Don't Know What I'm Going Through

But I just keep on going through changes...

It is funny how a blog post you are writing one week merges with reality the next week. I began writing a couple weeks ago about how I have changed, at least as I see it, only to have my eyes opened, realizing just how much I have changed. The first few paragraphs below were written before I experienced the show unADULTeRATED me at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival later in the week. After, I felt that my experience needed to be included into the article I originally started to write.

“Change isn’t good or bad. It just is.” – Don Draper

I am fine with the way I am. Let us get that out of the way right away. Going through changes is a part of life, and over the past 7 years I felt that I have changed quite a bit, for the good or the bad.

Losing friendships are part of life but gaining (and keeping) these friendships is an entirely different animal. It is another part of life, one that changes with you. Even the best of us lose friends, be it from pointless drama, moving or just drifting apart slowly.

Through my life I have attempted to adapt myself, as I never wanted to stand out in any circle of friends, at least most of the time I felt that way. In the past few years though I have really came into my own, really finding myself for who I am, and never caring what others think. While it is hard to ignore the urge to get back into that habit of adapting to a situation because it is easier, I must say, it is a breath of fresh air being myself. It got me to try many new, and often exciting, things. Sometimes it is just a different kind of food, but other times, it can be a little more daring.

And this last Thursday I did something I never expected to do. Even though “challenge myself to write and act in a Fringe show” was added to my New Year resolutions, it was one of the few on the list that I never expected to actually get to this year. Sorry but it was a big list and I have been fulfilling the rest of the resolutions on the list.

But…I think I may actually be able to give this one a half check mark.

I have Rachelle Fordyce to thank for that. As she requires, just a little, audience participation for her Fringe show, unADULTeRATED me.

When I volunteered, I really did not know what to expect. Honestly, 10 minutes on stage and I am off, piece of cake right? All of a sudden those 10 minutes seemed to be a little longer. Then I grasped that I would be up under those spotlights for a little longer. 30 minutes later (ball park assumption) I was still up there, but I enjoyed the opportunity, and would have still volunteered even if I had the knowledge of how long I would be up in front of all those people.

“Peel back the layers with Fizzy Tiff (Fordyce) as she strips down to her unADULTeRATED self! Exposing Fantasies! Desires! Em(bareASS)ments!
And more!!!... Sweet Dreams are Made of These.”

Her alter ego Fizzy Tiff is so nervous about her upcoming date she decides to write a script about what she believes will happens on said date. Requiring an audience member to do a walkthrough of the script with her, Fizzy takes aim at the audience to find someone with courage ( <----- the rose of courage given to me) enough to join her on stage.

That is where I came in… Not sure if I would call it courage though. As I dislike speaking in public or doing anything like that, even though I manage to force myself to sing karaoke once in a while, it was more of fear that needed to be proven I can do that! I must say I had fun and it was an experience I will not forget.

Now Fizzy has an important message for us, she realizes this message herself during the lead up to her absolutely beautiful finale. Be true to yourself, be who you are and not who others want you to be, and do not be afraid. The last one probably shines through the most as she combines three of the most common fears at once: being naked, singing, and speaking in public. Imagine the power she must feel, being able to do that all at once. She manages to exquisitely pull it off, receiving a standing ovation from an exuberant crowd, as she bares her soul, and everything else, to us.

I could see how her show is risky; it could really benefit or falter due to the audience member she convinces to participate with her. Hopefully I did an okay job as I was not sure what to do, being blind the entire time as she confiscated my glasses!

I am happy the way I am and I do not plan on changing myself for a single person out there. That does not mean I will not try new things or ever change, rather I will not change to make myself look better to another person because that is what they want. This show really spoke to me and was one of the best Fringe shows I took in this year. Hopefully all Winnipeggers got to catch this show last week. Thank you Rachelle for letting me attempt what I thought was impossible, at least for me to do, even though I had always wanted to try it.

