Montreal: October 2006

[+ newatthis]

I Should Know Better. If you’ve had a [a href=http://m4m.m4m-forum.org/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=18&topic_id=14606&mesg_id=14606]great trip to Montreal[/a], resist the temptation to rush right back – that quick return visit never lives up to expectations.

 

Companionship. My Montreal trips are enhanced by having some people my own age to hang out with. A steady diet of dinners with twenty-something year olds or alone can get dreary, not to mention the inevitable down time, especially for an early riser like me. I am lucky enough to share some Campus afternoons with luv2play, and we discover a friendly and appealing new Tapas restaurant. An added bonus is the company of LurkerSpeaks, whose enthusiasm is infectious, for the last part of my trip.

 

The Breakfast Problem. I envy my friends who can close down the strip clubs at 3 am, go off to breakfast with some dancers, then sleep past noon. I awaken by 6 no matter how late I’m out, and I can’t manage to stay in bed past 9. So what the hell do I do before it’s time to go to Campus or Adonis?

 

When the weather’s nice, I enjoy walking around and exploring neighborhoods. Not this visit, though – daytime temperatures hover around 45ºF, and it’s mostly cloudy and rainy. The Museum of Contemporary Art is good for a couple of hours, with Rodney Graham and Neo Rauch exhibits.

 

There’s a cozy French bakery with Dalida posters on the wall and French popular music in the background where I go for breakfast most mornings. I take along books and magazines and catch up on my reading (except for the morning LurkerSpeaks joins me). With luck, I snare the table in the window and can scan the morning Village scene (very different from summer afternoons).

 

No Smoking. I’m amazed at what a difference the non-smoking laws have made. I no longer need 2 Montreal wardrobes, one for the clubs and one for the rest of the day. And kissing the dancers is much more pleasant; being forced to smoke outside in the cold has cut down substantially on their smoking during working hours.

 

Don’t Expect Too Much from a Twenty-Year Old, I. Hugo. Gorgeous blond Taboo dancer from my [a href=http://m4m.m4m-forum.org/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=18&topic_id=14606&mesg_id=14606] last trip[/a]. Broad shoulders tapering to a slim waist. Good fun in the front; scorching when I finally took him to the back on my last night. He spots me as soon as I enter on Sunday, flashes a smile, disengages from another customer and sits down with me. This is going to be great, think I. But his conversation is desultory, and soon he’s soliciting dances. With an unknown, I would decline and move on, and that’s what I should have done – he’s lackluster at best. Not one to mince words, I ask “what’s changed?” He pleads fatigue.

 

The penny drops an hour later, when F, a local whom I know slightly, turns up with some friends. Hugo runs over, gives him a big hug, and sits snuggling with him. Soon I overhear a bit of gossip from 2 nearby dancers: “I thought they weren’t getting along any more?” Aha!

 

Don’t Expect Too Much from a Twenty-Year Old, II. As the Hugo story is playing out, I have my eye on novice dancer J – slim, reddish-blond hair, still a little awkward on stage. The next night, we spend most of the evening together. He never stops being affectionate as we talk – caresses, hugs, little kisses. Despite his self-description as “straight, but open-minded”, he gives a multi-chili-pepper performance in the back room.

 

Back at the table, we have one of those “we know what we’re talking about even though we’re not saying it explicitly” conversations. I like the way he responds to my implicit question: “I need to get to know you better and feel comfortable with you first.”

 

To speed up the “feeling comfortable with you” process, I call and invite him to dinner on Wednesday (I already have Tuesday plans). He sounds genuinely pleased, responds “yes” instantly, and assures me that he’s reliable about such commitments. He’ll call Wednesday from his day job to confirm the time and place we’re to meet.

 

You all know what’s coming. He doesn’t call. He doesn’t answer his phone either. I marvel that he can stand me up, knowing that he’s likely to see me at Taboo that same evening. I underestimate him; he never reappears at Taboo.

 

But Not All Twenty-Year Olds Are The Same, I. C, on the other hand, is totally reliable. He’s looking terrific when I run into him on the street: shorter hair, stylish new clothing. He’s a delightful companion; dinner with him is anything but dreary. Although he left school and moved away from home at 16 and leads a very unconventional life by my standards, we get along well. Our afternoon together involves some firsts for me, notably some sex toys he brings along (for him, not (yet?) for me). We revisit Le Pistou for dinner, where he’s cruised by the busboy.

