever and I hope our paths will cross again in the near future. Until then, keep rocking it and going big. You’re all superstars!!

As Ludde says, “WE GOT IT”

NanShan Open Finalists Announced!

Today the sun was shining and the 30 snowboarders in this year’s qualifying round for Asia’s largest snowboard competition, the 8th Red Bull NanShan Open, killed it today.

There were some rough falls and one almost injury, but everyone came out OK and the judges were all thoroughly impressed with the amount of talent in this year’s competition.

Due to the windy conditions, the riders were given three chances with the best of the three runs to determine the twelve finalists for tomorrow’s competition. But with Tobias Karlsson’s injury severity undetermined at the time of the announcements, the judges bumped up China’s very own Wang Lei into the finalist round.  Hooray!

Here’s a rundown of the NanShan Open’s finalists:

1. David Bertschinger K (DBK)  from Switzerland- Bib #2
2. Juuso Laivisto from Finland – Bib #23
3. Nick Brown from New Zealand – Bib #10
4. Atsushi Iskikawa from Japan – Bib #1
5. Sergey Lapushkin from Russia – Bib #12
6. Erik Botner from Norway – Bib #3
7. Nick Hyne from New Zealand – Bib #11
8. Tobias Karlsson from Sweden – Bib #16
9. Yongho Lee from Korea – Bib #20
10. Matti Kinnunen from Finland – Bib #9
11. Werner Stock from Austria – Bib #19
12. Marc Swoboda from Austria – Bib #8
13. Wang Lei from China – Bib #18

Check out the Mellowparks website for all the top photos from today’s event here.

Tomorrow will be a great day to come out to enjoy the fresh powder, get in some good runs and watch the biggest snowboarding competition in Asia this year!

And don’t forget, the official competition after-party is this coming Tuesday, January 12th @ Club Vics.

ATTN: Single Malt Fiends

This message is for Single Malt Fiends:

After a successful and enlightening presentation of rare and unique single malts at Glen Boutique Bar back in December, I would like to invite you to our second event coming up next week.

If you are someone who has an interest or an appreciation for fine whisky and food, then I’d like to introduce this event to you:  

On Wednesday, January 13 Wilfred Kwok will be hosting a Single Malt Tasting with a Pairing Tasting Menu by Club Glen.

Introducing four different types of single malt whiskys specially paired together with specialty tapas dishes provided by 1/5 Taverna, this is a unique, one-of-a-kind tasting opportunity.

Location: Club Glen
Address:  1949-The Forbidden City, Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu, Sanlitun (Behind Pacific Century Mall)
工体北路四号院

Wear off Your Winter BLUES this Wednesday with LumDimSum

The last 48 hours have been anything but fun.

My flight from SF to Beijing was delayed for four hours and then I waited at the Beijing Airport for 3 hours (in lines and for baggage) after sitting through 13 hour flight.  On top of that, I walked into my apartment to find it as cold as an igloo. (I love that word) Even after cranking up the heat, it’s still unbearably cold.

After a two week holiday in California, I’m back to Beijing, back to work, jet-lagged and all in the freezing bitter winter cold.

I’m feeling pretty blue so I decided to do something about it. 

I’m throwing myself a party @ BLING this Wednesday, January 6th and I want all of my friends to come.

The theme is “COLOR ME BLUE”.

Wear BLUE and drinks are on me all night…yeah right, I wish.

Drinks will be courtesy of BLING because they love my friends and they’ve missed me so. haha.

Would make my YEAR if I got to see your faces this Wednesday!

xoxo, LumDimSum

(sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I’m kind of obsessed with Gossip Girl right now)

Official After Party Announcement for The 8th Red Bull NanShan Open

Alright Party People: I’m sure you’re all still recovering from New Year’s Parties, but guess what?

2010 just got even better!

Beijing just dumped an insane amount of snow, which is perfect timing as MellowParks is gearing up for its 8th Red Bull NanShan Open.

The Official After-Party has just been confirmed to take place on Tuesday, January 12 @ Vics Club.

This is your chance to meet and party with 30 international & local pro snowboarders from the largest Asian snowboard competition on the Swatch Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour as they celebrate their results in style!

In conjunction with P1.cn & Red Bull, MellowParks is going all out as this year’s competition is THE biggest snowboard event in Asia!

Event Details:

Celebrate the 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open this Tuesday, January 12 at VICS, the official competition afterparty!

Date: Tuesday, January 12
Time: 10pm
Free Entry

HAPPY 2010!!

From the awesome stories I’ve heard about NYE parties off-the-hook in Beijing to my memorable and crazy fun new year’s eve party at Mezzanine in San Francisco, 2010 is already off to a great start!

Me & My Girls ringing in 2010!

There’s something invigorating about the beginning of a new year. You get a fresh start, a time to reflect on your experiences, your lessons (hopefully) learned in 2009 and really contemplate and evaluate your New Year Resolutions. Once you know what you want, you are able to charge forward full-speed – motivated, inspired, and determined with hope that 2010 will be your year.

I for one have some big plans to develop LumDimSum with fun new additions, bringing you insight into the city’s Movers&Shakers along with an up-close and personal interview with a network of Catch-22′s, a phenomenon that continues to blow my mind. (More information coming soon so be sure to stay tuned.)

This is the beginning of not only a new year, but a new decade. Rather than think of this as just another day, think of it as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and a chance to really think about what you want, what makes you happy, your goals and what you want to achieve and then go for it.

Now is the time, this is your time to shine.

Cheers to a decade full of promise, health, and happiness.

Happy 2010!!