Movie review: Piano in a Factory

Piano in a Factory, a film directed by Zhang Meng, tells the story of a father’s love for his daughter. Even as state-run industry begins to waver, the economic liberalization is evidently far from reaching the city that the film takes place. Chen Guilin (Wang Qianyuan) plays the accordion in a local band with a…

Do we have what it takes to be the best?

Here are some of the results of this year’s Best of Calgary poll, as provided by Fast Forward Weekly. Best new trend: Cycling / Bike commuting Mayor Naheed Nenshi Civic engagement Worst new trend: Jeggings Hipsters Dubstep Best place to waste an entire day Prince’s Island Park 17th Avenue S.W. The Ship & Anchor Best…

Halt to Calgary Rain for Lilac Festival 2011

Contrary to beliefs of most Calgarians, on Sunday, May 29 the weather proved to be sunny and perfect for a day out! Vendors were set up all along 13 blocks of Calgary downtown running along 4th St SW. Everywhere you turned was something worth watching. The streets were packed with entertainment, food, drinks, mini games,…

Arts Around Calgary: The BeiJing Opera Festival

(picture courtesy of http://appletravel.cn/news-10032.html) The Chinese Opera Festival was one of the performing arts highlights of the Calgary Chinatown Centennial celebration. With the unique collaboration of traditional BeiJing Opera artists and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jubilee Auditorium was filled with lively Eastern music. It was certainly a rare treat for Calgarians to see this…

Weekend Preview

Friday Aerosmith Spend your Friday night rocking to Aerosmith plus Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at the Saddledome. Aerosmith boasts over 150 million records sold worldwide. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster and will run you from $71.75 to $212.75. Open Saturday 52 Self Portraits Calgary artist Doug Driediger painted one self-portrait every week in…

Weekend Preview

Friday and Saturday Red Bull Dusk ‘til Dawn This unique mountain bike race runs overnight to see who can complete the most laps of a downhill course. Registration is $20 per competitor; online registration is available at http://www.zone4.ca/onlinereg.asp?id=3088. Head lamps and bike lights are highly recommended. Saturday and Sunday BBQ on the Bow Canada’s oldest…

The Globalfest Fireworks Festival Is Back!

Globalfest starts tomorrow (Aug. 20)! Globalfest is one of my favorite events in Calgary. Through volunteering with Globalfest through Youth Volunteer Corps (click here to get involved), I’ve not only enjoyed the fireworks show, the great purchasable food items, and dances, but the display of Calgary’s diversity as a whole. If you haven’t heard of…

Fiestaval: July 24th – July 25th

Looking to embrace your Latin heritage? Want to celebrate multiculturalism in Calgary? Just bored? Come to Fiestaval, a two day Calgary festival that highlights the Latin American culture through arts and entertainment! Fiestaval’s goal is to create a sense of pride and unity within Latin Americans, while allowing fellow Calgarians to see the beauty of…