 

But Not All Twenty-Year Olds Are The Same, II. I finally go to see S’s new apartment (his roommate has moved in with a girlfriend, eliminating possible complications). The apartment is done in a spare, modern style. He’s chosen everything – furniture, art on the walls – and done all the painting himself. He has a real flair for decorating.

 

He’s also a gracious host. The place is neat and clean. He offers me something to drink when I arrive. I’m here for more than sight-seeing; between school and family obligations he’s hard-pressed for time, so we’ve decided to remain at his place rather than go back to my hotel. Even in the bedroom, he’s gracious; supplies and towels laid out; shower clean and ready for us when we’re done.

 

Most Erotic Public Scene. It is chilly and rainy almost every day. I wear a scarf, which keeps falling out of my sleeve in the clubs.

 

Sunday night, having just retrieved my scarf (with the help of several twinks) from the Taboo floor, I am confronted with Hugo and J standing bare-chested one step below me. Without conscious reflection, I wrap my scarf around their necks and gradually draw them face-to-face. They begin kissing, lightly at first, then more deeply and urgently, their bodies slowly undulating against each other, barely coming up for breath over 3 or 4 minutes. I, and everyone around me, is breathing pretty heavily (“straight, but open-minded” indeed!).

 

Most Erotic Private Scene. I don’t witness it personally, but [a href= http://m4m.m4m-forum.org/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=18&topic_id=14840&mesg_id=14842] hear about it from LurkerSpeaks [/a] minutes after it happens.

 

Massage Skills Come in Handy. By paying careful attention to world-class masseur Steve’s ministrations (yes, I saw him this visit, and yes, he’s as good – or better – than ever), I’ve acquired some modest skills of my own. Dancers often develop sore backs, shoulders, and buttocks, which, as a public service, I’m happy to work on. I do this for Jesse at Campus one afternoon (he keeps groaning “more, more”). Two days later, he spots me as I arrive and comes running over to ask for another massage.

 

Club Cross-Fertilization. It’s not unusual to see dancers from one club hanging out in another club. I observe a new twist on this at Taboo – Lance/Mickey (now back at Campus) comes by to recruit a partner to do a “show” for a client of his.

 

The Dancer’s Adviser, I: How to Insure I’ll Never Ask You to Dance for Me. Sit down and after 30 seconds’ conversation, ask if I’d like to do some private dances. Or hustle me for a drink, and when I tell you I just arrived and will wait a while before doing any dances, leave immediately, taking your drink with you.

 

[a NAME=daii][/a]The Dancer’s Adviser, II: How to Insure I’ll Never Ask You for a Second Dance, No Matter How Hot You Were in the Back Room. Leave the back room several steps ahead of or behind me, as if we don’t know each other. Don’t give me a smile as you pass by. Stop making eye contact with me.

 

L’Adonis is going through a good phase. Raunchy Jason is very sexy in the back, though his social skills leave something to be desired (see [a href=#daii] Dancer’s Adviser, II [/a]). Other dancers: Justin, Sean, Ben, Joey (yes, that Joey), Isaak, Mitchell (Oliver’s “big old bottom” from our August trip), Eric (formerly Estavan at Campus; tells me he stopped drinking after having been fired from all the clubs for getting violent when drunk), Ludovick (who has a massage business on the side), James, Felix.

 

Campus. Things don’t seem to pick up until 5:30 pm or later on weekdays. Over the course of the week, I see Jesse, Matt, Alex (clearly having end-of-the-month rent problems; LurkerSpeaks makes the mistake of being nice to him and has a hard time shaking him off thereafter), Ben, Silvester, Ken, Marco (tries to get $20/song from LurkerSpeaks), Alexi, Josh (a new daytime Josh), Chris (new hair style, looking great; he tells me that he is having his best year ever – he’s become more and more popular as time goes on), Bruce, Jordan, Riccardo, Lance/Mickey, Mikael, Dmitri, Patrick, Steven (the guy who moves his finger up and down while his dick follows in rhythm), José, Alonzo (amazing in the back room), Helmuth (who’s shaved his head, which, to my mind, destroys his looks). Alonzo tells me that when he, José, and Helmuth moved to Campus from Taboo, they were instructed to change their dance style to fit the new clientele.

 

There’s also a very good-looking waiter, Ghislain (new to me; he usually works nights); he doesn’t bat an eyelash when, mistaking him from behind for a dancer/friend, I grab his ass. There’s also a super-cute new busboy, Sean. When I mention to waiter Keir (aka Antwan) how cute Sean is, he brings him over to meet me, then whispers that it’s Sean’s birthday and I should buy him a drink. I do. Will he still be around the next time I visit?

