The Georgia Straight - Vaccine Rollout - December 17, 2020

FREE | DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

Volume 54 | Number 2760

THE NUTCRACKER

CHAN HON GOH’S COMEBACK

OPEN HOUSES

REALTORS ADJUST TO PANDEMIC

VACCINE ROLLOUT

COVID-19 immunizations are underway in British Columbia, but it’s still too early to declare victory over the virus that has created havoc around the world

K E I T H M AS

•

H I D D E N H I ST O RY

•

MEAL KITS

•

H O L I DAY G I F T S

COMMENTARY

What I learned by venturing out and observing a sculpture

CONTENTS

December 17 – 24 / 2020

4

COVER

The first vaccine for COVID-19 has arrived in Vancouver, generating excitement but also some trepidation from those who warn that it’s not a silver bullet.

by Charlie Smith

By Charlie Smith and Martin Dunphy Cover illustration by Shayne Letain

6

REAL ESTATE

Open houses have been a central part of the real-estate business for a very long time, but that may change in a postpandemic world.

By Carlito Pablo

9

HOLIDAY GIFTS

Here are a few recommendations in the little bit of time remaining to find those last-minute gifts for those you love.

By John Lucas and Mike Usinger

10 ARTS

Twelve years after retiring, National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Chan Hon Goh is making a comeback in The Nutcracker.

By Charlie Smith

The public-art project Writing to You tells a poignant Second World War love story with a sculpted bronze table and trunk at opposite ends of St. Julien Square. Photo by City of Vancouver.

L

ast week’s cover story in the Georgia Straight focused on the impact that the pandemic might be having on our sleep.

Here’s what I discovered from researching this article: if we aren’t exposed to sufficient natural light, it can disrupt our circadian rhythms. That can lead to serious health problems over time, including depression, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

There’s an easy way to prevent this: get outside in the natural light for 15 minutes in the morning. So, in that spirit I went for a walk on Saturday (December 12) morning and made another discovery.

I was strolling near the Beatty Street Drill Hall, home to the B.C. Regiment (formerly the Duke of Connaught’s Own).

Many readers will be familiar with this building, also known as the Beatty Street Armoury, completed in 1901.

There’s an old tank and cannon outside, appearing like anachronisms amid shiny Yaletown towers. There’s also a pocket park immediately to the south that celebrates a great romance. Until that day, I had never walked through this area, known as St. Julien Square. Much to my surprise, I discovered that this pocket park includes a commemorative sculpture called Writing to You, installed in 2007.

Created by Canadian artists Yvonne Lammerich and Ian Carr-Harris, it features two bronze sculptures at opposite ends of a grassy area. On the west side is a trunk with a letter on top. On the eastern edge of the square is a table with another letter on top.

The installation tells the story of a member of the B.C. Regiment, Maj. Lloyd G. Augustus, and his wife, Mary. They exchanged 2

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

more than 800 letters while he was serving in the Second World War. The table represents Mary at home with one of Lloyd’s letters. And the trunk depicts where Lloyd stored the letters sent by his wife. The disrupted ground below the trunk and the smooth floor beneath the table demonstrates how different life was for both of them during this tumultuous time. The distance between the objects speaks for itself.

It’s a poignant work of art that drives home the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families. It also left me thinking about the difficult times we’ve experienced during this pandemic.

So far, there have been 13,350 deaths from COVID-19 in Canada this year alone.

That’s almost one-quarter of the number of Canadian fatal battle casualties in the First World War from 1914 to 1918.

How will this agonizing period be reflected for future generations in the public arena for those who didn’t live through it?

What ideas will our artists have to show the heartache of those unable to be with their loved ones as they took their final breath?

How can sculptors showcase brave and loving sacrifices made by health-care workers and emergency responders as they rushed into danger in the course of their duties?

And where in Vancouver would be the best locations to place these memorials?

Outside local hospitals? In Stanley Park?

Let’s hope that once vaccines beat back this pandemic, city council takes the time to do it right—just as Lammerich and Carr-Harris managed to do in exhibiting how love helped beat back the anguish of a bygone era. g

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

e Online TOP 5

e Start Here

8 7 15 2 14 13 12 11 14

BOOKS CANNABIS CLASSIFIEDS COMMENTARY CONFESSIONS FOOD LIQUOR MUSIC SAVAGE LOVE

Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 54 | Number 2760 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 T: 604.730.7000 F: 604.730.7010 E: gs.info@straight.com straight.com

CLASSIFIEDS: T: 604.730.7060 E: classads@straight.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: T: 604.730.7020 F: 604.730.7012 E: sales@straight.com

DISTRIBUTION: 604.730.7087

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 604.730.7000

EDITOR Charlie Smith SECTION EDITORS Mike Usinger (ESports/Liquor/Music) Steve Newton SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy ASSOCIATE EDITOR John Lucas (Cannabis) STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) Craig Takeuchi SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER Janet McDonald

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

1 2 3 4 5

My escape to Canada from COVID-19 pandemic chaos in the United States.

Half-duplex with elevator (no kidding) sold over asking price of $1.8 million.

Renowned Vancouver chef Umberto Menghi to receive Order of the Star of Italy.

Alexandra Morton: DFO decisions—is this the end of Fraser River wild salmon?

Ex-UBC prof Carl Hansen is now worth more than $4 billion after AbCellera IPO. @GeorgiaStraight

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Miguel Hernandez PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia PRODUCTION Sandra Oswald SALES DIRECTOR Tara Lalanne ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Glenn Cohen, Catherine Tickle, Robyn Marsh, Manon Paradis, David Pearlman CONTENT AND MARKETING SPECIALIST Rachel Moore CIRCULATION MANAGER Giles Roy CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Tamara Robinson

PETER WALL’S YALETOWN 1310 Richards Street, Vancouver • 604.261.0732

OPEN HOUSE

SAT & SUN 9AM-5PM Amazing Rental Incentives!

YALETOWN’S FINEST LIVING Studio ■ 1 Bedroom ■ 2 Bedroom

NOW RENTING

Located in the heart of Yaletown, overlooking English Bay and False Creek, Peter Wall Yaletown is a rare residential leasing opportunity www.pw-yaletown.com | suites@pw-yaletown.com

PETER WALL’S SHANNON MEWS 1515 W. 57th Avenue, Vancouver • 604.261.0732

OPEN HOUSE

SAT & SUN 9AM-5PM Amazing Rental Incentives!

NOW RENTING

Studio

■

1 Bedroom

■

2 Bedroom

■

Townhouse

Stunning, historical neighbourhood with many urban amenities. Close to shopping. www.pw-shannonmews.com | suites@pw-shannonmews.com DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

3

HEALTH

COVID-19 vaccine offers public hope for the future Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry described the arrival of the first shipment as “momentous news”

L

by Charlie Smith and Martin Dunphy

ess than 24 hours after the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in British Columbia, the provincial health officer was able to find something truly positive to say at one of her daily briefings. This occurred even as the pandemic death count continued to rise.

“What this means is we now have a safe and effective vaccine that has been approved for use here in Canada and is available here in British Columbia,” Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters on December 14. “And this is momentous news and the first step in our path to protecting people most at risk in our communities and taking the pressure off our health-care system so that care is available for all of us who need it across the province.”

The following day, there was even more excitement when a health-care worker received the province’s first COVID-19 vaccination as Henry and the vaccine-rollout overseer, Dr. Ross Brown, applauded.

The speed with which this vaccine was produced is truly astonishing. On CKNW Radio, University of Alberta health-law expert Timothy Caulfield compared this scientific achievement with sending human beings to the moon.

