The turbulence I experienced, as our plane approached Calgary, served as a physical manifestation of my feelings about returning to Cowtown. Ah Vancouver, a city of vibrant colours and people that thoroughly impressed us. While I was privileged to attend my first gay wedding, I enjoyed exploring a metropolitan mecca of activity: I was not bored for a moment! Even the temporary breakdown of the Skytrain from Burnaby (where we stayed) to downtown Vancouver didn't spoil my newfound love.

So many wonderful restaurants, bars and pubs, specialty stores (Amanda loves the Armani Exchange and Mac Pro stores), Stanley Park, Granville Market, the friggin' Pacific Ocean (where I frollicked, if for only a moment), an assortment of heritage buildings that were refurbished (are you listening Calgary?), cool contemporary architecture and lush, diverse trees, the kind that droop over the street just enough to block the sun's intrusive rays--such foliage not seen in Alberta!

Amanda and I have vowed to move to Vancouver when our lease is up (next August). The cost of living may be about the same as it is here in Calgary, but there is so much more to do. So here I am, stuck with the rednecks for another year, but now I have purpose, a plan in action. I now understand why many people have moved to Vancouver: to escape the dreariness of the Canadian Prairies!

We're off to Vancouver in less than twelve hours. It's been far too long since I last visited the coastal city, but a family wedding has given my girlfriend and I the perfect opportunity to have an extended vacation before school begins in September. I'm especially eager to flee Calgary, as the recent oil boom has soured my desire to live here. It's disheartening to see a city's soul sucked away all in the name of money: heritage buildings torn down, numerous apartment-style condo towers popping up everywhere, unique shops and restaurants chased out of the Beltline because of escalating rents, a lack of affordable housing ("Hey honey, let's buy a hovel for $400, 000!") or social services...oh, I really didn't mean to rant. I'm going on vacation!!

I'm looking forward to seeing the Pacific Ocean again--rocky mountains and prairie landscapes just don't cut it.

And smoke-free pubs!

I don't know about most men, but I love shopping for clothes. If I'm ever feeling depressed (more so than usual) trying on an assortment of shirts, sweaters, shoes and jeans will put me in a better mood. I can finally replace some faded, torn jeans, especially the pair I've been wearing since 2001 (I'm nostalgic about my millennial menswear).

Of course I pout and curse when I have to accompany my girlfriend when she goes shopping--hey, it's just not fun when you're not the centre of acquisitions.

I'm quite lazy at maintaining a blog apparently--how long has it been since my last entry, six weeks? Since my girlfriend is away in Edmonton getting drunk right now, I'm home alone with the cats, an episode of Kids in the Hall flickers in the background and it's a perfect time to write a new entry.

Movies. I'm not one for attending a lot of the summer blockbusters, but I've managed to see a few of them lately (thankfully not Pirates of the Caribbean--I just don't like pirates):

Superman Returns I'm a big fan of the first two Superman movies, so when I heard Bryan Singer was directing a new Superman movie, my curiosity was piqued. Some people were put off by the lack of action or the reverence to the first two Superman films, but I quite liked the new film. Brandon Routh is very impressive as both the Man of Steel and as Clark Kent, no easy task considering the late Christopher Reeve is worshipped by many. Kevin Spacey is reminiscent of Gene Hackman's oily Lex Luthor, but he's much more menacing, but I confess to disliking Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Maybe it's my love affair with 70s Margot Kidder (Black Christmas, Sisters, Reincarnation of Peter Proud and Superman, drool...), but Bosworth's Lane isn't brassy or bold enough to impress. I love the fact that Singer uses John Williams' original Superman theme, the finest score of all the superhero films. The Christ allegory is heavy-handed, but it was also heavy-handed in Richard Donner's Superman too. Yeah, some kids probably think Superman is dull compared to the flashier Marvel heroes, but just remember: Superman could kick Wolverine's ass all the way to Krypton.

Miami Vice I'm a Michael Mann fan. I have all his films on DVD (would Paramount finally release The Keep please?) and am patiently waiting for Miami Vice Season Three on DVD. Mann's films are some of the most visually sumptuous films you'll find of the past two decades. His mixture of cool cinematography, hip soundtracks and understated performances are personal trademarks. Mann's newfound love for digital video carries over from Collateral to his big-budget treatment of the 80s series.

Many people are disappointed that Miami Vice isn't tongue-in-cheek like Starsky and Hutch and some feel that the film bears no resemblance to the source material. Okay, let me address both contentions. I don't feel the movie should have been played as a farce. The TV series was remarkable because it employed a distinctive, cinematic look, unheard of for television back in the 80s. The only thing really laughable about Miami Vice is the fashions and hair styles. While I hope pastels and fluorescent clothes never come back, everything becomes dated eventually. People will snicker at early 21st Century fashions ten years from now, trust me. Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas? Not world-class thespians to be certain, but their casual acting styles suit the series' gritty and dark plots, so there's not much to mock (although Johnson's Crockett's various usages of "pal" can be humourous).

I think the film is very much like the series. Both versions show a cool, forboding visual look, minimalist acting, hip soundtrack, scary South American drug lords, a stoic Lt. Castillo and a very loose plot. Colin Farrell and Jamie Fox's Crockett and Tubbs go undercover to topple a Colombian drug lord, that's all there is in the way of plot, an execution of style over substance; all very much like an extended Miami Vice episode. Farrell's Crockett gets involved in a doomed relationship with Gong Li and that's exactly what Don Johnson suffered through all five seasons of Vice.

Michael Mann does a fine job transferring the key concepts of his series into a very stylish film. It's not Mann's best work by any means, but it's a delight to see him playing with Crockett and Tubbs in a big-budget film. It's style over substance once again, but it's far more entertaining than the usual summer fare.