APRIL 2021 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8
POLITICS, OPINIONS AND LEARNING TO LISTEN A Millennial’s POV
GARDENERS
Why do they do it?
THE SIDEONE PHOTO ESSAY Sardinia – The trip that was way too short
NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES
MEETING LEGENDS
Can a boy from the Soo have the blues?
ISSN 2563-9005
Just in time for “Eight Track Day” celebrations
IN THIS ISSUE... WELCOME TO SIDEONE. PG.03
An introduction and an explanation.
GARDENING. PG.04
A connection to something primal.
THE SIDEONE PROFILE. PG.38
Meet Roshni Wijayasinha, the MBA with an artistic flair that you might not expect.
SENSIBLE DOLLARS. PG.42
Buying stock after the price goes up – really?
A MILLENNIAL’S POV. PG.08
Politics, opinions and learning to listen.
COMING UP. PG.47
A sampling of next month’s stories.
BALI. PG.12
A siren call creates a need to revisit – often.
A MOM’S PERSPECTIVE. PG.16
Positive role models aren’t always easy to find.
THE PHOTO ESSAY. PG.20
Sardinia – The week that just wasn’t enough.
NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES. PG.25
Celebrate “Eight Track Day” in a whole new way.
MEETING LEGENDS. PG.30
Editor and publisher: Kevin Gilligan Contact Email: sideone@gilligangroup.net Mail: PO Box 43503 Leaside Toronto, ON M4G 3B0 Phone: 416-489-9257
A story of what it means to have the blues.
SideOne Magazine is published monthly online @ www.sideonemagazine.ca
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS… PG.35
SideOne Magazine is a division of The Gilligan Group Inc.
Was the Trojan Horse social distancing in its earliest form?
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FOR THE GENERATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
WELCOME TO ISSUE #8
FOR THE GENERATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. Kevin Gilligan is the editor and publisher of SideOne Magazine. After years in marketing and advertising, he decided to do something he truly loves. Welcome to SideOne and the April edition. I hope you have the time to relax and enjoy our magazine. I think it’s a pretty enjoyable read and should give you a break from the difficult things we’re all having to deal with these days. April is issue number eight in our first year of publishing. What started as an idea last July has come a long way in a short period of time. That’s thanks to all of our contributors who approach each piece they write with so much enthusiasm. I am extremely fortunate to have them on board, as well as having the pleasure of knowing most of them for many years. In case you’re wondering why anyone would start a magazine during a pandemic, the answer is simple. I had the time and saw the opportunity. Many of the magazines I used to read no longer
held my interest or the interest of my friends and peers. The magazines had moved on – on to other generations and left us behind. So I started SideOne with a simple goal – create a magazine with stories of particular interest to our generation. A human-interest magazine and not one about retirement or aging. I hope you enjoy all the other stories in this month’s SideOne. If you’d like to share your thoughts on anything you see in the magazine, please join us on our Facebook page. And again, the answer to the question of “Why SideOne?” Side one is where the hits were and it’s something only boomers will remember. Remember?
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A GROWING PASSION
GARDENING – A CONNECTION TO SOMETHING PRIMAL By Elizabeth MacGregor Elizabeth MacGregor is a former educator and a regular contributor to SideOne.
As a child, I lived in a fourplex in Montreal with a
where many have failed. My father never grew
huge shared backyard. Our dad created a beautiful,
gladiolas again.
large and successful vegetable and flower garden
Many Canadians took up gardening for the first
in our half. One September day, while readying the garden for winter, he dug up his prized flower bulbs, and placed them in our walk-in pantry. Gladiolas were among the flowers that were show stoppers all
time last year, ordering seeds, wood, soil, in such quantities that supplies ran out before people’s enthusiasm did.
summer long, but could not survive a cold Montreal
Some of us built container gardens, trying to outwit
winter, buried in the earth.
the weeds that grew faster than our vegetables, creating a boxed-in garden with fresh earth in which
Immersing our hands in dirt, up to the elbows in soil, is liberating somehow. On that very cool fall afternoon, our mother decided to make a comforting stew, grateful to have so much fresh produce from the garden.
GLADIOLA BULBS DON’T MAKE GOOD VEGETABLES As she chopped vegetables in the kitchen, I heard the sound of pure dismay coming from my father. He kept asking my mother about the whereabouts of the sack of gladiolas he had left on the pantry floor. My mother did not have an answer. Why would he be asking her about those beautiful flowers whose blooms had not been seen for at least a month? I came to look, as the gardener’s reluctant helper, and no, there was no bag. Our mother looked up at us and said, “The only bag there had turnips in it and I just cut them up to add to the stew.”
FOR THE LOVE OF IT Gardeners garden for the love of it, but also to provide food for themselves and their families. Those who grow flowers are somewhat competitive. If they have managed to purchase a bulb or root that creates a stunning blossom, they have succeeded
plants thrive. We added chicken wire or landscape cloth to ward off the rabbits, squirrels and cats. We might have added organic blood meal in an effort to protect our plants against all wildlife that tried to thwart our efforts. We ordered massive bags of soil, wondering where to spread it and found we could have used a second. Tools might be old and passed down, or new and ergonomic. Facebook groups allow us to share gardening wisdom, which is sure to contradict advice we have been given before. The popularity of this pastime is not waning as we look to another non-travel summer, peering through our windows at our snow-laden yards, imagining their future as a source of nourishment.
STOLEN CATALOGUES Seed catalogues have arrived, and are dog-eared
ripe, we experience a concrete connection between
from indecision, while some bulbs are already
hard work and results.
sold out. According to my letter carrier, there is
Get outside: Enjoy your garden. Water the plants, weed, harvest, but most importantly, sit outside with a good book and enjoy their beauty.
one particular catalogue that is often stolen due to its beauty. I wouldn’t know since mine couldn’t be delivered. The carrier wasn’t allowed to share the device where I would sign for it and enter seed heaven. Immersing our hands in dirt, up to the elbows in soil, is liberating somehow. While we cannot take part in so many things now, we can go outside to our small
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As we pick a tomato, or bend to see if the beans are
or large plot of land, plant some hope and watch as
The smell and taste of fresh vegetables, just
the tiny plants struggle to produce for us. Gardening
harvested, is far superior to store bought. Perhaps
connects us to something primal, linking our need
this is why gardeners return to the soil year after
for nourishment to our hard work and creative spirit.
year, frustrating crop after successful one, never sure
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of the outcome of their labour, but enamored by the
then plant the pots directly in your garden when
love of the work.
the nights are consistently warmer and there is no
GARDENING TIPS: Buy it because you love it: Gardening is hard work,
chance of frost. Just give them some time outside gradually, for a week, so it is not a shock for them.
Soil: You probably could use a big bag of soil. Fresh
Facebook groups allow us to share gardening wisdom, which is sure to contradict advice we have been given before.
soil is easier to work with and doesn’t come with
Get outside: Enjoy your garden. Water the plants,
weeds like your garden’s soil does.
weed, harvest, but most importantly, sit outside with
especially when you can’t see any results for a while. Choose plants and flowers that call out to you, vegetables that you eat regularly. Tools: Buy good quality tools with strong handles that won’t bend when used in hard packed soil.