But don’t kid yourself. Despite the euphoria, the arrival of the vaccine does not mark the end of the long nightmare that we’ve been living through. As of December 15, there had already been 668 deaths in B.C. And with just 4,000 vaccines in the limited first round, it’s going to take many months before everyone who wants to be immunized to receive their required two shots.

And even then, with the recently approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination, it takes weeks after the second dose before it’s fully effective. That’s why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that people continue wearing face masks in public indoor spaces, maintain physical distancing, and continue

The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in B.C. marked the beginning of a new phase in the pandemic. According to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, it signified the first step along a path to protecting people most at risk in communities and taking pressure off the health-care system.

proper hand-washing hygiene.

“I can’t tell how exciting this is to know that this start of this new phase of being able to protect people is beginning here in B.C. and in Canada,” Henry said on December 14. “As we know, the global pandemic has meant a year like no other for all of us. And we are all doing things that we have never done before.”

However, she added a cautionary note— emphasizing that danger lurks every time people get together.

“There is risk in our communities across

Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould Member of Parliament Vancouver Granville

604.717.1140 | Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca jodywilson-raybould.ca | @Puglaas | @MPJodyWR

4

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

the province right now and across the country and around the globe,” Henry declared. “No event or gathering is completely safe right now. And we need to be aware of that because the virus continues to circulate in our communities and, tragically, people continue to lose their loved ones to this virus.”

Canada has secured supply deals with seven vaccine manufacturers to date. On December 8, Health Canada approved the U.S.-German Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 years of age and older after a two-month review of the company’s clinical-trial data. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the same vaccine on December 11. This vaccine has a 94.7 percent efficacy rate.

Weekly vaccine shipments to all provincial health authorities will start on December 21, with subsequent deliveries for priority groups—probably including essential workers, those with significant underlying medical conditions, and people over 65— commencing as supplies arrive. Availability dates for those not considered a priority will be announced as more supplies become confirmed. The federal government has said that it hopes to start making the vaccine available to the general population after finishing with priority groups by about March 2021.

The long-term efficacy of the vaccines is not yet known, so “booster shots” could be

required in future. As well, side effects not observed during clinical trials may become apparent over a longer period, and it is not yet known how well, or even if, transmission of COVID-19 will be prevented by any vaccine. The major benefit so far is prevention of the disease or lessening of its effects.

The Liberal MP for Vancouver Centre, Dr. Hedy Fry, is also sounding a note of caution. As a 79-year-old who suffers with asthma, Fry faces a much greater risk from COVID-19 than those who are much younger and don’t suffer from respiratory, cardiovascular, or autoimmune diseases.

“The important thing I wanted to say to Canadians: it’s not a silver bullet,” the veteran parliamentarian pointed out.

“The vaccines will not create what we call herd immunity unless a lot of people get vaccinated.”

Then there are the logistical challenges of distributing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which must be refrigerated at 70° C below zero before being thawed for use. (Other vaccines in the pipeline won’t require such extreme-cold storage.) UBC Sauder School of Business professor and logistics expert Mahesh Nagarajan told the Straight by phone that it will be exceedingly complicated delivering it into nursing homes, which is why health-care workers are often the first see next page

to be immunized. Furthermore, he said that there currently aren’t enough vaccines to meet the demand.

“The public, apparently, is somewhat nervous, so we don’t know the demand,” Nagarajan added.

produce antibodies, a mRNA vaccine “teaches” our cells to make a harmless portion of a protein found on the surface of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 illness. Our immune systems then react to its “foreign” presence by mak-

You can’t persuade people to do something they don’t want to do. But you have to explain to them how vaccines and why vaccines are important.

– Vancouver Centre Liberal MP Dr. Hedy Fry

A December 2 CBC story indicated that an average of results from three national polls showed that between 11 percent and 15 percent of Canadians would not get vaccinated, while a November 27 Ipsos poll determined that 13 percent of respondents would not get the vaccine under any circumstances.

The Ipsos results also revealed that 71 percent of those surveyed were nervous about taking a vaccine that was quickly created and approved. Almost the same percentage (69) were concerned about potential long-term effects. Angus Reid numbers showed that 32 percent of Canadians had reservations about a COVID-19 vaccine and would likely hold off on getting vaccinated.

“You can’t persuade people to do something they don’t want to do,” Fry acknowledged. “But you have to explain to them how vaccines and why vaccines are important.”

As an example, she cited the polio vaccine, which halted a disease that often left people disabled in the 1950s. Fry added that smallpox killed hundreds of millions of people in the developing world, including huge numbers of Indigenous people in North America, before it was halted with a vaccine. Moreover, she said that the federal government is paying for the COVID-19 vaccine, which means that nobody has to pay out of their own pocket to be immunized.

“It’s not going to cure COVID-19,” Fry emphasized. “But what we’re hoping is with a lot of use of the vaccine by as large a number of Canadians as possible that COVID-19 will become kind of like the flu.”

In fact, clinical trials show that those who took the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine largely avoided the most serious complications from COVID-19, which include strokes, severe breathing difficulties requiring ventilation, and cardiovascular and kidney problems.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both new mRNA, or messenger RNA, vaccines. This type of vaccine has not been authorized before in North America for vaccines and is being closely watched, though it is considered as safe as any other vaccine.

Instead of using an inactivated or weak virus to trigger an immune response to

ing antibodies to fight the intruder and “remembering” how to do so in the future.

Heidi Tworek, a historian and associate professor in the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, has studied vaccine “hesitancy”. She told the Straight by phone that vaccination rates will rise if information is tailored toward different groups of people, meeting them where they’re at, with presentations in multiple languages and on many social-media platforms.

“For some, they really want to see as much data as possible,” Tworek said. “They’re going to spend hours diving into data. For other people, they want a simple graphic.” g

Funeral & Cremation Services Inc.

The Best is

Simply

Affordable

Essential Online Cremation Package $845 Funeral Services Package

from $2698

THANK YOU FOR VOTING NURSES #1 LOCAL HEROES! www.bcnu.org

BCNU is grateful for your vote as #1 union — we’re proud to support all BC nurses in the delivery of safe patient care. #Nurses2020 #HelpKeepNursesSafe

604.831.3023 (24/7) 1209 - 207 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

www.amherstcremation.com DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

5

REAL ESTATE

Customary open houses change to appointments

O

by Carlito Pablo

pen houses are a revered tradition in the business of selling homes.

Sellers prettify their homes as if a writer from a lifestyle magazine is coming. There’s never a better time to declutter. For realtors, it’s like having a public auction. The more people come and see others checking out the property, the better. The chances of a sale are likely higher. It could even trigger a bidding war.

Among potential buyers, it’s a chance to get a feel of the home. They go to a stranger’s house because they want to see if they can imagine themselves living in it. As with many business practices impacted by COVID-19, open houses may not return with the same appeal in a postpandemic world.

What will likely become more conventional are appointment-only or private home showings. In a typical open house, anybody can simply walk in.

B.C. realtors like Connie McGinley and Tom Choy adopted the practice of scheduled property viewings as soon as lockdowns and restrictions started in mid-March 2020.

In separate interviews, McGinley and Choy related that based on their experience during this pandemic, homes will still sell without opening a house to a mass of people.

“When you do an open house, you do not know who’s coming,” McGinley, an agent with the Vancouver-based Dexter Realty, told the Straight by phone.

It could be someone who was only driving by, saw the signs, and got curious. Or it may be neighbours who only want to look.

With appointment-only viewings, realtors get to deal with “more serious people”.

