Westender – December 23, 2014

XMAS + NYE // 2014

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INSIDE THIS WEEK You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack by Tom Gauld

14

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THE MOST STRESSFUL TIME OF YEAR

My version of one of my least favourite mall-and-store songs, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: It’s the most stressful time of the year; With the kids hyped and yelling; And everyone telling you “Be of good cheer”; It’s the most horrible time of the year; It’s the crap-crappiest season of all; With those holiday songs and fake happy meetings; When friends text instead of call; To tell you, love to see you, but I’m at the mall.

There’ll be parties for posting; Selfies for boasting; And carousing outtakes you didn’t mean to show; There’ll be hoary uncle’s stories; Lies, basically, of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.

Yeah, it’s the most wonderful time of the year; (If you drink enough beer); With everyone telling you you’ve had enough;

You trade drunken punches and throw up the brunches; She ain’t so tough, that mall cop; Merry Christmas, she says, with a karate chop; Morning after, you get back your scarf; Your pants and your belt, spattered with barf; Oh, it’s the most fucked up time of the year; All because you stuffed an elf up Santa’s rear; Let’s give it a rest, just this year.

–Michael Cox

FOODIES THE WORST GARDEN PEST OF ALL

Our little urban garden next to Granville Island had an unwelcome visitor last week. The teaching chef from the culinary school skulked by and then, sneaky as possible, raided herbs in large quantities from several gardens. Shame on you Bad Chef Boy! Farm to table indeed!

–Disillusioned farm boy and girl

GOOD DRIVERS DESERVE THANKS

This holiday season we should give thanks; thanks to the cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers who use all three modes

of transport and can see things from all angles. Let’s give thanks to the pedestrians who are not holier than thou and realize that cars can’t stop on a dime when it is dark and rainy out. I know I know you might have the “rightof-way”, but when your legs are all banged up, even a rum and Avalon eggnog might not help.

Let’s be thankful for the cyclists who have lights on their bike and move to the side to let drivers go around them when they want to make a right turn at a pedestrian controlled light. It’s courteous, friendly even. To my driving friends, be thankful I do have lights on my bike and I do signal when on the road as you scream at me and decry my even existence when I’ve done nothing wrong. When I’m driving, please be appreciative and acknowledge when I let you in and I don’t do a “Vancouver speed-up” and block you from merging in. It might be a bit pathetic but when and where I learned to drive a wave was common. Slow down a bit and relax and have a drink…when you get home. Let’s try to work together this holiday season to get there in one piece.

–Keith Freeman

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NEWS // ISSUES

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YOUR CITY

Transit referendum set for March MIKE HOWELL twitter.com/howellings

Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced Thursday that the BC government has accepted a request from the region’s mayors to increase the seven per cent sales tax by 0.5 per cent as a funding tool to help pay for a $7.5 billion transit and transportation plan.

Now it’s up to Metro Vancouver residents to mail in a ballot in a referendum vote in the spring and decide whether they support what the government is calling the Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax. The finalized question, which was refined from the mayors’ original draft: Do you support a new 0.5 per cent Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax to be dedicated to the mayors’ transportation and transit plan?

If the referendum passes, the estimated cost per household would be $50 to $125 per year, depending on how much a person spends. The tax would only apply to the majority of goods and services subject to the PST that are sold or delivered within Metro Vancouver, which stretches from West Vancouver to Langley.

The voting period will run between March 16 and May 29, and the question will only pass if 50 per cent plus one of voters agrees to the new tax.

The tax increase would raise $250 million a year to help pay for the 10-year plan that relies heavily on contributions from senior levels of government.

In a letter Thursday to North Vancouver District mayor Richard Walton, who doubles as chairperson of the mayors’ council on regional transportation, Stone said the mayors’ original question was refined to “reflect input from Elections BC in order to meet their ballot fairness requirements.”

The mayors’ wording of the recommended question

was whether voters would support the tax increase “with independent audits and public reporting.” In reaction to Stone’s announcement, Walton didn’t comment on the change to the wording of the question but said in a release “this is a significant milestone in our proposal to keep this region moving as we accommodate a million more people in the next 30 years. We simply can’t afford to do nothing.”

Mayor Gregor Robertson echoed Walton’s points in a statement his office released Thursday, saying “the alternative is crippling traffic congestion, more air pollution, cuts to transit and lost economic opportunity. The future of our region’s economy and environment is at stake in this transit referendum.”

The mayors’ plan calls for $1.9 billion to build a 5.1-kilometre subway line from the Vancouver Community College-Clark SkyTrain station to Arbutus Street. Annual operating costs are estimated at $22.3 million.

The subway would be built in the six to 10-year range of the plan – the same timeframe for a $2.1 billion light-rail project in Surrey. A new fourlane Pattullo Bridge for New Westminster at $980 million is the other big expense outlined in the plan and calls for tolls once it is built.

The provincial government will pay for the referendum but will not contribute money to the yes or no campaigns expected to ramp up in January.

The vote will go ahead despite the mayors’ council having earlier rejected the referendum, saying the government didn’t need approval from voters to build the new Port Mann Bridge or widen the TransCanada Highway. The government said the referendum was necessary when a new funding tool is proposed.

–Story courtesy the Vancouver Courier

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As of Jan. 1, food scraps and organic waste will be banned from the garbage bag in Metro Vancouver, requiring residents to compost or recycle their scraps.

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Residents and businesses prepare for organic waste ban Ban goes into effect Jan. 1 ROBERT MANGELSDORF editor@westender.com

Don’t even think about scraping your dirty dinner plate into the garbage come the new year.

As of Jan. 1, both the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver regional district are banning food scraps from disposal as garbage. That means all food scraps – including raw and cooked food, plate scrapings, leftovers, expired food, meat, bones, and dairy products – need to be recycled , instead of being thrown in the trash.

Currently, Metro Vancouver produces 1.5 million tonnes of garbage each year, 40 per cent of which is food scraps, while an additional seven per cent is organic yard waste.

For residents already receiving city garbage and yard waste collection, organic waste can be placed in your green bin for recycling. For residents of buildings without organic waste collection, their food scraps can be taken to a Food Scraps Drop Spot at

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and further waste reductions across all of our new builds,” said Jonathan Meads, Concert Properties’ manager of development and sustainability.

Since 2010, Concert has been able to divert more than 80 per cent of waste generated at its rental properties from the landfill.

“With the organic waste ban, we’re hoping to increase that to 90 per cent,” said Meads.

Because Concert had such success with its rental properties, it has expanded its recycling program to its condominiums and commercial properties.

However, many small businesses are struggling to come up with their own solutions.

Shira Blustein owns Acorn vegetarian restaurant on Main, and says she is still exploring options of what to do with the tons of organic waste the restaurant produces annually.

“I’m excited to not have to throw that out,” she says. “But we’re still not sure what to do with it.”

The restaurant has its own garden, located two blocks away at Blustein’s home, but the amount of compost the

restaurant produces is far too large for the garden to handle.

“I’d love to give it to someone who needs it, or maybe a community garden,” she said.

Barring that, the restaurant will likely have to hire a private company to collect it.

“We already recycle all of our soft plastics and cardboard, so I’m all for [the organic waste ban],” she said.

According to Metro Vancouver’s website, organic materials that end up in the landfill can’t decompose properly, use up precious landfill space, create methane (a powerful greenhouse gas), and make waste-to-energy processes less efficient because of their high moisture content.

Enforcement of the organic ban won’t begin until July 1, at which point waste loads with more than 25 per cent food will be fined with a 50 per cent surcharge on dumping fees.

By 2016, the amount of acceptable food scraps will be reduced to 10 per cent, and then to five per cent in time, according to Metro Vancouver’s website.

For more information about the organic waste ban, visit Vancouver.ca W

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Property managers of many of Vancouver’s rental towers will have to find their own solutions for organic waste collection and removal.

Concert Properties, which manages 1,600 rental units in Vancouver, has been working for the past five years to divert as much waste from landfills as possible, and says it’s prepared for the Jan. 1 ban.

The company has produced a comprehensive recycling guide for its residents in seven different languages, and has given all of its residents countertop compost bins to help them collect organic waste.

Through a partnership with Urban Impact recycling, Concert already provides residents with 10 separate colour-coded recycling waste options in their buildings: Compost, soft plastics, mixed paper, mixed containers, styrofoam, batteries, lightbulbs, E-waste and small appliances, and landfill garbage.

“Sustainability has always been a priority for us in our buildings, and this ban serves as a catalyst for enforcing our new composting program

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December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 5

STYLE // DESIGN

WESTENDER.COM

FASHION

Winterize your décor colourways, patterns, and textiles to suit a changing décor or season, while adding depth to the overall feel.

This blanket, inspired by the stunning traditional Moroccan wedding blankets, offers a subtle layering tool in a neutral palette, but amps up the glam side of winter décor with the sequins stripes.

It lightly references holiday décor, yet easily translates into an upscale ambiance suitable for the full winter season.

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Apiece Apart crop sweater ($335), classic-ribbed sweater from Objects Without Meaning ($390), and Wood Wood brand merino wool sweater ($235) from One of a Few. Supplied photos

Snuggle up with style NIKI HOPE westender.com

One of the looks I fell for this season is a stunning charcoal leather pencil skirt, pointy black Acne pumps and a playful grey wool Maison Kitsuné sweater with a devilishly cute knitted fox face on the front.

I discovered the outfit on the elegantly curated racks at WANT Apothecary on Granville Street and love how the soft sweater contrasts with the sleek leather skirt.

Mixing textures and shapes is on point this season, particularly pairing cropped or snug-fitting sweaters with high-waisted pants and skirts.

Michelle Rizzardo, who owns the quaint Gastown boutique One of a Few, loves that sweater silhouettes are more fitted this year.

“This shape has given us room to play and wear bottom trends that are also strong, such as culottes, high-wasted straight-leg denim and highwaisted trouser pants with oversized legs,” the Vancouver style maven says via email.

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She points to a cream sweater, from Objects Without Meaning and available at One of a Few, with a shrunken shape that, although not cropped, is compact and sits at the waist and looks great paired with a must-have cropped wide-leg pant or vintage high-waisted Levi’s.

“With this sweater being more fitted, you have flexibility with what you pair it with,” she explains. “A mid-calf-length skirt would also look perfect.”

Turtlenecks are another classic way to keep warm in winter. They have been all over the runway and are easily transferred into everyday life, Rizzardo says.

But loose-fit sweaters haven’t disappeared entirely.

An oversized, textured sweater in bubble gum pink from Apiece Apart was one of the most-sought after sweaters at her store this season, Rizzardo notes.

“With so many neutrals hitting the streets, it was nice to have such a pop of colour filling our wardrobes,” she adds.

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Rizzardo cites a chunky knit Rachel Comey black sweater with high side slits and pockets inside as an example of the texture trend that also emerged in fall. Though it’s a simple, neutral colour, the knit design gives the looser style stand-out detail.

She suggests pairing the Comey sweater with oversized cropped men’s trouser, jeans or layering it over top of a long skirt with a white shirt underneath.

Another interesting way to add dimension is to tuck in a sweater, creating a loose-yet defined waist, Rizzardo says.

“It sharpens any look you are trying to pull off,” she says “Even paired with pants, tucking in a sweater can look amazing.”

Clearly, there are plenty of ways to up the comfort – and style – quotient with a cozy sweater on these chilly days.

W Email Vancouver fashion news and story ideas to nikihope@ shaw.ca. Follow her on Twitter at @nikimhope.

I’m a bit of a décor addict.

While I have my signature style, I cannot resist the temptation to swap out the “feel” of my home with changing moods, design advancements, and seasons. I always keep a true reflection of my personality in the details of my design, but the overall ambiance can – and does – shift.

For the winter season, people often focus heavily on holiday décor; it’s exhaustingly available and seems like a quick fix to give a fresh feel for the changing season. The trouble within this approach to design is that as soon as Jan. 1 (or Dec. 26 in my case) comes around, we cannot wait to rid our décor of the nostalgia of holiday-themed pieces, in search of a fresh start.

Rather than spend your décor budget on items that are specific to a particular holiday, the modern approach is to consider a “winter décor” – choosing pieces that offer a seasonal refresh to a space without limiting the longevity to one day or week. Consider working with items that add a warmth and inviting feel to your décor. Even the festiveness of the holidays can be achieved by adding in pieces with a little sparkle.

Playing with colour, texture and heavy layering are the keys to “winterizing” a space; you’re able to participate in the dressing up of your home during the season, but you end up with a design that suits your own personal style and remains chic all season long.

Here are a few pieces that I’ve seen on my style hunts that amp up the essence of Holiday, but could remain as a fab addition almost any décor, long after the festivities are through.