Container gardening: A big wooden rectangle to
a good book and enjoy their beauty.
contain your vegetable garden may save you a lot of work, once you make the container. We have gardened without one, but prefer it now that we have it. It brings everything up a bit higher, so flooding from storms is less likely, it is easier to weed, and plants seem to thrive there. Seeds: There are many seed companies. Check out seeds.ca, Seeds of Diversity, for the names and descriptions of many. Be aware that some companies have already sold out some of their stock. Some seeds can be planted directly in the ground and some have to be started indoors. Read the packets for advice, and go to Vesey Seeds to learn about the best dates to plant outdoors in your area. Starting them indoors can be done with newspaper pots and earth. Just fold newspaper into a circle, close the bottom, connect the ends, and pour earth into it. Plant a few seeds in each one. You will probably want to keep only one plant per pot. Place your pots in a waterproof container. It is suggested to have a fan blow over seedlings to help their stalks thicken, or blow lightly on them once a day, and move the container around the room to catch more light as the day wears on. You can
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A MILLENNIAL’S POV
POLITICS, OPINIONS AND LEARNING TO LISTEN By Kimberly Elliot Kimberly Elliot is an associate with a Toronto-based marketing agency
There are lot of things I wish I were better at – long
husband sometimes gives me a look. The kind of look
distance running, baking, compartmentalizing and
Hubbell would give to Katie in The Way We Were – a
keeping an orchid alive are all top of mind. But the
look that, depending on the specifics, says, ”Can we
most important thing I have worked tirelessly to
please just keep it light?” or ”Try not to bite anyone’s
get better at through adulthood is disagreeing with
head off.” Yes, I can be a bit impassioned, aggressive
people. Disagreeing with people can be really, really
even, in expressing my views. I’m working on it –
hard for me and I have accepted that maintaining
and part of working on it has meant an attempt at
grace and composure through a heated disagreement
deprogramming my left of left-leaning values and
is likely to be a lifelong battle.
trying to act as my own devil’s advocate. Turns out,
This is especially true in the case of politics. When the topic comes up among friends or family, my
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that’s easier said than done. I grew up in a household where political discussion
I was a pretty politically astute kid, that is, in the two-dimensional way a child interprets the political discourse around them. was constantly on tap. I was a pretty politically
an adolescent’s lens is to be programmed and
astute kid, that is, in the two-dimensional way a
indoctrinated in a particular school of thought. Birds
child interprets the political discourse around
of a feather flock together – and I have flocked to
them. I quickly learned that anything left of centre
people with leftist views and formed relationships
is generally good, Conservatives are bad. Bob Rae:
with those whose political and social values are
good. Ernie Eves: bad. Mike Harris: poison. Pierre
similar to my own, as one does in adulthood. But the
Trudeau: national treasure.
ultra-polarized and politically charged times we are
PROGRAMMED IN A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
currently living in have me thinking that comfort and complacency in my values are a part of the partisan
Although I now try to see things in full context as
problem.
an adult, viewing the political conversation through
There’s only bad news to follow. Yes, complacency
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in one’s views is definitely part of the problem
I actively rebuke what they say as they are saying it.
and what’s worse, there is no deprogramming.
I roll my eyes as they politic and have some snide
At least, this is true in my case. I can read all the
remark ready by the end of their sentence. Even
conservative-leaning analysis and rhetoric, criticisms
when I may identify with a particular anecdote or
of the left, I can watch the provincial legislature and
policy, I remind myself they are the party that, at
question period on Capitol Hill to hear both sides
their 2021 convention, debated the existence of
out. None of that matters because the moment any
climate change. These are involuntary responses
of the Conservative characters step up to say their
that I swear I have no control over. This is how my
part, my brain shuts down.
brain seems to operate and I know, it’s problematic.
We attach our political views to our personality in such a way that our response to opposition is emotional and feels like a fundamental attack.
BIOLOGICALLY PRONE TO FRICTION
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However, it turns out that we are biologically prone to political friction, and our inability to reasonably disagree on the topic is molecular. A 2016 study by the University of Southern California published in the journal Scientific Reports found that when our political beliefs are challenged or attacked, the ”default network” of our brain is activated. This is
I don’t have to understand it, nor do I have to like it. But listening is the absolute least I can do, and expect in return.
views are literally entrenched. (You can read more
the same area of the brain that, as far as we know, is
of responsibility to intervene before my brain
responsible for internal processes such as memory
has the chance to shut down – a task that seems
retrieval, thinking about the future and our own
insurmountable, but I’m up for it.
personalities. With this area activated, brain scans of study participants showed that the brain’s response was emotional, as if it were under attack. The brain subsequently ”shuts down” as though it were under threat. In this event, we are unable to accept reasonable information in opposition of our views. We attach our political views to our personality in such a way that our response to opposition is
about the study here: https://www.zmescience.com/ science/political-talks-fail/) Knowing that it’s not me, it’s my brain, gives some small measure of comfort, but it won’t hold up as defence for bad behaviour in conversation. Equipped with this new information, I feel a heightened sense
Completely deprogramming may be out of the question, but listening is not. And I think that’s a reasonable goal to set for myself: to simply listen and hear the other side out (within reason). I don’t have to understand it, nor do I have to like it. But listening is the absolute least I can do, and expect in return. Look at me, evolving (gradually).
emotional and feels like a fundamental attack; these
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BALI’S SIREN CALL
It’s about karma, spirituality and monkeys – lots of monkeys By Alain Lajoie
Alain Lajoie is a Montrealer who taught for Cree School Board in Nothern Quebec before retiring in 2020.
Strangely enough, especially for this agnostic/atheist,
Asia. It’s volcano, Mount Agung, is an active one that
the spirituality of the Balinese is one of the things
erupts regularly. The island is also on the Ring of Fire
that makes me love Bali. Coming from a society that
and often gets stirred by earthquakes. On a personal
compartmentalizes so many things, it is refreshing
note, few things put as much bounce in your step as
to visit a world where spirituality is part of the
being woken up by your room shaking.
ecosystem, derived from it and where it reinforces the protection of natural elements.
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Any conversation about Bali has to acknowledge that it is very dependent on tourism and the
A volcanic island in the Java Sea, Bali is eight degrees
commercialism that accompanies it. However, once
south of the equator. It is a breezy island, more
off the main streets, the natural Bali surfaces quickly
comfortable than many other locations in southeast
with all its beauty. Driving around the narrow roads,
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In Ubud, every home has a shrine, where offerings are made daily. you are struck by the sheer lushness of the natural vegetation.
A STOLEN HEART Bali is one of the thousands of islands that form Indonesia. Well known for its beaches and surf breaks, Bali also has a rich artistic and religious core. It is that core, centred by Ubud, that has stolen my heart. Part of the Gianyar regency, Ubud is the spiritual and artistic centre of Bali. Its royal palace, located on Jalan Raya, is the focus of Ubud. You can visit its grounds and the palace temple, as well as the other temples in Ubud, although some of them are off the beaten path. You will also find museums with Balinese art, some quite ancient and some more recent, often influenced by Dutch artists that immigrated to Bali in the 1930s. Ubud is also the epicentre of Balinese dancing and the gamelan orchestra that accompanies the dancers. Balinese dances are based on Hindu sacred texts and stories, and the many different dance troops of Ubud perform in temples in the evening. The gamelan orchestras, which are mainly made up of drums and xylophones, are heard often as they perform at many ceremonies – both secular and religious. Interestingly, all instruments for the orchestras are purchased and tuned together in order to maintain a cohesive look and sound.