This also allows for easier contact-tracing in case something happens, McGinley added.

McGinley, a Vancouverite all her life,

COVID-19 means that small home showings replace open houses. Photo by Joe Belanger/Getty.

thinks that she will probably never do an open house again, even if the pandemic passes. Open houses are a lot of work. A realtor buys an ad in a local paper days ahead, puts up signs, prints materials for guests, and spends hours at the home, typically on a weekend, when more buyers are expected to be out house-hunting.

“You sit there and you wait, and sometimes nobody shows up,” McGinley said.

It’s not that it’s simply a waste of time.

“But there’s a better way to do it, and this pandemic showed us the way: that we could sell properties without ever doing an open house,” McGinley said.

In mid-March, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, regulators and professional boards advised realtors against conducting open houses. This recommendation was lifted in July, and several safety procedures were put in place. These included limiting the number of people at an open house, depending on the size of the property.

CONGR AT ULATIONS to all the new owners who have embraced “Living on the Water” in 2020.

On November 5, in the face of surging infection numbers, regulators and industry associations again advised realtors to discontinue open houses.

As an alternative, limited home showings are allowed. A December 9, 2020, industry guide lists several best practices for these viewings. These include allowing a maximum of six people in viewings, including realtors and occupants.

Also, visitors have to be prescreened. One example of that is that a guest must have been prequalified for a home purchase by a financial institution. Visitors must also be working with a realtor, and guests must have already either listed or sold their current home.

Tom Choy has been in the business of selling homes for a long time. The former New York stockbroker, who was originally from the Philippines, started as a Vancouver realtor in 1992. He is an associate broker with Royal Pacific Realty.

Choy has had opportunities to hold open

houses for his listings during the pandemic.

However, he decided that would not happen because of the health risks.

Choy hired a company to do video presentations for properties. But in order to close a deal, he had to do appointment-only viewings. “Buyers still need to see it physically to make a final decision,” Choy told the Straight by phone.

An offer can still be withdrawn if a purchaser does not like what they see in person.

This speaks to a certain psychology in buying a home.

“When you enter a house, if you fall in love with it right away, this is it,” Choy explained.

“But it’s hard to fall in love with a video.”

Despite restrictions and uncertainties brought about by COVID-19, residential property in the province has fared well.

On Monday (December 14), the B.C. Real Estate Association reported that home sales from January to November 2020 were up 18.7 percent, to 85,625 units, compared to the same period in 2019.

Also, the year-to-date dollar volume of the sales was $66.43 billion. This represents a 32.3 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the BCREA. In addition, the year-to-date average price of a home was up 11.4 percent, to $775,845.

Like Dexter Realty’s McGinley, Royal Pacific Realty’s Choy sees himself, at least for the medium term, doing just appointmentonly home viewings, even if the pandemic gets under control.

“I’m ready for the next few years for this way of doing business as a realtor,” Choy said.

Choy added that he may do open houses again but only after 70 percent of the population gets vaccinated for the novel coronavirus. g

COMING IN 2021!

The Next Float Home Generation

Sleek Euro Design, Eco-friendly, Fully Equipped under $400,000

6

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

604.878.0680

CANNABIS

Big November gains offset recent pot-stock dips

A

by Charlie Smith

fter impressive gains since U.S. Election Day, many Canadia pot stocks pulled back somewhat during the past week. But investors needn’t worry too much: these weedcompany share prices remain far higher than where they stood in early November.

Take the example of the most valuable publicly traded company, Canopy Growth Corporation. Its shares declined by seven percent over the last seven days of trading leading up to Tuesday (December 15).

However, at $33.93 they were still up 22 percent from the opening price on November 3, when Americans went to the polls.

And Canopy Growth’s market cap remains at an impressive $12.63 billion.

Investors in Edmonton-based Aurora Cannabis Inc. also endured some doldrums over the past seven days as their shares fell five percent. The stock closed on Tuesday at $12.92 in Toronto.

Yet its market cap of $2.37 billion is still 97 percent above its market cap when trading opened on Election Day on November 3.

Toronto-based Cronos Group also fits the pattern. Its shares declined by six percent over five days, closing on Tuesday at $10.30 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The biggest Canadian weed stocks are doing just fine. Photo by Esteban Lopez/Unsplash.

company based in Canada is Tilray. The Nanaimo-based licensed producer endured the sharpest drop in share value of the five during the past week, dipping by 9.4 percent.

On Tuesday, it closed at US$7.87 on NASDAQ, leaving it with a market cap of US$1.05 billion. That’s $1.33 billion in Canadian currency.

Tilray stock also hasn’t fared as well as the others since early November.

At the opening on Election Day, the

shares were trading at US$6.88. This means that the stock has only gone up by 14 percent since then. g

MORE CANNABIS ONLINE AT CANNCENTRAL.COM

That left it with a market cap of $3.67 billion—still 30 percent above where they stood at the opening bell on Election Day. Another billion-dollar Canadian cannabis company, Aphria Inc., closed at $10.32 on Tuesday down five percent over seven days.

On the morning of November 3, Aphria shares opened at $6.77 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. So in five weeks, they’re still up by 52 percent.

Cannabis stocks surged since early November partially as a result of voters in New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana all approved legalizing recreational cannabis for residents over the age of 21.

The fifth and final billion-dollar weed

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

7

BOOKS

B.C. pioneers get some long-overdue recognition

F

by Charlie Smith

covers everything from ancient artifacts to the creation of a cement plant, the role of Sikh labourers in the early 20th century, a Chinese village that was destroyed in 1921, and the development of the Butchart Gardens. This is where cultures overlapped and commerce often triumphed over nature and Indigenous ways of living.

In 2017, the Tsartlip First Nation reached an interim reconciliation agreement with the province. Today, a Tsartlip member, B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen, represents this area in the B.C. legislature.

or more than a century, the publishing industry was awash in stories about dominant E u r o p e a n culture in B.C. and the so-called great men of history. But that’s been changing in recent years as historians have begun exploring other, equally important aspects of our past. As part of our series of articles highlighting B.C.published books and B.C. authors during the holiday season, here are three titles that tell stories about communities that haven’t received as much attention as they deserve.

DEEP AND SHELTERED WATERS: THE HISTORY OF TOD INLET

By David R. Gray (Royal B.C. Museum) This is not a simple book, as it details the history of the Tsartlip people dating back to archeological times in Tod Inlet, which is located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park on southeastern Vancouver Island, beside the Saanich Peninsula. In addition, David R. Gray’s compelling social history

GO DO SOME GREAT THING: THE BLACK PIONEERS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

By Crawford Kilian (Harbour Publishing) The third edition of retired Capilano University professor Crawford Kilian’s 1978 book is particularly timely, given that the Vancouver school board has recently

An Aladdin’s cave of new & used books.

d Tanglewoo

BOOK S

approved an elective for Grade 12 students called African Descent History in British Columbia. Kilian’s book explains how a fugitive-slave law and other discriminatory legislation led many Black Californians to emigrate to British Columbia in the late 1850s. One of the community leaders, antislavery activist and businessman Mifflin Gibbs, was the fi rst Black person in B.C. elected to municipal office when he became a Victoria city councillor. “Working off James Pilton’s earlier MA thesis Negro Settlement in British Columbia, 1858-1871 published in 1951, Kilian has written a very accessible introduction to the history of Black presence in the province for both the casual and scholarly reader,” historian Adam Rudder writes in the foreward to the new edition.