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Tangled Web macrame wall hanging from CB2, $199: This wall décor plays up the cozy capabilities of art for winter, while at the same time addressing the ultimately hip boho vibe that has become so coveted as we move out of 2014 and into 2015.

I love how the neutral palette allows the emphasis to remain on texture and the finer visual details; without colour to draw the eye in, we are engaged by the heavy tactile effect and asymmetrical pattern of the macrame.

This is a piece that could either act as an additional layer to any space, or stand alone as a statement within a room.

Knitted Sequins throw (ivory) from West Elm, $79: Throw blankets have always been a designer’s secret weapon for swapping up the feel of a room; they are an easy and effective way to introduce new

Pods porcelain sculpture art from Peridot Décorative Homeware, $14 each: Pretty little things with big impact are my ultimate fave when it comes to décor. When a strong statement can be delivered with a subtle piece, especially at an approachable price point, I relish the moment.

What I most love about these wall-installation pieces is their versatility – they make a stunning impact whether used individually as a hook, or grouped in a structured or organic pattern.

With a matte exterior and iridescent finish within, these eggshell-like Pods add the shimmer of the holidays without becoming overwhelming; these are pieces that not only transcend the holiday décor realm, but also have the longevity and softness to suit your space though all four seasons. W

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EAT // DRINK

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DINING OUT

The 10 most memorable dishes of 2014 Anya Levykh Nosh

@FoodgirlFriday I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy some truly excellent meals this year. Some have been at restaurants that I subsequently wrote about for this publication, others have been at “off-book” meals with friends at older establishments. But only a few dishes have truly been on that elevated and sublime level that quiets a noisy table, induces sighs of contentment, and leaves an overall feeling of gastronomic bliss.

These dishes all tend to be on the simpler side (not to be confused with easy or lazy), and speak to the techniques, philosophies, and imagination of the respective chefs. So, for my last column of 2014, I present, in no particular order, my most memorable dishes of 2014.

Happy holiday eating and see you in 2015.

Lupo: Octopus carpaccio When chef Julio Gonzalez Perini and sommelier Michael Mameli first started

working together at the original Villa del Lupo, it was the start of a decades-long business partnership that continues with their ownership and operation of Lupo, the smart, comfortable, and contemporary Italian restaurant tucked away in a heritage house just outside of the heart of Yaletown.

The care and detail put into each dish by Gonzalez Perini and his team is otherworldly, as with this simple starter of lightly dressed octopus, sliced paper-thin and drizzled with limoncello and pimenton (Spanish paprika). Topped with cubes of octopus steak, mushrooms and a bit of frisée, it’s tender, sweet, savoury, rich, acidic and lovely. LupoRestaurant.ca

Zest Japanese Cuisine: Roasted duck breast carpaccio Executive chef Tatsuya Katagiri (he also happens to be a sommelier) is part of the new wave of young Japanese chefs out of Tokyo who have brought their homegrown aesthetic to a new land and skillfully applied it to dishes that celebrate local ingredients.

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duck breast is marinated in yuzu-citrus before being lightly grilled. It sits over a local parsnip purée that’s flecked with orange, topped with micro-cilantro and kabocha squash chips. The acidity from the citrus cuts perfectly through the lush mouthfeel of the duck. It was so good, I stole half of my dining companion’s plate. ZestJapanese.com

Ask for Luigi: Anchovies and eggs You can’t get much simpler than egg-on-egg.

But, when that egg is a soft-boiled number topped with wild salmon caviar (egg number two) and finished with a slice of fresh anchovy, simplicity becomes divine. A drizzle of basil pesto and some rustic bread (also made in-house) finishes the plate.

JC Poirier is a chef who understands the beauty of simple flavours and textural contrasts. It’s the kind of dish that makes you think, “That’s so easy, I could do it at home.” You’d be wrong, but that’s OK, because you can just head to Gastown and ask for Luigi.

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Blacktail: Farmcrest Farms Chicken When Geoff Rogers took over the toque at Blacktail Florist (now just Blacktail), he took what had been the genesis of a good idea and turned it into something outstanding.

How else to explain this earthy chicken dish presented over a generous dollop of popcorn “pudding” (think a heavenly cross between creamy polenta and mashed potatoes), and heaped with heirloom roasted carrots and foraged mushrooms? Chicken is not a meat I generally order in a restaurant, but this ultra-moist, juicy and flavourful iteration is worth repeat visits. More impressive is Rogers’ ability to have fewer than five main ingredients on the plate, and make every one of them sing in chorus with the others. Inventive, locavore comfort food has rarely been done better. BlacktailFlorist.ca

Secret Location: Salmon ceviche

At the extreme end of the local, seasonal, sustainable comfort food that most restaurants have been tooting the last few years are the mad-genius inventions of chef Jefferson Alvarez.

Molecular gastronomy and nouveau fine dining aren’t for everyone, but despite the digs about the appropriateness of the digs (What?

Upscale minimalism in Gastown? #shockandawe #getoverit), it’s a beautiful room that makes a perfect setting for Alvarez’s everchanging and oft-inspiring menus. Take the salmon ceviche; simplistic on the surface, but with surprising depths. Shaved cucumber and apple salad is brightened with a cucumber granita and dill salt. Flowers and paperthin shavings of baby radish add visual and textural pop.

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Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar: Crispy chicken wings It’s a little surprising to think that one of the best items on the menu at this new fine-dining hot spot is a dish as plebeian as chicken wings, but such is the case.

Executive chef Alex Chen has a good palate for what works when it comes to classic com-

fort, and the chicken wings are a shining case in point.

Fried until crispy in good, hot oil, then tossed in caramelized fish sauce and sambal chilli, this is so addictive we unanimously renamed it “chicken crack” and decided never to share an order again (yes, they’re that good).

BoulevardVancouver.ca

Mr. Red Café: Green mango salad Sometimes, you just want something fresh and clean.

The northern Vietnamese fare at this small café on East Hastings is the perfect answer, especially when it comes to this truly outstanding version of what is often a drippy, overripe, mess. The fruit in the green mango salad is firm and julienned with carrots, then topped with fried, crispy shallots, kaffir leaves, dried mushrooms, and delectable, miniscule dried shrimps.

It’s a dish that will never go out of style, but is only available seasonally, so get it while you can.

Facebook.com/mrredvancity

Continued on next page

CELEBRATE NEW YEARS EVE

IN STYLE AT THE WORLD FAMOUS

Available at: Wholefoods  Stong’s  Famous Foods  Drive Organics  For other stores near you, visit our website: W W W .MOGIANACOFFEE. C O M

*To get your free bag of Mogiana Coffee, simply cut out the label and UPC Code from your purchased bag (any roast), and mail to: #5-11711 No 5 Rd . Richmond, BC, V7A 4E8 including your return address.

This promotion is valid until January 31, 2015.

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Special New Year's Menu with seating times available for 5pm, 7pm and 9pm.

Limited Availability. Reservations highly recommended

860 Burrard, Vancouver BC | 604 685 7770 | francescos.com

December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 7

EAT // DRINK

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DINING OUT Continued from page 7

Nicli Next Door: “Not” Scotch egg The success of Nicli Antica Pizzeria has made it a byword among Napoletana aficionados, but don’t forget its little sister, Next Door, which focuses on the “everything else” of Italian cuisine. From arancini to wild boar ragu, the food here is a collection of happy small plates done well by chef Keev Mah. The “not” Scotch egg is a veritable feast of awesomeness, stuffed with rustic Italian sausage, creamy fior di latte, an extremely runny egg yolk, and a perfectly smoky egg white aioli. Put it all together, and it’s the culinary jackpot of gooey, crispy and succulent. NiclisNextDoor.com The Fat Badger: Mini Yorkshire puddings

Chef Neil Taylor and GM Ed Perrow are well-known for their highly popular España in the West End. Now with the success of their newest venture, The Fat Badger, the business partners have scored another hit for the neighbourhood.

This modern British pub does all things right proper, like the Scotch eggs and chicken masala, but it’s the mini Yorkshire puddings that will have your heart – and palate – singing “God Save the Queen.” Beautifully rich pastry is properly baked with lashings of jus, and stuffed with juicy roast beef, buttery gravy, and fresh horseradish. It’s a heady and hearty concoction that will ward off seasonal depression, holiday burnout, and hunger pangs.

FatBadger.ca

only put horse on its menu, but foie gras, veal tongue, et al. Chef Wesley Young, however, is true to the restaurant’s philosophy of using only happy, ethicallyraised animals, and works in close partnership with local producers and growers.

Horse might put some off, but there’s no denying the sweet, firm, slightly lean flesh has a taste all its own, especially when prepared with such skill. The knife work alone is reason to sigh over this dish. Meat is finely diced and laced with capers and seasoning.

The brilliant confit egg yolk is slow-cooked at a low temperature and runs like a starter when pricked with the fork. Paired with the housemade potato crisps, it’s a decadent and delicious expression of carnivorous dining at its finest.

Wildebeest.ca

Wildebeest: Horse tartare It takes a brave restaurant these days – both politically and socially – to not

Is BC facing a craft beer bubble?

Stephen Smysnuik The Growler @StephenSmys

So. Many. Breweries.

By the end of 2014, BC will likely have 20 new breweries, and possibly more. Next year, we’re looking at between another 10 to 12, more than half of them in Vancouver. That’s a lot of beer, and it’s led a lot of people to wonder if we’re now in the midst of a craft beer bubble. And are we? The short answer: “No.” The long answer: “No, but…”

Here’s the thing: It’s not as though people are going to suddenly realize that craft beer’s a sham and switch en masse back to the macro brews. It’s like saying coffee drinkers are going to give up on JJ Bean and switch back to Folgers. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. Craft beer accounts for about 20 per cent of the beer market right now, up from 12.7 per cent in 2011.

That means 80 per cent of beer drinkers in this province are not drinking craft beer – and that’s a lot of room for growth, especially compared to Oregon, where craft beer takes up 40 per cent of the market,

and Washington, which is at 30 per cent. But that doesn’t mean that every craft brewery that has opened up, or will open up, will survive the next five years. Chris Bjerrisgaard, executive director for Vancouver Craft Beer Week, and marketing manager for Parallel 49, says this is likely to happen because people who have no knowledge or passion for the craft, and only see dollar signs, are setting up shop.

“It’s like asking if we have a restaurant bubble,” he says. “Do we have too many restaurants?

Well, no, but we have a certain consumer base that wants certain restaurants, and we want a certain consumer base that wants others. Do people get into restaurants and fail because they were shitty at it.Yes.” Today, any brewery with a sound business plan has managed to make a go of it, regardless of quality. Not a single brewery that has opened since the recent boom began, back in 2012, has closed due to a lack of support. But the expansion, particularly in Vancouver, isn’t sustainable. Ben Coli, founder and head brewer of Dageraad Brewing says there’s simply not enough room in the marketplace to accommodate this kind of growth.

“That growth is going to continue and we’ll continue to sell more beer, but this breakneck expansion is not sustainable in the long run,” he says.

The problem the industry is likely to face, he says, is a lack of demand for the growing supply. While microbrewery sales have increased an impressive 37 per cent from 2013 to 2014, according to the Liquor Distribution Branch, the number of breweries have grown 78 per cent in that same period, from 60 in 2013 to the 77 now open at the time of writing this.

On top of that, several existing breweries have expanded capacity or built brand new bigger ones, including Central City Brewing and Steamworks Brewing.

“This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bubble,” Coli says.

“It means things might get more competitive.”

Add to that the increase in distribution from breweries in Ontario and the US and Andrew Harris, co-owner of Portland Craft and Main Street Brewing (among others), and former president of Russell Brewing Co., says we actually do have the makings for a bubble.

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EAT // DRINK

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Continued from page 8 “With the abundance of choice available in the craft beer market right now, people are going to choose great beer,” he says. “But if there’s a lot of great beer, they’re going to go for the least expensive great beer, and it’s going to perpetuate into a spiraling market down. That’s going to be the beginning of the bubble.”

He says the consumer ultimately wins in this scenario (great beer + aggressive pricing = happy beer drinkers!) but the downward pressure on beer prices could oust a lot of these breweries, many of which don’t make a lot of money to begin with, as a result.

But Ken Beattie’s not buying it. The BC Craft Beer Guild’s executive director sees two things: 1) That 80 per cent of people are not drinking craft beer and 2) a whole lot of opportunity as a result, particularly in the Fraser Valley and other areas outside Vancouver.

“You only have to look at Oregon,” he says. “Portland is

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Eat

Come and enjoy our healthy North African Cuisine made with grass fed meats and local organic vegetables.

We are open for lunch and dinner.

