The Georgia Straight - LunarFest - Jan 23, 2020

JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 | FREE Volume 54 | Number 2713

INUIT ACROBATICS Unikkaaqtuat melds forms

OLD BIRD RESTAURANT Chinese street food with attitude

ALEXISONFIRE Happy to remain weirdo outsiders

LunarFest Indigenous artists welcome the Year of the Rat with lanterns reflecting their heritage; plus, the Chai Found Music Workshop plans a feast for the ears

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JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 3

CONTENTS 7

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LUNARFEST

The Year of the Rat kicks off with an “open door� celebration that encompasses two continents.

By Charlie Smith

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ARTS

Unikkaaqtuat blends the visual art, origin stories, and

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acrobatic games of the Far North’s Inuit culture.

By Janet Smith

19 FOOD

The new Old Bird restaurant serves up fun and approachable Chinese street food in Mount Pleasant.

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20 MOVIES

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21 MUSIC

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Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com

1 2 3 4 5

Greta Thunberg calls for halt on fossil-fuel investments.

Changes coming to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park.

Canada prepares screening measures for human coronavirus.

SkyTrain development closes last restaurant at 1465 West Broadway.

Iconic West Vancouver artist Gordon Smith dies at 100.

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FEATURE

LunarFest looks to expand horizons

I

by Charlie Smith

n cities around the world with large Asian populations, the Lunar New Year will be commemorated on Saturday (January 25) with feasts and other festive events.

This will mark the transition from the Year of the Pig to the Year of the Rat, with parades and fireworks displays occurring in countless locations.

But none of these celebrations will likely reflect the range of traditions being embraced at LunarFest in Vancouver. The Asian-Canadian Special Events Association is ensuring that it will showcase how Vancouver has become an example to the world in supporting diversity.

“That’s the intent for LunarFest: to get people to see beyond what they normally see,” LunarFest managing director Charlie Wu told the Georgia Straight by phone. “There are a lot of stereotypes in how people perceive cultures here in Canada. I think this is a way to open up that conversation and invite people from different backgrounds to celebrate a tradition that they don’t necessarily celebrate on a regular basis.”

People ordinarily think of the Lunar New Year as a holiday for people from countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

But that’s not how Wu sees it.

“We’ve got Mongolians involved.

We’ve got people with Hindu backgrounds. And we’ve got Indigenous people involved,” he said with pride.

To cite one example, LunarFest has already unveiled a row of giant, colourful lanterns at Jack Poole Plaza, overlooking Burrard Inlet. They feature intricate designs by Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Stó:lō, and Dené artists placed on structures conceived by a Taiwanese lantern artist.

Musqueam artist Thomas Cannell’s design, Salish Sea, is festooned with illustrated fish and eagles. The salmon is a symbol of abundance, wealth, and prosperity, as well as dependability and renewal. This iconic West Coast species is shown in pairs, which is a sign of good luck.

Cannell also included “blackfish” (orcas), which symbolize family, community, and protection in his culture because they travel in large family groups. He points out in his description of the design that when great chiefs die, some believe they actually become orcas.

Tsleil-Waututh artist Zachary George’s creation, Protector of the Mountain, represents his ancestors, including his grandfather, the

Andy Kang-I Chen, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, notes that both Taiwan and Canada have large Indigenous populations.

famous Hollywood actor and artist Chief Dan George. The artwork’s moon face above a mountain is their prayer for the city; the salmon are in the image to demonstrate the connection between the snowmelt and the water in which they swim—and their gift for overcoming obstacles on their journey home.

“The message I want to convey is to show the people of Vancouver the history of our nations—Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish—and acknowledging our roots through art so we have a better understanding of each other,” George told the Straight.

For George, being part of LunarFest is a “huge honour”. He also noted that Asian and Indigenous history and cultures share many similarities, including enduring European colonialism.

Another Indigenous artist, Carrielynn Victor of the Stó:lō Nation, created Red Fawn to reflect this animal’s exuberance and gentle spirit.

The zigzag patterns and colouring speak to the paths that this creature ventures along in forests. A different design by Dené artist John Velten, titled Lone Wolf, symbolizes how people who are abandoned, forgotten, or separated can gain strength as they fight for themselves.

In addition, there will be an Anishinaabe tepee at LunarFest, telling the story of the “13 grandmother moons”, which reflect the annual 28-day moon cycles and their seasonal changes.

Wu believes that for some Asian newcomers to Vancouver, the lanterns and tepee at LunarFest may be their first real exposure to Indigenous culture in Canada. And he’s hoping that LunarFest can join other landmark Vancouver events in late

January and early February—such as Dine Out Vancouver and the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival—in elevating the city’s appeal as a winter tourist destination.

“Vancouver is not just about all the nice scenery and great food,” Wu emphasized. “It’s also got a lot of cultural elements and cultural assets— like our diversity—that we haven’t really tapped into as resources yet.”

In fact, Wu’s dream is to make LunarFest the premier North American draw for Asian visitors who want to spend their Lunar New Year abroad. To advance that goal, Wu’s association is working with Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Richmond, the Vancouver Convention Centre, Indigenous Tourism B.C., and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.

The acting CEO of Tourism Vancouver, Ted Lee, told the Straight by phone that Vancouver’s deep ties with China and other Asian countries provide ample opportunities to create tourism products that appeal to these populations.

One example is a Chinese Canadian museum, which the B.C. government and the City of Vancouver are attempting to create. Another is the ongoing effort to obtain a UNESCO World Heritage designation for Vancouver’s Chinatown.

“We’ve been working with Charlie in the last couple of years, supporting him in terms of developing the lantern concept,” Lee told the Straight by phone. “Those things will become good anchor points for us as we reach out to the different markets.”

Lee praised Wu as a creative visionary and for ensuring that the lanterns created last year with In-

digenous patterns will be displayed at the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

This 31-year-old event attracted 13.4 million visitors last year.

Vancouver will be the first North American city to participate in the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which takes place this year in Taichung City from February 8 to 23.

Andy Kang-I Chen, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, told the Straight by phone that both Canada and Taiwan—in addition to sharing a love of democracy and freedom—have significant Indigenous populations.

In fact, both countries are experiencing a revival of Indigenous culture, which distinguishes them from their much larger neighbours on the world stage. “And here in Canada, just like Taiwan, we respect multiculturalism,” Chen said.

He stated that there are 16 Indigenous tribes in Taiwan, and the recently reelected president, Tsai Ing-wen, has Indigenous heritage through her grandmother. On behalf of the Taiwanese people, she has issued an apology for centuries of injustice meted out to her country’s First Peoples.

“We have international meetings for First Nation people in the Pacific,” Chen said, “and we also want to invite the Canadian First Nation people to join us over there.”

He also pointed out that the Lunar New Year is the most significant holiday for Taiwanese people.

But the rat is not only a key element of the Asian zodiac; it’s also important to followers of the Hindu faith—particularly to admirers of its elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesh, who removes obstacles.

In addition, Lord Ganesh is the god of new beginnings, wisdom, and intelligence in Hinduism, which has more than a billion adherents worldwide.

Legend has it that he used to ride on a rodent but it once tripped under his heavy weight. The moon found this amusing and started laughing, which infuriated Lord Ganesh. According to a version of this story on the Times of India website, Lord Ganesh cursed the moon and declared that anyone who looks at it on his birthday, Ganesh Chaturthi, would be falsely accused.

The lesson is that people shouldn’t act on impulse. “Always think before you react because anger passes on but actions remain,” the Times of India advised.

Wu said he learned about Lord Ganesh from Vancouver police diversity liaison officer Darren Ramdour, who is of Mauritian ancestry.

At last year’s LunarFest, Ramdour talked about how the 1.3 million residents of Mauritius, an island vacation paradise in the Indian Ocean, have embraced diversity to a remarkable degree. The country’s cuisine is a blend of Chinese, European, and Indian influences.

“We need to continue to teach and show people what we are, where we came from—and we’re also Canadian,” Ramdour said at last year’s event. “I think that’s what’s so amazing about this country. We have people from all over the world.”

This year, members of the local Mauritian community will again be at LunarFest to share their insights on the significance of the rat in Hindu culture. The B.C. Mongolian Community Society will also be there with two yurts made by people from this country now living in Vancouver.

“The theme of this year’s LunarFest is ‘open door’, which really aligns with our culture,” society president Munkh-Orgil Batchuluun told the Straight by phone. “I don’t know how many people in Canada have experienced an actual yurt from inside. So it is truly a different experience, and that’s kind of what we’re planning.”

He said that the Mongolian community traditionally does a great deal of cleaning on the Lunar New Year. Another community tradition is showing respect to elders by visiting them.

“You’re not supposed to drink too much alcohol,” Batchuluun added.

“This is you celebrating a tradition and showing respect. It’s not like having a party or, you know, getting crazy.”

The participation of people from a range of countries reflects the AsianCanadian Special Events Association’s devotion to bringing people of different cultures in Metro Vancouver together to promote greater harmony and understanding between neighbours.

“Together, we celebrate in a way that no one else does in the world,” Charlie Wu said. “That’s the essence of our message.” g LunarFest is on Saturday and Sunday (January 25 and 26) at the square on the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Coastal Lunar Lanterns are at Jack Poole Plaza until February 9, and a LunarFest display is at Oakridge Centre until February 10.