A WOMAN IN BETWEEN: SEARCHING FOR DR. VICTORIA CHUNG

By John Price and Ningping Yu (Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia and the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies at UBC) A 1948 newspaper article in the Peterborough Examiner sent academics John Price and Ningping Yu on a decade-long odyssey investigating the life story of Canada’s first Chinese Canadian physician. Victoria Chung was born in Victoria in 1897, attended Victoria High School, and studied medicine at the University of Toronto on a scholarship. She moved to China in 1923, where she practised medicine and had a fascinating life there until her death in 1966. Not only does this book cover dramatic events in China, it also chronicles the history of Chinese Canadians in Victoria during a period of intense discrimination. g

Decorate your Home Poinsettias, Greens, and More… …

30% OFF

Located in a heritage building on Broadway at the corner of Vine St. Popular and unusual DVD collection, as well as some rare vinyl thrown into the mix.

WE CAN GET SPECIAL ORDERS TO YOU WITHIN BUSINESS DAYS!

4

Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm Sunday 12pm-6pm

2306 W. Broadway

lewood book s.ca Ta ng

604-736-8876

8

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

CHRISTMAS TREES Natural Douglas Fir

$ 29.99 each

CHRISTMAS ROSE HELLEBORUS 6 inch pot

$ 14.99 each

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS*

*Excludes Fresh Wreaths & Greens

2560 West Broadway, Vancouver • 604-733-1534 HuntersGardenCentre.com Mon. to Sun. 9am - 5:30pm | Christmas Eve 9am - 4pm | Christmas Day Closed | Boxing Day Closed

Re-opening December 28th 9am to 5pm

HOLIDAY GIFTS

Last-minute ideas for cooks, gamers, and cinema buffs

by John Lucas and Mike Usinger

1875 BOUNDARY RD, VANCOUVER BC

604-291-2453

Naughty or nice we’ve got something for everyone: • • • • •

Watches Jewelry Wallets Purses Belts & Buckles

• • • • •

Footwear Home & Garage Decor Christmas Decor Stocking Stuffers Motorcycle Covers

Clothing for the whole family!

E

Give someone a T-Fal pressure cooker for Christmas and they’ll have more time on their hands.

Give them Angus An’s Maenam and they can use that time to perfect the art of Thai cooking.

ver been to Home Hardware on Commercial Drive? If not, it’s a truly magical place, for no other reason than that they always have everything, whether it’s sash cord for a circa-1910 double-hung window or roofing nails by the brown-bagged pound. What they don’t have this year is normal Christmas trees—unless your idea of normal is a Charlie Brown Xmas tree. They’ve got plenty of those, and while hopelessly sad-looking, they are also kind of fitting for what’s been a year to forget.

On that note, in case you’ve forgotten a gift for that certain someone on your list and are down three quarts on seasonal inspiration, the following suggestions will help. And before you slip them under that Charlie Brown Xmas tree, don’t forget to wrap the base of that little fella with a security blanket. We all need a little extra love this year, and it’s the small gestures that count.

not talking an electric Instant Pot, which takes the guess work, and hence half the fun, out of everything. Instead, like Julia Child, rock things old-school with the T-Fal Mirro Aluminum Pressure Cooker, knowing that it’s a 30-minute express pass to stuff that normally takes hours and hours to execute: coq au vin, beef bourguignon, Irish lamb stew, and Japanese pork curry. (And don’t even get us started on Urvashi Pitre’s crazy-easy but authentic butter chicken). Invented in the late 1600s by France’s Denis Papin, pressure cookers use high thermal heat from trapped steam to cook food in a quarter of the normal time. Those who love being in the kitchen love gadgetry, and this one’s a game-changer.

Just remember—for old-time’s sake—to stand back and duck and cover before opening. ($49.99 at Canadian Tire).

T-FAL MIRRO ALUMINUM PRESSURE COOKER

With the economic future of, well, the world more uncertain than it’s ever been, saving money has become a thing in 2020. And a big way we’ve done that is skipping Skip the Dishes and honing our cooking chops at home. Vancouver’s Angus An helps you up your Thai game in a major way with Maenam, which also happens to be the name of one of his restaurants. One of the great things about the book is that it will get you out of the house to source ingredients like galangal, pak chi farang, and kaffir limes—none of which are difficult to track down in our fabulously multicultural city. Another is how An straddles the line between traditional Thai cuisine (Geng Gari Roast Chicken, Panaeng Curry of Braised Beef Rib) and recipes with a decided West Coast flair (Salad of Grilled Sockeye Salmon, Hot Sour Soup of Halibut and Thai Basil). But the best thing about the

As myths go, it’s one of the most fascinating ones of modern times. At some point someone decided that pressure cookers were more dangerous than smoking filterless Export As, eating raw Dollar Store chicken, and throwing cans of Miss Clairol into a campfire. But Google “Famous pressure cooker accidents” and all you get is links for an army of ambulance-chasing lawyers who are clearly hoping that someone’s pressure cooker explodes—preferably taking out an eye, limb, or large section of the neighbourhood—because it’s good for business. Here’s something we learned days into lockdown: used correctly, pressure cookers are not only perfectly safe, but insanely useful. Quite frankly, you’re in more danger from what the Basques like to call a zakarrontzia sutan.

Quick point of clarification here, in that we’re

boxing week December 27 - january 9! on select Parts, Accesories, Apparel & Merchandise

MAENAM: A FRESH APPROACH TO THAI COOKING, BY ANGUS AN

see page 12

* EXCLUDES NEW MOTORCYCLES

HOLIDAY HOURS: • • • • •

December 20 - Open Sunday December 24 - Closed at 3pm December 25 & 26 Closed December 31- Closed at 3pm January 1 - Closed

WWW.TREVDEELEY.COM DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

9

ARTS

Chan Hon Goh marks a comeback in The Nutcracker

C

by Charlie Smith

han Hon Goh has accomplished a great deal in her life. A former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, she performed on-stage for more than 20 years before hanging up her slippers in 2009.

Since then, as the director of the Goh Ballet Academy and Youth Company Canada, she has won numerous honours, including being admitted into the Order of Canada, winning a YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and capturing an award as the best teacher at the World Ballet Competition.

The Goh Ballet has been based in Vancouver since 1978. And it’s best known to Vancouverites for staging The Nutcracker every year since 2009. But this year, Chan

Hon Goh is doing something different and, to her fans, unexpected. For the first time in more than a decade, she is dancing again as part of this year’s edition of The Nutcracker.

She is performing the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” in a filmed version that will be available for free across Canada from Friday (December 18) until January 2.

“I enjoyed it very much, but it was not an easy process,” Goh revealed to the Straight in a phone interview. “I actually pulled my calf muscle a week before the filming and was very scared that I was not going to be able to get my pointe shoes on.”

Goh hadn’t been doing any training since stepping back from her dancing career many years ago. She only began preparing for this

Former National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Chan Hon Goh has decided to dance again in Goh Ballet’s 12th edition of The Nutcracker, which will be available to a national audience.

performance six weeks before The Nutcracker was conceived as a film project, which she codirected with Los Angeles–based Lucas Dong. For Goh, one of the challenges was ensuring that the camera was properly positioned while she was dancing.

“I would be shouting out to one of my rehearsal assistants, ‘Okay, did it cut off my hand? Are you sure I’m in frame?’ ” Goh said with a chuckle. “I would be worrying about that and then getting the music started, and I’d start to dance—and not think about that and just dance my best.”

All the dancers were cast from the Goh Ballet, with 20-year-old Alex Stonehouse playing the lead character. The story revolves around a young male dancer who grew up watching The Nutcracker. But as a young adult, he’s tormented over whether the pandemic will prevent him from actually having a career in ballet.