Michaela Morris By the Bottle

Excess is just about to reach a fever pitch, so don’t stop now.

I have a number of musts on my indulgence list and I intend to cross all of them off

by Jan. 1.

I may be straying from wine here, but I would be remiss not to include my long standing tradition of boozy coffee with a chocolate croissant on Christmas Eve morning.

Have you seen the girl with the flask at Beaucoup Bakery or Thomas Haas? That’s me pouring brandy into my latte.

A word of warning; I once packed the wrong flask and ended up with a very peaty/ smoky Islay Scotch in my java. Trust me, it doesn’t taste good. After much research, I can assure you that Spanish brandy is the best.

I’ll admit that I’m really not a turkey fan. However, I always look forward to leftovers on Boxing Day. For me, this means a turkey sandwich with a generous heaping of cranberry sauce and stuffing.

Before sinking my teeth in, I snoop around for any unfinished bottles from the day before. Leftover wine? Okay, this is a rare occurrence. Play it safe and have extra bottles handy.

Inevitably, at least one holiday gathering devolves into a game night. My preference?

Poker. Wine may not sound like the obvious match but sipping on a big rich red gives me confidence and I can stay in the game longer than if I’m swigging bourbon. It also works with Pictionary, Trivial

I

Live Music Thursday-Saturday 7-9pm 1331 Robson Street • Reservations: 604-559-4FEZ (4339) • fezcafe.ca Pursuit, Charades, and Twister.

As for New Year’s Eve, I celebrate around the dinner table with my closest friends.

My contribution is usually oysters. I like shucking them just as much as I enjoy slurping them, especially with a glass of Champagne. Why wait until midnight to crack the bubble?

Finally, start the year off right. I skip the Polar Bear swim and appreciate the wonders of the sea in the comfort of my own home. This means boiling a crab and dipping the sweet meat in melted butter.

Chardonnay is non-negotiable and my first choice is a steely vibrant Chablis.

Cheers to the holidays!

2012 Emiliana, ‘Novas’ Garnacha/Syrah • Cachapoal, Chile • $17.99, BC Liquor Stores Bright bramble fruit complements the cranberry sauce and dried herbs notes match the stuffing… Who am I kidding? I love this wine and look forward to washing down my turkey sandwich with it on Boxing Day. End of story.

with plum, blueberry, mint, and chocolate all wrapped up in velvety tannins. Bold enough to bolster your confidence but with a freshness that will keep you alert while participating in whatever your game of choice is.

Torres, 5 Solera Reserva • Brandy, Spain • $27.99, BC Liquor Stores Rich, raisiny, and nutty.

The perfect coffee corrector but equally fabulous on its own.

2012 Château Santenay, Clos de la Chaise • Bourgogne Blanc AOC, France • $34.99, BC Liquor Stores I typically drink Chablis with my New Year’s Day crab but then this delicious Chardonnay came along.

Wow! Peach, pear, and lemon with toasted hazelnuts on the finish.

2012 Tar & Roses, Shiraz • Heathcote, Australia • $24.99, BC Liquor Stores Mouth-filling and dense

Le Mesnil, Blanc de Blancs • Brut Champagne AOC, France • $54.99, BC Liquor Stores One of the least expensive and best value Champagnes out there. Piercing and chalky with tangy citrus zest and fine persistent bubbles.

Guaranteed to improve shucking skills. W

the only major market in the US where the market share for craft beer – package and draft – is greater than the large breweries. It’s a city that’s less population that Vancouver.”

“When you think of how many people are in the Lower

Mainland, how many people are interested in the shift away from foreign-owned breweries to something small, local and flavourful, no, I don’t think the supply is going to catch up to the demand,” he says. “I can’t see it.” W

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Legendary Noodle

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December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 9

ARTS // CULTURE

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NYE GUIDE

Your complete guide to New Year’s Eve Lets face it, New Year’s Eve can be hit-or-miss.

On one hand, it’s the most over-hyped night of the year, every bar is charging triple the usual cover charge, and once you get inside, the place is packed with rookie drinkers who can’t handle their hooch.

On the other hand, New Year’s means some of the best parties and musical lineups of the year. You’re going to make new friends, and run into old ones. And if you do happen to over-imbibe, well, you’ll be in good company.

So to ensure you have the very best night possible, Westender presents its authoritative guide to New Year’s Eve. Play safe!

live performances and music

by Vancouver’s finest DJs including Kempeh and friends.

10pm at Killjoy. Tickets at TicketZone.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA CLUB CRAWL 2015

The Student Tours NYE club crawl is back to take you on a wild ride to four of the best clubs and NYE parties in Vancouver. Party bus transportation keeps the party going between stops and promises a unique experience with no lines and thousands of other party-goers. 6pm at Various locations.

Tickets at ClubZone.com

DOCKSIDE NYE

ABSOLUT WARHAL NYE 2015

The Blackbird Public House hosts this gala bash, an Andy Warhol-themed multi-floor event with live performances, DJ Ryan Live, DJ J-hun, and Big C. Complimentary welcome cocktail, appetizer station at midnight, balloon drop, and party favours. 9pm at The Blackbird.

Tickets at TicketZone.com

A GREAT GATSBY NEW YEAR’S EVE 2015

Travel back to the 1920s for an evening of live music, swing dancers, voguers, aerial acrobats, and all the daring theatrics a Gatsby gala beholds. Complimentary party favours and champagne at midnight to ring in 2015. 9pm at Harbour Event Centre. Tickets at ClubZone. com

BACK TO THE FUTURE NEW YEAR’S EVE

Celebrate the past, present ,and future with this Back to the Future themed party with three live bands sponsored

by Parallel 49, where $2 of every ticket sale benefits the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.

8:30pm at Ukranian Hall.

Tickets at SaveTheClockTower.info

BELVEDERE MANSION PARTY

An elegant way to ring in 2015, guests make a stylish red carpet entrance in all-white attire, the event’s classic dress code. Delicious hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening and DJ Tony Haus and DJ Dimitri behind the decks. 8:30pm at Au Bar. Tickets at ClubZone.com

BLACK & BLUE

The Golden Age of Celebration sees regular dinner seating from 3-7:30pm, gala seating with an indulgent set menu at 8pm, or the option to just come for the party.

There’s no shortage of epic parties this New Year’s Eve. The only question is, which one will you go to?

A special guest DJ, glass of bubbly, and complimentary midnight nibbles round out the evening. Reservations at info@blackandblue.ca

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

Cinema Public House presents this NYE party featuring Absolut cocktails and Mumm Napa Brut. Tiffany & Co. gift card giveaway!

9pm at Cinema. Tickets at TicketZone.com

THE BUTCHER & BULLOCK

All-inclusive, all-night dance party with live DJs, complimentary drink tickets, celebratory toast at midnight, and delicious canapés throughout the evening. 8pm at The Butcher & Bullock. Tickets at ClubZone.com

CELEBRITIES NEW YEAR’S EVE 2015

Celebrate this New Year’s Eve under the twinkling LED lights at Celebrities with resident DJs Timeline, Yurie and Matilda Ho. Complimentary champagne, hors d’oeurves, balloon drop, and stunning dancers. 9pm at Celebrities Nightclub. Tickets at Celebrities.ElectroStub.com

CHAMBAR

Celebrate in true Chambar form, an infamous evening of civilized debauchery with the very talented DJ Hebegebe and guests. Dress sexy formal, and enjoy canapés, unlimited cocktails, wine, and beer, and champagne at midnight. 7:30pm at Chambar. Don’t be late!

Doors close at 10pm. Tickets at EventBrite.ca or at 568 Beatty St.

10 W December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015

THE CHARLES BAR

Celebrate the biggest night of the year at Gastown’s finest with DJ Lazyboy. Enjoy a three-course dinner and complimentary champagne for $30, or hit the party only for $20 after 10pm. 8pm at The Charles Bar. Tickets at TheCharlesBar.ElectroStub. com

CHELSEA HOTEL NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY

Check into New York’s infamous hotel, a place full of music and enchantment, desire and passion with a ticket to the hit show, Chelsea Hotel - The Songs of Leonard Cohen. 7pm at Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at Tickets.

FirehallArtsCentre.ca

CIRQUE GALA NYE 2015

Ring in the New Year at Vancouver’s largest mulitlevel club with two floors of music, house, progressive, trance and trap DJs, Cirque performance artists and a countdown you won’t forget.

9pm at Five Sixty. Tickets at TicketZone.com

COMEDY MIX NYE

The Comedy Mix presents headliner and hometown favourite, Graham Clark, “East Van’s whispered hero of hilarity” with special guests Ivan Decker and Kyle Bottom. Doors at 8:30 and showtime at 10pm at The Comedy Mix. Tickets at TheComedyMix.com

DROP THE BALL 2015

Two theme rooms to ring in the new year until 4am with DJs Johnny Jover and guests. Complimentary champagne, balloon drop, and go go dancers. 9pm at

Caprice Nightclub. Tickets at Caprice.ElectroStub.com

FAMILY FIRST NIGHT

One of Vancouver’s only family-friendly NYE events, Mount Seymour hosts an evening of tubing and tobogganing, live children’s entertainment, a fire spinning routine, and the early NYE countdown and fireworks finale at 9pm. Complimentary shuttles will run from Parkgate Community Centre throughout the evening.

6-9pm at Mount Seymour.

Tickets at WebSales.MountSeymour.com

FEDERICO’S NYE 2015

Dance and dine your way into the new year at Federico’s Supper Club. Included are party favours, live dinner music courtesy of Mike Romano, and dancing with host Federico Fuoco and Shannon Green until 1am.

Tickets at FedericosSupperClub.com

FORTUNE NYE 2015

Fortune Sound Club presents DJ Seko, Sailor Gerry, Adlib, and MC Freeky P, and in the Livestock Room, Arems and Hoppa. Balloon drop, party favours, confetti cannons, and free bubbly at midnight. 8pm at Fortune.

Tickets at FortuneSoundClub.ElectroStub.com

GLOWBAL GRILL NYE

The last hurrah in its current Yaletown location sees the return of favourite dishes from the past 12 years served canapé style throughout the evening. A complimentary welcome cocktail, midnight toast with bubbly and a special guest DJ. Reservations at info@glowbalgrill.com

L’ABBATOIR

Ring in the new year at Gastown’s French inspired destination with your choice of a là carte dinner or a more intimate experience in the premier private dining space.

Five-course dinner paired with wine and speciallydesigned cocktails accommodating groups of two to six.

Reservations available from 7-10pm. Tickets at 604-5881701 or events@labattoir.ca

MAN UP NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL AT THE EMERALD

For one night only, Vegasstyle supper club The Emerald will transform into a speakeasy-style nightclub for a special edition of East Van’s favourite drag king showcase.

Early show featuring a tantalizing strip tease event, SKIN GAME! DJ Lisa DeLux, DJ Bey and DJ T and as always, Buddy System is in effect.

8pm at The Emerald. Tickets available at Little Sisters or ManUpNYE.BrownPaperTickets.com

MIDNIGHT AT THE MARRIOTT

Dress in your best and dance your way into 2015 at the city’s largest hotel party, featuring live food preparation by chef Frank Gort, music by Gio Levy and David Martone, live countdown, and balloon drop with champagne.

7:30pm at Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel.

Tickets at ClubZone.com

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS: NEW YEAR’S EVE

Ring in the new year with class, couture, style and floods of champagne. Enjoy a mature and romantic atmosphere this NYE with

Celebrate the new year in a spectacular waterfront setting with an amazing four course dinner and party with local music legends Brickhouse.

Dinner reservations available from 7-8:30pm and entertainment from 9:30pm-1am at Dockside Restaurant. Tickets at DocksideVancouver.com

HOTEL VANCOUVER

Ring in 2015 at the city’s most historic venue on the biggest night of the year, with a live country revue starring Rick Hope, performances from Vancouver Opera, an erotic Weimar Striptastic Spectacular, and the world famous Motown. 8pm at Hotel Vancouver. Tickets at HotelVancouverNYE.com

MINAMI NYE

The first-ever gala event in the masquerade tradition, with a four-course prix fixe menu, live music, and photobooth followed by DJ and dancing. First seating at 7:30pm at Minami.

Tickets available in person at Minami or at info@minamirestaurant.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE CRUISE

Ring in 2015 in grand style, experiencing the romance of the sea aboard the Pride of Vancouver or the Star of Vancouver. Enjoy a gourmet buffet, entertainment and dancing, as well as champagne and party favours at midnight, all in true cruise ship tradition.

Boarding at 8 pm. Tickets at TicketZone.com

ONE NIGHT STAND VII: NEW YEAR’S EVE

Members of Mother Mother, Said the Whale, Yukon Blonde, Hannah Georgas, the Belle Game, Rococode, Louise Burns, and Dominique Fricot all take to the stage to ring in the new year East Van style.