 

One afternoon I run into Erick (= USGuyinMtl). He gives voice to my thought: “There are an awful lot of old dancers here. They need new blood.” I discuss this with Keir who concurs and adds that the night shift is a special problem, filled with guys who’ve been dancing for years. Chris also feels that Campus seems to be going downhill lately. Could this be related to the $20 scam?

 

The Campus $20 Scam – or is it? My practice at Campus with an unknown dancer is to be clear up front that I pay $10 per song. Jesse’s reply: “There are some guys here who won’t dance for less than $20; I’d rather make $10/song than earn nothing at all.” (He’s fine in the back, by the way.)

 

Alonzo tells me that soon curtains will be installed (to what end escapes me; the Campus booths are plenty private as they are) and there will be a $20 charge. He says something about old customers being grandfathered in at the $10 price. I don’t quite understand this (neither French nor English is his native language), but I do understand the most important fact: my Alonzo price will remain unchanged. (IMO, I don’t see the Campus regulars putting up with fee doubling.)

 

Taboo. Many old favorites, and quite a few new dancers (some new just to me). A few complain that they aren’t making much money; the place does seem light on customers many evenings. I’ve trained myself to show up later (not before 8:30 ever; as late as 11:30 one night) and to stay late if I can manage it. During the week I see Hugo, Ariel (red hair, tall and lanky, very erotic display of his ass during his slow dance), Johnny, Julien, Zack, Martin, Eden, Cedric, Ryan (he’s started escorting; see [a href=" http://www.rentboy.com/location/getrb.asp?rentboy=85278&Location=445]"]his ad [/a]), Damien, Max, David, Pierre-Luc, Derek (a handsome Acadian figure skater from New Brunswick whose dance routines are very polished), Eden, Antoine, Jean-Sebastien, Sam, Maxim (these 4 are the current Taboo poster boys), Francis, Victorio, Mike, Paris (18, irreverent, and fun to talk with), Javen, Kelly, Dano, Robello, and a tall, broad-shouldered guy newly arrived from L’Adonis dressed in Adonis street-boy style (this evokes a certain bitchiness from some of the other dancers while he’s up on stage).

 

Practical Information. [ul] [li]Tapas restaurant – Sasha, 1818 Ste. Catherine Est, very near Taboo [li] French bakery – La Mie Matinale, 1371 Ste Catherine Est, on the N side between Panet and Plessis [li]Le Pistou Bistro, 1453 rue Mont-Royal Est, at rue Garnier, about a 10-minute walk east from the Mont-Royal métro stop [li]It pays to check the airport shuttle bus when you arrive even if you’re staying downtown – sometimes it makes downtown stops, and there may be one near or at your hotel, a saving of $22 over a taxi. [/ul]

[+ Lucky]

Okay, Montreal fans, I hope you all read this thoroughly cuz now there's a quiz. A free drink on my next trip to anyone getting all correct answers!

1)What time does newatthis wake up?

2)How many cathedrals did he visit this trip?

3)Is Hugo gay?

4)Which guy brought sex toys to the party?

5)S lives with a)a girlfriend b)alone, c) a roommate

6)Which dancer uses more than one name?

7)How many dancers are named in this thread?

8)Which ones did newathtis massage?

9)What city was he visiting?

10)Do you think he is really "new" at this?

 

P.S. Newatthis, thanks for sharing. I enjoy the vicarious experience!

[Guest zipperzone]

newatthis:

 

Thanks for such a brillant report. Seldom does a review this long manage to hold my attention right up to the end.

 

The only thing that you missed that may be helpful to others is your accodation. Which hotel did you stay in and do you recommend it?

[MTLover]

Newatthis is truly a wonderful "Montreal" resource. I've

been fortunate enough to have overlapped with him on a couple

past trips and find his recommendations most reliable and his

company most enjoyable.

 

Thanks for another great report! (No Stock visit at all?)

Hope we can meet up there again on a future trip :-)

[+ newatthis]

Thanks, zz. I do these reports mainly as a way of mitigating the depression I feel when I leave Montreal.

 

I use priceline. I "won" the Novotel this time around. At around $60/night it was a good deal, but it's my least favorite Montreal 3* hotel, definitely a cut below the other downtown 3*'s. And its location somehow feels inconvenient to me, even though it's only a couple of minutes farther from the Village. I've never gotten the 3* Holiday Inn, but Tampa Yankee has told me it's fine. The other 3*'s I've won on priceline have been great, as have the 4*'s.