Nolan Plants Inception

Creating inspiration that an original film can still be made

My initial reaction, after the midnight showing, was all thumbs up. Even the day after, once it had sunk in a little more, it was just pure excitement because I wanted to experience Inception again. For me this is a story, like Jonathan Hickman's graphic novel The Nightly News or Danny Boyle’s Sunshine , is a story that inspires me to create. These stories are so original and breathtaking that I can not look away and must devour them over and over again. After the film was over I tweeted my 140 character review.

“Put a heist movie, psychological thriller, amazing visuals, stellar acting, Nolan and a Zimmer score in a blender, you get Inception.” – cenquist

Not really an informative review but you get the gist of it. Basically I loved this film. I am not sure when the last time I was this excited to see a film and it not only lived up to the hype I created for myself but it surpassed it.

Like every Christopher Nolan film, Inception is presented in a non-linear style. Almost every concept that Nolan touches upon in his previous seven films are present in Inception . This film is set up like a heist film and you must pay full attention. Waver once and you will be lost.

Typically in a heist film the protagonist is attempting to steal an item, and in this case, Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a thief who has the power to enter into the dreams of others and stealing information from their subconscious. His desire to return to his family becomes too great for him and he accepts the impossible job of inception. The task of inception requires the opposite, instead of stealing from the subconscious, you must plant an idea into the target’s subconscious undetected.

At times the script is loaded with exposition because the dream world most of the film takes place in requires the rules to be understood by the audience but Nolan, even though he seems to invent the rule of the dream world as he goes along, uses a new recruit ( Ellen Page ) to teach us along with her. That is okay but at times, even with the amount of information we have, it does not feel like we know enough. From what I have heard, Nolan has been working on this script for 10 years and that could explain how layered this film really is. As one tiny idea being added to the script could flourish into another elaborate set piece.

The cast was excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio was stellar, like usual, portraying the agony of Dom Cobb and his loss of family life. Joseph-Gordon Levitt needs to find more work because I feel he could have easily stepped into DiCaprio’s role himself. Marion Cotillard , who I despised in Public Enemies, puts on a truly remarkable sad performance as the femme fatale trapped as one of Cobb’s memories. Cotillard steals every scene she is in, especially the scene in Cobb’s mind where she first meets Ellen Page’s character Ariadne, revealing the sadness within her character.

Memories are vast and wonderful but they can be relentless and rule your life. Nolan seems to want us to “let go” of those memories if it will help us become a better person. This film is so layered that I feel with multiple viewings you will understand a little more each time. Spectacle aside, as the visuals were fantastic, this is an intellectual film made by a filmmaker who got to play his way in the playground with $160 million.

Although predictable at times, even causing a few groans from people in the theatre, especially the final scene, which you can see coming a mile away. None of this bothered me as they were not shoe horned in, and they made perfect sense in the context of the film. The final scene makes you think, Nolan knows this, and that is why it ended the way it did.

Wednesday Was an Epic

Of epic epicness!

Wednesday started as a normal day for me, but it blossomed to so much more! Did the usual sleeping in thing, since I am still unemployed, eventually dragging myself to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal and to check my email before I make my way to my aunt and uncles to help with a little yard work. That went like usual, hot, mosquito bitten and hot. Wait, I said that twice, never mind it must have been really hot that day. After I put in my not so hard day of work I decided mosey on down to my local comic shop to pick up the weeks new books.

Yes, just a typical Wednesday. Until I went to pay for my books, from the overpriced comic store, when I glanced down at the counter and saw none other than Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour !

COLIN EARNED THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
Luck +3
Awesomeness +1

But wait, you say that is not supposed to be released until July 20th right? That is correct, hence the luck +3. Far as I could tell, this was a reward from the comic gods for overpaying for said comics from that store. Who knows though, because I do not care!