9pm at The Imperial. Tickets are available at HipCityMusic.ca

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NYE GUIDE PALAIS ROYALE

The Hotel Georgia gets the Royale treatment. Rock to the beats of SKLA, Tyson V, and Ramble in multiple rooms, with special guest Jimmy Bell (San Francisco). Go-go dancers, table service, crazy visuals, and an over-the-top courtesan parade will transport you to the Orangerie. Tickets at ClubZone.com

RAILWAY CLUB NEW YEAR’S CARNIVAL

The Railway Club’s NYE Carnival Spectacular is a thrill to the wild, post-apocalyptic, outlaw rock noir of Big John Bates, with Reverend Heathen Strangefellow & The Vaudeville Vagabonds and Devil in the Wood Shack. 7pm at the Railway Club. Advance tickets $15 at Zulu, Highlife and NorthernTickets.com.

Tickets $20 at the door.

REPUBLIC: NYEXS 2015

Bring in the new year proper with a signaturestyle Vegas party with high energy EDM and charts provided by Nicky Wolfe and Jamie Van Goulden.

Hip hop in The Annex, live performers, confetti shots, and a champagne toast at midnight. 10pm at Republic. Tickets at TicketZone. com

THE ROOF

Ring in the new year on Vancouver’s rooftop winter garden. At 6pm indulge in the NYE limited three course a là carte menu.

After dinner, take an elevator ride downstairs to the main floor to enjoy a special guest DJ, glass of bubbly and complimentary midnight nibbles. Reservations at info@blackandblue.ca

THE ROXY’S 26TH ANNUAL NYE BASH

Ring in the new year at the 26th annual New Year’s Eve Bash featuring live music by Troys R Us, champagne, goodies, and surprises all night. 8pm at The Roxy. Tickets at TicketZone.com

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL NYE 2015

Back for the fifth year in a row, this party is exclusive to a mature audience and hosted by Stimulant and C Stylez. A media wall projecting sights and sounds and photo booth will keep you entertained. Appetizers and complimentary champagne at midnight. 8pm at Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver.

Tickets at ClubZone.com

SOCIETY: A NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION

This party includes an unlimited open bar, canapés, midnight countdown and balloon drop all starting at 8pm. Or, join them early for dinner from 4:30 to 7pm. Tickets and reservations at info@ society-grg.ca.

SOLID NYE 2015

The biggest and baddest Solid event of the year, a NYE massive featuring the King of EDM, Tiesto, with megasuperstar Steve Aoki and trance sensation Andrew Rayel alongside Moti and Goshfather & Jinco.

7pm at Pacific Coliseum.

Tickets at TicketLeader.ca and SolidEvents.ca

STRANGE DAYS 2015 NEW YEAR’S EVE

A monumental audio and visual thrill ride with one of the best tech house producers in the underground scene, Tim Green, with Kevin Shiu and Siavash.

9pm at Rickshaw Theatre.

Tickets at RickshawTheatre.com

TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE NYE 2015

The iconic venue hosts its annual NYE party with five bars, two rooms of music on two floors, six DJs and an 1100-person capacity. Amazing sound and lights and one of the biggest countdowns to bring in 2015. 9pm at Telus World of Science. Tickets at ClubZone.com

TEN TEN TAPAS NYE

New Year’s Eve will be a

Looking to get rid of that pesky hangover on Jan. 1? Why not take a plunge in English Bay for the 95th annual Polar Bear Swim. File photo blowout with two seatings, a five-course dinner, a glass of bubbly, and Gabriel Hasselbach hosting the night’s celebration. Featuring special guests soulstar Billy Dixon, pianist/ singer Rob Weaver, and the powerhouse vocalist Lisa Fennell. Call 604-689-7800 for reservations.

TRATTORIA

the sixties American rockers features tribute band, The Starlighters with DJ Jef Leppard, DJ Zach McLean Webb and DJ Dylan Gray Jones. Doors at 9pm at The Cobalt. Advance tickets $10 at The Cobalt, TheCobalt.ca and BrownPaperTickets.com.

WATERFRONT GALA BALL

Bring the entire family for dinner at either the Kitsilano or Park Royal locations to enjoy your favourite menu items, as well as a feature NYE menu. Dinner service starts at 4:30pm. Reservations at info@tratorriakitsilano.ca or info@trattoriaparkroyal. ca

Toast the year in style at the Fairmont Waterfront with two rooms featuring DJ Skyline, DJ Kidd, and, from LA, DJ Ryan Live.

A chic and sassy party for those over 25, with a live countdown, balloon drop and champagne. 9pm at Fairmont Waterfront. Tickets at ClubZone.com

VENUE NYE

WHITE NOISE NYE MASQUERADE BALL

Ring in the new year with Daryl O and guests, complimentary champagne at midnight, balloon drop and dancers until 4am. 9pm at Venue. Tickets at BPLive. ca or VenueLive.ca

THE WALLFLOWER BALL

This vintage homage to

Electric Owl hosts this masked affair with LA’s Goldroom, Vancouver’s Pat Lok, and WMN Studies.

9pm at Electric Owl. Tickets $40 at Red Cat, Zulu or TicketWeb.ca

THE WINTER SOCIAL The Ice Cream Social

DJ’s 7th Annual New Year’s Eve Party features DJs Tyler Fedchuck, Cam Dales, Trevor Risk, and Justin Gradin. 9pm to 4am at the Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets at TicketWeb.ca

A WISE YEAR PUNK PARTY

The Rebel Spell hit the stage for a punk party to end the year with special guests The Invasives, The Gagged, Jeff Andrew, and The Binz. 8pm at The Wise Hall & Lounge. Advance tickets $20 at Red Cat, Highlife, the WISE Lounge and BrownPaperTickets. com or $25 at the door.

VCSC NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY

The 10th annual New Year’s Eve party for friends and supporters of the Cuban Revolution features delicious food, drinks, live music from Maria Melendez, a salsa dance lesson, DJ 100 Fuegos.

Children welcome. 8pm at Victoria Drive Community Hall. Tickets available at EventBrite.ca or 778-8825223. W

New Year’s Day recovery highlights POLAR BEAR SWIM

The 95th annual Polar Bear Swim takes place at English Bay at 2:30pm. Dress up in your silliest costume and take part in the Peter Pantages Memorial 100-yard swim race. More than 2,500 chilly swimmers took part in last year’s event. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank will be accepting donations of nonperishable food or cash.

PAN PACIFIC HOTEL

Café Pacifica & Cascades Lounge host their annual New Year’s Day brunch buffet

Westender.com

with an array of fresh salads, seasonal fruits and cheeses, freshly baked goods, an omelette station, charcuterie, live sushi chef and carvery.

Kids get their own buffet, too! Entertainment by the Goby Catt Trio. Reservations at PanPacificVancouver.com/ dining

TWISTED FORK BISTRO

This brunch hotspot boasts a rotating menu of the most delicious fare with items like banana-stuffed French toast, asiago scones,

and perfected eggs Benny.

Expect a line on a regular day, and most certainly on Jan. 1, so bring a hangover cure to devour while waiting.

YEW

Once the champagne has been popped and “Auld Lang Syne” has been sung, it’s time for a good meal. Whether on your way home, or well-rested and ready for your first meal of 2015, Yew has got you covered with a sweet and savoury three-course $65 menu. Reservations at OpenTable.com/ Yew-Seafood-And-Bar. W

11 RULES FOR NYE 1. No crying.

2. Don’t bother waiting for a cab, it’s not coming.

3. If you’re going to wear heels, slip some flats in your purse for the inevitable walk home.

4. Don’t waste time at the bar. Know what you’re ordering before the bartender asks you, and keep it simple.

There’s, like, 50 other people waiting in line behind you.

5. Puke happens, but that’s no excuse to be a goddamn savage. Take care of that in the toilet like a civilized drunkard.

Wash your hands, wash your face, rinse out that mouth. Good? Good.

6. If you’re going to ghost from a party, send a text so your friends don’t spend the rest of the night looking for you.

7. Lower your expectations. If you go out expecting to have The Greatest Night of Your Life, you will probably be disappointed.

8. Do not accept candy from strangers.

9. Don’t be that guy (or girl).

10. Tip big, the poor bastards who have to serve you and clean up after you all night deserve it.

11. If you drink and drive, you’re a bloody idiot. The buses run all night long, FOR FREE. -Robert Mangelsdorf

December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 11

ARTS // CULTURE

WESTENDER.COM

WHAT’S ON Tu/23

We/24

Th/25

Fr/26

Sa/27

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

KAREN LEE BATTEN BC Country music’s female vocalist of the year takes the stage with special guest Danielle Marie. 8pm at Railway Club. Tickets $12 at BrownPaperTickets.com

SACRED CHRISTMAS EVE Join violinist Andrew Beer and soprano Sarah Templeton for a family service and candlelight communion.

7pm at Canadian Memorial United Church.

CONTACT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Two-day celebration of electronic music featuring Armin van Buuren, Morgan Page, and others. 5pm at BC Place. Tickets at LiveNation.com

THEATRE/DANCE

FOXING DAY The foxiest line-up of live DJs in Vancouver featuring Mirage Inc., Johnny de Courcy, Woodhead, and Wild Zero. 9pm at Fox Cabaret. Tickets $5 at the door.

RELAX, IT’S NOT ANOTHER CHRISTMAS PARTY, PARTY! The Peak presents Bend Sinister, Gay Nineties, and The Tourist Company for a night of music, cheer, and good will. Bring blankets and coats for the Blanket BC Society. 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets $20 at Zulu, Highlife and TicketWeb.ca

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE Get into the Christmas spirit with Pacific Theatre’s favourite musicians and actors as they share songs and stories for the holidays. 8pm at Pacific Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.PacificTheatre.org

THEATRE/DANCE CINDERELLA: AN EAST VAN PANTO A “way beyond Disney” retelling of sweet little Cinderella. 7pm at York Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.TheCultch.com

CHEAP & FUN ROCKAOKE LIVE: AC/DCEMBER EDITION Vancouver’s pre-eminent live karaoke band, The Naturals get ready to make Angus Young proud. 8pm at Vancouver FanClub. Free.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS VanDusen Gardens transforms with over a million twinkling lights. Tickets at TicketsTonight.TicketForce. com. Nightly until Jan. 4.

We/31

CHELSEA HOTEL: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN Cohen’s powerful music is the heartbeat of this cabaret-style production with extraordinary new arrangements in a tribute to the iconic legend. 4pm at Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at FirehallArtsCentre.com A TWISTED CHRISTMAS CAROL Using Dickens’ holiday classic and some audience suggestions, a group of talented, nutty and inspired actors will improvise to create a new comedy every night.

2pm at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. Tickets at ArtsClub. com. Runs until Dec. 27

CHEAP & FUN

Chelsea Hotel, on until Jan. 3.

CHEAP & FUN FROZEN CHANUKAH ON ICE Celebrate Chanukah with Chabad East Van, the Vancouver Jewish Community and Queen Elsa, Olaf, and Anna. 3-5pm at Hillcrest Community Centre.

VANCOUVER AQUARIUM One of the best things to do on Christmas Day with regular hours, shows, and exhibits all open. 10am-5pm at Stanley Park.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE A classic film presentation of an angel who helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing him a life where he never existed. 12:30pm at Cineplex Theatres.

ROBSON SQUARE ICE SKATING Lace up in the heart of downtown at Vancouver’s free, outdoor (but covered) ice rink. 12pm-5pm at Robson Square. Skate rentals $4.

Th/1

Fr/2

EDM king Tiesto will perform Dec. 31 at Pacific Coliseum as part of Solid NYE 2015.

KEVIN FOXX From the smash success Toronto radio show The Kevin Foxx Show and featured writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes. 8 & 10:30pm at The Comedy Mix. Tickets $20 at TheComedyMix.com

THEATRE/DANCE

COMEDY LACHLAN PATTERSON Vancouver comedian known for performances on Legit, Tosh.0, and The Tonight Show. 7pm at Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca

THEATRE/DANCE JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH A heartwarming musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale of the young James who discovers a magical giant peach inhabited by fantastical creatures. 2 & 7pm at Waterfront Theatre. Tickets at Tickets.CarouselTheatre.ca. Runs until Jan. 4.

CHEAP & FUN FREE FAMILY DAYS All-ages dropin for short exhibition tours and free art making activities. 12-3pm at Contemporary Art Gallery. Free.

YEAR IN REVIEW The improvisers take you on a journey back through the headlines of 2014 with audience suggestions.

7:30pm at The Improv Centre.