OVER 1,000 MACAQUES Apart from going to visit the royal temples, thousands of tourists going for a day trip to Ubud always go visit the Sacred Monkey Forest. Occupying 12.5 hectares and populated by over 1,000 longtailed macaques, it is the perfect place to watch
tourists perform stupid people tricks to amuse
keepers, armed with slingshots and acorns, are well
the monkeys. The macaques have been living with
respected by the smaller monkeys, but the tourists
people for hundreds of years and have acclimated to
seem to know better.
the large furless apes, while staying (mainly) wild.
Karma, the performing of good deeds to facilitate your soul’s speedy reincarnation, is one of the tenets of Balinese Hinduism.
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The vast majority (83 per cent) of Balinese follow Hindu worship. Balinese Hinduism, while it follows holy texts of Hinduism, has elements of earlier animist beliefs, some ancestor worship, integrates Buddhist saints and has an iconography that is very much Balinese. You will often see groups of Balinese working at a temple, preparing food and offerings as a
Most bad tourist-macaque interaction involves food,
community for celebrations to come, whether
wrestling over a bag filled with bananas or photos –
weddings, cremations or the celebration of religious
stepping backwards to take a picture of a cute baby
holidays, celebrated according to one of the Balinese
macaque and on to its grandfather’s tail. The local
calendars.
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A SHRINE IN EVERY HOME In Ubud, every home has a shrine, where offerings are made daily. The offerings – often flowers and their tendrils, some rice, all served in a little basket of woven reeds – are not only left at shrines and temples, but also next to rooms in homesteads, in front of stores and on sidewalks. They are gestures of thanks for past blessings, and for future good luck. It is expected that they will be stepped on, or that dogs or birds may eat the rice, with no feelings hurt, as the ephemerality of the offerings reflects that of our lives, and the next day will bring new offerings and new hopes. Karma, the performing of good deeds to facilitate your soul’s speedy reincarnation, is one of the tenets of Balinese Hinduism. We aren’t talking about “I was Marie Antoinette in an earlier life” reincarnation but the reincarnation of your soul from a limbo (please excuse the cross-religious explanation) to a newborn baby in your family – babies are considered to be reincarnated souls and are holy for the first six weeks of life. Be particularly kind and generous, and the first child born after you are cremated and your spirit is released may be your reincarnation; be a miserable
have been buried while waiting for the ceremony) is placed in a sarcophagus, often in the shape of an animal, paraded through the community, being borne by a team of men, from the temple to the location of the open-air cremation. The sarcophagus bearers turn around a few times as they proceed, because it is well known that demons can only follow straight paths. Given the complexities, only the richest or royal families can afford the rites surrounding a cremation. For average people, the community will come together and share resources by holding many cremations at the same time. Faith is central to Balinese life, from the offerings on the doorstep to the massive parades of the cremation ceremony. A prompt reincarnation is based on your good deeds, especially those done for strangers, and some of those deeds must involve protecting nature and the living things within it. Bali is a land where the spackle of civilization cannot hide the natural beauty, generosity and grace of its people. So why Bali? It’s the spirituality for sure. Also, I really like monkeys.
scrooge, and your soul may be cast adrift for generations. I often wonder if it isn’t karma, and the whole of the faith, that makes Balinese some of the kindest and most polite people I’ve ever met.
A COMPLEX FAITH It is a very complex faith and every visit brings a greater understanding of it. As opposed to being the responsibility of ashrams in India, Balinese Hindus’ religious education is done within the family and the community and all are expected to participate in the preparation of community religious rites. One of the last rites, after your death, is the cremation that liberates your soul. It is an expensive ceremony; priests are hired, the body (which may
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A MOM’S PERSPECTIVE
Positive role models and the doll house that meant so much. By Sonia Huggins Sonia Huggins is an educator who recently gave up her distinguished career as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a regular contributor to SideOne.
who couldn’t relate to Bunga, was teased relentlessly for the entire first year of school in my new country because I didn’t sound like my classmates and I refused to accept that this was the only version of black people that existed. Going to a white school and living in a white
I remember when there was hardly any representation of black people on television, in magazines, in toys, in books, and especially in school.
neighbourhood didn’t help my self-image, but despite this I survived and thrived. I never forgot this primary experience, which I used to steel myself against a society that continued to under-represent people of colour.
I was 10 years old when our family arrived in Montreal from the U.K. I was inundated with images of people, places and things that did not represent me as a little black girl. My favourite doll was a white doll with long blond hair that I cherished, but she certainly didn’t look like me. There was nowhere that my mother could find a black doll. When I started school, my classmates were studying
BEFORE OPRAH This was before Oprah. This was before the AfricanAmerican sitcoms that would mirror the lives of black people. And this was before I discovered an African-American magazine called Ebony that showcased black writers and black stories. Just as important, all the ads would feature black people. I
a character called Bunga who lived in a place called
would see myself represented in its pages.
Africa and wore a grass skirt and carried a spear. Our
As I was careening toward teenage-hood, it would
teacher let the class believe this was the real and
be another 20 years before The Oprah Winfrey Show
only representation of black people. So I, as a little
would become an inspiration to women, especially
black girl from the U.K. with a heavy British accent
young black women like myself. Meanwhile, I was
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desperately seeking culture I could relate to. I
shelves looking and opening all the boxes, only to be
voraciously read stories by well-known black writers
disappointed that there was no black family. A family
because I needed to understand the significance of
that would represent and mirror my own family. A
why we were underrepresented in Canadian society.
family that my children would play with for years
As time marched on, I began to foment ideas about
and identify with in a deeply meaningful way.
culture and race that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
A store clerk happened by. After explaining my
Absolutely nothing made me happier that day than my girls playing with a doll family that looked like us and lived in a house just like ours.
to look. He returned with the house containing the
Fast forward 20 years, and I was getting ready to be the mother of two daughters. I knew that although a
dilemma in frustration, he went to the stock room black family and I bought it. Absolutely nothing made me happier that day than my girls playing with a doll family that looked like us and lived in a house just like ours. My daughters’ self-image would be confirmed and strengthened within a world of white faces in which they were barely represented. My girls loved dolls, so I decided to make sure their Barbie dolls reflected their blackness. We had the largest collection of black Barbie dolls in
lot had changed in 20 years, a lot of things hadn’t.
the neighbourhood. I became even more intent
FINDING THAT DOLL HOUSE
to reinforce their racial identity. I knew based on
on supplying my girls with positive role models
I remember going to a local toy store to buy a toy
my own experiences that this was of the utmost
house with a black family that was shown on the
importance. We became Black Barbie Central and
back of the box, and how I scoured through the
raised awareness in the rest of the neighbourhood.
Dolls, books, television shows – these were just
a major challenge. Black faces and stories are
some of the cultural artifacts that were missing or
everywhere in the media. Black history and black
difficult to find 30 years ago, when my children were
studies have found a foothold in education, and
small, so hardly anything had changed since my own
black dolls line store shelves, alongside their white
childhood.
sisters.