For those that do not know what Scott Pilgrim is, for shame!!!!!! Just a little praise…

“Scott Pilgrim is the best book ever. It is the chronicle of our time. With Kung-Fu, so yeah: perfect”. – Joss Whedon

“An alt-lit, rock ‘n’ roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot” – Publishers Weekly

“A manga-graphic novel hybrid that's part romance, part video game -- a Crouching Tiger set in Archie's Riverdale." – The Globe and Mail

“Stitches together indie-rock attitude, video game logic and romantic longing… a hilarious, idiosyncratic gem”. – The Washington Post

The series is about a 23-year-old Canadian, Scott Pilgrim. He is a slacker, hero, and a part-time bassist who lives in Toronto with his gay roommate while playing bass guitar in the band “Sex Bob-omb”. After falling in love with American delivery girl Ramona Flowers, Scott must defeat her seven “evil exes” in order to date her.

For the reading challenged (for shame!!!) there is a movie being released in August starring Michael Cera as Scott. You can check out the trailer here .

As the book is not to be released until July 20th I will keep my review pretty much spoiler free for volume 6 but a few previous volume spoilers are in here.

Clocking in at 250 pages or so, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is the meatiest book of the six volume series.

The story takes place months after volume 5. How many months are unknown but Scott’s old roommate Wallace Wells says “It’s been months, Scott… Months” within a few pages of opening the book. Scott is depressed after Ramona mysteriously vanished in front of his eyes and now does not know how to carry on with his life, except for sit at home and play video games. Everyone is moving on with their life except Scott who is slowly getting left behind by all his friends. Eventually Scott takes some friendly, arguably misguided, advice and he becomes even more confused.

One wilderness sabbatical later and Scott remembers what he should be fighting for. Not specifically does Scott just remember Ramona but he realized what Ramona meant to him. The eleven panel, two page spread of Scott remembering Ramona was heart wrenching. O’Malley nailed the emotion without using words, just his simple, beautiful art, which proves just how damn good of a storyteller he is.

As in love with the Scott Pilgrim series as I am, this volume contains the worst moment in the entire series. The final fight with Ramona’s evil ex Gideon just felt like it was dragged on longer than necessary. It was like watching an old episode of Dragon Ball Z where they talk about fighting for 20 minutes, throw a couple punches and the episode ends. Only for them to repeat this process for about 7 episodes before anything gets resolved. Or it felt like that at least to a point but not to that extreme.

I can not believe I just had something negative to say about a Scott Pilgrim book. Although this was not the strongest Scott Pilgrim volume it certainly wrapped up everything nicely at the end with every character.

O’Malley’s art and storytelling in this series have always been simple and very effective. That does not change in this volume. A few panels are done so damn well that you could remove all the word balloons and understand exactly what is going on.

I am sad this series is ending. Scott and Ramona are two amazing characters I wish we could see more of, especially Ramona. The last page of the book almost did not get turned because I would have to admit to myself that it was over, and I did not want to do that.

Here is hoping for more lucky days like this in the future!

Science Fiction Addiction

“Just hook it to my veins” - Barney Gumble

I think I have an addiction. There I said it. It is nothing that anyone needs to be worry about, at least not yet.

This addiction is Doctor Who .

My love of science fiction has always been high on my list of favourite genres but I am always reluctant to jump into an unproven (at least to me) science fiction story. It is not that I do not want to, rather I feel when science fiction is done badly it is terrible. There is no common ground. It is either amazing or complete shit. Of course a few exceptions are out there where the story excels in one aspect so much that it makes you ignore something it does terribly. My example would be Star Wars , it is imaginative, flashy, and full of adventure, but it lacks good acting, dialogue and sometimes the imagination needs to be more focused. So the Star Wars universe can not be put into the upper echelon of science fiction in my opinion.

Don’t get me wrong, by no means am I saying Doctor Who must be put at the top of the pedestal of science fiction.

How can it ever unseat these great science fiction works?

Books: Frank Herbert’s Dune , George Orwell’s 1984 , Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 , Philip K Dick’s do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep , and HG Wells’ The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds .

Films: Blade Runner , Alien , Aliens , The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original!), Back to the Future , Dark City , Metropolis , and The Matrix (you can argue that this one should not be on the list).

TV: Star Trek – The Next Generation , The X-Files , LOST , V (original), Red Dwarf , and Defying Gravity (another one you could argue with me about but I loved this show).