Tickets at Tickets.VTSL.com. Runs until Dec. 31.

James and the Giant Peach, on until Jan. 4.

Sa/3

Su/4

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

BON RED A powerhouse line-up of local musicians playing tunes from AC/DC up to 1980. 8pm at Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets $10 at the door.

ANGIE FAITH Singer-songwriter from Richmond plays original material and some rock covers. 8pm at Ivanhoe Pub. Free.

WINTERREISE D 911 A recital of Franz Schubert’s magnum opus Winterreise, perfomed by tenor, Thomas Lamont and pianist Karl Hirzer. 2:30pm at Vancouver Academy of Music. Admission by donation.

THEATRE/DANCE

COMEDY

MARY POPPINS Practically perfect in every way, the tale of everyone’s favourite magical nanny will sweep you off your feet. 7pm at Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Runs until Jan. 4.

TIM NUTT The rough-and-tumble BC comic on the hilarity of everyday life. 8 & 10:30pm at Comedy Mix. Tickets $20 at TheComedyMix.com

CHEAP & FUN

FOR FULL NYE LISTINGS, SEE PAGE 10

COMEDY

NO QUARTER Blues rockers with an affinity for the British songbook plays classic Zeppelin tunes. 7pm at Vancouver FanClub. Tickets $10 at TicketZone.com

BRETT MARTIN Nationally-touring headline comic brings his reckless style of comedy that ranges from Zen to irate in a relentlessly honest manner. 7 & 9:30pm. Tickets $20 at YukYuks.com

IT’S A BALL OF (YARN) FUN Knitters unite at this monthly drop-in to learn new techniques and share their knowledge about the fine art of needlework. Drop in on the first Friday evening of the month with your needles and yarn at the ready.

7pm at VPL Champlain Heights Branch. Info: 604-665-3955. Free.

JARED BORLAND AND KELLY DYER Borland and Dyer go head to head in a co-headlining evening. 7 & 9:30pm at Yuk Yuk’s. Tickets $20 at YukYuks.com

THEATRE/DANCE CHELSEA HOTEL: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN Cohen’s powerful music is the heartbeat of this cabaret-style production with extraordinary new arrangements.

FInal show. Tickets at FirehallArtsCentre.com

COMEDY EAST VAN COMEDY Instant Theatre presents Streetfight and Cagematch featuring award winning cast of Vancouver’s funniest comics. 7:30pm at Havana Theatre. Tickets $10 at EventBrite.ca

THEATRE/DANCE KITTY NIGHTS A dirty Vegas burlesque review is the first show of the new year from the dynamic team of Burgundy Brixx and The Purrrfessor. 8pm at Biltmore.

Tickets $9 at the door.

ALL THAT FALL Samuel Beckett’s 1957 radio play about a miserable married couple in rural Ireland makes its Canadian stage début.

Full of salty humor and the simplicity of life, follow Mrs. Rooney through town as she heads to the train station to pick up her husband. 2pm at Blackbird Theatre.

Tickets at Tickets.TheCultch.com.

CHEAP & FUN 6TH ANNUAL TREE CHIPPING FOR KIDS Recycle your Christmas tree through the Mount Pleasant Elementary School’s fundraiser to complete their new playground.

Free cookies and hot chocolate for those who donate. 10am – 4pm at Kingsgate Mall.

Shop local. Vote local.

Tell us your favourite local Vancouver businesses & you could WIN a

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life • people • culture • shops • services • health • sports • lifestyle • entertainment • food 12 W December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015

Westender.com

ARTS // CULTURE

WHAT’S ON Su/28

Mo/29

Tu/30

MUSIC

MUSIC

THEATRE/DANCE

CURRENT SWELL Victoria indie rockers appear in support of Ulysses with special guests Jon and Roy. 8pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $25 at Red Cat or LiveNation.com

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY American metal band featuring guitarist-vocalist and songwriter Zakk Wylde with special guests Hatebreed and Butcher Babies. 8pm at Commodore Ballroom. Tickets $46.50 at Scrape Records or LiveNation. com

AVENUE Q Part felt, part flesh, watch what happens when a recent college graduate arrives in the Big Apple looking for love, work and a purpose in life.

7:30pm at Granville Island Stage.

Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Runs until Jan. 10 (new shows added).

REIGNWOLF One-man blues rock army (aka Jordan Cook) from Saskatchewan with local guests No Sinner. 8pm at Venue. Tickets at $17 at LiveNation.com

ALL THAT FALL Samuel Beckett’s 1957 radio play about a miserable married couple in rural Ireland makes its Canadian stage début. Full of salty humor and the simplicity of life, follow Mrs. Rooney through town as she heads to the train station to pick up her husband. 8pm at Blackbird Theatre. Tickets start at $19 at Tickets.TheCultch.com

ARASH Iranian by way of Sweden, singer performs with special guest Mehrbod. 8pm at Vogue Theatre. Tickets at NorthernTickets.com

THEATRE/DANCE SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY A mash-up of fact and fiction, this taut thriller loosely adapted from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories finds Holmes engaged in a battle of wits with his most dangerous nemesis. 2 & 8pm at Jericho Arts Centre. Tickets at fs7.FormSite. com. Runs until Jan. 10.

CHEAP & FUN CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE – CHRISTMAS EDITION Interactive theatrical evening of fun, hi-jinx and hilarity. 8pm at Astoria Pub. Free.

THEATRE/DANCE ALL THAT FALL After a 50-year ban on stage productions of this Irish radio play, director Trevor Nunn adapts Samuel Beckett’s work in the first-ever Canadian production. 8pm at Blackbird Theatre. Tickets start at $19 at Tickets.TheCultch.com. Runs until Jan. 24.

CHEAP & FUN FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS VanDusen Gardens transforms into a winter wonderland with over a million twinkling lights on display. Tickets at TicketsTonight.TicketForce. com. Nightly until Jan. 4.

Mo/5

EVENTS CANYON LIGHTS Be dazzled with hundreds of thousands of glittering lights through the rainforest, across the suspension bridge and on Cliffwalk.

Don’t miss the world’s tallest living Christmas tree! Capilano Suspension Bridge. Nightly until Jan. 3.

Tu/6

We/7

ART

THEATRE/DANCE

THEATRE/DANCE

WHEN SKY WAS SEA Works in this exhibition reveal an essential correspondence to things elsewhere in a wider world, insisting on our grasp of the continuity that exists between art and (non-art) life. 12pm at Contemporary Art Gallery. Runs until Jan. 11.

AVENUE Q Part felt, part flesh, watch what happens when a recent college graduate arrives in the Big Apple looking for love, work and a purpose in life.

7:30pm at Granville Island Stage.

Tickets at ArtsClub.com. Runs until Jan. 10.

ALL THAT FALL After a 50-year ban on stage productions of this Irish radio play, director Trevor Nunn adapts Samuel Beckett’s work in the first-ever Canadian production. 8pm at Blackbird Theatre. Tickets start at $19 at Tickets.TheCultch.com.

ART PIGA PICHA! Originally conceived and presented in Nairobi in 2009, this North American premiere of the exhibition features a photographic portrayal of societal transformation in Kenya from the 1910s to the present. At the Museum of Anthropology. Runs until April 4.

Piga Picha!, on until April 4.

KAYAK BMW-driving, bleachedblond Annie Iverson teeters alone in a kayak having set out to save her son from the dangers of his radical environmentalist girlfriend. 8pm at Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets at Tickets.

FirehallArtsCentre.ca

CHEAP & FUN DEWEY DECIBEL YOUTH POETRY SLAM Bring your words to life at this monthly slam and workshop with established spoken word artists. 5:30-9pm at Peter Kaye Room (VPL Central Branch). Free.

Make giving less taxing It feels good to donate to charity. There can also be tax benefits, especially if you’re a first-time donor. If you make a donation to a registered charity by December 31, you can submit your receipt for 2014 tax purposes.

FundAid.ca has 16 crowdfunding campaigns for registered charities.

A tax receipt will be automatically issued, by email, as soon as you make your donation.

If you want your donation to count on your next tax return, please consider donating to

Shop local.

Vote local.

City-wide & by neighbourhood, we want your opinion!

Go to westender.com/ contests and enter your choices.

Voting closes January 18, 2015.

Westender.com

Bring in 2015 with a laugh!

Yuk Yuk’s Special NYE SHOW Get your tix now before it’s too late!

Vancouver’s best stand up comedy, every Wed. thru Sat. Check us out at:

yukyuks.com 2837 Cambie (at 12th) 604-696-9857

• FundAid.ca/touchstone • FundAid.ca/burnabyfamilies • FundaAid.ca/bcguidedogs • or any of the Hall of Flame (firefighters’ calendar) campaigns

17th Annual

GOLD WINNER Readers’ Choice

2014

December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 13

ARTS // CULTURE

WESTENDER.COM

MUSIC REVIEWS //

DJ Steve Aoki will headline Solid NYE 2015 in Vancouver, billed as “the biggest New Year’s Eve event in Canada.”

Top 5 albums of 2014 LOUISE BURNS music@westender.com

VARIOUS ARTISTS

NATIVE NORTH AMERICA (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 (Light in the Attic)

MAC DEMARCO

Salad Days (Captured Tracks)

DeMarco could not be a better man to name his album Salad Days, a phrase originally coined

by Shakespeare to describe the wild and inexperienced days of youth.

With gentle chorus guitars swooning over lo-fi beats and hi-fi melodies, this Harry Nilsson Jr. proves that he knows how to balance lovesick ballads with laissez-faire bedroom rock.

He’s not a boy, not yet a grown man.

SHARON VAN ETTEN

Are We There (Jagjaguwar)

I’ve always avoided using “hauntingly beautiful” in a review, but I really can’t think of a better way to describe this record. Her recurring muse of heartbreak still runs rampant, but takes a more subdued, controlled turn with a focus on piano and organ over guitars and grit. Etten produced Are We There herself, employing drum machines, darker sonic textures and of course, her crushed velvet voice, to create one of this years best.

An absolute diamond of a collection, chock-full of criminally overlooked songs by some of North America’s finest Aboriginal musicians. Just try listening to the late Willie Dunn’s “I Pity The Country” without feeling transcendental empathy.

New Year’s and ringing ears Your NYE concert guide

guaranteed good time, featuring some of Vancouver’s finest musicians performing cover songs with a house backingband made up of members of Siskiyou, Dralms, and In Media Res. Guest singers include Hannah Georgas, members of Mother Mother, Said The Whale,Yukon Blonde, The Belle Game and more, (including yours truly!).

Get it: Tickets are $50 in advance. For a real VIP expereince, email vip@hipcitymusic. com to hear about their full range of services and custom packages (bottle service? Why not!).

LOUISE BURNS music@westender.com

THE WAR ON DRUGS

Lost In The Dream (Secretly Canadian)

You know that feeling when you’re driving down a highway in the middle of a hot summer afternoon with nowhere to go, nowhere to be and not a single care in the world? That’s how this album makes you feel.

Like you are surrendering to the universe and letting the zen-like blue collar Springsteen mysticism guide you into a brighter future. Yeah. Something like that.

RUN THE JEWELS

Run The Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal)

In Blockbuster Night Part 1, Killer Mike sums up why they’re this year’s best-in-class when he states “Run The Jewels is/ murder, mayhem, melodic music”. By utilizing sharp, poignant lyrics and unrivalled production, Killer Mike and El-P have made a modern classic for the modern skeptic. W

14 W December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015

New Year’s Eve. A time for reflection, intoxication, realitychecks, and midnight makeouts. Instead of staying home and watching every StarWars movie ever made again (guilty), why not treat yourself to a night out of music, celebration, and well... Whatever it is that you do on the final day of the year. Here are some gentle suggestions on how to ring in the new year in this fine and rainy city. Be safe, kids.

A WISE YEAR PUNK PARTY

Where: The Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac When: 8pm till dawn Why: The Rebel Spell, Invasives, The Binz, The Gagged, and Jeff Andrews will guide you through a raucous, rousing Godspeed to 2014. Also, they will be having a “Punkaoke”, yes, punk karaoke with a live band, and you can find the song list/sign up sheet on the event’s facebook page.

Get it: Tickets are $20, available at The Wise Hall & Lounge, Red Cat Records, Highlife Records and BrownPaperTickets.com.

NEW YEAR’S SILLINESS WITH THE DAYGLOS AND CUM SOC

Where: Punky Thrasherbalts aka Funky Winkerbeans, 27 West Hastings When: 8pm till dawn Why: Trading sentimental for silly, Canadian classic punks Dayglo Abortions, Fu Kon Riots, and Cum Soc help you greet the dawn of the Year of the Sheep in true punk fashion. Presented by No Bollocks.