THEIR OWN STORIES
As a result of my children’s upbringing, they
As my girls grew up, I made a decision to surround our family with black images in our home, despite
naturally and proudly fill their own homes with black culture, and gift their friends diverse objects that are
the challenges in acquiring these items. I knew the
more easily found than when they were children.
majority culture existed just beyond our front door
The gains and struggles of my generation and
and my children would absorb it by osmosis, so my duty as a black parent was clear: Teach, guide, seek out, and listen to information on black culture. Present my kids with their own racial stories.
I became even more intent on supplying my girls with positive role models to reinforce their racial identity. Now that my children are adults, the task of finding black culture in the wider society is no longer
theirs continue into the next, and point toward a hopeful future where everyone will see themselves represented in a wider multi-ethnic society.
THE PHOTO ESSAY
SARDINIA –
By Michael Doherty Michael Doherty is a film and television editor based in Toronto. He is also an avid traveller.
THE WEEK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MONTH I spent a week in Sardinia in 2018, travelling to
Cagliari, Alghero, Bosa and Olbia. I could easily have spent a month there. Lying just south of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy, Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily. It is also one of Italy’s 20 provinces. Sardinia has a multitude of ecosystems that include mountains, woods, plains, rocky coasts, and long, sandy beaches. Large areas are still uninhabited. The highest point is Punta La Marmora (6,017 feet, or 1,834 metres). The island was conquered by Rome in the third century BC, and the Romans ruled for almost 700 years. For trivia buffs, the word “sardonic” has its roots in “sardonion,” meaning “plant from Sardinia.” Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia and lies along the south coast. It has been inhabited for 5,000 years. Il Castello, a hilltop citadel, is Cagliari’s most iconic image. Its walls are still intact and offer terrific views over the city. The Quartiere Castello is the historic area of the city and is filled with small streets and piazzas that make exploring really fun.
ALGHERO Alghero, a resort town in the northwest of the island, is one of Sardinia’s most beautiful medieval cities. Its lively, historic centre is a terrific place to hang out, and the town is an ideal base for exploring the beaches and beauty spots of the nearby Riviera del Corallo. My first excursion was a boat ride out to the Grotta di Nettuno, or Neptune’s Grotto – a spectacular stalactite and stalagmite cave discovered in the 18th century.
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BOSA Known as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Bosa has only about 8,500 inhabitants but is ablaze with lovely, colourful buildings. The hilltop Malaspina Castle is a must-visit, and the Temo River flows through the village. There is a beach about two kilometres from the town centre. You can visit on a day trip from Alghero, as it is only 45 minutes south by bus, but I recommend going for a couple of days to take in the atmosphere.
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OLBIA Olbia lies on the northeast coast of Sardinia and is the jumping-off point for visitors heading for the Costa Smeralda – home to many resorts and beaches, and featuring some of the most expensive real estate in Europe. The historic centre of Olbia is filled with archaeological landmarks, piazzas ringed by wine bars, and authentic eateries.
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NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES Dolls, books, television shows – these were just
some of the cultural artifacts that were missing or
difficult to find 30 years ago, when my children were
small, so hardly anything had changed since my own childhood.
THEIR OWN STORIES As my girls grew up, I made a decision to surround our family with black images in our home, despite the challenges in acquiring these items. I knew the majority culture existed just beyond our front door and my children would absorb it by osmosis, so my duty as a black parent was clear: Teach, guide, seek out, and listen to information on black culture. Present my kids with their own racial stories.
By Terry Paquet
I became even more intent on supplying my girls with positive role models to reinforce their racial identity.
Terry Paquet is an award-winning copywriter with more than 20 years’ experience. He is a regular contributor to SideOne.
CELEBRATE “EIGHT TRACK DAY” WITH SOMETHING MAGNETIC AND NEW Now that my children are adults, the task of finding black culture in the wider society is no longer
Aside from Easter and Earth Day, the other big
cassettes came along and essentially banished them
celebration we’re all looking forward to this month is
to obscurity.
National Eight Track Tape Day. Yes, there’s an actual day set aside for the “space-age technology” that was created by RCA, Motorola and Bill Lear – the same guy who founded the Lear Jet corporation. For those not from this generation, it was wildly popular from the mid ‘60s to the early ‘80s until smaller audio
To help you commemorate this momentous day, I’ve assembled a collection of artists that can collectively be described using the same word that defined the type of recording technology that made 8-track tape possible: magnetic.
TO LISTEN WHILE YOU READ, CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S SIDEONE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pSIA6pFouy2Dx9OFKhFRo?si=-zE0Bgm0SxO8rPoGx5S7IQ SIDEONE APRIL 2021
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MARCUS KING Marcus King was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and started playing guitar when he was three years old and professionally since he was 11. Those are not typos. This guy was literally born to rock. Today, at the ripe old age of 24, he’s got two gigs going – a solo career and frontman for the Marcus King Band. His influences include the usual suspects like Hendrix, Clapton and Vaughn but also some surprises like Etta James and John Coltrane. Described as a ”guitar phenom” by The Washington Post, King deftly weaves his six-string wizardry between hardcore blues, straight-ahead rock’n’roll, and southern rock, adding in a liberal dose of jazz every now and then to create his signature sound. Vocally, he’s been blessed with a whiskey-soaked, soulful tone that effortlessly hits all the right feels. To my ears, he often sounds a lot like a higherpitched Chris Stapleton, particularly on songs like Goodbye Carolina, Autumn Rains and Welcome Round Here. That comparison isn’t so surprising when you consider that King’s 2018 album, Carolina Confessions, was produced by Grammy-Award winner Dave Cobb – the same guy who crafted Traveller, the album that launched Stapleton’s career into the stratosphere. It’s no stretch to say that, with more exposure and just a little luck, King has all the goods to enjoy the same fate.
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TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Beautiful Stranger from El Dorado (2020) • Turn It Up from El Dorado (2020) • Welcome ‘Round Here from Carolina Confessions (2018) • Guitar In My Hands from Marcus King Band (2016) • Goodbye Carolina from Carolina Confessions (2018)
ANDY SHAUF If you don’t yet know the music of Andy Shauf, you should be aware that he comes with a Presidential Seal of Approval. For what it’s worth, his 2020 album, The Neon Skyline, was included on former President Barack Obama’s Summer Playlist last year. Depending on where you sit in the musical scale of political recommendations, that distinction is either a blessing or a curse. For this Torontobased, Saskatchewan-raised artist, the honour is welcome. “It’s cool to think that Obama, or the
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Quite Like You from The Party (2016) • Neon Skyline from The Neon Skyline (2020) • You’re Out Wasting from The Bearer of Bad News (2015) • Try Again from The Neon Skyline (2020) • Love of Summer from Waiting For The Sun To Leave (2010)
Obamas together, have listened to my music,” said Shauf. “It’s a really nice feeling to think my music has gone that far.” Shauf wrote, produced, performed and arranged every song on that album, so it’s clear his multitalented musical abilities are paying off. With six albums and four EPs under his belt, the one constant in Shauf’s catalogue is that he excels in delivering complex, emotional, seemingly real stories packaged in an easy-listening format. He’s a songwriter at heart, but the narratives he weaves throughout each song mean he could just as easily be a screenwriter or novelist. He’s one of those rare master storytellers that write lyrics you ”watch,” more than listen to.