Now I know I have left some big books, films, and TV series off this list and that is because I have not read or watched them yet. To unseat any of these on the top of my list of favourites would be a monumental task.

Could Doctor Who do that?

It sure has a large history. Beginning in 1963 Doctor Who ran until 1989 before taking a 16 year hiatus before starting up again in 2005. The show has run five 13 episode seasons with numerous specials since then. Currently Matt Smith is taking on his first season as “the Doctor”.

With a new Doctor starting this year and pressure from a few friends, I figured I would finally give the show a chance. Even knowing that if I fell in love with Doctor Who the daunting task of watching all 769 episodes would probably kill me.

That was a month ago. Yes I watched this current season as it was released but it was not until the beginning of June that I finally delved into the Christopher Eccleston series and began my true journey with the Doctor.

This journey escalated rather quickly. Instead of me watching one episode a day it blossomed to two, then three, before every waking spare moment was spent watching Doctor Who. Soon I was running out of episodes. Not the pre-2005 episodes as that would just be insanity. So out goes Eccleston and in comes David Tennant .

This is what the fans tell me, “Tennant IS the Doctor”. Now I may get some slack from this, and because I am new to the Doctor Who universe I will not argue with you, but I would rather have Eccleston or Smith as the Doctor.

Yes, I just went there.

Don’t get me wrong. I completely see where all the love for Tennant is coming from. Especially after the first full season he did. Most of my favourite episodes were from the Tennant seasons but he just became too sporadic for me as each season progressed. Sometimes it worked but other times it felt like he was just going too over the top for no apparent reason. Eventually that randomness shtick began to bore me. Maybe it would have been the same with Eccleston if he lasted longer and it very well could happen with Smith but Tennant did have some of the best moments of the series.

Doctor Who belongs in the upper echelon of science fiction works so far. Once I delve into those pre-2005 episodes, but not any time soon, I will be able to give a definitive answer. Until then, I think a re-watching of the newest season is in order. Now that I have a better understanding of the Doctor Who universe I may enjoy some of the episodes more.

The Great Burger Hunt - The Burger Place

The hunt begins…

It is a beautiful thing when you get a tasty burger in between your hands. I personally love a good burger.

That being said, my plan is to visit one burger joint around the city each month, reviewing their “signature” burger with a side of fries. Looking at the vast amount of burger joints in the phone book I decided one close to home is a good place to begin.

To come back to The Burger Place evokes memories from my very early years. I grew up just a few blocks away and went to school right across the street from The Burger Place. So it will always have a special place in my heart and it may cause me to look past any shortcomings on the menu. However I truly believe they make some of the best burgers I have ever tasted.

In the quaint little restaurant you can find an array of burgers (beef or chicken), hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fries, onion rings, chilli and milkshakes. I would not recommend showing up at The Burger Place for a dine-in meal unless you know it will not be busy. Most of their customers do not dine-in but the seats seem to be taken by customers waiting a good chunk of the time and the restaurant only has three small tables (each seats four) that they provide for their patrons. In the summer time they do have a few small picnic tables to sit at outside if it is a nice day.

Now that you have probably decided to get your delicious food and head to the park to eat, what exactly do you order?

PHOTO BY BRETT ENQUIST

My first suggestion, especially if you have never had one before, would be their signature burger, the Deluxe Burger (pictured). If you throw cheese on your Deluxe Burger the total price after taxes is an even $5. Although it is not a huge burger, the size of the Deluxe Burger it is well worth your hard earned money, trust me. Fresh toppings on the Deluxe Burger consist of, if you want them all, mustard, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and chilli. This is a messy burger, not the sloppiest I have eaten but you need to be careful as the shredded lettuce and chilli always manage to escape the confines of the bun for your plate, or if like me, your lap.

The sides offered for your main entrée are very slim. Basically you can order fries ($3), which you can upscale by adding gravy, chilli or make it a classic poutine for an extra cost. While I would not express the same amount of love for the fries, as I would the Deluxe Burger, they are still good. They are fresh homemade fries but the flavour they contain does not bring any unique taste to your palate and you may find similar fries elsewhere. Many times do I walk away with two burgers instead of fries but I just prefer burgers to fries.