No brainer!

Get it: Tickets are $15 at the door.

HEAVEN: NEW YEARS EVE EDITION

The Invasives

THE WINTER SOCIAL: ICE CREAM SOCIAL DJ’S 7TH ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY

Where: The Biltmore Cabaret, 2755 Prince Edward When: 9pm - 4am Why: If you haven’t already subscribed to the religion that is Ice Cream Social, then consider yourself saved.

Ice Cream Social DJ’s Tyler Fedchuck, Cam Dales, Trevor Risk, and Justin Gradin all provide you with a ‘50s/’60s pop, rock and soul soundtrack to party like its Y2K, ya’ll. This night is a Vancouver institution and guaranteed to sell out, so get your tickets now. Did we mention free champagne at midnight?

Get it: Tickets are $25 at ticketweb.ca, Red Cat Records, and Dandelion Records & Emporium.

ONE NIGHT STAND VII

Where: Imperial Vancouver, 319 Main When: 9pm till dawn Why: Seven years and counting, One Night Stand is a

Where: Fox Cabaret, 2321 Main When: 11pm - 3am Why: Heaven, Fox Cabaret’s infamous classic indie dance party, offers their first New Years celebration. “The Teen Angels”, a 15-member youth choir singing the smiths, comedy troup The Sunday Service, “Rapp Battlez” (a comedian rap battle, no less) and Weird Al Karaoke – I mean, what else could you possible want out out of life??

Get it: Early-bird tickets are sold out, so tickets are $45 at Eventbrite.ca.

THE WALLFLOWER BALL

Where: The Cobalt, 917 Main When: 9pm Why: House band The Starlighters, featuring members of Dead Voices, Teen Burger, Lying Eyes, and The Corps will serenade you into the new year with their good looks, talent and hilarity. DJ’s Jef Leppard (Hustla/Queerbash/Come Friday), Dylan Gray Jones (Godmode), and Zach McLean Webb (Killing Time/Godmode) provide the soundtrack to midnight merrymaking.

Get it: $10 at the door, or in

advance at BrownPaperTickets.com.

NEW YEAR’S AT HOTEL VANCOUVER

Where: Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia When: 8pm - 3am Why: If you’re the kind of human who thrives on variety, this is the party for you. In five different ballrooms, you’ll see performances from Vancouver Opera, a live rock ‘n’ country revue starring Rich Hope, a video installation by artist Paul Wong, Pandora and the Locksmiths doing a live band/striptease combo, some of the cities finest DJ’s, a photo presentation of Vancouver’s history by Vancouver Is Awesome… Like I said, variety, baby!

Get it: Prices vary, visit HotelVancouverNYE.com.

SOLID NYE 2015 – TIESTO, STEVE AOKI, ANDREW RAYEL

Where: Pacific Coliseum When: 7pm - 3am Why: According to the facebook event page, this is the “biggest NYE event in Canada”. So do with that information what you will. If EDM, trance, glowsticks, and epic big-time-parties are your thing, consider yourself sorted.

This event will sell out, so get on it, son!

Get it: Prices vary, visit TicketLeader.com and SolidEvents.ca . W

Hannah Georgas

Westender.com

ARTS // CULTURE

Monthly Events

ARTS

January 2015

KELSEY KLASSEN kelsey@westender.com

January often feels like the quietest month of all, whether you’re listening to the silence between snowflakes (when we’re lucky enough to get them) or staring at your inbox wondering where all the emails went.

But within the bowels of Vancouver’s performance centers and stages, on cluttered desks and bookshelves, the arts scene is gearing up to get loud very quickly with the onset of a new year.

Here are seven arts-related events that have us counting down the minutes to 2015 for more than just the kiss at midnight.

ALL THAT FALL

For more than 50 years, no one has been allowed to stage this entertaining and deeply affecting Irish play about a woman going to meet her husband. At last the creatorimposed ban has been lifted and audiences in London and New York have been treated to the delight of seeing a radio play produced on the stage, and it’s now time for the first Canadian production. Presented by Blackbird Theatre Dec. 30-Jan. 24 at the Cultch.

Rob Brezsny, what better time to explore the unknown and unfamiliar than the new year?

Pick up a PuSh program and read up on highlights like So Blue (dance), Séquence 8 (circus), Bullet Catch (magic), Fish Eyes (dance dramedy), and Tomboy Survival Guide (musical storytelling). Running Jan. 20-Feb. 8, various venues.

BETTROFENHEIT

“A state of shock and bewilderment encompasses you in the wake of a disaster.”

Two of Vancouver’s most celebrated companies, Kidd Pivot and Electric Company Theatre, are hosting a workshop presentation of their exciting Toronto 2015 Pan Am co-commission, Bettrofenheit. Jan. 28-30 at Progress Lab 1422 (limited tickets go on sale Jan. 12).

MIAMI CITY BALLET: BALLENCHINE

Miami City Ballet comes to Vancouver for the first time, performing three masterworks of pioneer George Ballenchine

representing different periods in the contemporary dance pioneer’s career. Presented by Ballet BC Feb. 19-21 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

RAINCOAST CHRONICLES 23

Coming to bookstores this March: Veteran magazine editor Peter A. Robson edits this 40th anniversary edition of Harbour Publishing’s classic anthology series Raincoast Chronicles, collecting some of Canada’s most iconic writers’ stories about disasters at sea, sasquatch sightings, and life on the BC coast.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Dubbed “the best musical of this century” by the New York Times, the impending début of nine-time Tonyaward winning musical The Book of Mormon (from the creators of South Park) has the whole Lower Mainland buzzing. Presented by Broadway Across Canada April 7-12 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. W

PUSH INT’L PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL

At the risk of sounding like

Westender.com

FREQUENT FRIDAY NETWORKING LUNCH

WHISTLER PRIDE & SKI FESTIVAL January 24-31, 2015 Whistler, BC www.gaywhistler.com

A Loud Business Event

A LOUD Business Event

Friday, January 16, 12:002:00pm Best Western Plus Chateau Granville 1100 Granville Street http://bit.ly/1H7ym6T LEZERVATIONS VOLUME II Wednesday, January 21, 6:30pm The Odd Society 1725 Powell Street http://bit.ly/1v1ouou

All of us at LOUD Business wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

WOMEN ON TOP Thursday, January 22, 5:30pm Hilton Seattle, 1301 6th Ave Seattle, WA http://bit.ly/1v1o8hI

LOUD Business (formerly the GLBA) is a not-forprofit association founded on our three pillars: Networking, Community and Philanthropy.

LOUD LOUNGE

PERCHANCE TO DREAM Concert by Out in Harmony

Sunday, January 25, 7:30pm Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 West 49th Avenue Tickets on the door. www.outinharmony.org GAY-FRIENDLY BREAKFAST NETWORKING A LOUD Business Event

Wednesday, January 28, 7:158:30am The Edge Social Grille & Lounge 1100 Granville Street www.meetup.com/ LOUDBusiness/

A LOUD Business Social Event

Thursday, January 22, 5:007:00pm The Sylvia Hotel 1154 Gilford Street Tickets: $10/15 or $20 on the door http://bit.ly/1zG66qn

Check us out at www.

LOUDbusiness.com, join us at one of our events.

Come out and be LOUD!

To advertise here please contact

Find out more about LOUD at loudbusiness.com

Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary

MATTHEW LAMBERT

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! • Flowers • Pre Rolls • Tinctures

604-742-8681

mlambert@westender.com

• Edibles • Topicals • Concentrates

DOCTOR ON SITE Contact us for details

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925 DAVIE STREET • 604-899-4120 WWW.KANDUCANNAMEDS.COM KANDU-CANNAMEDS

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JOE RAMIREZ MCP, CAC, CCC Adlerian Psychotherapist Canadian Certified Counsellor

POSTSECRET: THE SHOW

Over half a billion visitors, a million anonymous postcards, and six best-selling books – Vancouver artists TJ Dawe, Kahlil Ashanti, and Justin Sudds have teamed up with Frank Warren, creator of one of the most-read blogs in the world, to bring to life the secrets of PostSecret.com.

Making its Canadian premiere Jan. 20-Feb. 7 at the Firehall Arts Centre.

16TH ANNUAL GAY SURREY PAGEANT Saturday, January 24 Olympia Pizza & Restaurant 10257 King George Hwy, Surrey http://bit.ly/1CaadOS

Maybe your resolution is to get out more, meet new people, for business or just for social reasons.

Check our community listings and you will find opportunities for networking at breakfast, lunch and evening. You’ll find events from Surrey to Whistler: a concert, an exhibition, cocktails, a whole week of snow fun and more. Even in the dark days of January there’s lots going on.

BURRARD

2015: Year in preview

Wednesday, January 14, 7:158:30am The Edge Social Grille & Lounge 1100 Granville Street www.meetup.com/ LOUDBusiness/

POLAR BEAR SWIM Thursday, January 1, 2:30pm Vancouver - English Bay bit.ly/18oKXFc

HORNBY

In November of 2004, Frank Warren handed out 3,000 self-addressed postcards to strangers, asking them to share their secrets. It went viral, with thousands of responses, and the live audiovisual experience, PostSecret: The Show, is now making its Canadian début. Postcard supplied

GAY-FRIENDLY BREAKFAST NETWORKING

TABOO - THE NAUGHTY BUT NICE SHOW January 22-25, 2015 Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver http://www.tabooshow.com/ taboo-vancouver

How do you plan to start off the new year? Perhaps you’ll join other hardy souls for the Polar Bear Swim on January 1st?

Individual & Couples Counselling

Happy Holidays

SPECIALIZING IN:

CONCERNS MAY INCLUDE:

• Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse

• Resolving past hurt • Life Coaching - Moving on • Masculine ID and Emotions • Sex Therapy, Fetish, Addictions • Relationships conflict & support • Past Sexual Abuse & Relationships

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#415 - 470 Granville St., Vancouver, BC V6C 1V5 • 778-227-9423 www.joe-ramirez.com • joe@joe-ramirez.com

December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 15

ARTS // CULTURE

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FILM & TV

News from your BC film crews Sabrina Furminger Reel People @Sabrinarmf

WIFTV 25TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE

Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV) has been working with and for female filmmakers for a quarter of a century now, and as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, the hard-working organization presents a retrospective of films by BC women directors.

The retrospective was curated by Super Channel’s Maureen Levitt, and includes films (documentaries and shorts) in which a female main character struggles against status-quo, and demonstrates strength and determination.

Films include Katrin Bowen’s Almost Forgot My Bones (2004), about an African-Canadian woman who goes in search of her roots when transplanted into a new city; A Round Peg (1997) by Michelle Bjornson, an award-winning film

back in time to present-day Vancouver – will return for a fourth and final season comprised of six episodes.

“There’s lucky, and then there’s ‘you get to write the ending of your 4 season [sic] TV series’ lucky,” series creator Simon Barry tweeted on Dec. 8. Continuum’s season four broadcast dates will be announced in early 2015.

about Canadian feminist educator Margaret Fulton; Sharon McGowan’s 2006 piece The Oldest Basketball Team in the World, about the Retreads, a team of Canadian women ages 65 to 75; and Paula Cole and Sylvi MacCormac’s Patience and Absurdity (2012), in which – to quote the official film description – a “spunky Irish immigrant, new to Alzheimer’s, joins forces with her daughter, who is living with MS, to make a cup of tea.”

The retrospective runs Jan. 17-18 at SFU Woodward’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Tickets and schedule at WomenInFilm.ca.

VANCOUVER ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Between the weather and the post-holiday blahs, January can be a dismal time for many Vancouverites, so it’s nice to have the Vancouver Italian Film Festival on the calendar.

The fest – which shines a spotlight on the cinema of Italy, natch – returns for its second year with a packed schedule of comedy, drama, documentary, and art film classics.

Films include Marriage Italian Style (1964), Divorce Italian Style (1961), The Mafia Only Kills in Summer (2013), Songs of Napoli (2013), The Fifth Wheel (2013), L’Eclisse (1962), Men

SIX EPISODE REPRIEVE FOR CONTINUUM

It’s been a tough few months for the cast, crew, and fans of locally shot Continuum as they’ve awaited word from Showcase regarding the time travel procedural’s fate.

Showcase has announced that Continuum – about a cop (portrayed by Criminal Minds star Rachel Nichols) and a group of terrorists from 2077 who travel

Erik Knudsen and Rachel Nichols on the set of Continuum. The time-travel TV show has been given the green light to return for a final six episodes. Supplied photo of the Cloth (2014), Federico Fellini’s 1963 masterpiece 8 ½, and Barolo Boys (2014) – the latter of which includes a wine tasting.

Another highlight: A photo exhibition devoted to Italian screen legend Sophia Loren.