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LEIF VOLLEBECKK When I discovered multi-instrumentalist Leif Vollebeckk through my weekly rabbit-hole dives into random artists, my first thought was that everyone I know has to hear him. He was that good. Then I did a bit more digging into who he was, only to realize I’m like the last man at the buffet table. It appears the whole country has already feasted on the man’s musical smorgasbord. He has four albums to date, over 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, was shortlisted for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize and got nominated for a Juno award in 2018 for Adult Alternative album of the year. If you’ve never heard his music before (could I be the only one?), by all means, dig in. You’re in for some soulfully introspective, melodically catchy, expertly crafted pop songs. And not ”pop” in the vapid, lightweight, unsatisfying way. Vollebeckk is a self-professed fan of Dylan and beat poets Allen Ginsburg and Charles Bukowski, so that should give you a small indication of where his head is at. Those influences are just some of the ingredients in an exceptional soufflé of self-reflective thoughts and vivid portraits of moments in time. Ottawa born, and currently living in Montreal, Vollebeckk has racked up some serious accolades so far, but given that he’s somewhat early in his career, it’s clear the table is set for even bigger and better things.
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TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Long Blue Light Single (2020) • Hot Tears from New Ways (2019) • Vancouver Time from Twin Solitude (2017) • Transatlantic Flight from New Ways (2019) • Never Be Back from New Ways (2019)
FATHER JOHN MISTY Father John Misty (aka Joshua Michael Tillman) is a multi-instrumentalist and singer out of Rockville, Maryland who was, most notably, drumming with Fleet Foxes when he embarked on a solo career that he’s 10 years into right now. He is not a priest, but you may as well give him a pulpit because he has a large congregation of faithful followers. To describe his music is no easy feat. Some say indie pop or indie folk, others say ‘70s conceptual rock. Over 5 albums, several singles and one EP, the
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Real Love Baby Single (2016) • Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings from Fear Fun (2012) • Pure Comedy, title track from Pure Comedy (2017) • Chateau Lobby #4 from I Love You, Honeybear (2015) • Everything is Free from Spotify Singles (2018)
style never confines itself to one particular genre. His lyrics are personal, self-deprecating, witty, oftentimes feeling like streams of consciousness bubbling from the internal demons that he fearlessly entertains. His choice of words and unique phrasing are the weapons with which he aims to skewer the pitfalls, hypocrisies and obsessions of humanity. On I Love You Honeybear, he sings “I barely know how long a moment is, unless we’re naked, getting high on the mattress, while the global market crashes.” On songs like Pure Comedy and Everything is Free you will hear Elton John – sometimes in the vocals, sometimes in the arrangements that are orchestral, layered, and expertly nuanced. In fact, in an interview with Stereogum, Sir Elton himself singled out Father John Misty as one of his favourites, stating “he reminds me a little bit of me, the way he writes songs.” At the end of the day, it’s his love of music that best defines his work. As Tillman put it, “If you take away my music from me, all you have left is a mustache and a bad attitude.”
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By Lloyd Walton This story is abridged from the historiography Chasing the Muse: Canada by Lloyd Walton, multi-awardwinning director/cinematographer, painter, and writer. Chasing the Muse: Canada is available through Amazon, Kindle, Chapters Indigo, and Barnes & Noble.
MEETING LEGENDS
SOMETIMES, YOU JUST HAVE TO DANCE
(Can a white boy have the blues?) “Creativity won’t invite what wasn’t there before.” – Bob Dylan
Yorkville Avenue in Toronto had its place in time as a day and night entertainment fest. It was a string of poster and gift shops mixed with coffee houses with names like the Purple Onion, the Riverboat and the Mynah Bird. They introduced young, soon-to-be superstars Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. They also presented many longtime legends in the business, like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee – two elder black musicians who played the blues of the U.S. Deep South. Sonny was blind and Brownie was crippled. I had seen them perform in the early Yorkville days, when I was in high school. Years later, when I was an art student, they were back in town; I was encouraged by a Riverboat waiter friend to see the show and meet them backstage. Approaching the dressing room, I wondered, as a white boy, why would these two living legends be interested in meeting me? To make things even more awkward, I was aware that while they played together exquisitely, they did not get along personally.
SONNY FARTED WHEN I SHOOK HIS HAND I shuffled into the dressing room and introduced myself. Sonny farted when I shook his hand. Taking this as a sign that he might be comfortable in my presence, I sat on an old couch and looked at the drab green walls. This was the same room where Joni Mitchell had written her tender ballad The Circle Game. After an awkward silence, to make conversation, I stupidly asked Sonny if he sucked or blew on his harmonica.
Three of my high school friends and I spent the winter customizing a 1956 Chev to take down to Toronto for March Break – to see the Yonge Street strip, hear the music, and meet some of the fine big city women we have been hearing about. SIDEONE APRIL 2021
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“Well, son, I done suck and blow,” he gruffly replied, shaking his head. “I’ve got to do better than that,” I thought. Brownie spoke up, impatiently, “What’s on yo’ mind, boy?” Aware that he had a reputation of not suffering fools gladly, I broke into a sweat. In a wellspring of guile, I mustered a question. “Well, sir, I would like to know if a white boy can
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SIDEONE APRIL 2021
have the blues.” “What you mean by dat, boy?” “I’ll have to tell you a story …” “Sho’, boy, you go ahead. You tell dat story.” It was like he turned the light on me. I had to dance.
DOWN TO TORONTO FOR MARCH BREAK “Well, Sonny, I come from the snowy North. Three of my high school friends and I spent the winter customizing a 1956 Chev to take down to Toronto for
March Break – to see the Yonge Street strip, hear the music, and meet some of the fine big city women we have been hearing about. It was painted up metallic blue. What a bomb, we thought. Wait till the chicks on Yonge Street see this!
The drinking age was 21, and the oldest in our group was 18. Despite our snappy appearances, Yonge Street became a blur of bouncers turning us out into the cold, damp night. “We also rented a canoe, lashed it to the roof, sped
THE DOOR HAD TO BE WELDED SHUT “With one hour left to closing time, we did a quick assessment. Front and rear bumpers were badly bent but still attached to the frame. The radiator needed a new fan and belts. The hood and trunk lids could be wired down. The driver’s door needed to be welded shut, and silver duct tape would hold two new headlights into place. “There was a canoe race to win and a city to conquer, so we all pitched in to help the mechanic. Our broken dream waddled back on the highway at closing time – its grille a grin of broken teeth. By midnight, sombre and shaky, we arrived at Halton Hills, home of the Credit River Canoe Race.
A MAKESHIFT REPAIR SHED “Well, wouldn’t you know it, in the canoe race a rock in the rapids tore open the fibreglass bottom, right
out of chilly Sault Ste. Marie, our hometown, and
down the middle. We had to turn our motel room
headed for a canoe race on the Credit River, just west
into a makeshift canoe repair shed. While taking the
of Toronto. Every 125 miles, we would rotate drivers,
doors off their hinges to fit the canoe into the room,
and my turn came at a place called Waubaushene. I
the desk clerk became suspicious and called the
speed shifted spinning out of gravel, making the tires
owner. After a shouting match, over spilled plastic
“chirp” once they hit pavement. Up ahead, while climbing a railway overpass, a white wall of blasting sleet whacked the windshield. “Someone in the back seat yelled, ‘Let up on the gas!’
resin on the dresser and rug, we were evicted. “Late Saturday afternoon, licking our wounds in a coffee shop, a group decision was reached. Hard times were over. It was time to let the good times roll. We found a new motel, stashed the canoe, shined
“Against my better judgment, I did. With bald tires,
our shoes, put on our best spring ensembles – white
the car went into a spin, doughnutting 360 degrees
shirts, ties – and Brylcreemed our hair. Back on the
into the guardrail. The first hit crunched our shiny
road, our mantra was, ‘Look out, all you Toronto
chrome grille and headlights, and popped the hood.
women. Us “Soo” boys are coming to town.’
