If you live in Montreal, or anywhere for that matter, and you've come looking for Salvia you've come to the right place. Feel free to brows some of my old postings if you'd like to know what happened to the Salvia cafe, and if you want to buy Salvia please contact me asap. Peace
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Reminiscing the past
The cafe closed almost a year and a half ago and to be honest sometimes I miss it. I miss the late nights, hanging out with clients and staff listening to awesome music . Most nights the staff would be sharing a bottle of Vodka, or we'd duck out the back door and smoke a joint. There were always people, there were always friends hanging out. There was always someone interesting to talk to. Everyone was cool, the ambiance was chill and the music was always uplifting. I met so many people beautiful people along the way.
All of you are long gone, even the staff are just a foggy memory of a strange past. But what happened was important, not just for nostalgic reasons, but because what happened at the cafe was a unique experiment is playing with consciousness. Even if for only just a few months while the cafe was open, we all beat the system. We played, smoked and sang...and there wasn't a dam thing to cops or the government could do about it. They didn't even try. They just left us alone to do our thing. Isn't that cool? How often does that happen. I just got a ticket today for putting my recycling bin out on the wrong day, at yet there we were getting high as the big blue sky and not one authority came down on us, no one fined us. Actually, no one even said a word. I still can't believe it! And it's not like they didn't know we existed, the press went right to the RCMP and asked them what they were going to do about us, and they said "we're going to do nothing about it because it's not illegal!" That was proof that despite the problems democracy faces in the world today, we're fairly free here in Canada.
Les Mentheurs offered its clients a personal and often shocking experience that was totally unique. It was like my clients were coming out of the closet, admitting who they were and exposing themselves for all to see. While faced with the prospect of taking Salvia, I saw people's fear, their shame, their inner doubt's. I saw people's curiosity and their courage as they faced the unknown. And what beautiful moments we shared!
You, on the edge of your seat with a quirky smile and fingers crossed, hoping- almost praying!- that Salvia would take you gently. I knew without a doubt that everything was going to be OK. But so many of you didn't trust in life, so many of you were unsure, and still, so many of you took your chances! This is what I loved the most, the courage that flowed from every one of you. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath as she entered, and then .........gone. For better or for worse, Salvia snatched you away from this little place and then just as fast as you left you were back changed forever. What brave souls. If you only knew how beautiful I saw you during those moments you would have smiled and laughed at how silly you looked asking me questions and seeking reassurance. Everything is always ok, even when it's not! ya dig?
When I think back to those moments now, it makes me happy to know that so many people were touched. Even the ones who got scared or freaked out, I think everyone took away something positive. It was just a little cafe. People walked by it daily and never even noticed it. If it hadn't been for the media going nuts over the supposed controversy of smoking drugs in public, no one would have heard about the cafe at all. But to those brave and curious enough to enter and take part in what was going on, it was great hall gilded with our hopes and dreams; myths and realities. It was a place were dreams were made; a worm whole that stole you from here and flew you to the other side of the galaxy and right back in just a few eternal moments; it was a place of violent beauty and ebullient hope, where dreams collided with nightmares.e. It was madness; it was beauty; it was magic but most of all it was real. All too real at times.
I don't spend much time thinking about the cafe anymore.. I've moved on and I have no regrets. It was doomed from the start. If you knew my landlords, you'd understand why it never worked. But I'm still glad I tried, I'm still glad that it succeed for as long as it did. Actually, the cafe was a stunning success in every way.
I still remember so much about those days, I could tell stories for hours about people climbing up the curtains in fear, or of others pissing their pants in laughter, and still others finding God. These were important and worthwhile experiences and I'm glad I can say I was a witness.
We've all moved forward with our lives, and the world has inched closer on it's great decline toward who the hell knows what. I think the world has changed a lot in the last year and a half. I think most of us have fallen even more deeply asleep, maybe never to be woken up again until death. I admit I do wish the cafe was still open to help you guys wake up again! And I wish the cafe was still open so we could crack open a little bottle of vodka, crank up the stereo, share a smoke and dance the night away like we used to.
The memories of tripping out at Les Mentheurs are like an old black and white movie with no sound; only a drunken piano player reciting his forgot tunes to an empty theater. In other words, I feel a sense of loneliness that the whole thing came to an end. But the times we shared are still there, somewhere out there in the great hiding place of the universe where things like this go when they have no where else to go. Can you hear the echo....I can....shhhhh....close your eyes, listen. Can you see, can you hear? Listen carefully, it's still there.