The Vancouver Italian Film Festival runs Jan. 9-15 at Vancity Theatre. Details and schedule at VIFF.org.

BAD CITY

One of the hits of the 2014 Whistler Film Festival is now available online.

Bad City – directed by Carl Bessai and co-starring its two scribes, Dustin Milligan (90210) and Aaron Brooks – presents itself as an authentic piece of “canuxploitation,” a faux genre that utilized all of the tropes

of blaxploitation films but with a distinctly Canadian flavour.

It’s a lot of fun to watch – and was clearly a lot of fun to make – and now, mere weeks after the world premiere, the Bessai and company have released Bad City online for all to enjoy.

Find it at BadCityMovie. com. W

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ARTS // CULTURE

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MOVIE REVIEWS UNBROKEN

Starring Jack O’Connell, Takamasa Ishihara Directed by Angelina Jolie “If a story doesn’t give you a hard-on in the first couple of scenes, throw it in the goddamned garbage,” opined Samuel Fuller, one of the few makers of war films who also actually served on the front lines during WWII. Odds are, the spectacularly staged opening of Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken would’ve had Sam at full mast. In it, we’re imbedded with real-life war hero Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) – an Olympic runner who became an Air Force bombardier – as his bomber is locked in aerial combat with Japanese Zero fighters that’s balletic and brutal in turns.

As his luck sours, he finds himself trapped on a life raft targeted by sharks for almost 50 days before being interned in a prisoner-of-war camp presided over by an oddly effete sadist (Takamasa Ishihara).

Given that Jolie’s rise to superstardom came courtesy of adaptations of video games (the Tomb Raider films) and comics (Wanted), as well as other cartoonish action fare (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), it’s commendable that the UN Peace Ambassador now fancies herself a director who strips

violence of any escapism.

However, she seems to believe that dutifully cataloguing the seemingly endless degradations inflicted on Zamperini in graphic detail absolves her of her basic obligations as a storyteller.

Ultimately, Unbroken falls well short of Fuller’s standard for a “good yarn,” churning out scenes but rarely establishing any narrative ebb and flow.

In the process, Jolie leaves O’Connell – who’s capable of almost elemental intensity – adrift, asking only that he endure. Alas, acts of resiliency alone reveal little about a character and involving drama hinges on far more than just making it out alive.

–Curtis Woloschuk

BIG EYES

Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz Directed by Tim Burton Filmmaker Tim Burton’s recent movies are often associated with Johnny Depp in wacky costumes and big budget visual effects, but his latest effort is more akin to his earlier personal films like Ed Wood (which also happened to star his muse) and Big Fish.

Based on true events, Big Eyes chronicles the fascinating story of successful painter Margaret Keane (Adams),

who rose to fame in the ‘60s with her popular portraits of “waifs with big eyes”, and the legal battle that ensued after her husband Walter (Waltz) claimed credit for her work.

It’s immediately refreshing to see the iconic director, known mainly for lavish visuals, tackle a purely character driven project.

The film may lack the granular detail that made Ed Wood so evocative, but the performances are downright powerful. Adams is stellar playing a woman struggling for independence in an era when most females had none, as she leaves her first husband only to be seduced by Walter’s charms, and eventually falls prey to his mounting abuse.

Waltz has never been better as he slowly morphs from silvertongued charmer to venomous snake and gradually becomes a delusional madman. The relationship dynamic at play is constantly intriguing; and the script from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski moves the plot along nimbly.

Big Eyes’ tonal shifts dampen the impact of the film’s courtroom conclusion, when Walter’s madcap mannerisms become a little too comical, but the movie is a return to form for Burton, illustrating some eerily timely subject matter. –Thor Diakow

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HEALTH

How to beat a holiday hangover STAY SOBER

Patty Javier Gomez Whole Nourishment

You could not drink, or do it in moderation and….not be hungover?

@WholeNourishBC

If you are anything like me, you are probably indulging in all the holiday fun you can muster, which means drinking way too much booze on occasion. Now, as much fun as that may be, it leaves future you feeling like crap and cursing party you something fierce.

Drinking alcohol depletes a lot of nutrients from your body – like, basically all of them – and this is just one of the reasons you feel terrible after a night of boozing and singing your own rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” on top of a bar stool.

Alcohol is toxic. Yes, this delicious, feel-good, inhibition-dropping elixir actually has a toxic effect on your body. That’s why you get intoxicated when not drinking in moderation, and that’s why you feel like the wrath the next day.

There are many hangover cures out there. Some work, some don’t, and you might feel inclined to consume some “hair of the dog”. But while drinking more alcohol might help you temporarily feel better, it may be potentially harmful long term.

The bottom line is that you need to give your body a chance to recover, and here are some tips on how to do just that.

EAT BEFORE YOU DRINK

Drinking on an empty stomach will get you drunk faster and will suppress your hunger as well. Eating healthy carbs and fats will slow down the digestion of the alcohol you will be consuming. Stay sober longer; avoid puking.

PROTEIN

Proteins are broken down into individual amino acids, which are substances that help detoxify your liver and, in turn, assist your recovery.

Alcohol depletes a number of amino acids in your body, so replenishing them come breakfast time will help get things back to normal. This is why you crave bacon.

DRINK WATER

This seems like an obvious one. This is because tissues around your brain are mostly made up of water, and dehydration will shrink them! (Hangover pounding headache sound familiar?)

Drinking water while you are boozing can also help the affects of next day hangover.

Drink a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you have to avoid that morning headache.

Rolfing is Manual Therapy which strengthens the body’s structural integrity and functional resources.

Rolfing can help you move again.

GET YOUR B VITAMINS

Thinkstock photo

TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN

While you should probably be taking these every day, if you are planning a night of drinking fun, it’s probably a good idea to be very diligent in consuming your vitamins prior-to, and afterwards, to replenish all the good things lost that night.

AVOID BUBBLY DRINKS

Yes, it’s tempting to spend your Christmas bonus on Dom Perignon to cheers when the clocks strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, but trust me, pimped out bubbly drinks will be the end of you tomorrow. Bubbly drinks, or anything mixed with something carbonated, will cause the alcohol to be absorbed more quickly into your system.

YOGA & MEDITATION

OK, this is not necessarily scientifically proven, but once, after my three-glass limit of wine (‘cause I’m a cheap drunk), I woke up and did a meditation and yoga practice at home and I felt great! I think all the movement helped with blood flow and the breathing helped my body to deal with the stress it was in. Trust me, hangovers equal stress in your body.

Replenishing your B vitamins is one of the best things you can do for your body in general, but especially when it comes to a night of drinking. Even if you are not planning to go overboard, B vitamins will help you level out and feel much better. W

RECIPE // BAKED EGGS 2 eggs 2 stalks kale 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tbsp. coconut oil 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1/4 jalapeno, chopped 4-5 olives, pitted and diced 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. chili powder Salt and pepper to taste Preparation 1. Sautee onion, kale in coconut oil.

2. When onions are soft add apple cider vinegar.

3. Add spices and sautee for 3-5 minutes more.

4. Scoop out mixture and put into small ramekins.

5. Add diced olives and jalapenos.

6. Crack an egg over mixture.

7. Bake at 400F for 10-15 min. or until egg is cooked.

8. Serve with a side of sauerkraut and avocado for a delicious breakfast/brunch!

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Seminars & Events at Choices Market:

Complimentary Naturopathic Consults with Dr. Scarlett Cooper, ND, Fourth & Alma Naturopathic Monday, January 12, 2:30-5:30pm Choices Kitsilano, 2627 W 16th Ave., Vancouver Free sessions but registration by phone or in person is required. Call 604-736-0009.

Five-minute fitness for the holidays Natalie Langston Fitness on the Run @LangstonNatalie Let’s face it, staying fit and the holidays rarely go hand in hand. All summer long we work hard on getting that killer bod and slowly we start to hibernate as the days grow longer and the rain gets harder. And where does all that hard work go? Out the window, that’s where.

Between the festive parties, the happy hours, baking nights, and New Year’s celebrations, I find myself waking up to the taste of eggnog still lingering on my tongue and the last thing I want to do is get on the treadmill and lift some weights for an hour.

To make your life easier and keep you on track, I’ve teamed up with Steve Nash Fitness World and Sports Club with helpful hints to stay fit with a five-minute workout you can do anywhere, anytime.

TOP 10 TIPS:

• Eat before you go out. Choose protein options that help you stay full longer and prevent a crash later.

Remember: Fat doesn’t make you fat; it’s the sugar you have to be wary of.

• Make small changes. For example, stay away from canapés, which are high in fat, and go for the veggie tray instead.

Or extra veggies, instead of potatoes or pasta.

• Switch out your alcohol, which is the silent killer. I choose to drink a gin and soda over wine and cocktails. Less sugar and calories, and no hangover.

• Plan in advance. If you know you’re going to a holiday party in the evening, have a healthy breakfast and lunch, and find time for a quick fiveminute workout (see below).

• Keep a food journal. Write down each and everything you eat, that way you can detect exactly where you are overeating and when you are overdoing it most.

• Make healthy choices.

Choose a protein source, a carb source, and a fat source.

Oil and butter is on everything so your fat is covered. Satays, lean chicken bites, deviled egg, fish, tofu, and tempeh are all good options.

• Get your sauces on the side, always.

• Walk around the block.

Walking triggers the slowburning fats that are hard to get rid of. If you are already on holiday, walk on the beach or do some water aerobics.

• Hit the reset button. If you have overindulged and too many happy hours have just been too darn happy, hit the mental reset button and

start fresh today.

• Everything in moderation.

If you are going to have that Candy Cane Martini, limit yourself to one instead of two or three. And when you do, really savour every last drop.

THE WORKOUT

To go along with these 10 tips, Steve Nash District Fitness Manager, Austan Tait suggests a resistance-training workout that can take as little as five minutes (five exercises totaling 60 seconds each). If you have 20 minutes, even better: Complete three sets and bike for the last five.

It’s simple and easy to do at home, in between parties, or on vacation.

Total body circuit: Use hand weights that are a good challenge; complete 30-60 seconds of exercise 1-5 each, without rest; switch exercises efficiently to minimize rest and keep heart rate elevated; complete 2-4 rounds based on time available.

1. Squat to overhead press Works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders

2. Push up to one-arm row Works the core, chest and back

3. Mountain climber Works the chest and core

4. Alternating lunge with bicep curl Works the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and biceps

5. Hip bridge with tricep extensions Works the glutes, hamstrings, low back and triceps

6. Rest 30-60 seconds, before starting next set. W (Charles Zuckerman photos)

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REAL ESTATE //

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Rob Joyce & Roger Ross

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Merry Christmas to all friends, neighbours and volunteers. New info always available on the website; an opportunity for community to stay in touch and keep up on local issues. www.westendneighbours.ca

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December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 19

LIFESTYLES //

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DRIVE

2015 BMW X4: SUV versatility with the look of a coupe

DAVID CHAO westender.com

BMW continues to introduce a new vehicle for every possible market segment, no matter how small the niche may be. Despite having numerous SUVs in its fleet already, BMW has decided it will attempt to take even a bigger slice of the “growing pie” by introducing the coupe-style X4.

The X4 speaks to the customers who like the look of the X6 but want something a little smaller and more affordable. Also, these customers feel the X3 is a tad too traditional and mainstream.

The new X4 fulfills both of those requirements.

The X4 is an all-new vehicle for 2015. For those not familiar, BMW’s with an odd number in their name – the 3, 5, and 7 Series – are the more practical models.

The even numbered vehicles – the 2, 4, and 6 Series – are the more sporty models.

DESIGN

The new X4 is derived from the X3 but it sacrifices some practicality in the interest of style. BMW calls the X4 a “sports activity coupe” and it attempts to bridge a coupe and compact SUV. The most obvious difference between the X4 and the X3 is its sloping roofline, accented by sharp creases.

This gives the X4 its own distinctive character.

Also, while the X4 uses the X3’s architecture, it is longer and lower – this follows the recipe that BMW is using with the new 4 Series, which is carved out of the 3 Series.

The styling of the X4 is the most controversial aspect of this new vehicle. Those not on board should know it follows a very successful formula BMW has used with the larger X6, and no one can deny the fact that the X4 stands out in the crowd.

The cabin of the X4 is remarkably similar to the X3, which means it has a stylish, somewhat conservative design - it would have been nice if this new car received an all-new interior.

PERFORMANCE

Much less controversial are the X4’s line-up of engines, because the X4 shares

its engine lineup with others in the BMW range, including the 3 Series sedan, 4 Series and X3.

Base model X4’s, the xDrive28i, comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder. It produces 240 hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque. This engine is superb, with plenty of pulling power and surprising amount of get-up-and-go.