[+ newatthis]

RE: Montreal: October 2006 (Stock)

 

MTLover and his hubby are great fun and all-around nice guys, and they knew me when I was much "new"er than I am now. They were coming to Montreal long before I had heard of it, and their knowledge of the city has been invaluable to me.

 

>... (No Stock visit at all?)

 

I did stop by Stock a little before 9 one evening. There were about 3 customers in that cavernous room, and a very good-looking guy dancing, clothed, on stage. I didn't notice any other dancers lurking around at that hour.

 

From the Stock reports I read here, I suspect that it's best primarily on weekends and, perhaps, much later in the evening. Since I haven't been visiting on weekends and find it hard to drag myself away from the conviviality at Taboo late at night, I haven't yet had the (new) Stock experience.

 

I am curious, however. I'm looking forward to overlapping one of these trips with some of the Stock cognoscenti who will take me in hand and show me the ropes.

[+ newatthis]

Montreal: October 2006 - Caisse Desjardins ATMs

 

Several trips ago, an expatriate American told me that the exchange rate at the ATMs of the Caisse Desjardins was better than elsewhere. I finally got around to trying them this visit, and he was right on the money -- they gave me the Interbank rate, to which Cirrus or whatever then added a 1% charge. By contrast, when I used the Banque de Montreal's ATMs in August, they were adding almost 3% to the Interbank rate (before the additional charges levied by Cirrus).

[LustinGuy]

RE: Montreal: October 2006 - Caisse Desjardins ATMs

 

>Several trips ago, an expatriate American told me that the

>exchange rate at the ATMs of the Caisse Desjardins was better

>than elsewhere. I finally got around to trying them this

>visit, and he was right on the money -- they gave me the

>Interbank rate, to which Cirrus or whatever then added a 1%

>charge. By contrast, when I used the Banque de Montreal's

>ATMs in August, they were adding almost 3% to the Interbank

>rate (before the additional charges levied by Cirrus).

 

This is my experience as well; I always try to steer the gay posse members there. And it doesnt hurt that its across the street from Adonis

[LustinGuy]

>There’s also a very good-looking waiter, Ghislain (new to me;

>he usually works nights); he doesn’t bat an eyelash when,

>mistaking him from behind for a dancer/friend, I grab his ass.

 

He used to dance at Stock... and more recently at Campus... never seemed that popular.

[LustinGuy]

>No Smoking. I’m amazed at what a difference the

>non-smoking laws have made. I no longer need 2 Montreal

>wardrobes, one for the clubs and one for the rest of the day.

>And kissing the dancers is much more pleasant; being forced to

>smoke outside in the cold has cut down substantially on their

>smoking during working hours.

 

It really is wonderful! The smoking ban has made a noticeable difference in how I feel when I get home from Montreal. IMHO it's the best change in Montreal since Stock put up curtains. I, for one, am glad Campus is finally following suit.

[+ newatthis]

RE: Montreal: October 2006 - Caisses Desjardins ATMs

 

I used to be hooked on the Banque de Montreal ATM across the street from Adonis because it dispensed $50 bills -- kept my wallet slimmer.

 

Caisses Desjardins has ATMs all over the city. I often used the one on the way back to my hotel to replenish for the next day. You can use [http://locator.zip411.net/clients/desjardins/en/] locate the nearest ones.

[+ Oliver]

As usual, a brilliant narrative – I was “almost” there with you! Sorry I couldn’t go this time, but I’m off to Rio on Monday! Hopefully that will more than compensate.

 

And, of course, I envy your time with Steve (masseur). How do you remember all those names – I don’t recall that you take notes.

 

Glad your time was fun – although maybe not as much as August. We’ll do that again!

[JT Brooklyn]

Ollie.."Bon Voyage" Next Mon...

 

I hope RIO is ready for the "Rabbit Who is Alway's Hopping"...From Hunk to Hunk! Do enjoy My Friend! Brooklyn is very Envious....

 

I'm sure we will in time be hearing all about it. Of course ONLY what you care to tell us! LOL :P

[eeyore]

What a wonderful post! It was a pleasure to read. Thank you for taking the time and effort to write it.

[Karl-G]

Thanks very much for your wonderful account of Montreal last month. It was almost as good as being there. Well, not quite.

 

It was nice to see the names of all the current dancers and personalities along the Ste Catherine strip, and an evaluation of many.

 

Your remarks about situations with dancers and in town hit home; I think we have all experienced similar things. You put it into words very well. "Next time I will . . . ", "Next time I will NOT . . ." But we forget or get caught up. At least I am not the only one.

 

Glad you had such an interesting and enjoyable time. Thanks much.