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parking something fresh, Friday delivers a new moon in Aquarius. Saturday marks the official start of the Metal Rat Chinese New Year. Chinese and western astrology are in accord. The year ahead can be a bumpy ride, especially for those who are hunkering down rather than facing forward regarding necessary and timely improvement, upgrades, and reinvention. Like Harry and Meghan (welcome to Vancouver and left-coast living!) wisdom is found in breaking the chains that bind and taking a risk to create a reality of your choosing. Stay ahead of the curve now and you will set yourself up for better odds in the year ahead and the years to come.

Venus in Pisces, Neptune in Pisces, and Mars in Sagittarius are activated from Saturday through Tuesday. Sunday to Tuesday, the moon in Pisces is also in the mix. Combined, they can set a wonderful backdrop for a vacation, a romantic escape, or a spiritual regroup.

It’s also a great few days to immerse yourself in creative projects, and/or to let the music or the movie sweep you away. On the other hand, Mars square Venus/Neptune can hit an unexpected trigger and/or expose something that has been on brew but hidden from view. Pump up on vitamins and guard your health. There is an increased potential for a sudden onset of the flu and such. We could hear news of the spread of a mystery virus. Theft, forgetfulness, naiveté, the folly of blind-spots or rosecoloured glasses, losing track or losing items also fall under the signature of these transits.

Through Tuesday, ease your way along. Watch for trends, emotions, circumstances, and progress to move along a fluid and unfolding track. Wednesday/Thursday, the Aries moon sets up a better cut to the chase backdrop.

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March 20–April 20

Feeling a sense of anticipation? Something new to shoot for?

Ready to revive it? Look to Friday’s new moon in Aquarius and the start of Chinese New Year to stimulate your social life, and to boost impetuous and fresh ideas. Sunday/Monday could trigger something unexpected.

It could be news, a silence broken, a curtain pulled back, a mystery or uncertainty solved.

B LUNAR NEW YEAR SCRATCH FOR TREASURE

ARIES

TAURUS

April 20–May 21

Change is afoot. Friday’s new moon in Aquarius sets a new reality or next chapter into play. To the plus, it is one that can provide you with a more solid baseline to work with.

Sunday to Tuesday can trigger the unexpected. Mars, Venus, and Neptune put creativity, romance, clarity, and/ or the potential into a fuller swing.

Travel or a vacation is well timed.

C

GEMINI

May 21–June 21

A change is as good as a rest.

Launching the Chinese New Year, the new moon in Aquarius can produce a fresh-air feel. Ease up on full steam ahead. Cut yourself loose, take a vacation, or try something new on for size. This next week also triggers matters to do with career, love life, relocation, a transition, or personal reinvention.

D

CANCER

June 21–July 22

Perhaps you were not ready yesterday, but you are today. Friday’s new moon puts you in a better frame of mind to explore new ideas and avenues. The stars now help you to make a psychological, emotional, or financial breakthrough. Saturday through Monday, Venus, Neptune and Mars make it easier for you to let go, move on, or to break the ice.

E

LEO

July 22–August 23

Your social life can gain a perk-me-up from Friday’s new moon in Aquarius. Don’t hesitate to jump on a new trend, to explore a fresh

JANUARY 23 TO 29, 2020 money-making venture or a new solution. Spend money to upgrade your knowledge, website, technology, equipment, or services. Regarding matters of heart, romance, or wallet, one thing leads to another, perhaps unexpectedly so through Monday/Tuesday.

F

VIRGO

G

LIBRA

H

SCORPIO

I

SAGITTARIUS

J

CAPRICORN

K

AQUARIUS

L

PISCES

August 23–September 23

A change paves the way for improvement. A new job, schedule, project, health regime, or training program is well-timed. Don’t hesitate to put time, money, or effort into the upgrades you know are necessary and advantageous. One door closes and another opens. Venus, Neptune, and Mars facilitate a smooth transition. Let go, open up; go by feel, ease your way into it.

September 23–October 23

Check out what’s trending; heed a first impression, fresh instinct, or impulse; keep plans openended, and let spontaneity pick it for you. Friday’s new moon in Aquarius keeps it stimulating and upbeat.

A vacation or a temporary getaway from the work or stress is well-timed.

Through Monday, sensitivity, vulnerability, emotionalism, creativity, romance, and potential are heightened.

October 23–November 22

You’ve been working on that new living-with-yourself chapter for a while now. Friday’s new moon in Aquarius and the Chinese New Year now set the table and ask you to join them. The year ahead will continue to supply you with fresh impetus.

Monday’s Venus/Neptune and Tuesday’s Mars/Neptune keep creative opportunity well-stoked. Go with the flow. Progressively, you’ll gain greater clarity.

November 22–December 21

Check out something or someone new. You could be impressed at how the dots can connect for you. A new line of thinking, a fresh idea, conversation, or trend, Friday’s new moon can jumpstart something good. Mars in Sagittarius is on the move along with Venus/ Neptune. Let go and move on, ease your way along. Clarity comes of its own volition.

December 21–January 20

Now through the end of the month puts you into a better know.

Time out to observe and reflect, decompress, or take a vacation serves you well. Now through the start of next week, Mars on the move with Venus and Neptune can clear up doubt, uncertainty, or confusion.

Also, they’ll soften you up. Take your vitamins.

January 20–February 18

Springboard time. Vacation time. Either way, look to Friday’s new moon in Aquarius and the Chinese New Year to infuse with you fresh energy and incentive. Mars, Venus, and Neptune keep you on the move through Tuesday/Wednesday. Don’t push what isn’t coming naturally. Watch for confusion, uncertainty, or added pressure to fall away naturally.

February 18- March 20

It’s time for a spruce-up! Try a new look or something else outside of your norm. You could be surprised at what you come up with and how good it feels. Now through Tuesday clues you in or produces the unexpected.

Keep track of valuables. You can be forgetful. Venus/Neptune also increases responsiveness, inspiration, creativity, and attractiveness. g

Book an astrology reading or sign up for Rose’s free monthly newsletter at rosemarcus.com.

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arts

Unikkaaqtuat brings North to South

A

by Janet Smith

s the son of anthropologists, Guillaume Ittuksarjuat Saladin spent a lot of time growing up on a remote island north of the Arctic Circle—in Igloolik, the Inuit hamlet perched between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island. His memories of the midnight sun and heading out on the land with elders are idyllic to this day.

Saladin’s last family trip there was at 15, and he didn’t return again for nine years, in 1998. By this time, he was a student of Montreal’s National Circus School, teaching workshops in the community.

“I realized I had been following in my parents’ footsteps all those years—like footsteps in the snow,” the artistic director of Igloolik’s Artcirq tells the Straight during a lunch break at a circus gathering in Quebec. “And I saw a very different world.”

The adult Saladin was struck by the social problems and other fallout from colonization that had beleaguered the community, and the number of teens who needed new possibilities. And so the performingarts collective Artcirq was born. The troupe has grown to take on everything from a performance at the 2010 Unikkaaqtuat tells Inuit origin myths through a mix of acrobatics, projections, and live music. Photo by Alexandre Galliez Olympic Winter Games here in Vancouver to appearances at last year’s prestigious Venice Biennale.

Artcirq has earned artistic acclaim, but its success goes far deeper c BYRDS AND BEES (January than that. “Being Inuit—this has to 24 at Pacific Spirit United I think in every go back in the ladder of priorities, Church) Vancouver Chamber Choir founder and conductor and travelling with your own culture culture you have emeritus Jon Washburn returns is very meaningful for the youth,” to lead the ensemble in music physical games and Saladin explains. by the big “B” composers, from Now the collective has taken on celebrations.

Brahms to Bernstein, as well its most ambitious project yet: Unikas a commission from Latvian – Guillaume Ittuksarjuat Saladin kaaqtuat, a large-scale coproduction composer Ēriks Ešenvalds. with Montreal circus innovators the c LUCAS AND ARTHUR JUSSAN 7 Fingers (who brought the hit cirque- c BERLIN: THE LAST CABARET (January 23 to 26 at Performance (January 26 at the Vancouver cooking spectacle Cuisine & ConfesWorks, shown here) City Opera Playhouse) The blond Dutch sions here in 2017) and Iqaluit’s Inuitsiblings are attracting big buzz in and Sound the Alarm transport owned film-production company, Europe; look to their four-hand you back to the sultry night clubs Taqqut Productions. The show blends mind to adapt techniques and give piano work on Youtube to see why. of 1934 Germany, when sexual, acrobatics like stilt-walking and aerial new life to Inuit traditional games.”

Then head out to the Vancouver gender, and artistic freedom came silks with vivid animated projections, Driving that physical play are Recital Society matinee to Inuit storytelling, and traditional the vivid video illustrations of Inuit up against the fist of Nazi rule, see what these 20-something drumming and throat singing. founding myths created by Inuk as part of the PuSh International sensations do live, in work from Like Artcirq’s work, the acrobatics artist Germaine Arnaktauyok, who Performing Arts Festival.

