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I am not too keen on shopping malls. Like a lot of men I like to go to a shop, get what I came for and leave as fast as possible. Malls seem designed for browsing and window shopping. They have turned shopping into a recreational activity; retail therapy for the overstressed. Realistically I can see I am fighting a losing battle; a lot of shoppers can spend a whole day happily milling around the mall.

Just recently, however, I think I might just have found a shopping centre I like. Solana is being touted as Beijing’s first lifestyle mall, a breath of southern California in the smoggy city. It has plenty of open spaces and a style of architecture that conjures up images of adobe houses and New Mexico. At night the fairy lights make it quite magical if you are in the right frame of mind. It also has a cinema showing the 3D version of Avatar.

It is about a month until the Oscar ceremonies and at the moment it looks like a showdown between a husband and his ex wife! The gossipmongers in Hollywood must be rubbing their hands with glee. Both Avatar, directed by James Cameron, and The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, are nominated for nine Oscars each. What makes this contest all the more juicy is that Cameron and Bigelow used to be married to each other, from 1989 to 1991. I have seen both films and enjoyed them in very different ways. I saw the 3D version of Avatar at the Solana cinema and, like many other people, was blown away by the visual experience. I watched The Hurt Locker on DVD and found it an intense and harrowing ride. It describes the experiences of a bomb disposal team in Iraq and manages to be sympathetic to the ordinary American soldier without supporting the war. In the coming battle between Cameron and his ex it will be interesting to see who comes off best.

Glossary

Browsing (verb) - Looking in a casual and leisurely manner

Retail therapy (noun) - Buying things to make yourself feel better

Milling around (verb) - Move around in a confused manner

Touted (verb) - Presented, advertised, praised

Smoggy (adj) - Clouded with a mixture of smoke and fog

Adobe houses (noun) - Style of house built of bricks that are not burnt but dried in the sun

Fairy lights (noun) - Small coloured lights used for decoration

Frame of mind (noun) - Mood, temporary state of mind, humour

Showdown (noun) - Confrontation

Gossipmongers (noun) - People who like to gossip and tell stories about other people’s personal lives

Rubbing their hands with glee (idioms) - Experience and demonstrate anticipated satisfaction and pleasure

Glee (noun) - Feeling of satisfaction and excitement

Juicy (adj) – interesting because it s shocking or personal

Harrowing (adj) - Extremely distressing

Discuss

Do you go shopping with a list of things to buy or do you prefer to look around and buy things as you like?

Have you watched Avatar or other films with Oscar nominations? What do you think about them?

Which film do you think will win the most Oscar awards? Tell us your Oscar predictions this year.