Still spinning, we whipped around, denting the back bumper, then came to rest with a guard post dug into the driver door. As we emerged shaken, the trunk lid sprang open. The canoe was still lashed to the roof.
“A golden sun was setting behind us on a narrow country road when an oncoming transport truck roared past us, leaving a windy wake of dust and stones. In the swirling debris, almost in slow
“No one was hurt. We were thankful we didn’t hit an
motion, the front hood lifted off over our heads. It
oncoming car. After the police investigation -- ‘Yes,
whoomphed a deep bowl in the roof, bounced up,
sir, we will pay for the guardrail’ – we were towed to
floating like a big blue leaf, then hit the road behind
a dingy garage nearby.
us in a trail of sparks.
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
33
“Flustered, yet intoxicated by the nearness of Toronto,
I looked at them both smiling in the dim light, and
we found a large boulder. With the road acting as a
opened my arms.
makeshift anvil, we pounded the hood close to its original shape. With our shiny shoes sucking mud in a ditch, we wiggled sections of a rusty farm fence free, to wire the hood back down in place. Lying on the seats with our feet kicking on the ceiling, we popped the roof back into place. On the road, once again, it began to snow as darkness fell.
around and through and through. You two played gospel, Delta, big city, small town, lost love, bein’ in jail, highway, and heartbreaking blues. Then in a howl you would whoop and sing songs of joy. You two had seen real trouble but you moved on. It was humbling, it was healing. Thank you. You brought us
THE DREAM MACHINE LOST ITS ALLURE
through.”
“Our dream machine, having lost its allure, was
The inclusiveness in their smiles eased my soul.
prudently parked off Yonge Street. The slush and snow deepening on the wet sidewalks made walking difficult in our slippery, sopping-wet, leather-soled shoes. The drinking age was 21, and the oldest in our group was 18. Despite our snappy appearances, Yonge Street became a blur of bouncers turning us out into the cold, damp night. “Humiliated, wet, shivering and desperately looking for heat, fate delivered us to a coffee house in the
There was a loud rap on the door. “Time to go back on, sirs.” As they struggled to their feet, Brownie put his hand on my shoulder, and I helped him up. He shook his head and said, “Yeah, you boys sure done had da blues.” That sure felt very good to know.
Yorkville district called the Purple Onion. Performing
Sometimes, when the light shines on you, you have
that night were two black blues musicians, Sonny
to get up and dance. But you have to have the moves.
Terry and Brownie McGhee.”
06
“It was the first time I heard the blues up close all
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS…
By John Chaput John Chaput, born and raised in Montreal, eventually morphed into a Westerner. A retired writer and editor, he occupies much of his time as president of Regina Little Theatre.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATE JOHANSEN
APRIL 19, 1904 APRIL 24, 1184 BCE
Toronto Fire Chief John Thompson and Mayor Tom Urquhart watch their city go up in flames and
According to tradition, it is on this date that the
ruminate on a conversation they had a few days
Greek army enters the besieged city of Troy by
earlier. Thompson, seeking an increased budget
means of the Trojan Horse. Not everyone knows this,
for the fire department, had told the Mayor, “We
but the Trojan Horse is one of the first successful
are taking more risk every year. We are running on
experiments in physical distancing. Instead of trying
wonderful luck.” To which Urquhart replied, after the
to send their whole army inside the city gates, the
city’s controllers rejected the plea, “Oh, I guess we’ll
Greeks dispatched a small number, about 40 men.
have to risk it another year.” On April 19, fire broke
Once they emerged from their confinement, they
out at a factory on Wellington Street West, near what
moved about, deduced they were OK, and invited the
is now TD Bank Tower, and the Great Fire of Toronto
rest of their guys to join the party.
would destroy about 100 downtown buildings. Not
(The author of Not Everyone Knows This has
everyone knew this, but the city had only five fire
personally procured sponsorship for portions of this
engines and was saved from worse catastrophe by
article. Those who wish to advertise elsewhere in
rapid responses from Buffalo, Hamilton, Brantford,
SideOne should contact the Publisher. See Page 2.)
Peterborough and other municipalities. (Brought
(This instalment is sponsored by ConfineMint, the
to you by Eau De Humanity, THE cologne for mass
new chewing gum made especially for people stuck
disasters. Eau De Humanity ... it’s not just for
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exploding zeppelins anymore.)
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
35
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APRIL 9, 1917
APRIL 5, 1943
Boris Michel Soso is born in Goldfield, Nevada. He
Poon Lim, history’s most resilient castaway, is
will grow up to become an actor and take the stage
rescued after spending 133 days adrift in the Atlantic
name of Brad Dexter. Not everyone knows this, but
Ocean. Lim, a Chinese man working as a steward on a
Brad Dexter was in The Magnificent Seven, and you
British merchant vessel, jumped overboard after the
can prove that not everybody knows this by asking
ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and climbed
anyone to name the actors in that movie’s title roles.
aboard one of the emergency rafts that served as
The typical answer is “Yul Brynner-Steve McQueen-
lifeboats. Not everyone knows this (even though it’s
Charles Bronson-James Coburn-Robert Vaughn ... uh,
actually true), but when the raft’s rations ran low,
Horst Bucholz ... and ... mmmph ...” Dexter himself
Lim ate birds and used their remnants to bait fish.
once stated, “I’m the one from The Magnificent Seven
Once, he caught a small shark and, after yanking it
nobody remembers.” Dexter was also married briefly
aboard, beat it to death with a half-filled jug. That is
to Peggy Lee, a confidant of Marilyn Monroe, and a
a lesson we can all learn from in these exceptional
close friend of Frank Sinatra until he told Old Blue
times: If you’re about to spend, say, 19 weeks with
Eyes that marrying Mia Farrow was a bad idea. Now
nothing special to do, keep a half-filled jug handy.
that you know that, maybe you’ll remember him.
You never know when you’ll have to pummel a shark.
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outlet for cannabis-infused pork products.)
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
APRIL 13, 1945 Sgt. Leo Major, a native of Montreal, and a fellow Canadian corporal are reconnoitering the outskirts
APRIL 4, 1964
of Zwolle, The Netherlands, when two German
Beatlemania rockets to its American peak when
soldiers spot them and open fire, killing the corporal.