Peace.
The cafe closed almost a year and a half ago and to be honest sometimes I miss it. I miss the late nights, hanging out with clients and staff listening to awesome music . Most nights the staff would be sharing a bottle of Vodka, or we'd duck out the back door and smoke a joint. There were always people, there were always friends hanging out. There was always someone interesting to talk to. Everyone was cool, the ambiance was chill and the music was always uplifting. I met so many people beautiful people along the way.
All of you are long gone, even the staff are just a foggy memory of a strange past. But what happened was important, not just for nostalgic reasons, but because what happened at the cafe was a unique experiment is playing with consciousness. Even if for only just a few months while the cafe was open, we all beat the system. We played, smoked and sang...and there wasn't a dam thing to cops or the government could do about it. They didn't even try. They just left us alone to do our thing. Isn't that cool? How often does that happen. I just got a ticket today for putting my recycling bin out on the wrong day, at yet there we were getting high as the big blue sky and not one authority came down on us, no one fined us. Actually, no one even said a word. I still can't believe it! And it's not like they didn't know we existed, the press went right to the RCMP and asked them what they were going to do about us, and they said "we're going to do nothing about it because it's not illegal!" That was proof that despite the problems democracy faces in the world today, we're fairly free here in Canada.
Les Mentheurs offered its clients a personal and often shocking experience that was totally unique. It was like my clients were coming out of the closet, admitting who they were and exposing themselves for all to see. While faced with the prospect of taking Salvia, I saw people's fear, their shame, their inner doubt's. I saw people's curiosity and their courage as they faced the unknown. And what beautiful moments we shared!
You, on the edge of your seat with a quirky smile and fingers crossed, hoping- almost praying!- that Salvia would take you gently. I knew without a doubt that everything was going to be OK. But so many of you didn't trust in life, so many of you were unsure, and still, so many of you took your chances! This is what I loved the most, the courage that flowed from every one of you. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath as she entered, and then .........gone. For better or for worse, Salvia snatched you away from this little place and then just as fast as you left you were back changed forever. What brave souls. If you only knew how beautiful I saw you during those moments you would have smiled and laughed at how silly you looked asking me questions and seeking reassurance. Everything is always ok, even when it's not! ya dig?
When I think back to those moments now, it makes me happy to know that so many people were touched. Even the ones who got scared or freaked out, I think everyone took away something positive. It was just a little cafe. People walked by it daily and never even noticed it. If it hadn't been for the media going nuts over the supposed controversy of smoking drugs in public, no one would have heard about the cafe at all. But to those brave and curious enough to enter and take part in what was going on, it was great hall gilded with our hopes and dreams; myths and realities. It was a place were dreams were made; a worm whole that stole you from here and flew you to the other side of the galaxy and right back in just a few eternal moments; it was a place of violent beauty and ebullient hope, where dreams collided with nightmares.e. It was madness; it was beauty; it was magic but most of all it was real. All too real at times.
I don't spend much time thinking about the cafe anymore.. I've moved on and I have no regrets. It was doomed from the start. If you knew my landlords, you'd understand why it never worked. But I'm still glad I tried, I'm still glad that it succeed for as long as it did. Actually, the cafe was a stunning success in every way.
I still remember so much about those days, I could tell stories for hours about people climbing up the curtains in fear, or of others pissing their pants in laughter, and still others finding God. These were important and worthwhile experiences and I'm glad I can say I was a witness.
We've all moved forward with our lives, and the world has inched closer on it's great decline toward who the hell knows what. I think the world has changed a lot in the last year and a half. I think most of us have fallen even more deeply asleep, maybe never to be woken up again until death. I admit I do wish the cafe was still open to help you guys wake up again! And I wish the cafe was still open so we could crack open a little bottle of vodka, crank up the stereo, share a smoke and dance the night away like we used to.
The memories of tripping out at Les Mentheurs are like an old black and white movie with no sound; only a drunken piano player reciting his forgot tunes to an empty theater. In other words, I feel a sense of loneliness that the whole thing came to an end. But the times we shared are still there, somewhere out there in the great hiding place of the universe where things like this go when they have no where else to go. Can you hear the echo....I can....shhhhh....close your eyes, listen. Can you see, can you hear? Listen carefully, it's still there.