Schubert to Ravel. g in Unikkaaqtuat draw largely from hails from the same corner of Nunathe traditional games and acrobat- kicking, and blanket tossing. “I think games and celebrations,” Saladin ob- vut as Artcirq. (Unikkaaqtuat means ics of Inuit culture— juggling, high in every culture you have physical serves. “It was kind of normal in my “the old stories”.)

Arts TIP SHEET

Elsewhere, performers portray the rabbits, polar bears, ravens, huskies, and other animals that figure in the tales.

Everyone involved has been aware of the importance of a project that brings North and South together, Saladin explains. “We always knew that this process was meaningful: being in the South, how can we take time for the North?” he says, drawing parallels to the Truth and Reconciliation movement. “Especially because this is Inuit companies and southern companies getting together for the betterment of Inuit culture.

“It is hard because everybody thinks through their own eyes and the North and the South are very different,” he admits. “But for all those communities in the North, we are showing it is possible. They are people that have a very different understanding of seeing the world.”

What makes Unikkaaqtuat unique is that it tells its stories through those northern eyes—sometimes through an Inuktitut language that is left untranslated. Saladin encourages audiences to open themselves to the unknown—something he learned to embrace as the child of anthropologists, he says, but also as someone who has come to realize art is its own universal language.

“I think confusion is part of every cultural exchange, and us in the South, we don’t allow confusion,” he observes. “Not having answers makes us uncomfortable. We live in a square world and we want the right answers to everything.

“In the North, everything is a circle; there is no just ‘yes’ or just ‘no’,” he explains. “With Unikkaaqtuat, we wanted to respect the grey zone in the world.”

Bringing circus first to the North and then back to the South may not hold all the answers, but for Saladin, who’s been at this for so many years now, it’s a good start. As he puts it, “Circus is just one way. I don’t want to impose a view. Nothing is yes and nothing is no. Everything is maybe.” g The Cultch and DanceHouse present Unikkaaqtuat at the Vancouver Playhouse from Wednesday to Saturday (January 22 to 25).

A wild wok orchestra forms for LunarFest

by Alexander Varty

T

he stage set for A Musical Banquet, which Taiwan’s Chai Found Music Workshop is bringing to LunarFest this weekend, is as striking an array of shapes and colours as you’re likely to see.

Giant red barrel drums are racked high above the performers’ heads, silver cymbals glitter under spotlights, and enormous iron gongs loom, planetlike, in a solar system of their own.

But wait: those are not drums, cymbals, and gongs, they’re plastic garbage cans, frying pans, and plus-sized woks. A Musical Banquet, which is subtitled A Feast of Sumptuous Classical Music, is set in a Taiwanese restaurant, and the performers’ elegant black tunics have been sourced from a restaurantsupply store, not from one of the Asian island’s many couturiers. The troupe, which boasts some of Taiwan’s top young performers on the erhu, pipa, guzheng, and ruanxian, will deliver what it’s best known for: virtuosic renditions of sizhu, or Chinese classical music. But with this new production, it’s moving further into the realm of musical theatre.

“This is not a traditional concert,” says In A Musical Banquet, Taiwan’s Chai Found Music director Hao-Hsiang Hsu, reached by tele- Workshop really cooks when it hits the stage. phone while breakfasting in Taipei. Accord- Chai Found Music Workshop founder Chening to Hsu, who’s been tasked with bringing Ming Huang has been worried by declindrama and dance into the troupe’s skill set, ing audience numbers for the classical arts,

He wanted to combine the music and the food cultures, so he made this big show.

– Hao-Hsiang Hsu

so he’s opted to provoke interest through a vivid set, Iron Chef–style on-stage competition, and, naturally, a love angle.

“This is a simple, short story,” says Hsu, explaining that A Musical Banquet is set in a restaurant specializing in celebratory feasts.

“The chef, he wants to retire, and two of his students, they have a competition to see who can own his restaurant. There’s also a love story inside; they have a very beautiful student in his restaurant, and two of the guys, they both want to, um, make this girl happy.”

The way to her heart, it seems, is through cooking, embodied here by a percussive and

very musical clatter of trash cans, saucepans, and woks. The more classical elements take place in a kind of dream world—amplifying, as Hsu points out, the angry, jealous, or romantic emotions of the protagonists.

“When they’re cooking, they’re acting their characters,” he says. “But when they play their instruments, I think that’s not reality.”

The show also expresses a uniquely Taiwanese world-view, and its restaurant setting is no coincidence. “Taiwanese love food,” Hsu explains. “When we meet each other, we will ask, ‘Have you finished your breakfast?’ or ‘Have you finished your lunch?’ or ‘Have you finished your dinner?’ So eating food is very, very important to Taiwanese people.

When we have some big event, we will invite lots and lots of people—maybe 100 or 200 or 300 people—to come, and we will eat together. We have very special food for this kind of situation. So Mr. Huang, he wanted to combine the music and the food cultures, so he made this big show.”

In other words, this Musical Banquet really is a feast for the ears—and the eyes, too. g LunarFest presents A Musical Banquet: A Feast of Sumptuous Classical Music at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Saturday (January 25).

JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 11

LIVE ONSTAGE · )(%58$5< ৵ ৰ৴ CONTEMPORARY COMEDY

ARTS Blizzard features a flurry of circus arts

STRAIGHT F WHITE MEN

by Janet Smith

By

Young Jean Lee

Directed by Chelsea Haberlin & Fay Nass ITSAZOO Productions

T ICKE T S from

29

$

604.270.1812 GATEWAYTHEATRE.COM Audience advisory: Profanity and mature subject matter. Recommended age: 13+ Peter Anderson and Kim Villagante. Photo by Matt Reznek.

or its first trip to B.C., Quebec’s FLIP Fabrique brings together two things its home province is famous for: circus and snow.

Formed largely by breakaway members of Cirque du Soleil, the troupe plays with all things winter in its aptly named Blizzard, channelling the same kind of excitement thousands of Lower Mainland school kids had on their recent snow day.

“We’re Quebeckers; we know what snow is,” declares Bruno Gagnon, the executive and artistic director of FLIP Fabrique from its home base in Quebec City. “The snow used to pile incredibly high, so much we were jumping from rooftops. And through visual poetry, we take a crazy journey into the idea: what if winter has taken over—even inside houses and under clothes?”

Flurries abound as the troupe uses everything from hoop dances to straps acts and Russian cradle swinging to celebrate winter. And imagine the possibilities of snowballs for elaborate juggling sequences, Rollerblades for ice-skating tricks, or long scarves for a jump-rope spectacle.

The biggest draw is the trampoline routine, which the company has become famous for elsewhere in the world. Here, a physics-defying act known as the “tramp-wall” features acrobats flying off and back up to a towering platform.

What sets FLIP Fabrique apart, Gagnon explains, is that it was created eight years ago by acrobats looking to push the contemporarycircus art form.

“I was working with Cirque du Soleil the last few years, and I had thousands of shows—I did everything I could do in my show to go forward,” Gagnon ref lects. “With

Quebec City’s FLIP Fabrique serves up fresh spins on tumbing, juggling, and its famous trampoline work, all with a dusting of snow. Photo by Emmanuel Burriel

We’re Quebeckers; we know what snow is.

– Bruno Gagnon, FLIP Fabrique

this, we’re bringing the spotlight on our own colour to the show. There’s new, strong acrobatics that are really energetic, really fresh, and really new. What’s different is the energy we give to the audience.”

That energy isn’t just about gasps and cheers; FLIP Fabrique occasionally tries for something more profound.

Blizzard’s final act, for instance, plays out in a huge prism, with snow falling delicately and composer-performer Ben Nesrallah’s piano playing softly.

“Many people cry,” Gagnon remarks.

“It’s very fragile.”

The formula seems to be working: Gagnon reports that FLIP Fabrique now has over 40 artists, eight full-time employees, and six technicians. It’s travelled to 22 countries, from Mexico and Brazil to Australia, Italy, and China.

And, unlike in B.C., where we’ve just had a whiteout, in many of the places FLIP Fabrique goes, the idea of a blizzard is completely alien. “To many countries that don’t have snow, the coldest they feel is to put their hands in a freezer,” Gagnon says. “So for them it is exotic.” g Circus3 presents FLIP Fabrique’s Blizzard at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Thursday (January 23).

PUSH FESTIVAL 2020 IN PARTNERSHI HIP HI PW WIITH TH T H SFU SF FU W WOODW OODW DW WARD’ ARD R S CU C CULTUR ULTUR LTU TUR RAL L PROG RO ROGR OG G AMS

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ROMANTIC BRUCKNER PLUS GIDON KREMER PLAYS SCHUMANN JAN 31 & FEB 1, 8pm

Newmont Canada Masterworks Gold Schumann’s Cello Concerto adapted for violin with Gidon Kremer. Maestro Tausk leads Bruckner’s 4th Symphony and Samy Moussa’s Orpheus.

GIDON KREMER

SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE: MÄRKL CONDUCTS BERLIOZ, RAVEL, SAINT-SAËNS

JAN 24/25, 8PM | ORPHEUM

Masterworks Diamond

JAN 26, 2PM | ORPHEUM

RGF Wealth Management Symphony Sundays Guest Maestro Jun Märkl leads the orchestra in an exciting program that traces the evolution of the French sound.

Featuring Ravel’s gorgeous Pavane pour une infante défunte. Cellist István Várdai tackles Saint-Saëns’ beloved Concerto No. 1.

PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY COOPER

CARMEN: SOUNDS OF SPAIN HANSEL & GRETEL

FEB 7, 8PM | BELL CENTRE, SURREY FEB 8, 8PM | ORPHEUM

Surrey Nights & Musically Speaking Maestro Tausk and Canadian singer Rihab Chaieb perform music from Falla, Granados, Bizet and Chabrier.

STORIES IN SAND

FEB 9, 2PM | ORPHEUM

OriginO Kids Concerts Kseniya Simonova is an artist who tells stories in sand.

She appeared in Ukraine’s Got Talent and her videos have now gone viral worldwide.

VSO AFTERWORK

THE MAJESTY OF BRUCKNER

JAN 30, 6:30PM | ORPHEUM

JAN 26 SYMPHONY SUNDAYS SERIES SPONSOR

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14 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020

J n 31 – 7:30pm | Feb 1 – 7: Ja 7:30 30pm 30 pm | Feb 2 – 2:000ppm At the h SFU Fei and Milton Wong Expe Ex peri pe rime ri ment me ntal nt al Theatre,149 W Hastings St WWW WW W.TU TURN R IN RN NGP GPOI O NT OI NTEN ENSE EN SE EMB MBLE L .CA LE

Enjoy pre-concert cocktails at 5:30 and romantic music at 6:30. Maestro Tausk leads the orchestra playing Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4.

JAN 24/25 MASTERWORKS DIAMOND SERIES SPONSOR

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JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 15

ARTS

JAN 29-FEB 1 8PM The Changeling takes a striking look at lust THEATRE THE CHANGELING

By Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. Directed by Luciana Silvestre Fernandes. A Department of Theatre and Film at UBC production. At the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts’ Telus Studio Theatre on Thursday, January 16.

Continues until February 1

WRITTEN BY JAVAAD ALIPOOR CO-DIRECTED BY JAVAAD ALIPOOR AND KIRSTY HOUSLEY

THE BELIEVERS

ARE BUT BROTHERS

A GENERATION BURNING WITH RESENTMENT TURNS TO THE WEB shadboltcentre.com | 604-205-3000 shadboltcentre boxoffice@burnaby.ca |

d A WOMAN, DAYS after her engagement to a man she’s ambivalent about, discovers her true love a moment too late. It’s a premise that would easily work for a modern romantic comedy, but in the Jacobeanera tragedy The Changeling, a macabre meditation on lust and passion ensues. Under the direction of Luciana Silvestre Fernandes, the play becomes an expressionist evocation of entrapment, in a patriarchal world of imposed wills and inflexible desire.

In the Spanish city of Alicante, Beatrice-Joanna (Bonnie Duff) is the daughter of Vermandero (Liam McCulley), the local governor, who has promised her in marriage to Alonzo de Piracquo (Connor Riopel), a noble lord. Meeting nobleman Alsemero (Hayden Davies) at a church, she finds that her affections have shifted entirely to him, and now she’s faced with the quandary of an unwanted union. Enlisting the help of her father’s servant, De Flores (Kyle Preston Oliver), she conspires to kill Alonzo, freeing her to marry Alsemero. Unbeknownst to her, the lecherous De Flores has other plans for them, and odious events are set in motion.

First performed in 1622, Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s play is a work that touches on universal themes that transcend the period in which it was written—notions of trust and honour abound, as does unbridled desire. Characters are unguarded in their assumptions about each other, as Alonzo is in his unfazed infatuation with Beatrice, and the latter is in her unsuspecting dependence on De Flores.

Such displays of confidence seem a ripe commentary on the limits of human perception and its inevitable failures in judgment. Reinforcing this view is the comic subplot involving the insecure Alibius (Lorenzo Tesler-Mabe) and his young wife Isabella (Monica Bowman), whose fidelity is greater than the men he has trusted to guard it. Rounding out this production is an expression of Beatrice’s inner state, as spectral figures that appear at moments of

Bonnie Duff and Chantale Gering in The Changeling. Photo by Javier R. Sotres

anguish, bearers of psychic distress.

Fernandes unfolds the action at several heights in the Telus Studio Theatre, creating clusters of scenes on the various levels of seating in the tiered venue.

Employed by scenic designer Luis Bellassai, ropes form a metaphorical geometry, crisscrossing in a tangled web from floor to ceiling, which also stands in for archways and passages.

Charlotte Di Chang’s costume design is likewise poetic, from Beatrice’s blood-red regalia to De Flores’s spiked epaulettes. Wisps of organ and violin populate sound designer Jacob Wan’s scene transitions, which complement a soundscape of Beatrice’s mental fixations, including incidental cues of moaning and knocking. Lastly, the show’s cast conveys 17th-century language with a flourish, vividly rendering the text into haunting action, its musicality and impact intact.

As a reflection on the fallibility of judgment and impulsiveness of passion, The Changeling is a work that continues to illuminate immutable human traits. New stagings can also explore the concealed cost of psychological burden, allowing for fresh readings of a classic story.

by Danny Kai Mak

HOUSE AND HOME

By Jenn Griffin. Directed by Donna Spencer. A Firehall Arts Centre presentation. At the Firehall Arts Centre on Saturday, January 18.

Continues until January 25

d IN ACT 2 of Jenn Griffin’s new play, House and Home, grad student and renter Wren (Kimberly Ho) admonishes her girlfriend, Marika (Darian Roussy), for her spontaneous decision to quit her restaurant gig after a drunk patron gropes her. “Only rich people get to quit!” Wren says. Ho’s delivery is as perfect as the line itself: tragically funny and appropriately disdainful,

because it’s horrible and true.

House and Home is a play about housing precarity and privilege in Vancouver, and when it works, it’s smart and funny. When it doesn’t work, which is a substantial amount of the first act, it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to say.

Hilary (Jillian Fargey) and Henry (Andrew Wheeler) are a middle-aged white couple who bought their house after Henry inherited some money.

Since then, the value of the house has more than tripled, but the couple (dual income, no kids) is financially strapped. Hilary is on stress leave from her social-worker job and Henry is a poverty lawyer who only has one client and is obsessed with Butoh dancing. The basement apartment they rent to Wren, a young queer woman of colour, is infested with rats and when she threatens to withhold her rent, Henry encourages Hilary to seize the moment, evict Wren, and transition into the short-term rental market.

The problems with Act 1 are that most of the characters feel like broadly drawn stereotypes rather than real people. For some reason, it’s Wren, the POC character played by a racialized woman, who’s tasked with telling Hilary that her white girlfriend Marika “doesn’t identify as white”, but rather as an “ally”. Hilary then tells Wren that women like her are the real problem with feminism, and goes on a tirade about power dynamics. The whole exchange is a mess, and it’s mostly dropped in Act 2. Sam Bob does everything he can with his character, the Pest Maven, who serves as a kind of magical Indigenous person popping up on-stage to talk in metaphors about rats, how he lives “communally” (a coded, winking reference to living on a reserve?), and the hypocrisy of owning a house on “home and Native land” (Bob’s emphasis and the gleam in his eye make the joke work).

Act 2 is more clearly focused, and it benefits from a fun villain in the ridiculous tech-bro douche Auxl (Sebastien Archibald, in one of three roles). Auxl has all the money and all the power, and the quick cash influx he promises comes with some razorsharp strings. Auxl is only on-stage for about seven minutes total, but Archibald’s performance is a standout.

House and Home understands that the Auxls of the world are helping to ruin the housing scene here, but it doesn’t quite go far enough to get at some deeper truths about what it really means to be settlers on stolen land in a capitalist system that treats housing as a commodity rather than a human right.

by Andrea Warner

SAT FEB 29 2020 / 8PM

We Shall Overcome Featuring Damien Sneed

An uplifting celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with special guests Vancouver’s own Universal Gospel Choir

chancentre.com 16 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020

JAN 21 FEB 9

t h e at r e dance

— TO —

multimedia music

2 0 2 0

G IN !

LL ST E S FA

OLD STOCK: A REFUGEE LOVE STORY

THE FEVER

CUCKOO

600 HIGHWAYMEN (USA)

JAHA KOO

2B THEATRE COMPANY (CANADA)

How much can we trust others? How do we form our conceptions of them? What does it take to work together?

The Fever takes these issues and makes them riveting theatre. It begins with the character of Marianne, who just held a party; from there, the performance builds into a study of community and mutual reliance. Along the way, limits will be tested and bonds will form.

Jaha Koo folds 20 years of South Korean history into this bittersweet narrative. An economic disaster and its ripple effects are conveyed onstage by the artist and some very special companions: a group of talking rice cookers. Reprogrammed to speak, these devices serve as a token of Jaha’s alienation and a metaphor for the most absurd, most comical aspects of the recent past.

Wild, witty and wonderfully inventive, this fusion of concert and drama tells the true tale of Chaim and Chaya, Jewish refugees from the pogroms of Romania. They meet in 1908, while awaiting medical inspection in Halifax’s Pier 21 immigration centre; the story moves forward to their lives as a couple in Montreal and backward to the horrors of the Continent.

