Last Train Home will be playing at The Ridge Cinema starting Friday March 5, 2010

I watched a movie tonight. I watch a lot of movies.

This was the first movie that I watched in a theatre with cushy red couches. It’s also the first movie that I’ve watched with a complimentary glass of wine. And, it’s the first movie I’ve watched with absolute strangers through a Meetup group event. I’m glad I went.

The event was hosted by the First Weekend Club in Vancouver. I debated whether or not to divulge this information because as I found out tonight, their events sell out quickly and for good reason. The club is probably one of the best kept secrets in Vancouver (for film buffs anyways). But, the nice side of me won in the end which is why I’m letting you know that if the First Weekend Club ever hosts a film premiere at District 319, go!

I struggled to find parking around the theatre and didn’t even know where it was. Sure, I had an address but you can’t tell from the outside that it’s a theatre at all. There are no signs, and it’s in the sketchy part of town right across from the Police Station and only a block or two from that part of East Vancouver where everyone driving through locks their car doors. I started to wonder if I should go at all because I’d spent the last 20 minutes circling the area for street side parking with no luck, and scraped my back hubcap in the process. But no, I had RSVPed that I was going and by-george I was going to go. I ended up finding parking in an area that’s normally a loading zone but is free after 6pm.

I had thought we were just going to watch an old film festival movie in a regular small theater. Turns out we were watching an advanced screening of the film Last Train Home in the best theatre in Vancouver. Seriously. District 319  has individual plush red couches in the theatre, and a little cocktail / reception area beyond their trendy brick wall loft-like entrance hall. It’s the nicest movie theatre I’ve ever been in.

For $12 (group rate; regular is $15), I got a ticket to watch the film, a complimentary glass of wine, and got to mingle over snacks of baba ghanoush and salsa dips with crackers, fruits, bite sized brownies and chocolates, and fortune cookies (my fav)!

I felt a little underdressed in my jeans, Columbia jacket and daypack simply because the place looked so posh. They even had a woman playing a Chinese harp! Thankfully, there was a wide range and mix of dress from cocktail dresses and feathery headbands to jeans and loose fitting hoodies.

Before the film started, we had a long time to mingle and (rather unexpectedly) a dragon dance team and drummers came in to perform. Following the performance, the organizers of the First Weekend Club made their presentation and thank you speeches for everyone involved, drew the 50/50 raffle prizes, and dimmed the lights. Doors opened at 6:30pm but it was around 8pm when the film began.

Last Train Home

To be honest, this film isn’t something new. There are dozens of films like it that address the issues that arise from satellite / non-existent parenting, daily struggles of families in rural China, and all the other thoroughly depressing aspects of Chinese culture. If you want a happy ending, this is the film to avoid. It’s long, at times painfully frustrating, and sometimes just plain sad. Still, it struck a cord. And yes, there were moments where I got teary-eyed and clutched my tissue. I even sniffled a bit.

When the film ended, the person next to me commented to his friend that the movie was “very real.” It is very real, and although the characters struggle in a way that we could never fully comprehend in our cushy red seats, I think a lot of us can relate to the issues addressed. In particular, I think a lot of Asians who have grown up here without one or more of their parents because they are “busy earning money,” and even the parents who stress more than anything else the need to “study hard in school” can understand and appreciate all the characters in the film. It’s a complicated situation and sometimes better told with the silent moments. Last Train Home captures that silence.

The organizers asked that we spread the word about the film if we enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed the film (I don’t enjoy being sad), but I did appreciate it. Thank you to the First Weekend Club for hosting this great event, and a special thank you to Mohamed for organizing the Meetup group to attend this advanced film screening!

The 2010 Winter Olympics came to a close tonight with giant inflatable beavers and moose, an unexpected selection of Canadian artists, and more stereotypes than you thought we could possibly cram into a three and a half hour program. The past 17 days have been an incredible experience that I really didn’t see coming and I’m very thankful that I was able to take part in the festivities in my home town. Thank you to all the smurfs and smurfettes who’ve worked so hard to make this Olympics a great one in Vancouver!