Through his flashbacks, the audience gets a glimpse into what happens inside a dance company, including how auditions and rehearsals take place. In one of those recollections, Goh performs her dance.

“He is so enamoured by the beauty and the allure of dance,” she relates. “Really, we wanted to say we all find these inspirational moments that make us decide on something that becomes our life—or a big part of our life.”

Although Goh is missing not staging The Nutcracker in front of a live audience this year, she takes comfort in being able to 10

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

present it to people across Canada, thanks to funding from RBC. And she realizes that as a result of this performance going straight to video, it will undoubtedly attract a larger audience than any of her previous 11 editions of The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker’s score was written

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and it was launched in 1892 as a two-act fairy ballet.

The libretto was adapted from an 1816 story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, written by Prussian author E. T. A. Hoffman.

The script for the Goh Ballet’s filmed version was written by L.A.-based writer Kate Orsini.

“For me, I wanted something that would be a reflection of what young dancers and performing artists are going through,” Goh says. “So it’s very much about the COVID journey for a young dancer.”

Goh adds that her dance company learned a great deal through this experience. And she’s hoping that it can continue hosting virtual workshops for young dancers in the future.

“We have plans to enter this short film in many international film festivals,” she notes.

“You know, part of what I truly believe and advocate for is just the telling of a dancer’s story, what this art form means, and what it can do to people who enjoy it.” g Watch The Nutcracker by Goh Ballet for free from Friday (December 18) to January 2 at GohNutcracker.com.

MUSIC

Keithmas sour-mash bash goes the streaming route

by Steve Newton

From the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal Members of Parliament

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season

Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau et les dĂŠputĂŠs libĂŠraux vous

souhaitent de meilleurs voeux à l’occasion des Fêtes

!|Äş omÄş †vা m Trudeau Papineau

Y

Organizer John Hewer notes that no band has ever asked to be paid for the Keithmas fundraiser.

ou don’t have to drink Jack Daniel’s to be a true Keith Richards fan. But it helps. Just ask John Hewer, cofounder of the annual Keithmas concerts, which have raised more than $85,000 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank during the past 10 years When asked which Keithmas moments have been most memorable over that decade, he lays a bit of the blame for his spotty recollection on the fabled Tennessee whiskey. “That’s really hard to say,� Hewer ponders on the phone from his Mount Pleasant home. “There was a couple of years when nothing much stood out. But I’ve learned to manage my Jack Daniel’s consumption, so I’m a little more cognizant of what’s going on.�

This year, eight rock acts have signed up for Keithmas: Big Sugar, Odds, Joe Keithley from D.O.A., Bend Sinister, Phono Pony, Rock N’ Roll Circus, the Wild North, and Rempel and the Rousers. Of course, thanks to COVID-19, this time the sour-mash bash will be streamed directly into viewers’ homes, with most of the bands performing live from the Rickshaw Theatre. “Just to be clear, so nobody freaks out, none of the bands will be in the Rickshaw at the same time,� Hewer points out. “We’re following all the protocols and not trying to ignore anything. We just want to make sure the event happens so that we can raise some money for the food bank.�

Back in 2010, when Hewer and cofounder James Hayden put on the first Keithmas gig, he had no inkling that the event might still be a thing in 2020.

“Oh, god, no,� he says. “The first year was just sort of a lark, but we had such a good time, and everybody around the event was so positive, that we knew we had to do another. And after we did the second one, we just haven’t stopped. “In 11 years, everybody’s done it for free,� he adds. “We’ve never had a band ask for money or for anything to perform. We’ve had people volunteer and never question giving their time.�

Besides Hewer and Hayden, the main motivators of the Keithmas cause have been co-organizer Rob Wright (bassist of local punk-rock band Vicious Cycles) and Chris Young, who provides the backline gear so all that the bands have to do is plug in and play.

For the uninitiated, the Keithmas moniker derives from the understanding that there are two very important dates worth celebrating during the last month of the year. “The reason we came up with Keithmas in the first place,� Hewer explains, “was that we were looking to hold a party for the bands we were booking way back when at the Fairview [Pub]. We wanted to combine it with something, and we realized that Keith Richards’s birthday was on December 18. So it started out as a celebration of Christmas and Keith Richards, and before the event was over it was ‘Keithmas’. And it’s been Keithmas ever since. “But he’s the baddest cat in rock,�

Hewer stresses, “so it’s a no-brainer.� g Keithmas livestreams December 18 at 7 p.m.

(Pacific). Tickets are available at rickshawtheatre. ticketspice.com/keithmas.

Terry Beech

Hon. Hedy Fry

Terry.Beech@parl.gc.ca

Hedy.Fry@parl.gc.ca

Burnaby North—Seymour

Vancouver Centre

Hon. Joyce Murray

Hon. Harjit Sajjan

Joyce.Murray@parl.gc.ca

Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca

Vancouver Quadra

Vancouver South

Ken Hardie

Fleetwood—Port Kells Ken.Hardie@parl.gc.ca

Patrick Weiler

West Vancouver— Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca

$o v|-‹ v-=; 7†ubm] |_;v; 1_-Ń´Ń´;m]bm] া l;vġ l-m‹ ‰bŃ´Ń´ 0; o0v;uˆbm] -m7 1;Ń´;0u-া m] |u-7bা omv 7b@ ;u;m|Ѵ‹ |_bv ‹;-uÄş Ń´;-v; 1omা m†; |o =oŃ´Ń´o‰ ‹o†u Ń´o1-Ń´ r†0Ń´b1 _;-Ń´|_ l;-v†u;v |o u;7†1; |_; vru;-7 o= ( ĹŠĆ?Ć– o†u u;v|;u ;m vŕŁ?1†ub|ŕŁ? ;m 1;v |;lrv 7bL 1bŃ´;vġ rѴ†vb;†uv o0v;uˆ;uom| ;| 1ŕŁ?Ń´ŕŁ?0u;uom| Ń´;v |u-7bা omv 7; l-mbŕŁ?u; 7b@ ŕŁ?u;m|; 1;‚ ; -mmŕŁ?;Äş (;†bŃ´Ń´;ÂŒ 1omা m†;u ŕ˘˜ v†bˆu; Ń´;v l;v†u;v 7; v-m|ŕŁ? r†0Ń´bt†; 7; ˆo|u; uŕŁ?]bom ro†u -b7;u ŕ˘˜ uŕŁ?7†bu; Ń´- ruor-]-া om 7; Ń´- ( ĹŠĆ?Ć–Äş

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

11

LIQUOR

Bust the bank this season with top-shelf bottles

W

by Mike Usinger

hen you’re a liquor nerd, there are few things more exciting than ripping off the wrapping paper and discovering a $28,000 bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. All right, confession time: that’s never happened. But dare to dream that one day your best friend will win LottoMax and then spend the money recklessly and foolishly and—most important of all— drunkenly. Vaguely related, why is the winner always some guy in his early 60s who works in a ball-bearing plant in Sudbury, and who answers “Maybe buy a new truck or a lawnmower” when asked what he’ll be doing with his $52 million payout?