JAN 29-FEB 2 | AN N E X

MONDAY NIGHTS 6TH MAN COLLECTIVE & THE THEATRE CENTRE

(SOUTH KOREA / BELGIUM)

FEB 3–5 | WATER FRONT TH EATR E

(CANADA)

Who you are on the court reveals who you are off the court; in this basketball-theatre mash-up, we invite you to lace up your sneakers and get in the game! Every Monday night for over a decade, five men came together to play basketball.

Friendships were formed, bonds were strengthened; they shared each other’s victories and losses, triumphs and heartbreaks.

FEB 6-9 | ANVIL CENTR E

JAN 24-26, 28-30 | FR EDER IC WOOD TH EATR E

PRESENTED WITH ANVIL CENTRE

PRESENTED WITH TOUCHSTONE THEATRE AND UBC THEATRE AND FILM

FREE!

FRONTERA

FREE ADMISSION

ANIMALS OF DISTINCTION (CANADA)

URSULA MARTINEZ

This powerhouse multimedia performance unites post-rock masters Fly Pan Am with choreographer Dana Gingras and her Animals of Distinction dance company. The remounted version of The Holy Body Tattoo’s monumental played PuSh 2016, and if you saw it, you surely remember its spectacular fusion of sound and motion; here, again, are live music and dance in the service of metaphor.

Uncouth, uncensored and… undressed? Ursula Martinez gets personal, political and philosophical in this soulbaring solo performance. Call it a monologue with a meta twist: as Martinez holds forth on the paradoxes of life, the absurdity of contemporary living and her own intimate feelings, she builds a wall between herself and the audience—a brick wall, to be exact.

JAN 30 | QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE

JAN 31–FEB 2 | SCOTIABAN K DANCE CENTR E

(UK)

A USER’S GUIDE TO AUTHENTICITY IS A FEELING PME-ART (CANADA) After 20 years with PME-ART, co-artistic director Jacob Wren marked the occasion with something special—he wrote a book. In keeping with the collective’s practice, Authenticity Is a Feeling blurs genres: personal memoir, official history, manifesto… Thus we have an artist’s talk of sorts, but one that tilts toward the unconventional.

PICK UP THE COMPLETE 72- PAGE FESTIVAL GUIDE AT SELECT JJ BEAN COFFEE SHOPS

FEB 5-6 | WESTER N FRONT

AND 20 MORE GROUNDBREAKING PRESENTATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

T I C K E T S & I N F O : P U S H F E S T I VA L . C A JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 17

“Faust and Melnikov seemed to perform with one nervous system, and their ability to manipulate these infinitesimal silences elevated their performance from great to exquisite.”

— The Boston Globe

ARTS LISTINGS ONGOING PUSH INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL Annual interdisciplinary arts fest features 27 works from 24 companies.

Jan 21–Feb 9, various Vancouver venues.

HOUSE AND HOME A comedic take on Vancouver’s current housing crisis. To Jan 25, Firehall Arts Centre. From $20.

THE CHANGELING Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s sensual and dark 17thcentury English tragedy. To Feb 1, 7:30-9:30 pm, Telus Studio Theatre. $11.50-24.50.

GRAMMA A poetic new tale of human connection in the loneliest of circumstances. To Feb 1, 8-9:15 pm, Pacific Theatre. $20-36.50.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 UNIKKAAQTUAT New multidisciplinary work celebrates Inuit culture, traditions, and vision for the future. Jan 22-25, Vancouver Playhouse. From $20.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23

FAUST QUEYRAS MELNIKOV TRIO

NOT TO BE MISSED!

SUN FEB 9 at 3pm I VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE

A super-trio! Violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander

Melnikov received critical acclaim for their recording and performances of Beethoven’s Complete Violin Sonatas. The celebrated artists will make a rare appearance with renowned cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, playing a selection of Beethoven Piano Trios to mark the composer’s 250th anniversary year.

TICKETS: 604 602 0363 I VANRECITAL.COM

SEASON & SERIES SPONSOR

CONCERT SPONSOR

Joyce and Tony

18 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020

SUPPORTED BY

SMASH COMEDY FESTIVAL Three-day comedy festival spotlighting Vancouver’s best women/trans/femme/plus performers.

Jan 23-25, Little Mountain Gallery.

BERLIN: THE LAST CABARET City Opera Vancouver presents the world premiere of a political satire set in Nazi Germany. Jan 23-26, Performance Works.

NOISES OFF Farce about the egos and insecurities of a second-tier acting troupe putting on a show. Jan 23–Feb 23, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. From $29.

SKYBORN Musqueam/Sto:lo visual storytelling and animation combined with interIndigenous sound and puppetry. Jan 23–Feb 1, 7:30-9 pm, Historic Theatre. From $26.

BLIZZARD BY FLIP FABRIQUE Cirque performers from Quebec. Jan 23, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. From $35.

MAMA’S BOY Play based on a true story about a boy being raised by a single mother struggling with addiction. Jan 23-24, 8 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. $15-36.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 IT’S JUST DRAG Drag show starring Brooke Lynn Hytes and Monet X Change from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Jan 24, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $40.

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge. Submit events online using the event-submission form at straight. com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

Old Bird delivers new Chinese cuisine

I

HITS

by Tammy Kwan

(second entrée of equal or lesser value) up to (se $1 Valid until Feb. 29, 2020. Not valid with other $15. co coupons or other in-house offers or event nights.

Gr Gratuities based on TOTAL bill before discount.

Free Street Parking!

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

#thetipperrestaurant #lovestories #dineindiner #thetipper

2066 KINGSWAY (at Victoria) Victo | 604.873.1010 | www.thebottletipper.com

$ Old Bird aims to serve “Chinese food with attitude”. Photo courtesy of Old Bird

up eating, if I can just show you what I love to eat and if I can convince you with that, then we can grow from there,’” Lo told the Straight at Old Bird just before a soft launch.

Guests will find a collection of different-sized share plates on Old Bird’s menu, which includes housemade Taiwanese-style pork sausage, “three cup” Manila clams, steamed black cod, Hong Kong–style fish balls, and Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup with pickled veggies.

Desserts like vegan hakka mochi and ginger-milk custard are also on offer.

“I know what Cantonese and Taiwanese food is like, and then she [Lin] will give me pointers from her childhood. That’s how we just slowly get together and kind of marry both cultures together,” Lo explained. “It’s my idea of how I want to eat my Chinese food, not how other people tell me how it should be.”

The emphasis is on creating with authentic Chinese flavours while using ingredients from local farms and fisheries and serving Ocean

Wise–certified seafood whenever possible.

As for the bar program, expect to find everything from B.C. craft beer to B.C. wines, as well as cocktails that are made with ingredients inspired by Chinese elements like roots, tea, and florals.

“It’s exciting for me as a Vancouverite born and raised that I’m getting to try a different type of Chinese cuisine that hasn’t been available to me in the city before,” Old Bird’s general manager, Shawn Jones, told the Straight. “The atmosphere is really fun, and at night it glows really warm from the lanterns.”

Old Bird has opened on the heels of Lunar New Year and will be ringing in the Year of the Rat with a special pan-seared dumpling feature ($8.88) made with three treasures (chicken, duck, and pork) paired with mushrooms and cabbages.

Eating dumplings during the New Year celebration has auspicious meanings: its shape resembles ancient Chinese money, which represents prosperity for the coming year. g

Take a sip to help assist Australia

F

by Kurtis Kolt

riends, family, and colleagues in Australia have been top of mind these days as bushfires continue to ravage the landscape across the country. Coupled with Australia Day, coming up on January 26, there’s no better time to support the Australian wine industry.

There are a couple local initiatives raising money for Australia that are definitely worthy of our dollars and palates.

The folks at Mount Pleasant’s Cascade Room (2616 Main Street) have a few things going on to raise money for WIRES, a wildlife rescue service in New South Wales. They are donating $2 from every Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay or Shiraz ordered by the glass. Either would be quite the enjoyable pairing with their feature Aussie Burger, which is also a fundraiser, with $2 from each order going to the cause.

I’m talking house-ground sirloin (or vegan chickpea patty) topped with pineapple, beets, and a fried egg! Aside from those delicious offerings, the team is also donating one dollar from every Main Street Pilsner and Absolut vodka lemon-lime bitters cocktail sold.

Over at Chambar (568 Beatty Street), wine director Kelcie Jones has been playing around with Rieslingfreak No. 3 Clare Valley Riesling 2018 for a while now. The tropical fruit and citrus-laden wine coming from redclay soils handily pairs with much of chef Nico Schuermans’s menu, from “Foie de Canard ‘Villa Lorraine’ ” (spiced foie gras terrine, port reduction, kriek granita, truffled brioche french toast) to “Thon aux Trois Poivres” (seared Ahi tuna, polenta fries, aioli, roasted eggplant, pea tips, peppercorn sauce). Two dollars from each glass sold are going to Australian fire brigades.

This season also sees the return of the Vancouver International Wine Festival, running February 22 through March 1. Tickets for all events have now been released, and as it has gone in past years, they’re selling quite fast and now is the time to secure ’em for the events you’re wanting to attend. This is not a drill: as of press time, a dozen events have already sold out.