Stepping up to the xDrive35i increases both horsepower and torque to an even 300 each. This comes from a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six that is second to none in the industry. Smooth and gutsy, the 3.0-litre is one of the best engines in the world in terms of overall feel and balance of power vs. economy.

BMW’s xDrive AWD system comes standard, obviously, along with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There are no other drivetrain or transmission options available at this time.

BMW has made its name by building driver’s cars. Its SUVs, while sportier than many of its rivals, are understandably never as spirited as their cars. But the 2015 X4, still using X3 underpinnings, drives much more like a BMW car. It has the best electric power steering unit BMW has made yet.

The lower ride height and retuned suspension give the X4 a different personality than the X3, though not as much as you think. It is a joy to drive on a twisty road and has four selectable driving modes – Sport+, Sport, Comfort and Eco Pro – allowing you to customize your driving experience.

To make the X4 as fuel efficient as possible, it comes with BMW EfficientDynamics, which includes auto start/stop, low rollingresistance tires, brake-energy regeneration and a coasting function. This works in conjunction with the Eco Pro driving mode which changes the X4’s throttle response and gear shifts to further economy.

Above: The new 2015 BMW X4 blends the versatility of an SUV with the sleek styling and performance of a sports coupe.

Left: The interior of the X4, complete with BMW’s iDrive 6.5-inch control display.

Submitted photos

the rear bench has a more pronounced two-seat appearance to accentuate the look of the exterior.

The X4 can seat five passengers, however only four will be truly comfortable. The rear centre seat is really just a perch. The two outer seats don’t have a lot of head-room because of the sloping roof, but anyone under six-feet should be fine.

The most concerning aspect for rear passengers would be the floor height.

Knee-room is quite good, but because the seats were lowered to provide adequate head-room, passengers may feel like their knees are a bit high.

As can be expected, the X4 has less cargo space than an X3. However, the rear seats

ENVIRONMENT

While the cabin of the X4 mostly resembles the X3, BMW has given it a few unique features to make it feel exclusive. The front passengers sit 20mm lower and

are split 40/20/40 to make the space as versatile as possible.

Accessing that space has been made easier thanks to the Smart Opener system which opens the tailgate by waving your foot under the rear bumper.

The X4 comes with a good amount of standard technology features, including BMW’s iDrive with a 6.5-inch control display. This system can be upgraded to access the internet and have one of the best navigation systems on the market with Advanced Real Time Traffic Information.

It is also available with many comforting safety options. These include Active Blind Spot Detection and a Lane Departure and Collision Warning system that gives a gentle vibration of the

steering wheel to get your attention.

FEATURES

The 2015 X4 has a starting price of $46,300.

Standard equipment includes heated front seats, electric seats with driver memory, leather multi-function steering wheel, heated steering wheel, automatic climate control, dynamic cruise control, run flat tires, and a sunroof.

Additional features include heated rear seats, surround view, rearview camera, parking sensors, adaptive headlights, head-up display, dynamic damper control, and an M Sport Package.

Fuel efficiency numbers (L/100km) for the xDrive28i are 11.8 city, 8.4 highway

and 10.3 combined. The xDrive35i returns 12.5 city, 8.7 highway for 10.8 combined.

THUMBS UP

The X4 provides a nice combination of sports coupe design with the versatility of a crossover. The X4 has one of the best steering feel in its class.

THUMBS DOWN

The X4’s styling is polarizing and its coupe-like proportions limits practicality.

Rear visibility is quite poor.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The all-new BMW X4 is not an ordinary SUV and will please customers who want something unique and stylish. W

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SEX

Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny “Hell is the suffering of being unable to love,” wrote novelist J.D. Salinger. Using that definition, I’m happy to announce that you have a good chance of avoiding hell altogether in 2015. If there has been any deficiency in your power to express and bestow love, I think you will correct it. If you have been so intent on getting love that you have been neglectful in giving love, you will switch your focus. I invite you to keep a copy of this horoscope in your wallet for the next 12 months. Regard it as your “Get Out of Hell Free” card.

Beetles are abundant and ubiquitous. Scientists have identified more than 350,000 species, and they are always discovering new ones. In 2011, for example, they conferred official recognition on 3,485 additional types of beetles. I’m seeing a parallel development in your life, Taurus. A common phenomenon that you take for granted harbors mysteries that are worth exploring. Something you regard as quite familiar actually contains interesting features you don’t know about. In 2015, I hope you will open your mind to the novelties and exotica that are hidden in plain sight.

Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) was an influential French chef who defined and standardized the five “mother sauces.” But he wasn’t content to be a star in his own country. At the age of 44, he began his “conquest of London,” bringing his spectacular dining experience to British restaurants. He thought it might be hard to sell his new clientele on frogs’ legs, a traditional French dish, so he resorted to trickery. On the menu, he listed it as “Nymphs of the Dawn.” According to my reading of the omens, this is an example of the hocus-pocus that will be your specialty in 2015.

And I suspect you will get away with it every time as long as your intention is not selfish or manipulative, but rather generous and constructive.

The entomologist Charles P. Alexander (18891981) devoted much of his professional life to analyzing the insect known as the crane fly. He identified over 11,000 different species, drew 15,000 illustrations of the creatures, and referred to his lab as “Crane Fly Haven.” That’s the kind of single-minded intention I’d love to see you adopt during the first six months of 2015, Cancerian.

What I’m imagining is that you will choose a specific, well-defined area within which you will gleefully explore and experiment and improvise.

Is there a subject or task or project you would have fun pursuing with that kind of intensity?

In Don DeLillo’s novel Underworld, Cotter Martin is a young boy living in New York in the 1950s.

The following description is about him. “In school they tell him sometimes to stop looking out the window. This teacher or that teacher. The answer is not out there, they tell him. And he always wants to say that’s exactly where the answer is.”

I propose we regard this passage as one of your themes in 2015, Leo. In other words, be skeptical of any authority who tells you where you should or should not be searching for the answers. Follow your own natural inclination, even if at first it seems to be nothing more than looking out the window.

“It is always important to know when something has reached its end,” writes Paulo Coelho in his book The Zahir. Use this advice heroically in 2015, Virgo. Wield it to clear away anything that no longer serves you, that weighs you down or holds you back. Prepare the way for the new story that will begin for you around your next birthday.

“Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters,” Coelho says, “it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

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“On some nights I still believe,” said rascal journalist Hunter S. Thompson, “that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.” In 2015, I invite you to adopt some of that push-it-to-the-edge attitude for your personal use, Libra. Maybe not fulltime; maybe not with the same manic intensity that Thompson did. Rather, simply tap into it as needed -- whenever you’ve got to up your game or raise your intensity level or rouse the extra energy you need TO ACHIEVE TOTAL, WONDROUS, RESOUNDING VICTORY!!! The coming months will be your time to go all the way, hold nothing back, and quest for the best and the most and the highest.

Twenty miles long, the Onyx River is the longest body of moving water on the continent of Antarctica. Most of the year it’s ice, though. It actually flows for just two or three months during the summer. Let’s hope that continues to be the case for the foreseeable future. It would be a shame if global warming got so extreme that the Onyx melted permanently. But now let’s talk about your own metaphorical equivalent of the Onyx: A potentially flowing part of your life that is often frozen. I’d love to see it heat up and thaw. I’d love it to be streaming and surging most of the time.

And in 2015, I think that’s a distinct possibility. Consider making the following declaration your battle cry: I am the Flow Master!

“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.” That quote is attributed to both Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky and Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Regardless of who said it, I urge you to keep it in mind throughout 2015. Like all of us, you are trapped in an invisible prison: a set of beliefs or conditioned responses or bad habits that limit your freedom to act. That’s the bad news. The good news is that in the coming months, you are poised to discover the exact nature of your invisible prison, and then escape it.

When he was 37 years old, actor Jack Nicholson found out that Ethel May, the woman he had always called his mother, was in fact his grandma. Furthermore, his “older sister” June was actually his mom, who had given birth to him when she was 17. His relatives had hidden the truth from him. I suspect that in 2015 you will uncover secrets and missing information that will rival Nicholson’s experience.

Although these revelations may initially be confusing or disruptive, in the long run they will heal and liberate you. Welcome them!

This is your brain in love Sex with Mish Way

@MyszkaWay Like most people, I am a sucker for love. Romantic love is a force. It takes you over. It is the pumping artery that fuels all other emotions. We live in a culture of love. It informs us. I will never forget the moment I lost my first true love. As fairytales, movies, songs, books, and our parents would tell us, this is the most impactful love of all. The one that kickstarts your entire understanding of the phenomenon. Like the illogical importance put on virginity, a person’s first love is the ultimate head game you can only work through.

When Nic and I broke up I was devastated. I remember drinking whatever I could get my hands on, putting whatever I could up my nose, accepting any form of sexual attention from another person in an effort to erase the hurt that overtook me. I am a dramatic motherfucker. I always have been, but this loss was like nothing else. I dwelled. I cried.

I lashed out. I did horribly embarrassing and stereotypical ex-girlfriend things. I couldn’t help it. I felt like someone had cut off my arm and I had no idea how to grow a new one by myself.

But the thing about love is this: It’s so powerful and so amazing that you always take the risk of hurt to have that feeling again. I rarely think about how a relationship will end when I am at the beginning falling in love, again. I’m too busy being totally naive and

forgetting everything I learned from the last heartbreak. As much as I like to trick myself into thinking I’m realistic, I’m not. I am romantic through and through.

After my first big heartache (which, believe me, took years and years to finally get over), I read everything about love I could get my hands on. And I’m not talking about romantic poems or idealistic musings that suck you into a vortex like a Big Star ballad. I wanted to break love down into a science.

I wanted to rationalize my emotions so that I could understand and hopefully squash them.

In my desperate search, I came across this American anthropologist named Helen Fisher. She has spent most of her career researching the neurological affects of love on our brain. Fisher has taken the love-struck and love-sick, stuck them in an MRI machine, and watched. Among other things, she figured out the brain in love experiences increased activity in the right ventral tegmental area (VTA) and parts of the caudate nucleous. The VTA is high in cells that produce and distribute dopamine to the caudate nucleous (which is also the part of our brain associated with attention and the motivation to acquire rewards).

Fisher argues that this part of the brain is reptilian. It’s below our cognitive and emotional states; it’s like hunger or something basic. Therefore love is not an emotion but primarily a motivational state designed to make us pursue a preferred partner.

When she studied rejection in love, she found links to cocaine addiction. I like this science. She suggested that

romantic love and cocaine addiction behaviors share survival system activation in the brain, helping to explain the strength of the obsession. Love is like a drug addiction, the exact same parts of our brain are activating: Obsessiveness (wanting more, more, more as our tolerance grows), withdrawls and relapse all happen.You can be addicted to a human the way you are addicted to oxycontin.

Getting over anything hurts; we turn into crazy people.

When you stop doing drugs, you start kicking. When your lover rejects you, you start depressing.You get fucked up.

You get high.You do anything to take away that feeling. What else do people want but to love and be loved right back?

I don’t remember exactly when it was, but one day I realized I was actually over my first love. I had thought this many times before but I was only lying to myself. So much time had passed. We had both grown into different people with our own successful lives.

I saw him and instead of hurt, anger, jealousy, craving, or sadness, I felt totally calm. That’s when something clicked: The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.

I don’t think love can ever be replicated. It’s too individual.

It’s too unique. It’s too circumstantial. It’s never repeated. I will never fully understand love, but I will always succumb to it in all forms. It’s so good, it’s worth the risk. W

EMAIL MISH Send Mish your own sex questions and queries to sex@westender.com

“Meupareunia” is an English word that refers to a sexual adventure in which only one of the participants has a good time. I’ll be bold and predict that you will not experience a single instance of meupareunia in 2015. That’s because I expect you’ll be steadily upgrading your levels of empathy and your capacity for receptivity. You will be getting better and better at listening to your intimate allies and reading their emotional signals. I predict that synergy and symbiosis will be your specialties. Both your desire to please and your skill at giving pleasure will increase, as will your understanding of how many benefits you can reap by being a responsive partner.

“Be good and you will be lonesome,” said Mark Twain. Do you agree? I don’t – at least as it applies to your life in 2015. According to my understanding of the long-term astrological omens, you will attract an abundance of love and luck by being good -- by expressing generosity, deepening your compassion, cultivating integrity, and working for justice and truth and beauty. That doesn’t mean you should be a pushover or doormat. Your resolve to be good must be leavened by a determination to deepen your self-respect. Your eagerness to do the right thing has to include a commitment to raising your levels of self-care. W

December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015 W 21

22 W December 23, 2014 – January 7, 2015

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