But back to the common rabble. Chances are you’re budget-minded when stocking up the liquor cabinet for home. But all that changes during the holiday season. In “Christmas Is A-Comin’”, Bing Crosby once noted “The more you give at Christmastime the more you get”. That’s entirely accurate, of course—give ’til it hurts, and what you get is a Mastercard bill that takes until the following summer to pay off. But who gives a shit? Spending more than you should means seeing a genuine appreciation on

Bottles that you’re probably too cheap to buy for yourself include (left to right) Bespoke vodka, Casamigos Reposado, and the hard-to-part-with Tequila Ocho Single Barrel Extra Anejo.

someone’s face come Christmas Day. Even if it’s for all the wrong reasons, this year’s been one that no one is going to forget. And in case you’re worried someone might, why not pony up for the gift of Belvedere Bespoke Polish Vodka ($109.99). This one’s pretty cool, in that you can personalize the metal label on the light-up bottle with a name, date, or festive phrase. Great news if your giftee is named Mark, Sarah, or Pat, probably bad if their parents christened them Mahershalalhashbaz.

A bottle of Tequila Ocho Single Barrel Extra Anejo ($224.99) is guaranteed to light up the face of a hard-core tequila aficionado, but the average dudette might not know it from a El Jimador Reposado.

Gift it anyhow, and then ask them “Do you know that this is?” without sounding patronizing in case they don’t. You can also show you care with a rare-in-these-parts Mezcal Koch Tobala ($129.99 at Legacy Liquor Store), where the star of the show is the tobala, a slow-growing Oaxaca varietal that’s dubbed King of Agave.

Or you can leave a Casamigos Mezcal ($99.99) or Casamigos Reposado ($82.99) under the tree, thus giving someone the gift of six degrees of separation from George Clooney. (The actor and philanthropist started the company as a private endeavour, eventually taking it public when word got out). .

If you really want to show that you care, spring for Appleton Estate’s 21 Year Old ($159.99), recommended as “extraordinary” by the judges at last year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge in New York. A little more budgetfriendly is Ron Matusalem 23 Year Old Rum Gran Reserva ($79.99), which makes for a brilliant twist on an Old-Fashioned.

Nothing says “God Bless America and pass the Colt .45” like bourbon. Booker’s Small Batch ($97.99) will kick your Revolver or Tamarind Whiskey Sour up a couple of notches. Bulleit Barrel Strength ($84.99) makes a solid choice, meanwhile, for those who love spaghetti westerns, chewing tobacco, and everything about the badlands of Arizona.

Or crack open that piggy bank shaped like Ebenezer Scrooge and lay down $259 for a bottle of Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone. After all, Christmas only comes once a year. Thank Christ. g

from page 9

book? Your giftee will actually learn something, especially if they’ve spent the past decade making Pad Thai at home with ketchup instead of tamarind sauce. ($35 at Maenam, 1938 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver.)

IMMORTALS FENYX RISING

Is the gamer on your list still reeling from the fact that this year’s big Legend of Zelda release was not the Breath of the Wild sequel they were hoping for? It’s tempting to say that Immortals Fenyx Rising is the next best thing, but that would be doing the new Ubisoft game a serious disservice.

The many similarities in plot and gameplay are undeniable, though. In Fenyx Rising as in BOTW, the player controls a character who has awoken into a world in the grip of calamity. There are puzzles to solve, baddies to fight, and an open world to explore. In this case, that open world is based on Greek mythology. The monstrous Typhon has escaped from his imprisonment by Zeus and is exacting his revenge on the gods. Can Fenyx, a mere mortal, step in where the Olympian deities have failed and restore order? Fenyx Rising was developed by the same Ubisoft Quebec team behind Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and some aspects—particularly the fight mechanics—borrow heavily from that title as well. So it’s not just a straight-up Zelda clone—but it will fi ll the void nicely for anyone waiting for Nintendo to finish Breath of the Wild 2. (Available for PS4, 12

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

You don’t have to be John McClane to do a bit of good with Rio Theatre gift certificates.

PS5, Stadia, Switch, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Rated teen.)

RIO THEATRE GIFT CERTIFICATES

Thanks to provincial health orders in response to COVID-19, the Rio Theatre is currently closed. (The owners are petitioning the province, reasoning that since bars and restaurants are allowed to remain open, cinemas should be.) The beloved East Van institution is hoping to return to normal business in January, but until then it could use some support. By which we mean money. Kill two turtle doves with one stone by helping out the Rio while also stuffing the stocking of your favourite cinephile. For $15, give them a single movie pass; $25 will give them a solo date night. The latter includes entry to any single regular screening and includes one medium popcorn, one medium fountain beverage, and one small candy. Where they choose to take their date when the movie’s over is none of your business. A $50 gift certificate will cover a date night for two, which is just like the solo date night only everything comes in pairs. (Available at riotheatretickets.ca.) g

FOOD

Meal kits make things easier when you need kitchen help

By Craig Takeuchi

Shop Fresh All Winter Weekly markets at Riley Park & Hastings Park

More info at eatlocal.org

Meal kits with an international flair include Como Taperia’s Como en Casa meal package for two (left, photo by Less Noise Studio); Rocky Mountain Flatbread’s pizza kits have all you will need.

B

aking and cooking hit a new high this year. But that doesn’t mean all of us have become great home cooks and bakers. For those who need a little help or want to give the gift of DIY-with-assistance, here are some mealkit options from local culinaristas—with some international flair.

Can’t vacation somewhere warm but want to recapture the flavour? Consider ¿Cómo? Taperia’s options for Spanish food at home (www.comotaperia.com/ ).

The Como en Casa Tapas for Two ($60) features Gildas (skewered peppers, anchovies, and olives), goat cheese–stuffed peppers, marinated olives, pan con tomate, Ramón Peña mussels in escabeche, a “bikini” sandwich, garlic shrimp, and creme “cata-flan”.

Meanwhile, the Como en Casa Dinner Kit for Two ($90) offers Gildas, daily croquetas, octopus, beef cheek, garlic shrimp, pan con tomate, marinated olives, creme cata-flan, and a bottle of Bonaval Cava sparkling from Catalonia. ¡Que aproveche!

For fresh-baked pizza fun without the fuss or muss but with all the great aroma, Rocky Mountain Flatbread’s Frying Pan Pizza Kits have all the ingredients—including the already kneaded double-fermented organic dough—ready to go (www. rockymountainflatbread.ca/ ). There’s the Margherita Frying Pan Pizza Kit ($26), with two pizzas for two adults (who are kids at heart); the Kids Frying Pan Pizza Kit ($22), with warmable double-chocolate brownies and two smaller pizzas for young gobblers; and the delectable Cosmonaut Cocktail Kit ($26)—with housemade ginger syrup, ginger ale, and vodka—for two grownups. Vegan, gluten-free, and meat options are all available by request, too.

Here in Sushicouver, Orizumé (www. orizume.ca/ ), which specializes in highend bento, is offering four prepared holiday boxes (from $110 to $450). But to get

the hands-on experience, there’s the handroll kit ($250, serves four to five people) for temaki (cone-shaped sushi) that comes with eight kinds of seafood and vegetables (from red snapper and sockeye salmon to egg omelette and pickled radish), nori sheets, and sushi rice.

For the main event, the Terminal City Club (takemehomeandmakemehot.com/ collections/holiday-meal-kits/ ) has several holiday meal kits with everything prepped to pop into the oven. The Holiday Turkey Meal Kit ($275), with oven-ready marinated raw turkey breast and confit turkey leg, accompanied with sides such as butternutsquash soup, apple-walnut stuffing, Asiago potato au gratin, and maple butter carrots. Want plant-based? There’s the Holiday Vegan Meal Kit ($100 for two to four people), with celeriac soup, apple-walnut– stuffed butternut squash, savoury cauliflower chickpea hot cakes, maple-caramelized yams, and plenty more. Meanwhile, the Holiday Prime Rib Kit ($295 for four to six people) features a 2.5-kilogram oven-ready prime-rib roast with butternutsquash soup, Brussels sprouts, and more, capped off with Yorkshire pudding.