Shockingly, as I write this, there are still tickets for the Vintners Brunch (March 1 at 11:30 a.m., Vancouver Convention Centre West, $175), which is usually one of the first events to sell out. Fifteen local restaurants are matched up with 15 wineries. During two-and-a-half hours, attendees will enjoy a plethora of pairings, including fare from Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio False Creek joined with Wines of Substance ViNO Rose 2018 (Walla Walla, Washington), and Richmond’s Origo Club serving up the goods with Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2018 (Bourgogne, France).

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t’s not a secret that Metro Vancouver is home to some of North America’s best Chinese food.

Naturally, there’s a lot of competition, and it’s not an easy culinary market to break into. But Sophia Lin believes that her new Chinese restaurant, Old Bird (3950 Main Street), stands out from the crowd.

Originally from Shanghai, with a fine-arts and business background, Lin doesn’t have much experience in the food-and-drink world. The driving force that led her to open a dining establishment was her passion for gastronomy.

“I’ve always loved food; I’ve cooked my family’s meals since I was, like, 16,” Lin told the Straight in an interview at the new Mount Pleasant eatery. “I’ve just always loved eating, and I travel to many places and went to different restaurants all around the world.”

The concept of Old Bird revolves around Chinese street food that’s fun and approachable for city dwellers.

Its name translates from a Chinese noun describing someone as sassy with a few grey hairs, and the motto “Chinese food with attitude” is plastered on its website.

The 1,500-square-foot space feels different as soon as you step through its doors: Chinese lucky cats line the top of the bar in the centre of the room; casual seating with reupholstered benches are a far cry from the round tables you’d normally see in a traditional Asian eatery; and enormous red lanterns hanging from the high ceiling help create the atmosphere of a Taiwanese night market.

Lin has teamed up with chef Deseree Lo, who held positions at kitchens in the U.S. before moving here to work at CinCin. Despite her western culinary training, Lo’s Taiwanese heritage inspires a lot of the dishes she’s created.

“I said [to Lin], ‘I’m not really a Chinese chef, but from what I grew

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The Cascade Room is raising funds to aid Australian wildlife threatened by ongoing bushfires. Photo courtesy of WIRES

event (6:30 p.m., February 26, L’Abattoir, $225) pairs chef/ owner Lee Cooper’s contemporary France-meets–West Coast cuisine with gleaming Rieslings, Pinot Noir, and more from the storied Famille Hugel winery, with 13thgeneration proprietor Jean Frédéric Hugel holding court.

Not all events cost an arm and a leg, either!

Rah, Rah Rosé! (February 29 at 5:15 p.m., Vancouver Convention Centre West, $59) looks to be a cheery mingler, with 18 wines being poured with small bites and a DJ keeping the room good and lively. I insist those attending make a beeline for Italy’s Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo 2018, and Franc Arman Winery Istra Rosé 2018—because when was the last time you had a Croatian pink wine?

Finally, The Global Cru event (February 29 at 5:15 p.m., Vancouver Convention Centre West, $100) is a sitdown seminar where you can have a front seat for the wines, wit, and wisdom of global wine royalty. Laura Catena (Bodega Catena Zapata, Argentina), Mark de Vere (Robert Mondavi Winery, California), Jean-Luc Colombo (Jean-Luc Colombo, France), Alessandra Boscaini (MASI Agricola), and a host of others will be discussing the concept of “cru”, whether a single vineyard or group of vineyards clustered together, and the sense of place offered by these global hot spots.

Of course, there’s still the grand International Festival Tasting going down at the Convention Centre on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (February 27, 28, and 29), where all 163 participating wineries will be pouring. In the coming weeks, I’ll share a preview of the room with a good array of highlighted wineries that shouldn’t be missed.

In the meantime, do go out and support Australian wine, nab your event tickets for the Vancouver International Wine Festival, and keep on sipping the good stuff. g

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JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 19

MOVIES

Doing the right thing in polyglot Paris REVIEWS LES MISÉRABLES

Starring Damien Bonnard. In French, with English subtitles.

Rated 14A

d VICTOR HUGO WOULD and would not recognize the Paris in this complex new movie named after his most famous book, now nominated for an Oscar. Lest anyone miss the reference, one of the three cops we follow through the tough suburb they patrol helpfully points out that Hugo started the novel there, 160 years ago.

This literary-minded gendarme

is actually a brutish hothead called Chris, played by Alexis Manenti.

Chris’s second-in-command is tall, handsome Gwada (Djebril Zonga), whose dreadlocks buy him some credit in the immigrant community—as well as unwanted attention from their female section chief (Jeanne Balibar).

The moral centre of the story, as often happens, is the new guy, one Brigadier Ruiz (Damien Bonnard), facing his first day in the capital city.

Despite his impassive face, it’s clear that Ruiz is appalled by Chris’s bullying tactics, which eventually bring things to a boil on the hottest day of the summer. In the film’s remarkable opening sequence, deftly blending the actors with crowd

It’s the hottest day of summer for the Montfermeil cops of Les Misérables.

scenes from the 2015 World Cup, Parisians of all stripes come together to celebrate a soccer victory. But that’s where the party ends.

The son of Malian immigrants and still resident in the Montfermeil projects where this largely transpires, firsttime feature maker Ladj Ly also follows two local preteen boys: trouble-prone Issa (Issa Perica) and the more bookish Buzz (Al-Hassan Ly), so named because he owns a drone. The lad uses this to surreptitiously film local girls and, eventually, capture a scuffle that breaks out between angry children and our three policesketeers.

The writer-director, who has had his own scrapes with the law in the past, expanded this from a short using the same leads, and he has as much sympathetic grasp of the lawenforcement side as he does of the polyglot population. Ly leavens the grit with deft, dark humour, as when travelling Romany circus men nearly come to blows with African expats over the loss of a lion cub.

The search for same, initially seen as a joke, leads to a tense yet ultimately philosophical confrontation between Ruiz and a bearded community leader of immense dignity (cast standout Almamy Kanouté), who obliquely

lays out some home truths about the ongoing blowback from colonialism, income inequality, racism, and the absurd war on drugs.

The quotidian fight for survival, and more, in this miserable pressure cooker is so interesting, in fact, that it feels like too much of a bad thing when the story arc yields to violent impulses that, ironically, make the movie less special. The filmmaker, in fact, swears he witnessed everything that happened here—just not all in a single day!

by Ken Eisner

CUNNINGHAM

A documentary by Alla Kovgan.

Rated G

d “I HAVE nothing to say,” Merce Cunningham once wrote, “and I am saying it.”

That Zenlike dichotomy drove the art and life of the famous dancer and choreographer, under reconsideration in this lovingly crafted tribute, which combines archival footage, nifty graphics, interviews with surviving colleagues, and new interpretations shot in 3-D. Cunningham’s work has another think coming because, among other reasons, his lasting influence is harder to define than that of, say, George Balanchine, who imposed a militaristic order on classical dance and onto the body types allowed to do it. The man born Mercier Philip Cunningham had his own aesthetic, but his view of dancers was more ecumenical, in terms of physique and independence of motion, anticipating the much freer styles of today.

by Ken Eisner Directed by Alla Kovgan, the fastmoving doc is light on background, so you have to guess at his beginnings. THE LAST FULL MEASURE Raised in Washington state, Cun- Starring Sebastian Stan. Rating unavailable

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20 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020

ningham learned from tap dancers and circus performers before going to Seattle’s Cornish Institute to study acting—something he eventually rejected for being too text-based (even if he looked like the pensive star of an Ingmar Bergman drama). He loathed memorization and fixed references for the rest of his career, which took off just before the war, as part of the Martha Graham Dance Company. In 1953, he formed his own outfit, touring the U.S. in a beat-up VW van.

He soon hooked up, artistically and romantically, with John Cage.

“We had many things in common,” a vintage Cage recalls on the soundtrack, “including ideas and poverty.”

He was a great believer in chance, sometimes throwing the I Ching to determine the course of a given performance.

Never popular in the States, the company was wildly lauded in London but battered with tomatoes in Paris. Still, Cunningham continued to attract top-flight collaborators, including Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol, whose helium-filled mylar balloons help make the re-created “Rainforest” one of many visual highlights here.

The 90-minute film may not cohere like Wim Wenders’s Pina Bausch doc, its most obvious antecedent. But its subject will prove inspiring to many artists struggling with the meaning of their own work. “I don’t interpret,” he firmly declared. “I present.” Merce managed to continue giving presents until the age of 90, and through it all, he heard far more than the sound of one hand clapping.

d THE LAST Full Measure is as much a tribute to aging A-list actors as it is to the Vietnam veterans they so lovingly portray.

There’s little context found in Todd Robinson’s movie, although his documentary Stand and Be Counted, about the role of popular music in social changes, displayed his awareness of history. Here, he focuses on the effects of war on those who simply happen to be caught in its jaws. The story circles around air-force pararescue jumper William Pitsenbarger, who gave his not-quite-22-year-old life to aid dozens of men wounded in a pitched battle in 1966.

The film unfolds more than 30 years later via fictional Pentagon investigator Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan).

This callow lad has been tasked by his careerist boss (Bradley Whitford) with uncovering why the saintly Pitsenbarger never received the Congressional Medal of Honor he obviously deserved.

Huffman gathers testimony from survivors of that firefight, allowing the director to cut between scenes of the fateful day and his on-the-road interviews with the ex-grunts, yielding stunning performances from Ed Harris, William Hurt, and Peter Fonda as scarred army vets lobbying to honour the air-force hero they never met until the bullets flew.