Ang and me at the Coca Cola Pavilion with our 100% recyclable neon Coca Cola bottles

While the thousands of blue uniform volunteers were working long hours and sometimes ridiculous back-to-back shifts (hearts out to Angie and Bee), SFU and UBC students had a couple weeks off of school to “study” since Transit would be off schedule servicing the games. I hope one of the requirements for all Marketing students was to visit the Coca Cola pavilion!

“Damn” is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Coca Cola. They are MASTERS at Marketing!

Ang and I waited for an hour and a half to get into the Coca Cola Pavilion at LiveCity Yaletown and we weren’t the least bit unhappy about it. The lineup was well maintained by Coca Cola staff, and when we finally got inside they herded us like little happy sheep past the Coca Cola posters, bottles and past Olympic torches. After that, we were all assembled in groups to watch a short film about Coca Cola’s history with the Olympics (brainwashing at it’s finest – I had that Coca Cola ‘Open Happiness’ song on replay in my head for the next three hours), and the screen wall opened to reveal a Coca Cola party room. The first thing they did when we got in? They gave each of us a free chilled bottle of Coke! Smart.

The Coke pavilion really played on their green initiatives from the recycling game (you literally try to catch the virtual recyclables with a recycling box), to the green t-shirts made from recycled Coke bottles, and the final recycling bin where each person received a 100% recyclable neon Coke bottle that lights up for recycling their Coke bottle.

The place was fun, had lots to do and look at (you could get your picture taken with a real Olympic torch), and was incredibly well organized. Of all the Olympic houses and pavilions I visited over the past two weeks, this one was by far the best. Great job Coca Cola! You get an A+.

[View with PicLens]

The Coca Cola Open Happiness Music Video

Sidenote: Kids, if a guy in a pimpin’ zebra suit motions that you should follow him into an unknown alley, don’t. The real world is no Coca Cola commercial.

Me and CTV's Lisa LaFlamme

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to learn about how things work from the back end. Behind the scenes tours are my fav. <3

I had the opportunity yesterday to take a private tour of the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) where CTV, NBC and all the international television stations are filming their 2010 Olympic coverage. Here’s the run down of the place written so that you can feel like you got a private tour too:

The IBC is just one big building of impressive! At first when you walk into the large open hall it feels like any other corporate building with wide walkways, information and accreditation booths, and a set of flat panel screens showing all the current Olympic coverage. Then you begin to notice the little things like how the walls are made of intricately woven wooden blocks that conceal doors to massive ballrooms and storage areas, and that every Winter Olympic flag from 1924 to 2010 have been hung from the ceilings that are a good four or five meters high.

Look outside the floor-to-ceiling windows towards the white sails of Canada Place, and you’ll notice a barrier of logs floating in the water surrounding the IBC. There’s a little grey boat patrolling the area no bigger than a tin can from where you’re standing. It’s the diving team patrolling the area for uninvited guests looking to crash the Olympic party. I wonder if they’ve ever caught anyone?

CTV

CTV Olympic Set

Up the escalators, you’ll find the CTV floor. Over a thousand workers are busy taping, reviewing footage, editing, and eating between shifts. You walk past the front desk with your temporary guest pass and wonder if anyone will stop you. Nah, you’re standing next to a guy with Norwegian curling pants. Between the glances and the “cool pants” comments, nobody notices you or checks your badge. You’re cool.

You walk through a narrow corridor with large makeshift cubicles lining the entire side. There are about six to a dozen seats and computers in each large cubicle station, and it’s obvious people are here to work. The temporary walls are covered in notices, schedules, highlighted segment lists, and Olympic paraphernalia. It’s crazy to think that all of this was put up just for the Olympics and it’ll all be gone by the end of March.

One lonely desk sits at the end of the cubicles for the girl who distributes pins. It looks like they’re all gone now, and she turns to see who you are. A long list of names is hung beside her computer with all the workers who need to exchange their CTV jackets for larger or smaller sizes. The list has grown so long she’s taped several sheets below it as people continually write and cross off their names once they’ve traded outfits.