In the sweet-tooth department, Edge Catering’s Festive Cookie Decorating Kits ($45) feature 12 assorted butter and gingerbread cookies in various shapes ready to be adorned with accompanying icing, sprinkles, and more. But if you’re too busy (or lazy) and want something already made, there’s the Festive Baking Favourites ($30)—a box of tarts, squares, shortbread, and Linzers—to devour at leisure. (www. edgecatering.ca/ ) g We’ve got more ideas about holiday food and beverage gift boxes and baskets, prepared holiday meals for takeout or delivery, and sustainabilityconscious recipes: visit the Food section on our website at www.straight.com/food/.

Become a Big Sister. Become a Study Buddy.

Become a friend.

604.873.4525 • ���.����������.��.�� DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

13

SAVAGE LOVE

Dreams for the sex-starved can’t be controlled

by Dan Savage

b I’M WONDERING IF you can help me with some dream interpretation. If it helps for context, I’m a single 29-year-old gay man.

For just about as long as I can remember, I’ve been having mildly unsatisfying sex dreams in that the dreams never seem to lead to sex itself. My dream partners range from people I work with to people from high school to celebrities I’ll never get the chance to meet. I never dream about someone I wouldn’t want to sleep with in the waking world, given the opportunity.

The scenarios are generally different as well. Sometimes the sexual tension is palpable but we’re in a crowded room. Sometimes we get close enough to get started but the setting is off. Sometimes we start to get

Scan to conffess

hot and heavy but the dream ends just prior to the sex. In each case, I wake up frustrated and masturbate to finish the fantasy.

I’ve been pretty sexually starved during the pandemic, Dan, so you can imagine my frustration when I woke up this morning having almost had dream sex with Andrew Rannells.

Can you think of why this might be happening? Any advice would be appreciated!

- Distancing Real Earnestly And Missing Erotic Romps

“Well this is certainly very interesting,” said actor, singer, and author Andrew Rannells.

“I’m honoured I made the list of people DREAMER would actually have sex with in real life, if given the chance.”

The Georgia Straight Confessions, an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.

Tender Moments While dreaming, I found myself speaking to a former girlfriend. She smiled beautifully at something I said and then leaned in and tenderly kissed me.

When I woke I realized that I couldn’t recall the last tender moment I had.

I almost texted her to say Thank You.

10% While I want to support local restaurants, I’ve abandoned takeout. After months of eating it, I realize that for me food is much much more than food: it’s the ambiance, the conviviality, the random nearby strangers that I speak with, the hosts and waitstaff, the laughs and eye contact with my friends, the weight of the cutlery in my hand, the lines in the architecture surrounding me. Plastic containers of food, eaten alone in front of a screen.... and the food tastes like nothing without all of the above. I will wait til I can eat with others again, with music, smiles, teasing, life pulsing... until then, my grill will suffice.

The worst thing The worst thing about PTSD is something triggers it, and you’re a man.

You’re expected to carry on like some dumb beast of burden instead of pouring out your grief. Two days so far, no end in sight. But hey, I’m a big dumb animal so it doesn’t matter right? So-called friends on Facebook always posting about call me if you need to, but yes in the end, I’m alone.

Uh oh I’m in love with two different women at the same time. Is this possible?

Visit 14

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

to post a Confession DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020

Seeing as this two-time Tony-Award nominee is taken—Rannells fell in love with Tuc Watkins, one of his costars in Boys in the Band on Broadway, and the two men now live together in Los Angeles—there’s not much chance of something happening between an anonymous Savage Love reader, DREAMER, and Rannells, one of the stars of The Prom on Netflix. But Rannells was more than happy to do a little amateur dream interpretation for a fan.

“As for the root of this issue,” said Rannells, “I suppose it could have something to do with not having the confidence of actually following through with the full act? Maybe while awake he could experiment with fantasizing about a more complete experience and see if that changes his dream life?”

My two cents: perhaps these dreams are lingering evidence of some shame about your same-sex desires—which is why your dream universes conspire to prevent you from having gay sex—or perhaps the continued existence of bigots who would prevent gay men from having sex preys on your subconscious mind and manifests in the form of these frustrating/frustration dreams.

The real takeaway here, DREAMER, is that you now have Rannells’ permission to masturbate about him whenever you like— or at least that’s how I would interpret his encouragement. You didn’t need his permission to masturbate about him, of course, and as a general rule we shouldn’t need to ask the people we want to jack off about for their okay. But Rannells basically offered, DREAMER, so have at.

“Ultimately, we can’t control our dreams,” Rannells added. “For instance, I have a recurring stress dream where I am supposed to be driving Jessica Lange somewhere and I can’t get the GPS to work.”

Follow Andrew Rannells on Instagram @AndrewRannells. b AFTER YEARS OF receiving oral sex from girlfriends who were careful to never inflict any sort of pain on my testicles, I met a woman who wasn’t so careful. For our fifth date, she came back to my place and we watched a movie. After the movie we began to kiss and soon she was making love to my stiff penis with her mouth while rather roughly massaging my testicles. However this came to be, I was liking it quite a bit.

The more pressure she applied to my testicles, the harder my penis became. This has never happened to me in my 33 years of lovemaking! I actually asked her to squeeze my testicles harder and harder and I can honestly say my penis was harder than it has ever been. After several seconds of the most intense pressure she could provide, I had the most powerful orgasm I have ever had. All of a sudden, I was dizzy and my vision went black. When I finally came

Andrew Rannells says to go ahead and act on your fantasies. Photo by Dominick Dusseault.

back to reality, there was an extraordinary amount of come all over the place. She has made love to my penis dozens of times since in the same manner. My question: will there be any physical complications to my newly discovered taste for this kind of play?

- This Exquisitely Sensuous Torment Enhances Sex

Ball-busting—the kink you stumbled on—is inherently risky, TESTES, in that you could actually rupture, a.k.a. “bust”, one or both of your balls. Hence the name. But considering how much pleasure you’re deriving from this—and considering how short life is and how long you’ve been sexually active— and considering how little use you’re gonna get out of your balls once you’re dead, TESTES, I don’t see any reason why you should deprive yourself, at this stage, of this newly discovered sexual pleasure.

Well, actually, I can see one reason why you might want to knock this off: when it comes to ball-busting, TESTES, there’s no way to eliminate the risk of a physical complication that lands your sack in the emergency room, and ER nurses and doctors have enough on their plates right now.

So maybe give your balls a break until after the pandemic is over and then go nuts. g Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. On the Lovecast, learn all about your pelvic floor with Dr. Rachel Gelman: www. savagelovecast.com.

Massage

Thai Jessica

Burnaby. No text or Outcall

Apartment For Rent - West End $900 move in allowance.

2 Bedroom. Large, sunny, quiet S/facing.

Nicely renovated. January 1st. $1975.00

604-267-1943

Professional EMPLOYMENT Services

Careers

Trustin Construction LTD

is looking for Tilesetters. Greater Vancouver area, BC. F/T, Perm, Wage - $25.00 hourly Experience 2-3 years, good English.

Education: high school. Main duties: Clean, mark and measure surfaces; Cut tiles and shape them; Apply cement, glue, form tile beds; Set tiles, affix tiles to base; Align and straighten tiles; Install variety of tiles and tile strips; Fill joints, remove excess compound; Replace damaged tiles if needed.