Adding to the lustre are Diane Ladd and Christopher Plummer as Pitsenbarger’s aged parents, and—in a neat nod to past ’Nam tales—John Savage, playing a “mud soldier” who stayed in-country to heal. Without addressing the forces that put those boys in the wrong place at the worst time, the movie stays just this side of oversentimentalizing their journeys. The bigger problem is that as young Huffman travels his expected empathy arc, he becomes a kind of son-confessor to the wounded boomers, and their interactions become too uniform. Every one of them has a secret regret, it turns out. But I already knew the secret going in; it was called Vietnam.

by Ken Eisner

MUSIC LISTINGS

CONCERTS JUST ANNOUNCED

KING BUFFALO Psych-rock band from New York. Apr 2, 9 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Jan 24, 9 am, $15.

MONSTER MAGNET American hard-rock band, with guests Nebula and Silvertomb.

Apr 3, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. Tix on sale Jan 24, 10 am, $35.

PORCHES American indie musician, with guest Sassy 009. Apr 7, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Jan 24, 10 am, $20.

VAGABON Indie-rock/electro-pop singersongwriter and multi-instrumentalist from New York, with guest Kaina. May 12, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Jan 24, 10 am, $18.

LOUIS THE CHILD DJ duo composed of Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett, with guests Crooked Colours. May 28, 6 pm, Malkin Bowl. Tix on sale Jan. 24, 10 am, from $39.50.

SQUEEZE British pop-rock band from the ’70s, led by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook.

Jun 4, 8:30 pm, The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts. Tix on sale Jan 24, 10 am, $99.50/79.50/49.50/45.50/35.50.

ALICIA KEYS Grammy-winning R&B/hip-hop vocalist from New York. Aug 31, 8 pm, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Jan 27, 10 am.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 VEDA HILLE’S LITTLE VOLCANO Pianist and songwriter draws from works by J.S. Bach, as well as her own compositions. Jan 22-23, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex. $39/15.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 COM TRUISE American electronic-music producer and designer performs a DJ set.

Jan 23, 9 pm, Fortune Sound Club. $20.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 ELEVATE MUSIC PROJECT FINALE Performances by Noble Son, Strange Breed, and Michaela Slinger. Jan 24, Vogue Theatre. $15.

XAVIER OMAR American R&B singer, with guest Parisalexa. Jan 24, 8 pm, Fortune Sound Club. $20/30.

THE LIL SMOKIES Roots quintet from Montana. Jan 24, 8 pm, Biltmore Cabaret. $15.

NIGHTSEEKER Hard-rock band featuring fictional character Dean from the Fubar movies, with guests Dead Quiet and Killer Deal. Jan 24, 9 pm, WISE Hall. $25.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 ALEXISONFIRE Canadian posthardcore quintet, with guests the Distillers and NOBRO. Jan 25, 7 pm, Pacific Coliseum. $80.50.

GREYSON CHANCE American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Jan 25, 8 pm, Fortune Sound Club. $20.

LEIF VOLLEBEKK Indie-folk singer-songwriter.

Jan 25, 8 pm, Imperial Vancouver. $25.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 THE HOWARD JONES TRIO Intimate trip through Jones’s 30-year music career. Jan 26, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $42.

STRUNZ & FARAH Guitar duo blends Latin and Iranian roots. Jan 26, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $49/46/29.

FOGHORN STRINGBAND Old-time roots band from Portland, Oregon. Jan 26, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Hall. $28/24.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 MICHAEL KIWANUKA British indie and folk-rock singer-songwriter. Jan 28, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $32.50.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 GIRLFRIEND MATERIAL Canadian indie-rock band featuring members of Tokyo Police Club and Hollerado. Jan 29, 9 pm, Fox Cabaret. $15.

MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit events online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

MUSIC

Alexisonfire learns from the past

T

by Mike Usinger

o completely appreciate everything you have, sometimes you have to lose it. From the time he was a teenager to the end of his 20s, George Pettit made his living playing in one of the most respected and uncompromising bands to ever come out of Canada; Alexisonfire started out in the fiercely DIY Ontario punk underground and mushroomed into a platinum-shifting juggernaut. And then it all ended in 2012, leaving the singer with a wife, a kid, and a complete sense of panic about what the future held.

When he’s reached at home in Hamilton, Alexisonfire’s cofrontman acknowledges that he’s in a good place today, and not just because his band has parlayed a series of 2015 reunion shows into new music and a 2020 arena tour across the country.

He’s grateful that he has plenty going on to fill up his calendar, mostly by working as a firefighter, a job that he decided he’d be good at after the band that had consumed most of his adult life sputtered out.

Asked to flash back to Alexisonfire calling it a day in 2012, Pettit recalls being almost paralyzed by stress, well aware he was going to have to do something to pay the bills for his young family. Tensions were running high within the band when it all came crashing down—emotions were tied into everything from the endless grind of the album-tour-album cycle to singer-guitarist and cofrontman Dallas Green having his solo career take off with his City and Colour project.

Alexisonfire is back with a different outlook. Photo by Vanessa Heins

“It was ‘Holy fuck—what now?’ more so than relief,” Pettit recalls candidly of the disbanding. “We were 19 years old, we get into the van, and then we don’t get out of the van until we’re approaching 30. You spend 12 years playing shows, and then you’re suddenly faced with the reality that you have to rejoin society. I think we all struggled in our own way to figure out how to proceed after the band. And most of us kind of found something that worked for us. I had a new kid and a home and a wife, so I started writing down all of the things that I thought I might be able to do.”

The trajectory of Alexisonfire convinced Pettit that he’d be able to change careers. The band blew up almost immediately after forming in St. Catharines, Ontario—initial offerings like “Pulmonary Archery” and “.44 Caliber Love Letter” delivered a blowtorch strain of posthardcore.

The return of Alexisonfire started with a handful of 2015 reunion

shows, and the general consensus was that the band looked thrilled to be back after a bitter ending. Offers for comeback shows started trickling in long before the decision to test the waters with some initial oneoffs. That people were still interested came as a surprise.

“So much of our career was keeping the plates spinning in the air,” Pettit notes. “You’re trying to keep everything going, so to do that you’re touring constantly to keep yourself in the public eye in one way or the other. When we let all that go, it was like, ‘There’s a thousand other bands waiting to take over the spotlight and step into the place that we were at.’

So we thought whatever we had going would be gone, or at least take a big hit. But it was the exact opposite.

If anything, it was more beneficial to us to step away and give people some time. We didn’t need to come through town twice a year for people to be interested in us.”

A couple of 2019 singles (the metalbarbed grinder “Familiar Drugs” and gang-chant punk thumper “Complicit”) on Spotify proved Pettit, Green, guitarist Wade MacNeil, bassist Chris Steele, and drummer Jordan Hastings still had plenty to say. That was followed up earlier this month with the symphonic “Season of the Flood”.

The slow and deliberate way new material is being rolled out suggests lessons have been learned from the past. After redlining right from the start, Alexisonfire eventually burned out, writing and recording three full-

lengths between 2004 and 2009 while maintaining a gruelling tour schedule. Pettit and his bandmates know today that the industry has undergone seismic changes over the past decade, creating viable alternatives to cranking out a new album every 24 months.

“If our outside lives were completely erased, it would be very easy for us to go and make a record,” Pettit says. “When we get into creative mode, it’s really productive. But the fact of the matter is that we’re five people who all have separate careers now, so it’s complicated.

Aligning our schedules is hard, so we have to take little windows of opportunity to play shows or have practices.

The creative bug is there, so we’ll probably make more stuff, but this model really works for us right now. Making an album would be incredibly timeconsuming, and we’d have to disrupt a lot of things in our lives.

Whatever does happen, Alexisonfire is one of the lucky bands that’s gone away only to discover that it was legitimately missed.

“I could speculate on why people are so interested in us in 2020, but the reality is that I really don’t know,” he confesses. “Maybe there’s not a lot in modern pop music or modern radio lately that really appeals to people, and we were one of the last few bands in Canada to be a weirdo, outsider band that broke into that world.

Maybe people still want something that’s a little bit more original.” g Alexisonfire plays the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday (January 25).

Kennedy all about his clear vision

A

by Mike Usinger

man has to know his limitations, that doubly true for Dermot Kennedy, whose career has taken him to dizzying heights in the most modern of ways. When you’ve gone from being a busker from small-town Ireland to a Spotify sensation to a major-label singer-songwriter packing 4,000-seat venues across North America in a few short years, you can’t afford to screw things up in your downtime.

That explains why, a couple of weeks ago on a West Coast recharging stop, Kennedy decided that—as beautiful as the mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb looked—the last thing he wanted to do was learn to master runs like Raptor’s Ride or the Burnt Stew Trail.

“It was incredible up there, but I didn’t ski because I was afraid of breaking my arm,” the 28-year-old says with a laugh, reached on his cell in Los Angeles. “It was weird, because you’re down in the village, you see everyone getting on the chair lift, and you think, ‘Oh man, I would love to do that.’ But, as an alternative, I did

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go bobsledding on the track there, and that was just mental. It was unbelievable—literally the maddest thing that I’ve even experienced.”