It smells like food. You start to see why as you pass the pins girl and walk towards the end of the floor. It’s the Cafeteria and it’s loaded with free food. Outside food is not allowed in the IBC, so they’re providing everyone at CTV with food around the clock including ice cream bars, and all the Coca Cola beverages you can drink. The smell isn’t that great and even though you’re a guest, you’re technically not allowed to consume any Cafeteria food so you turn around and head towards the studios.

Loggers

On your way down, you pass a long set of tables with dozens of tired workers with their eyes glued to their monitors. They’re the “loggers.” Their job is to watch everything that goes on in the Olympics and take note of what happened, where it happened, and when it happened. They input the information in codes to the main database so that when a journalist needs to know what time Team Canada scored, they get what they need with a stroke of a key.

You reach another narrow hallway. There are windows in this hall that look into the sets and control rooms. It feels almost like you’re in bizarro world because so many of the sets look identical but with different names above the Olympic rings. CTV. RDS. You take a non-flash picture through a window of a live broadcast. The host notices you and you hope you haven’t annoyed her. You walk away quickly.

There’s a studio open and the guys inside invite you in to take pictures. How awesome! A guy named Pascal offers to pose for you. They’re all super chill between segments and you chat a bit about who’s got dibs on the Olympic set props once they’re done filming.

In the control rooms, the seats are surprisingly empty and the keyboards look intimidating. There are so many buttons! Everyone works in shifts and another one will start soon so most of the workers are grabbing a quick bite in the Cafeteria.

The Basement

Basement Floor of International Broadcasters

The tour of the CTV floor is over and you’re on the longest escalator ride of your life down to the IBC Basement floor where everyone who’s not CTV is working. It really is the longest elevator you’ve ever seen.

You enter through a set of double doors and feel like you’re about to enter a gigantic ballroom. It would be one, except the entire floor space has been taken up by temporary blocks of rooms containing mini sets and production houses from every participating country.

You sneak a peak into the open Korea house. It looks like a student lounge complete with couches, a fridge, and a guy reading a paper. You sneak a peak into the doors to the Russian television stations. A man sits at a desk as if he’s security and looks at you as if to say “what do you want?” The Russian room is sectioned off into smaller rooms all of which are closed so you quickly move on.

Norwegian Set

The Norwegian room is packed. They’ve flown in some last minute hosts and had to create a mini set within the tight space they’ve been given. It’s hot inside with so many people and you marvel at how warmly they’re dressed. They obviously didn’t get the memo about Vancouver’s warm winter climate.

You turn a corner and find the largest section of them all: NBC. They even have their own security station! You spot the moose that Stephen Colbert rode on his show last week. His production team left it in Vancouver and NBC didn’t know what to do with it so it’s just sitting in the hall without its antlers (they wouldn’t fit through the doors). You ask the security guard if you could please take a picture with it. He says he’s technically not supposed to let anyone except NBC personnel in, but since it’s for the moose he double checks with his boss. They approve. Yay! You snap a few photos and move on before anyone realizes you’re not supposed to be there.

The Olympic Flame

Finally it’s time to visit the flame. You walk outside and see the crowds covering the entire glass wall surrounding the viewing area. Thank goodness you don’t have to be part of that mass. Sadly though, spectators have been complaining about how IBC workers were allowed to walk right up to the flame, under and around it while visitors had to stay several meters back and behind a fence. They’ve since erected a short black fence around the flame that keeps IBC workers away from the flame too so your picture isn’t as nice as you had hoped it would be. That’s ok, you got a behind the scenes tour of the IBC. And you even managed to get a picture with CTV Anchor Lisa LaFlamme (even IBC workers don’t get that privilege).

Many thanks to @mor10 for the tour!

Note: If you want to take a tour of the IBC, CTV is conducting general group tours of their floor but I haven’t figured out how you can join in on the action and the volunteers at the accreditation center weren’t sure either. It’s a mystery really.

[View with PicLens]

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Because I know now how much you love fishing

If you want your own picture with a big fish, check out the Saskatchwan Pavilion.