Billboard magazine releases its weekly Hot 100 chart
Major kills them back, finds a German officer who
and The Beatles monopolize the top five spots,
speaks French, persuades him that the Canadian
a dominance that still remains unmatched. Not
army will shell their position the next morning and
everyone knows this, but Paul McCartney (still dead
that evacuating would be a good idea. Major then
yet very active) and Ringo Starr (still ubercool) are
dashes through the streets, surprises a succession of
about to re-release those five songs with updates
German patrols of eight to 10 men, and escorts them
for today’s market: Can’t Buy Me Love (Until I Get
to the Canadian position outside Zwolle – more than
My Relief Cheque From the Government), Twist and
50 prisoners in all. By morning, the Germans have
Shout (At the Person Who Won’t Keep His Distance),
abandoned the city and Major has singlehandedly
She Loves You (But Won’t Visit Until the Pandemic’s
liberated Zwolle. On another occasion in Holland,
Over), I Want To Hold Your Hand (After You’ve
Major – who had lost an eye to a grenade shortly
Washed It For 20 Seconds), and Please Please Me (By
after D-Day yet returned to action – captured 93
Checking the Expiration Dates On Those Soup Cans).
German prisoners by himself. Perhaps the most
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SIDEONE APRIL 2021
37
THE SIDEONE PROFILE By Phyl Newbeck
Roshni Wijayasinha:
A resident of Jericho, Vermont, Phyl Newbeck is a freelance writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines. She is the author of Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage Bans and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving.
The marketer with an MBA and a surprising side-gig When Roshni Wijayasinha was a child, she used to
work is inspired by the energy the natural world
hang out near the printer at her parents’ business
provides,” she said. “I like to capture the idea of
in the hope that someone would accidentally print
energy through my art. Some of the pieces use
something they didn’t need so she could draw on the
movement and lines to show energy physically.”
back of the page. “I went to art school,” she said “but
Most of Wijayasinha’s paintings are large canvases.
after that I had to decide what I wanted to do as a career, so I decided to go into business.”
“They can make the biggest impact,” she said. “You can see the energy a lot stronger.” The Unionville Athletic Club has a private selection of her works and
Wijayasinha took a break from art during her undergraduate training and while getting her MBA, but after starting her marketing business, she reconnected with her artistic roots. She credits that business, Prosh Marketing, with helping her establish her artistic career. “I help start-ups and small businesses with their marketing strategy,” she said. “I’ve been able to leverage those skills to commercialize my art better and to get customers.”
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she is able to use that facility for storage for others. Wijayasinha uses a variety of products including acrylics, UV paint, spray paint and paint markers. She noted that she is known for the UV work because there are very few Canadian artists expressing themselves with that medium. “I like the idea of a painting with multiple levels and looks,” she said. “That’s why I started experimenting with glow-in-thedark paints. One painting can have multiple looks depending on the light.” Wijayasinha added that
INSPIRED BY THE NATURAL WORLD
viewers don’t need UV light for those paintings. A
A resident of downtown Toronto, Wijayasinha said
Philips Hue light bulb is sufficient to change the way
she gets her inspiration from the natural world. “My
her paintings are viewed. “I can be in the living room
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
and switch from seeing a beach at sunrise, to midday
boxes. “I don’t have an art education in terms of
sun and then sunset,” she said.
university,” she said “and a lot of galleries weren’t
“I help start-ups and small businesses with their marketing strategy,” she said. “I’ve been able to leverage those skills to commercialize my art better and to get customers.” STREET ART
showing my work, so this was a way to get exposure, show my art, and connect with the community.” Wijayasinha enjoyed the weekend she spent on the street, interacting with adults and children. “I let some of the kids draw a couple of lines,” she said. “It was a community piece and it allowed me to work with other people.” Another piece of art sponsored by the city was done in collaboration with the David Suzuki Foundation. “The point was to raise awareness about butterflies,” Wijayasinha said. “A whole bunch of artists got together to work on a laneway which we covered
Wijayasinha is proud of the way Toronto has been
with different murals of butterflies.” Yet another
beautifying its downtown and in conjunction with
community project was one in support of Black Lives
those efforts, she has worked on a number of
Matter that Wijayasinha did with 60 other artists
outdoor projects, many of which were funded by
at Graffiti Alley, a three-block section of downtown
the city. Through StreetARToronto, she answered a
Toronto. “We were socially distant and wearing
call for artists and was asked to paint several traffic
spray paint masks,” Wijayasinha said. “My piece is a
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
39
dark black background with two eyes looking out at
commissions. “People have approached me there for
the protesting crowd with the crowd visible in the
custom pieces, murals and smaller works of art,” she
reflection.”
said. Wijayasinha is hoping that after the pandemic,
WEARABLES
to work with companies to lead a team to make a
Wijayasinha has expanded her creativity into a
mural together,” she said. “That can’t happen now but
variety of other fields including wearable art. “We’ve
hopefully it will happen soon.”
printed some of my art on dresses, shoes and other clothing,” she said. “There are a number of different fulfillment companies that will let you print on leggings, which were a big thing during Covid.” Wijayasinha was also commissioned to do some paintings on Plexiglas for a retail store. “We wanted to find a way for people to see inside and still be impacted by the art,” she said. “We wanted a medium that was somewhat transparent and could be moved.” An added advantage is that the paintings could be saved rather than having to wash them off a glass window.
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she can also do work with businesses. “I would like
When Wijayasinha first started showing her artwork she entered a live painting competition. “We’d paint in person and the audience would vote on the winner,” she said. “I won the first one I entered and that got me excited about painting in front of people.” Wijayasinha’s paintings usually take three to six weeks to finish but competitive art has to be completed in an hour. “There’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “My hands were shaking.” In addition, Wijayasinha had to change the way she painted. Given the way paint drips, she usually paints on the floor but competition work has to be done on an easel so that it’s visible to the judges.
Thanks to her marketing background, Wijayasinha
Since then, Wijayasinha has competed in Toronto’s Art
knows how to maximize social media, particularly
Battle and has also done live painting at fundraisers
Instagram, which is where she gets many of her
and a wedding. The wedding piece wasn’t a portrait of
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
the bride and groom but something to commemorate the feeling of the day.
Most of Wijayasinha’s paintings are large canvases. “They can make the biggest impact,” she said. “You can see the energy a lot stronger.” HAPPY ACCIDENTS When she first returned to art, Wijayasinha did
Running her own business means Wijayasinha has
some representational work and some of her pieces
long hours at work so she often paints late at night
still have some representational aspects. “I’m not
when there are no distractions from the outside
averse to that,” she said “but my style has changed.
world. “I like to get into the art mood,” she said. “It’s
It was initially impressionistic and it has evolved
hard to create when you aren’t in the zone. I might
from there.” Although her paintings are abstract,
meditate first and then listen to music. I like to be in
Wijayasinha said they are all pre-planned, down to
a different mindset when I paint.”
most of the layers. “I have a vision,” she said. “I often get my inspiration when I’m hiking in nature. I’ll sketch the vision out and then go through my closet, get the colours, and try to see what order they’ll be in.” Wijayasinha has even practised arm movements for paintings that require splatter. “Accidents still
Although her favourite colours are turquoise and teal, Wijayasinha gravitates to all bright colors, including jewel tones because of their energy. She is currently working on a series that looks at gems and crystals and the energy they produce. Her art has been
happen,” she said, “but as Bob Ross said, some are
shown at a number of galleries but her hope is to
happy accidents and sometimes they make things
one day display her work at The Artist Project. “It’s
look better.” Wijayasinha noted that often the
for established and emerging artists,” she said. “It
hardest part of painting is knowing when to stop.
comes with dedicated art buyers who buy for the
“That’s the biggest challenge,” she said. “I usually take a step back and leave a piece for a week or two.”
love of art. A lot of Toronto-based artists have made a name for themselves at that show.”