That’s saying a lot, considering how things have unfolded since he was playing covers on Dublin’s fabled Grafton Street. His rise started on Spotify; thanks to the magic of algorithms, his song “After Rain” ended up on a featured Spotify playlist. Suddenly Kennedy was getting four million plays.

In conversation, he comes across as a man with a crystal-clear vision of the path he wants to take. Last year’s debut album, Without Fear, smartly pushed the boundaries of the singer-songwriter genre.

“Let’s take ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’—that’s probably my favourite song on the album,” Kennedy says. “It ticks off all my own personal boxes. I love it lyrically, I love the way that it builds and crescendoes, and I love that it has everything from mad layered vocals underneath to a beat that really draws on different genres. It’s a song that doesn’t pop me into the singer-

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When Kennedy goes on to talk about getting one-on-one advice from Bono and playing Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he seems legitimately grateful for the inspiration, rather than out to impress.

Given a strike-while-the-iron’s-hot schedule that’s been packed for the better part of two years, he plans to be around for a while, partly because his success hasn’t come on the back of a single smash song.

For Kennedy, a big part of coping is knowing when it’s time to push himself in places like Los Angeles (where he’s been busy writing to keep himself sharp) and when it’s time to kick back.

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JANUARY 2330 – 30 / 2020THE THE GEORGIASTR STRAIGHT JANUARY 23 – / 2020 GEORGIA AIGHT 21 JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21

Gay EMPLOYMENT Personals

EMPLOYMENTEmployment Careers

AWT Enterprises LTD o/a A Woman’s Touch is looking for Cleaning Supervisors.

Greater Vancouver, Perm, F/T (35 h/w).

Wage - $ 20.80/h. Commuting to job locations is paid for by employer.Requirements: high school, good English, experience as a cleaner. Experience as a cleaning supervisor is an asset. Main duties: Supervise and co-ordinate the activities of cleaners; Establish work schedules and procedures; Assign workers to duties, hire and train new staff; Resolve problems and customer complaints; Inspect job locations; Perform certain cleaning duties; Follow the rules and guidelines of our company. Company’s business address: 1130A 14th ST W, North Vancouver BC, V7P 1J8 Please apply by e-mail: hr.awtcleaning@gmail.com

Solodko Ukrainian Bakery Inc.

o/a Kozak Homemade Ukrainian Food is looking for Bakers. Job location: 5077 Victoria Drive, Vancouver BC. Perm, F/time, Shifts, Weekends Salary: $ 15.00 /h, extended health benefits.

Requirements: Good English, high school.

Previous experience as a baker is an asset.

On-the-job training will be provided.

Main duties: Mix ingredients and prepare dough; Bake breads, pastries, and other baked goods; Operate commercial size baking equipment; Ensure that the quality of products meets established standards; Frost and decorate pastries.

Company’s business address: 444 Sixth St, New Westminster, BC V3L 3B3 Please apply by e-mail: employment@solodko.ca

Amra Bakery Inc.

o/a European Breads Bakery is hiring Bakers.

Shifts, Weekends, Perm, Full-Time (40 h/w) Wage: 15.00 $/h Job requirements: Good English, Previous experience as a baker is an asset. On-the-job training will be provided by employer. Education: High school Main duties: Measure and combine flour and other ingredients according to recipes; Prepare dough for breads and other baked goods; Prepare and operate equipment for baking; Set and monitor temperatures and bake items; Ensure product freshness and food safety; Keep work area clean and tidy.

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Push for a cuckolding conversation

by Dan Savage

d I’M A 30-YEAR-OLD bi male. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of what I was used to. She said she respected my kink, and we both agreed we wanted to solidify our relationship before venturing down the cuckold road. Fastforward a couple of years, and we are in a healthy relationship, living together, regularly visiting sex clubs (though playing only with each other), and beginning to add some cuckold dirty talk to our sex play. Then after I proposed, we got busy with wedding plans. Sex and experimentation were set aside.

Once we got married, we started looking for a house. Sex again took a back seat. Life has settled down now, and when I bring up my desire to see her with other men, she tells me she’s willing, but the conversation quickly ends.

I have suggested making profiles on various websites, but it doesn’t happen. Am I doing something wrong? I fear that saying, “Let’s make a profile right now,” is pushy, and I absolutely do not want to be the whiny and pushy husband. Any advice you might have would be amazing.

- Wannabe Cuckold Growing Frustrated So you don’t want to be pushy where the wife is concerned, WCGF, but you’ll send me the same email half a dozen times in less than a week.

Look, WCGF, some people mean

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it when they say, “We can have threesomes/go to BDSM parties/try cuckolding once our relationship is solid.”

But some people don’t mean it. They tell their kinky and/or nonmonogamous partner what they want to hear in the hopes that after the wedding and the house and the kids, their husband and the father of their children (or their wife and the mother of their children) isn’t going to leave them over something as “trivial” as a threesome, a public spanking, or cuckolding. Complicating matters further, some people say it and mean it and then change their mind.

To figure out what’s going on (and to figure out whether you’re doing something wrong), you’re going to have to risk being a little pushy—not about putting up a profile but about having a conversation. You’re ready for this to happen, she tells you she is willing, but nothing ever happens.

If she does want it to happen, what steps can you take together to make it happen? If she doesn’t want it to happen—if she never wanted it to happen—you need her to level with you.

Remember, WCGF, she’s the one being asked to take the risks here—it’s her picture you want to put on a profile, not yours; she’s the one who’s going to potentially be meeting up with strangers for sex, not you; she’s the one who is risking exposure to STIs, not you. (Although you could wind up exposed too, of course. But just because you’re comfortable with that risk doesn’t mean she is.) She also might worry that you’re going to want her to fuck other guys way more often than

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Being a jerk to someone you’re not interested in seeing anymore in the hopes that they’ll dump you is never okay. It’s certainly not a favour you’re doing them, ASSHOLE, if for no other reason than they’re unlikely to call it quits at the first sign of your assholery.

When someone’s actions (jerkishness, assholery) conflict with their words (“I love you too, sweetheart”), the person on the receiving end of crazy-making mixed messages rarely bolts immediately. They seek reassurance. They ask the person who’s being an asshole to them if they’re still good, if everything’s okay, if they’re still in love.

And those aren’t questions the person being an asshole can answer honestly, ASSHOLE, because honest answers would end the relationship.

And that’s not how the asshole wants it, right? The asshole doesn’t want to honestly end things themselves; the asshole wants to dishonestly (and dishonourably) force the other person to end the relationship. So the asshole says we’re good, everything’s okay, I still love you, et cetera, and then dials the assholery up a little more.

Does the other person bolt then?

Nope. The other person asks all those same questions again, the asshole

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offers up the same lying assurances, and the other person asks again and is fed more lies. This sometimes goes on for years before the person being emotionally abused by a lying asshole decides they can’t take it anymore and ends the relationship—often over the objections of the person who wanted out all along!

Gaslighting isn’t a term I throw around often or loosely, ASSHOLE, but what you describe doing—and what you’re attempting to rationalize as a gift of some sort—may be the most common form of gaslighting. Nothing about being gaslighted in this manner makes it easier to bounce back after a relationship ends. It makes it harder. Yeah, yeah, your ex “gets” to be mad at you, but she’s going to have a much harder time trusting anyone after dating you because your assholery will likely cause her to doubt her own judgment.

These brand-new insecurities, a parting gift from you, may cause her to end or sabotage relationships that could have been great. As for your worry that a person may wind up carrying a torch for an ex who ends things with kindness and respect?

Well, torches have a way of burning out over time, and it’s even possible to will yourself to set a torch down and walk away from it. But the kind of emotional damage done by actions like yours, ASSHOLE? That shit can last a lifetime. g

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d I DID ONE OF THE things you always say is bad, immature, and hurtful. I was a jerk to my girlfriend for weeks because I wanted her to break up with me.

I know it was cowardly. I think she is a great woman, but I just wasn’t into the relationship and I let it go longer than I should have. I felt terrible that she loved me and I didn’t love her back, and I didn’t want to hurt her. My question is this: why do you think sabotaging a relationship in this way is so bad? I’m glad she hates me now. She can feel anger instead of sadness. I didn’t want to be a “great guy” who did the right thing when the relationship needed to end.

I want her to think I’m awful so she can move on with her life. If I said all the right things, that makes me more attractive and a loss. I’ve had women do that to me—break up with me the “right” way—and I respected them more and felt more in love with them and missed them more. I still think about them because they were so kind and respectful when they dumped me.

I prefer the relationships I’ve had that

ended with hatred, because at least I knew we weren’t good for each other and the end was no skin off my back.

Isn’t it better this way?(I’ve got no signoff that creates a clever acronym. Make one up if you want to publish my letter.)

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she’s comfortable with. There are a lot of solid reasons why she might have developed cold feet, and by addressing her concerns constructively—no face pics, no strangers, no cream pies, it can be a very occasional thing—you might make some progress.

But if it turns out this isn’t something she wants to do—because she never did or because she changed her mind—then you have to decide whether going without being cuckolded is a price of admission you’re willing to pay to stay in this marriage.

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JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23

I want to leave home but not the city.

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24 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JANUARY 23 – 30 / 2020