Peace.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The cafe is closed but I am still selling Salvia
If you would like to buy Salvia please just send me an email with your phone number and I will call you back asap. I usually meet clients where the old cafe used to be at the corner of de Bullion and Mont-Royal.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Ok...that's it, we're closed
Old news now yes I know. It was a blast and it's over and I'm off to new things. I've started another site and I'd love to have you as customers. The site is up and running, but you can't buy anything off it yet so if you're looking to buy Salvia, Kratom or India Red Spice please call me at 514-812-2335.
I'd really appreciate it if you would take the time to write about your first Salvia experience and post it on the site, if you do, I'll send you a free gram of Salvia. All the instructions for this contest can be found here.
Thanks for all your support, and I look forward to doing business again with you sometime in the near future.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Les Mentheurs in the news today.
Letter from a client
I got this letter from a client today and I thought it was touching so I thought I would share it.
I'm a child of parents whose Irish pub took a serious nose dive in the early 90s, so my formative years left me privy to the stress that restaurant closure can bring about.
Les Mentheurs is still my favourite story to tell from Montreal, and I couldn't imagine a salvia cafe that had been started under more honest, responsible and honourable intentions. That the hammer came down from such unexpected sources as the insurance company, the landlord and new legislation probably makes the closure all that much harder for you.
I definitely think you've earned your place in the annals of Canadian and Montreal history, and I really wish you the best for your next project, whatever it may be.
Tristin (that student journalist from Concordia)
I'm a child of parents whose Irish pub took a serious nose dive in the early 90s, so my formative years left me privy to the stress that restaurant closure can bring about.
Les Mentheurs is still my favourite story to tell from Montreal, and I couldn't imagine a salvia cafe that had been started under more honest, responsible and honourable intentions. That the hammer came down from such unexpected sources as the insurance company, the landlord and new legislation probably makes the closure all that much harder for you.
I definitely think you've earned your place in the annals of Canadian and Montreal history, and I really wish you the best for your next project, whatever it may be.
Tristin (that student journalist from Concordia)
Monday, June 30, 2008
FAQ
FAQ
- Are you closing soon?
Yes!!! It's official our last day will be August 30th! - Why?
A few different reasons.- We got sued by our landlords because they don't want people consuming Salvia in their local
- Sante Quebec is about to amend the Tobacco act and the changes will make it illegal to smoke anything in doors be it herbal shisha, salvia or whatever.
- Insurance companies don't understand what we are doing and it's not been easy getting insured and it's not legal to operate a business without proper insurance.
- Are you upset about closing?
This has been a very hard time for me both professionally and personally. I have lost a lot of money with this project and suffered a lot of stress because of being sued. So yes, I am more or less a wreck! I am trying to get over it and I know I will be able to accept what is happening and move on. Looking back on my life I can say with certainty that things are never as bad as they look when you're in the middle of it, and this is an opportunity to grow. - But, you just opened, aren't you going to lose tones of money?
Yes, actually I am, so if you could come by and support me until the end it would really help me out. Also, as I'll be out of a job in a few weeks, if anyone knows of any opportunities to work please let me know. - Are you going to move to a new location?
Nope. That's it. The fat lady is singing very loudly these days and my life has changed so I'm going to find something else that's less stressful. - What about all the cool stuff in your cafe, is any of it for sale?
All of the contents of the cafe are available for $15,000 or best offer. If there are no takers, I'll be having a massive garage sale on the 24th of August. First come, first serve. - Why did you open this cafe?
I think that people need to wake up and that maybe having a deep and meaning full experience with a little mint plant might help , I know it helped me. - Have you had problems with the Police or Sante Quebec?
Nope. They know what I'm doing because I called them and told them. So I guess we don't live in such a conservative country after all. The only people I had problems with is my retarded landlords. - Do people ever freak out when they smoke Salvia at the cafe?
It's happened in the past, but I've pretty much figured out what I'm doing now and now one ever flips out anymore. - Do I smoke Salvia everyday?
No. I smoke once or twice a year. - Do I encourage drug use?
I encourage people to do whatever they want. - What are you going to do next
I haven't got that quite figured out yet, but something fun not involving drugs.
More to come soon..
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
First media article about the cafe...
Original article can be found here.
