To date or not to date - Part I of "Extracurricular Activities in Vancouver" Trilogy

This post was originally published in Heaven on Earth in May 2016 and was republished as Part I of "Extracurricular Activities in Vancouver" trilogy in Journeys of Other Kinds in July 2026.

As a last resort to find a travel companion for my next journey, I put up an ad on Craigslist. I browsed through the personals regularly. I found the ads rather amusing.


In the STRICTLY PLATONIC section, I saw the following ads under the subsection of m4w:

I am a man looking for a woman to have phone sex with. I don't want to know your real name or ever want to meet. If you are a woman interested in phone sex for fun, shoot me a message including your phone # and when u would like to talk. No pics.

I am looking for any Women who might be into making a new Friend/Cuddle Partner this long weekend... I am a fun white athletic single male who lives alone and looking for a woman who is into that. Let me know more and lets hangout and cuddle this long weekend :)

i was reading this newspaper article today about cuddle companies in Vancouver. and how cuddling and non-sexual touch raises our happiness hormones.And makes us more happy. i am NOT looking for serious relationship. just occasional cuddle, shoulder massage, pressing accupressure points to make each other feel good.i am male/32/well qualified/having good job and a good life. Plz respond ONLY if you are willing to meet and send your number. Don't want to be wasting time making 'email friends'.

In the STRICTLY PLATONIC section, I saw the following ads under the subsection of w4m:

I'm bored, just seeing if anyone would be interested in walking around the seawall and then going for all you can eat sushi? ...I'm not a super fit person, you don't need to be either so long as you can walk around the seawall. It would also be nice to meet someone who can hold a conversation, an awkward 3 hour walk doesn't interest me :p

I love cooking but better yet, sitting back and being cooked for. I will pour the wine and be your sous chef. I will let you pick the movie too! Just want a stress free time. No deep talks. No talk of horrible ex's. No pressure. Just dinner, drinks and a fun night curled up watching movies. Please no married, attached men....not into drama.

If you're reading this, perhaps you are similar to me in hoping there is another open-minded individual to share fun and friendly conversations with? It could lead to sharing stories over coffee or while walking in a park. I am a hard working, early 30s lady with a good head on her shoulders but find having a group of professionally employed friends makes it difficult to just chat or head out for dinner or even a walk together. It would just be lovely to have someone else I can communicate with - no strings attached!

Looking at these ads, I observe some commonalities and discrepancies. What men want is usually not what women want. Men want to touch, cuddle and have sex whereas women want to walk, talk and eat. I suppose whenever supply meets demand, it is the start of a beautiful friendship.




1 comment:

  1. fidelisblue17 April 2024 at 10:05

    It is not so easy to volunteer in Vancouver these days (April 2024). Online sign-up is centralized and a relatively easy process. However, screening is more stringent than before. Proof of vaccination and criminal record check are minimum requirements for most organizations. I wonder what happened to raise such barriers. In the meantime, I will just put on my earphones and mind my own business. BIG SIGH.

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