Company’s business address: 208-6939 Hastings St., Burnaby BC V5B 1S9 Please apply by e-mail: hrtrustinconstruction@gmail.com

Orbis Facade Inc

is looking for Glaziers. Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, full time. Salary: $26.00 /hr Requirements: experience 3-4 years, good English. Education: high school Main duties: Read and interpret blueprints; Lay-out frame and window wall position; Fabricate, fit and install frames; Measure, mark and cut glass; Position pre-cut glass panels; Install pre-build glass panels; Replace damaged glass or faulty sealant; Assemble, erect and dismantle scaffolding, rigging and hoisting equipment; Follow established safety rules.

Company’s business address: 7060 Waltham Ave, Burnaby BC V5J4V5 Please apply by e-mail: hr@orbisgroup.ca

REVIT CONSTRUCTION INC.

is looking for Carpenters, Greater Vancouver area, BC. Perm, F/T, Wage - $ 28.00 /h Education: high school. Experience 3-4 years, Good English. Main duties: Read and interpret construction blueprints; Prepare layouts, build different wood forms; Measure, cut, shape, assemble, and join lumber and wood materials; Operate and maintain measuring, hand and power tools; Fit and install different trim items; Follow established safety rules and regulations; Supervise helpers and apprentices.

Company’s business address: 208-7095 Stride Ave, Burnaby BC V3N1T3 Please apply by e-mail: Hr.revit.construction@gmail.com

Top Locksmith LTD

is hiring Locksmiths. Job location: Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, F/T, Shifts, Weekends Hours: 40 per week. Wage - $ 28.00 /hour Requirements: high school, good English, min.

1-2 years of experience; Main duties: Install, service, adjust and repair various types of locks; Perform locks openings, respond to emergency lockouts; Cut different types of keys; Install electrical strikes, locks; Service and repair electronic locks, change lock combinations; Use hand and power locksmith tools.

Company’s business address: 90 Arrowood Crescent, Woodbridge, ON L4H 2N6 Please apply by E-mail: hr.toplocksmith@gmail.com

Awakening Your Bliss Tantra Massage Somatic Sexologist Zara 604-222-4178 Bodywork

(Incl. 45 min. Hot oil massage)

Stay Connected @GeorgiaStraight

X

ĂŶĂĚƵ

EAST VANCOUVER

5281 VICTORIA DR.

Reg $ 120

50mins

✄

with this ad!

(FREE HOT STONE)

604-568-6601

Diamond Bodycare BEST MASSAGE IN TOWN

30 min / $30

NOW

604-568-0123

NOW HIRING

ax MA MASS MASSAGE S AGE E 70 emax Totally Renovated!

$

COMFY WELLNESS SPA

3272 W. Broadway (& Blenheim)

604-558-1608 WWW.

$10 Off

3671 EAST HASTINGS

^hDD Z ^W / > BODY SCRUB

COMFYSPA .CA

Exotic Mature Filipino/ E Indian Massage! Coquitlam In/Out calls & all Hotels.

Mina 604-512-3243 No Text!

Models Wanted WEBCAM girls wanted! Make your own hours. I have the knowledge, experience and equipment.

Contact jpwall2@gmail.com Looking for partners. Must be 18 or older.

Phone Services

FREE 2 TRY LIVE CHAT! 1-855-538-8866 1-900-783-5446

604.436.3131 www.greatpharaoh.com

5-3490 Kingsway, Van. NEWLY RENOVATED! ESTABLISHED 1993

$28 /

10AM MIDNIGHT

Tantra

75 MIN

BIRTHDAY MASSAGE

8642 Granville & 71 Ave., Van.

EMPLOYMENT Personals

Domb Enterprises Inc.

o/a Basil Pasta Bar is looking for Cooks.

Perm, Full Time, Shifts, Weekends Salary: $19.00 /hour. Requirements: Experience min. 1-2 years, Good English.

Education: Secondary school Main duties: Prepare and cook complete meals; Portion, arrange, and garnish food based on client preference; Operate various kitchen appliances; Oversee kitchen operations and train new kitchen staff; Supervise and co-ordinate kitchen helpers; Assist other cooks during the food assembly process; Keep food preparation areas clean as determined by law and company policy;Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment.

Job location and business address: 636 Davie St., Vancouver BC V6B 2G5 Please apply by e-mail: Job@basilpastabar.com

Bison Group Management Ltd

o/a Pemberton Hotel is hiring Liquor Store Supervisor. Perm, F/time job Salary - $ 25.00/h. Good English, Previous experience in retail sales is required, Previous experience as a supervisor is an asset.

Education: Secondary school.

Main duties: Supervise and co-ordinate liquor store staff, Hire and train of new sales staff, Assign sales workers to duties, Resolve customer complaints, Recommend and sell merchandise, Control sales report and order merchandise, Authorize payments and the return of merchandise,Create work schedules, prepare reports and other documents.

Job location and business address: 7423 Frontier St, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Please apply by E-mail: hotelpemberton@gmail.com

Milano Dating Services Date Local Russian & Ukrainian Ladies 604-805-1342

Tricom Building Maintenance Ltd. is looking for an Administrative Services Manager, Perm, F/T, wage - $ 41.00 /hr Requirements: high school, good English, several years of experience in a similar position.

Main duties: Manage daily operations of the company's head office; Set comprehensive goals; Plan implementation of strategies for data management; Manage staff and assign duties, establish work schedules; Evaluate employee performance, recruit and train new employees; Plan budget; Resolve work-related problems; Collaborate with other departments; Prepare and submit reports.

Company’s business address and job location: 307 -1477 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC V6G 2S3 Please apply by e-mail: hr@tricomservice.com

NEW MANAGEMENT!

$180 / 7 HRS (Only $25/HR) $67 (Tip inc.) 2 for 1 Free FR EE

Dating Services

Employment EMPLOYMENT

604-566-5544

Welcoming Old & New Clients!

604.568.5255 3-3003 KINGSWAY @ RUPERT Companion

WINTER SIZZLE!

Let's Heat Things UP! Massage & more for Mature Gentlemen. Tall, blonde, attractive, 52, curvy with long legs.7 days a week, 9am-9pm New Westminster. No Text.

Katrina 604-544-0900

YOUR AD HERE

To place a classified ad call 604.730.7070 or email

g_cohen@straight.com

HIRING: 778.893.4439

DREAM & CITY Massage

SAME GREAT SERVICE in COMPLETELY RENOVATED

SUPER CLEAN beautiful surroundings INTERNATIONAL GIRLS 3849 E. HASTINGS ST. BBY FREE REAR PARKING & ENTRANCE 604.336.0700 10 AM - MIDNIGHT 7 DAYS

Blue Ocean WELLNESS SPA

Chinese Meridian Massage Relaxation Massage Body Scrubbing GRAND OPENING! Reflexology Cupping Pedicure • Manicure Facial Waxing Eyebrow Tinting Eyelash Tinting #201 – 1789 Davie St. | 604-423-5828

AMNESTY International

www.amnesty.ca

MOBILE #4565

NationwidePersonals.ca/call

spa

10am m - 10pm

BEST BES S RELAXATION

604.998.4885

THE ORIGINAL ADULT JOB SITE NOW HIRING

DREAM JOBS DREAM TALENT SINCE 1998 DECEMBER – 24 / 2020 GEORGIA DECEMBER 17 – 24 /172020 THE THE GEORGIA STRSTRAIGHT AIGHT 15

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

OPENING TOMORROW

presenttss Goh Ballet presen

Beyond the Stage

Bring home the magic Free screening December 18 - January 2 Sign up via

GohNutcracker.com 16

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

DECEMBER 17 – 24 / 2020