Salvia-tion comes to Mont-Royal
New salvia café offers the Plateau another psychoactive refuge
By Tristin Hopper
It only took one month for Matthew to transform his small Internet café in the Plateau into Les Mentheurs, a new one-of-a-kind Montreal shisha café. Visitors remove their shoes at the door and don special slippers. Moving further into the dim lights and shisha smoke of Les Mentheurs, they discover deep couches, lulling world music and a mysterious, Middle-Eastern-esque décor. Bound to be the café’s signature attribute, however, is its exclusive offering of two legal hallucinogens.
For under $20, patrons can smoke a shisha pipe laced with salvia, a mint-like plant known for its intense hallucinogenic powers. Or they may elect to drink a special tea mixed with kratom leaves, a Southeast Asian tree with psychoactive effects.
As far as Matthew knows, he is the only café offering either salvia or kratom in Montreal, although it is sold as incense at some hemp stores.
“That’s irresponsible, because it’s obvious that people aren’t buying it as incense,” said Matthew. “[Salvia] is really not a toy, it’s not a recreational drug.” He adds that he intended Les Mentheurs to be a safe place where patrons could enjoy manageable doses. “I don’t want people feeling like they’re dripping into the floor,” he said. For control purposes, Matthew does not allow his employees to serve the drug, a responsibility he reserves for himself. As well, Matthew always insists on having a sitter available to keep watch over a patron using salvia.
“It’s an intense feeling, very hard to describe,” James Newhouse, a Montreal musician and friend of Matthew, assured The Link. He said that salvia does not elicit cravings or bring about “downs” afterwards.
Salvia is legal in Canada, although reps from Health Canada and the RCMP have both said that they are keeping a close eye on the legal sales.
“I suppose I’m sort of pushing my luck,” said Matthew, but affirms that he’s not selling the drugs for any political reasons. “I don’t want to lose my house or go to court over this.”
Of course, legal drugs are not the only selling point of Les Mentheurs: Matthew intends to fashion the café as a unique music venue. Matthew, who is also a musician, said he intends to host only intimate, acoustic sets.
Near the end of the evening, a group of students from the Université du Québec à Montréal and CÉGEP St-Laurent have just finished a round of kratom tea in the corner. Lazily propped up on pillows surrounding a low table, one of them offers the critique: “it’s like something between shrooms and marijuana.”
Les Mentheurs is looking for local art to display. For details, call 812-2335 or drop by Les Mentheurs at 163 Mont-Royal E.
For under $20, patrons can smoke a shisha pipe laced with salvia, a mint-like plant known for its intense hallucinogenic powers. Or they may elect to drink a special tea mixed with kratom leaves, a Southeast Asian tree with psychoactive effects.
As far as Matthew knows, he is the only café offering either salvia or kratom in Montreal, although it is sold as incense at some hemp stores.
“That’s irresponsible, because it’s obvious that people aren’t buying it as incense,” said Matthew. “[Salvia] is really not a toy, it’s not a recreational drug.” He adds that he intended Les Mentheurs to be a safe place where patrons could enjoy manageable doses. “I don’t want people feeling like they’re dripping into the floor,” he said. For control purposes, Matthew does not allow his employees to serve the drug, a responsibility he reserves for himself. As well, Matthew always insists on having a sitter available to keep watch over a patron using salvia.
“It’s an intense feeling, very hard to describe,” James Newhouse, a Montreal musician and friend of Matthew, assured The Link. He said that salvia does not elicit cravings or bring about “downs” afterwards.
Salvia is legal in Canada, although reps from Health Canada and the RCMP have both said that they are keeping a close eye on the legal sales.
“I suppose I’m sort of pushing my luck,” said Matthew, but affirms that he’s not selling the drugs for any political reasons. “I don’t want to lose my house or go to court over this.”
Of course, legal drugs are not the only selling point of Les Mentheurs: Matthew intends to fashion the café as a unique music venue. Matthew, who is also a musician, said he intends to host only intimate, acoustic sets.
Near the end of the evening, a group of students from the Université du Québec à Montréal and CÉGEP St-Laurent have just finished a round of kratom tea in the corner. Lazily propped up on pillows surrounding a low table, one of them offers the critique: “it’s like something between shrooms and marijuana.”
Les Mentheurs is looking for local art to display. For details, call 812-2335 or drop by Les Mentheurs at 163 Mont-Royal E.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
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