Now I'm not into touristy areas or big throngs of people, but Chicago's Navy Pier tourist trap does offer FREE fireworks every Wednesday at 9:30 and Saturday at 10:15.

The best part is that you don't have to go onto Navy Pier to see them, you can watch them from one of the many Chicago beaches or rooftops in the area. I personally recommend Oak St. Beach.

Local Chicago Radio Stations will also synchronize their music to the fireworks. I don't know any

better way to end an evening than hearing Bruce Springsteen's 80's driving music to giant explosions over Lake Michigan.

Every tuesday in Grant Park the Chicago Park district projects some great movies... FOR FREE! Were not talking about lackluster B films that your friends enjoyed five years ago.

Heres a rundown of the lineup for this summer. All films start when the sun goes down, don't forget a blanket and a cooler of beer!

The 2008 Movies in the Park lineup:

The museum of Contemporary Art isn't chock full of hoity-toity tourist thinking they're cultured (well maybe some.) The MCA is full of abstract displays, interactive art, video projections, audio rooms and a plethora of stimulation. This summer don't miss the Jeff Koons Exhibit, which runs until the 21st of September.

Best thing about the MCA and the reason it made this list, is that it is ABSOLUTELY FREE every Tuesday, all day, all summer long.

So weather you're into a string of christmas lights laying on the ground where the name placard seems to have more thought, or a giant room covered floor to ceiling with Vinyl records, the MCA is for you.

Just Walk east on Chicago Avenue until you see the car that appears to be wrecked into the building.

The Good Chicago Beach

The beaches around Chicago are great. The best part about them is that they are also free!

Many beaches are extremely overcrowded, such as North Avenue Beach. To find some better spots, and a place to actually lay out, try the north side of Montrose Beach or Foster Beach. These beaches are bigger than North Avenue and generally have about a quarter of the number of people.

Bring a cooler and make some sandwiches, or find some local vendors for a tasty regional treat.

Be careful of the water as well, Lake Michigan is known to have had incidents of high levels of mercury. So look out for three eyed fish and mermaids, but if your the adventurous type paddle on out and enjoy a dip. The lake is warmest in Late July and August.

The Baha'i Temple is in Cook County, but north of Chicago in the neighboring suburb of Wilmette. Hop on a bike and enjoy a day trip north along Lake Michigan's biking trail then spend some time at the temple.

The Temple and grounds are gorgeous, standing 140 ft tall and made of white concrete and exquisitely adorned. Spend some

time walking around and don't forget a camera.

You can visit the Baha'i Temple any day of the year, until around 7pm.

So get out there and enjoy summer, because activities are best when they're free. And as Chicagoans know, nothing beats a Chicago Summer, but you sure pay for it in February with the cold.

The Golden Rooster Awards are the most prestigious film awards in China.

image source

The name of the awards comes from the Year of The Rooster 1981 which was when they first started. .The awards are given by a panel of film makers, film experts and others and the trophies are golden statues of roosters. The knot was the most successful film overall in these awards.

• Best Picture Award 2007: The Knot directed by Yin Li

  This is the story of two young lovers who are torn apart by circumstances and it is told sixty years in flashback. It is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles and runs for 113 minutes.

• Best Director: Yin Li for The Knot

  Other nominees were Jacob Cheung for A Battle of Wits and Gao Qun Shu for The Tokyo Trial.

• Best Digital Video: The Contract (China Version)

  This is the story of a young man whose terminally ill father wants to see him married before he dies. It is in Mandarin with simplified Chinese and English subtitles.

• Best Screenplay: The Tokyo Trial

  A cop versus criminal thriller directed by Gao Qun Shu who is famous for this genre of film. In Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

• Best Actor: Alloys Chen for The Knot

• Best Actress: Karina Lau for Curiosity Killed The Cat

  Mrs Zheng seems to know nothing about her rich husband's affair. He curiosity and intuition leads her to suspect him and the story goes from there. In mandarin with subtitles in English.

• Best Music: The Knot

  (The Long March was nominated.)

• Best Art Direction: A Battle of Wits, Li Zhen Zhou

  A story of battle. Not the usual Kung Fu fighting kind of thing but a more subtle war film. With English subtitles.

So people hate Montreal politics and may eye Ottawa for its scenic Rideau canal but then again Montreal has its mountain in the middle with its tam-tam goers that frequent the slopes religiously. It has become the city of festivals which although attractive has had its downside. There are two many festivals concentrated not only over the summer period but also over the winter as well. I used to think that planners would run out of buyers but it appears the city is strong enough to sustain all of them yet the viewing public for some may be less than others.

Toronto has the atmosphere of being like a middle American city. I get the impression of not being able to make more than several appointments in a day, something I can do in Montreal with relative ease. Alright the city is on an island whereas Toronto has now spread out to encompass cities that were once suburbs like Scarborough. Rent in Toronto is astronomical compared to Montreal, one would have to pay at least 700 bucks for a basement apartment which may nit be conveniently located. While in Montreal it is still possible to live on your own, above ground for 500 near the center of the city.

One way to choose affordable housing is not just by looking on the web but by scanning ads in local papers and consulting bulletin boards. I would check in with the older tenant to see what the rental hike would be before jumping in.

Since I am into directing/producing short films these days besides finding artsy venues to show my art, I'll choose Montreal over Ottawa or Toronto as a place to get people involved and by the relative easiness to find spaces and venues to put on shows or do rehearsals. Again with Ottawa there aren't as many repertoire cinemas or joints with a screen as there are in Montreal be it a café or converted cinema establishment. Toronto is too spread out. When I was there a couple of years ago for their festival it took me too long to combine visiting venues that I was able to do in Montreal or Ottawa.

One can still get volunteers by the dozen in this city, people who will work in order to further their expertise or if they are students to add something on their resume or school curriculum that they were able to assist a production company in order to make a marketable product. This may be true for Toronto and Ottawa but then again because of the higher standard of living and working low budgets I wouldn't choose Toronto unless I were able to crash at someone. The number of student films and student work posted on the web for Toronto puts Montreal and Quebec to shame.