Her name in Chinese means “Wears Love” and the Mainland singing and dancing sensation, with the English handle of “Edell,” looks great in it. If she promised to wear this outfit I’d herd sheep with her on Brokeback Mountain.Pop stars in China are moving past the school girl imitations once inspired by Japan and is adopting the sohistication and elegance that has long lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Ai Dai is a perfect example of an emerging change in style. She recently released an album entitled “Love Vigilance” and then promptly announced she was heading for an acting career. When asked what kind of roles she wanted to play, Edell said she hoped to act as a female gangster with a kind heart. At 5’5″ and 100 pounds I think she needs a devoted body guard. “Ai Dai,” when you say it out loud, works pretty well as a movie title don’t you think? More pic’s of her here: AI DAI and here: EDELL
Another nice post santini47, although sadly like many Asian stars these days her nose job is a little too much for me.
I have been looking for older pictures for comparison, but no luck so far…
They usually get them before they start their careers – cases like Coco Lee (where there are some early photos from her talent quest days) are pretty rare amongst Asian stars in my experience.
know Ai Dai (I have met quite a few times ) and I can tell you specifically that she has never been under the knife. I know enough models and actresses to recognize after market parts… If she does start pursuing more western music, modeling, or film stuff, she should probably get a small boob job, much to my dismay. I will tell you that she dances very well, is completely sexy, and is very sophisticated. Part of the new generation of singer/model/actresses who speak a number of foreign languages and can shake their booty as well as any western popstar ude to serious ballet and subsequent funk training. If you like the demure Chinese woman, this is not the one for you. If you like women with an independent, sexy, sophisticated streak, this is the one. She just signed a major, big $$ contract and seems to model for major magazines each week. The interesting part is she seems to plan her own career, unlike those prepackaged China-popsters. I suspect she’ll have a serious breakout soon, but perhaps I’m biased.
With all due respect swimmer, I’m much more confident in my own judgement in this case. 😉
You are not the only one who has a med school background. I not only have plastic surgery training but oversaw residents as well. I am now organizing a cleft lip group here in China. And you?
Her nose has the very characteristic accentuated bridge of a nasal implant, which is almost never natural, at least in Asian women. Do you do rhinoplasty?
While I am often criticised for my certainty that a model/petrformer has had surgery when I wasn’t there to see it happen, proclaiming that a model/performer (especially an Asian one) definitely hasn’t had surgery is very dangerous these days. Nose jobs especially are (sadly) almost standard issue now. In my experience, there have been many models/performers who’ve had surgey that I couldn’t recognise, but it is almost never the other way around.
So you are welcome to criticise me for being so sure of what I think, but your certainty of the opposite conclusion leaves you open to the same criticism.
What part of China are you in Swimmer? Just a general locale…
How did you happen on Ai Dai?
Most of my sudents don’t know her yet….But, judging by the respose to her pics here a breakthrouh is warranted, aye?…
I live in Beijing part-time, LA part-time. Introduced at a party. Breakthrough? Yes, and I understand there are clouds brewing. Why not… she just signed one of China’s largest record contracts. Smart. A little wild. Sophisticated. Fluent in english.
One more thing- Fewer college/grad school age kids know who she is but the younger crowd does. Some of my undergrad students know but others do not. Funny enough- Dr. Lee, we both teach (I teach classes at the undergrad and graduate level in Beijing. Not english BTW).
BTW #2- Ai Dai means love and respect。 Here are the characters if this blog software is double byte. 愛戴
Hi swimmer,
Actually, santini47 is our teacher/professor. 🙂
Check your translation source again swimmer. Dai does not mean “respect” it means “wear” as in wear a tie.
And sorry, I should have said: Most of my undergrad’ students know OF her, but are just not interested in her. Northern and Southern Chinese tastes in pop idols really vary here.
Swimmer, do I sense some kind of underlying message in your comment about English teachers in China?
I am not, nor are my colleagues, backpackers here. This is my home. But, know that I have great respect and admiration for the visiting English teachers in China who often brave some pretty tough conditions for $4-600 a month. It is important work, especially in the rural areas.
I am a Medical Psychologist by training, but also have an MFA in writing: Work from my last book won me a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Literature–I spent the prize money on my daughter who was attending college, as a party-hard major, in Japan.
I was the clinical director for the 2nd largest private rehab’ hospital in America where I also directed the Addictionology resident’s training program. When they got bought out by a conglomerate I headed East. I have been on the graduate faculty of two Health Science Colleges and will make my last academic move in the fall to take a Professorship at a Polytechnic in the Hong Kong/Macau area. But, My first love these days is teaching English and especially to rural mainland Chinese students.
So your first love isn’t beautiful Asian women? 😉
Busted! 🙂