A perfect add on, especially on those hot summer nights would be the milkshake. At least depending on how you like your milkshakes as these are not very thick. Now I enjoy my milkshakes on the thin side compared to the thicker milkshakes of BDI so I am a little biased here. The milkshakes will run you $3.75, which is a little on the pricier side but I would say you should give them a chance at least once before you avoid them because of the price. The Burger Place has a nice array of milkshake flavours: root beer, chocolate, vanilla, orange, banana, and strawberry. Go with the vanilla or banana.

Hopefully you will treat yourself and head down to The Burger Place one of these days. I am sure you will not regret it. You will enjoy a loaded burger with fresh veggies or possibly a Double Deluxe Burger while adding bacon ($1). If that is more your style, that means you want a heart attack by the time you are 50!!!

What I ordered – Deluxe Burger and fries: $7.35 (after taxes)

Dollar Value – 5/5
Burger Taste – 5/5
Fries Taste – 3/5
Menu Selection – 3/5
Overall – 4/5

The Burger Place
1909 Portage Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3J 0J3
(204) 831-7967

The Weekend After Canada Day

It made me realize a few things

First off I would like to say happy belated Canada Day, and Fourth of July to my American friends. No long weekend for us Canadians due to it falling on a Thursday. Of course that does not mean all my fellow Canadians did not make the best of it! Hope you all had a good Canada Day like I did (I baked in the sun but not as much as Captain Canuck did ------>), , surrounded by friends and family, and fireworks!

I spent one of my first weekends in Edmonton when I moved away three years ago, almost exactly to the day, watching the Canada Day fireworks. The jump from Winnipeg to Edmonton was as smooth as a transition as I could have hoped for, thanks to having family members already living in Edmonton. My aunt, uncle and few cousins helped make life feel like no change had really happened. Add in the ex’s family down in Red Deer, new friendships forming and the few trips home every year and it made me feel like I was still connected.

You can also count the ease of staying in touch with your loved ones with the dizzying amount of tools like Skype, email , text messaging, Facebook , Twitter , instant messaging and, if those all failed, the telephone. The great distance between family and I did not feel as wide as it probably could have. Was I able to invite them over for dinner any night I wished? No but it still felt like I could.

While I may have still felt close, it was not until I moved back to Winnipeg that I realized it is just not the same as actually visiting family all the time.

This past weekend I spent with a big chunk of family members (20 of us, I believe Chelsea counted!) camping in Nutimik. Or at least I attempted to camp, since camping would entail me to set a tent which I could not do as I forgot the poles required to build it! Family to the rescue though as I was allowed to sleep in my cousin’s camper.

Weather wise the weekend was not much fun. Friday night was extremely humid and hot, causing me to get very little sleep. I now know how The Human Torch must feel. Saturday morning we were met with a torrential down pour that lasted for far too long. Although the rain finally broke and stayed away for most of the afternoon it still caused us to scrap the beach and tubing idea as the rain made a triumphant (boooo!) return a few hours later. Sunday looked like it was going to be another rainy day so we left for home early. A saving grace about leaving early would be the inability of the mosquitoes to invade a vehicle. Those damn little insects feasted on my body all day Saturday, no matter how much Off or Watkins I coated myself in.

So what exactly did I do during the weekend other than become a 5 course meal for insects?

Hanging out with the family I cherish and have not seen as much as I would have liked to in the past three years sums up the weekend. It was a fantastic weekend even with the weather being miserable but I had such a great time that it did not matter in the slightest. How could I not enjoy sitting around the campfire or under the awning to stay dry while being around family.

I realized how much I missed them all. Living so far away caused me to forget, to a point, what family means to me. Now I do not want to demean the great group of family and friends I have out in Edmonton but this weekend is one of those times that you just cherish and it will always remain with you. Was there a precise moment that will cause me to remember this particular weekend? Nothing specific but it is one of those reminders that made me realize how important family is to me, always has been to me, and always will be.