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
15
SENSIBLE DOLLARS
Investor illogic: Why do we want to buy more stock AFTER the price rises?
By Allan Kunigis Allan Kunigis is a Canadian-born freelance financial writer based in Shelburne, Vermont. He has written about personal finance for more than two decades. He is the author of A Kid’s Activity Book on Money and Finance: Teach Children About Saving, Borrowing, and Planning for the Future, published in September 2020.
Imagine people getting excited over the rising price
or how dominant the company might be today.
of milk, bread, or toilet paper, and, based on that
Consider Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, or
price hike, these consumers clamour to buy more
Google (whose mother company is now known
of that now pricier grocery item. Then, imagine the
as Alphabet). These so-called FAANG stocks have
opposite: That jug of milk, loaf of bread, or package
crushed the competition in their respective markets,
of bathroom tissue plummets in price, and people
and their stock prices have soared. But at some
suddenly find the item much less attractive.
point, they could be – or perhaps already are –
The central idea is not to pay more than the stock’s so-called “intrinsic value” -- a fundamental, objective measure of its value – no matter how attractive it appears or how dominant the company might be today. That’s basically what happens with investments
overpriced. Who knows what drastic changes might occur, or when? Consider what happened to conglomerate General Electric and retailer J.C. Penney. GE stock was priced at close to $60 a share in 2000 but languishes in the teens today. J.C. Penney was worth $86 a share in 2007 and literally pennies (pardon the pun) in October 2020, when its retail operations were sold to two large real estate investment trusts after it had declared bankruptcy. You just don’t know what the future holds.
when a herd mentality rules, as often happens
BITCOIN BOING-BOING?
during a market bubble. Investors chase the latest
At least the FAANG stocks have strong track records.
hot thing – Bitcoin, shares of GameStop stock, or
But what about investments like cryptocurrency?
the latest shiny object being hyped. The demand for
The price of a Bitcoin was $909 in January 2017. Over
investments that have already skyrocketed makes
the next four years, it was:
no sense when compared with our approach to everyday grocery items.
LOGIC AND RIGOR AND FACTS – OH, MY! Disciplined investors, like Warren Buffett or his
$17,099 – January 2018 $3,799 – January 2019 $7,348 – January 2020 $29,388 – January 1, 2021
hero/mentor, Benjamin Graham, the father of value
So far in 2021, the price of Bitcoin has jumped up
investing, are famous for applying a logical, rigorous
and down and back up again. After dipping to about
approach to investing. They use formulas, like the
$32,000 in late January, it reached $61,284 on March
stock’s price-to-earnings ratio, its price-to-book ratio,
14, before sliding down a bit. (All prices are in U.S.
its debt-to-equity ratio, or its free cash flow.
dollars.)
Each of these metrics is distinct, but all have one thing in common: paying for value. The central
BAAAAD HABITS – TOO SHEEPISH?
idea is not to pay more than the stock’s so-called
That’s a lot of sharp ups and downs, which can be
“intrinsic value” -- a fundamental, objective measure
unsettling. But what is the value of something like
of its value – no matter how attractive it appears
Bitcoin based on, other than the perception that it
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43
will rise? Or is that perception deception? It’s odd
Perhaps there are logical reasons for the recent
for a vegetarian like me to ask this, but, “Where’s
skyrocketing price, driven by an apparent growing
the beef?”
acceptance of cryptocurrency among some major
That often leads some investors, or perhaps we should call them sheep, to buy stock after it rises and to sell shares after the price falls. 44
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
banks, and comments by famous people, like Elon Musk, the bold, ultra-wealthy founder of Tesla. But much of the price rise and fall of something with no inherent value beyond what the market says it’s worth is simple speculation. Frankly, that scares the stuffing out of me. Just like buying groceries, if I’m investing in something, I want it to have some measurable value. There are no guarantees, but that makes me feel the investment is more likely to
remain stable, and I believe it reduces my exposure to risk.
There’s a consistency or uniformity, and a disciplined method involved. They’re not foolproof by any means, but they apply logic and math. In contrast, to be drawn to an investment because others are excited about it seems like amplified risk. That often leads some investors, or perhaps we should call them sheep, to buy stock after it rises and to sell shares after the price falls. Buy high and sell low is not a good formula for building wealth.
A WORLD BASED ON LOGIC I take comfort in logic, facts, and measurable estimations of worth or value. The world of investing is supposed to be built on logic. One approach to investing is called fundamental analysis. Very simply put, it looks at the financial health and market prospects of a company and projects how much its stock should be worth, based on forecasts of its profits, or what people are paying for when they buy a share. Another approach is called technical analysis. It uses charts and graphs to track trends in a stock’s or a commodity’s price, partly driven by demand and supply. Without drilling down into the granular detail of either approach, I appreciate these types of analyses, particularly fundamental analysis. There’s a consistency or uniformity, and a disciplined method involved. They’re not foolproof by any means, but they apply logic and math. Those can form guardrails that keep investors on track rather than be distracted by emotions as they drive along the investment highway toward their financial goals.
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Those rigors can help calm us down when we get
eventually bring on pumpkins and mice. But they
excited, as is easy to do when we see the price of an
nevertheless hate to miss a single minute of what is
investment rise spectacularly and we get a case of
one helluva party. Therefore, the giddy participants
FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. It’s normal to not want
all plan to leave just seconds before midnight.
to miss out on something good, especially if it’s “easy
There’s a problem, though: They are dancing in a
money.” Who’d wish to be left out of the party?
room in which the clocks have no hands.”
WARREN’S WISDOM
To cite another Buffett quote that brings home
It might help to remember what Warren Buffett wrote in 1999, during the height of the dot-com stock bubble. It’s a long quote, but well worth reading: “The line separating investment and speculation, which is never bright and clear, becomes blurred still further when most market participants have recently enjoyed triumphs. Nothing sedates rationality like large doses of effortless money. After a heady experience of that kind, normally sensible people drift into behaviour akin to that of Cinderella at the ball. They know overstaying the festivities … will
46
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the difference between investing on speculation and purchasing groceries based on value: “When hamburgers go down in price, we sing the Hallelujah Chorus in the Buffett household. When hamburgers go up, we weep.” Just as you would hesitate to buy groceries after they double in price, think twice about why you want to invest in a hot stock. And whenever possible in the world of investing, try to apply logic as a safeguard against the intoxication of emotions. You might just avoid one helluva hangover!
COMING UP:
A sampling of next month’s stories WOMEN AT RISK.
NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES.
shouldn’t be dangerous.
go unnoticed.
THE MOOSE STORY.
SENSIBLE DOLLARS.
but one named Maryanne was special.
financial writer.
The danger of ordinary routines that
Our writer has met many a moose
THE KIDS ARE AT HOME – ALL THE TIME.
What at-home learning is really like – a mom’s POV.
THE PHOTO ESSAY - SANTORINI.
Experience the beauty of this rugged island formed by a 16th century volcanic eruption.
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS…
The first two people to stand atop Mt. Everest and other fascinating facts that bring out the unexpected.
Discover some great music that might otherwise
More investing advice from our
APRIL 2021