Posing with Cheburashka in front of Sochi House (he's really short)

I decided to scope out the Sochi Olympic House (aka Russki Dom / Russia House) store for their red and white sweaters tonight (btw, totally out of my price range at a whopping $200!). And guess what? Cheburashka was there!! <3

But Oh dear Cheburashka! What did they do to your fur!?! Why are you blue? It’s really not that cold in Vancouver.

I had seen red and white Cheburashka stuffed animals in Russia, but I didn’t know they were going to make the mascot blue too… It’s like a hair colouring gone bad.

Poor Cheburashka…

Ladders

Each day on my way to work, I walk under these two ladders. When I noticed this, I wondered “Is it still unlucky to walk under ladders if they’re lying horizontally above you?” And “Does walking under two counter the unluckiness of walking under one? Or does it double the unluckiness?”

I Googled it and found out that this is actually a religious superstition and (hard-core Christians, stop reading now)… well it’s really stupid. Walking under ladders was first considered a terrible crime punishable by God because a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle which is representative of the Holy Trinity. By passing under a ladder, you would be passing through a sacred area and back in the day, you could be labelled a witch and / or a Satanist for it. -_-

Canadian Flag at Metrotown Mall

The streets, stores, billboards and malls of Vancouver were transformed this week in anticipation of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. But is there a Vancouverite out there that’s really excited about it?

Most of my friends associate the Olympics with impossible traffic, higher parking rates, a clogged transit system that’s already at capacity, and rising prices. In fact, the only good thing I can think of that’s a direct link to the Olympics is all the cultural centers that are going to be popping up – and that’s only because I expect there to be lots of great ethnic food at each one. I hope I’m not disappointed.

Go Canada Go!

Evidence that I'm not a savvy shopper

Just before Christmas, Superstore was selling Christmas packages of two Liquorice Mini Allsorts for around $7 (single packs were $3-something) and I bought a package for my brother-in-law. After the holidays, I saw the same single packs for $1-something and bought another one for him thinking it was a really good deal and it would never get cheaper. Total spent: ~$9 for 3 packs (average $3 per pack).

Today I went to Superstore to get some nailpolish remover and came across one of the savviest shoppers around. She managed to find the same pack of Allsorts for 64 cents! She also found a boatload of pretty boxes of mintsticks for less than $1 each and all of her groceries together – probably enough for two days – came to only $31 and included the six little boxes of chocolates! When the cashier was ringing in the items I actually said “whoa” out loud ’cause I was so shocked she was able to find everything so cheaply. Apparently I’m not the savvy shopper I thought I was.

So how do you find great deals on everyday items?

Candles are always a nice touch

When you were born, your parents probably had a celebratory party where cake was served in your honour. On all other special occasions, you probably also have cake.

But what about when something bad happens? Why do so many of us fall into despair with a bucket of cheap ice cream or crap cookie dough? Why must we subject ourselves to sub-par fatteners, when we’re already feeling down? I think it should all end with cake.

In the words of my friend @SimonLawry: “OHM NOM NOM”

The UQ Indian Student Society's Garba Night 2009

During my last week in Brisbane, I met up with my pals from work one last time for lunch. Sara asked me what I was doing that night, and I told her I was going to Indian dancing lessons with my friend Sarah. She noted that I was always doing something fun and exciting while I was in Oz and said it was probably because I was travelling.

You know what? She was totally right.

When was the last time you said ‘no’ to something in your city (coffee / movie / whatever) when you could’ve said ‘yes’? I know I sound a little bit like I belong on the set of ‘Yes Man’ but whatever. The point is still good and valid!

If you’re living the role of a traveller, don’t you find yourself so much more receptive to new experiences than when you’re living your regular life at home? Don’t you ever wonder if that boredom you feel on your living room couch has something to do with that ‘I’ve seen everything there is to see and done everything there is to do in this town’ or ‘I’m too tired to go out’ mentality?

Well, if you want to shed that skin of negativity you might be pleasantly surprised. Go Indian dancing!

By the way, that last part was a metaphor – don’t ask me where they have Indian dancing lessons in Vancouver because I really don’t know. Today’s picture was taken at the University of Queensland campus where the Indian Student Society had their annual Garba night. We got to dance with sticks!