Immaterial world

Boosting the spirits of your cash-strapped friends. By Amanda Davidson

SOMETIMES THAT OBSCURE object of desire is not an object, at least in the material sense. This winter holiday, consider giving the gift of art, adventure, or relaxation to a friend or loved one whose lack of funds – or lingering Protestant work ethic – doesn't allow for many lavish indulgences. Since these suggestions are all on the "services" side of the goods-and-services spectrum, DIY options are included below, as appropriate, for those just slightly less budgetarily limited than their giftee.

Photo-tastic

For the image-makers in your life, how about a darkroom or digi-lab membership? No sign marks the edifice of the San Francisco Photography Center (Harvey Milk Recreational Arts Building, 50 Scott, SF. 415-554-9522, www.sfphotocenter.com), but the stimulating reek of darkroom chemicals is unmistakable. The center houses a wet darkroom for black-and-white photography and offers affordable classes and workshops. A $200 annual membership provides unlimited access to all facilities; a $50 membership requires a $5 usage fee per visit. Gift certificates can be purchased for any amount and applied toward classes or a membership.

The digitally inclined will geek their hearts out at the Bay Area Video Coalition (2727 Mariposa, second floor, SF. 415-861-3282, www.bavc.org). The BAVC offers classes in all manner of digital media, from video editing to Web design. A $55 annual membership gets you access to postproduction facilities and course discounts.

UC Berkeley's ASUC Art Studio (Lower Sproul Plaza, MLK Jr. Student Union, UC Berkeley. 510-642-3065, www.asucartstudio.org), offers instruction and equipment for just about any creative media, manual or digital, that you can think of, including ceramics, knitting, drawing, photography (film and digital, color and black-and-white), and video. Membership is $25 a semester for UC students, $30 for the layperson.

Let's get physical

San Francisco offers hundreds of pricey ways to work up a sweat. Delight your favorite broke-ass yoga junkie with a gift certificate from Yoga Tree (415-647-9707, www.yogatreesf.com), whose four citywide locations offer classes all day long in a variety of styles, for all levels of practitioner. Single classes are $14, but the per-class price goes down with the purchase of a multiclass package. Massage services are also available.

Happy together? Register yourself and your giftee for a group class at the amazing Metronome Dance Center (1830 17th St., SF. 415-252-9000, www.metronomedancecenter.com). Options include salsa, ballroom, disco, and hip-hop, including classes for queers and gender benders.

For a sweating good time that falls under the "no exertion necessary" category, give a gift certificate for Kabuki Springs and Spa (1750 Geary, SF. 415-922-6000, www.kabukisprings.com). The Kabuki week is divided into men-only, women-only, and co-ed days, and you can take advantage of massages, facials, body wraps, and other delightful services.

Get your kink on

Help bondage fledglings, seasoned pervs, and adventurous duos beat the holiday blues with a trip to a house of bondage and fetish. At Fantasy Makers in Oakland (510-234-7887, www.fantasymakers.com), you can play with a pro-dominatrix, submissive, or switch in a safe environment that welcomes nervous newbies and old-timers alike. Gold gift cards for an hour-long session cost $140; silver cards for a half hour are $100. Couple visits cost the same, but make sure to tip generously if you're traveling in twos. (Owing to varying staff availability, session bookings are same-day only.) Adorably, Fantasy Makers also sponsors the Fantasy Makers Academy, instructional classes in a range of kinky topics. To order, call or download a gift card form and mail it, along with cash or travelers checks only, to Kaleidoscopic Concepts, PO Box 5113, Richmond, CA 94805.

Other venues, such as the Gates in Emeryville (510-261-7243, www.thegates.com) and Backdrop in Mountain View (415-988-9975, backdrop.net) don't specifically offer gift certificates, but they have similar rates and can work out a gift session.

Or, if the above options are too pricey, whip up a homemade gift certificate to spank, flog, tickle, or tie up a friend or loved one on your own. If you need some instruction, try Pat Califia's Sensuous Magic, a great primer for beginners with safety info and introductions to a variety of techniques. Browse through a copy at the public libe (Main Branch, page desk, third floor) to save pennies. Whipsmart: A Good Vibrations Guide to Beginning S/M for Couples, an instructional video written and hosted by local pro-dom Mistress Morgana, is available for purchase or rent at Good Vibes.

Written on the body

For the ink addict, any opportunity to go under the needle is a welcome one. Black and Blue Tattoo (381 Guerrero, SF. 415-626-0770, www.blackandbluetattoo.com) is a most excellent woman-owned and -operated parlor in the Mission District. The midrange rate is $150 an hour, with a $75 minimum.

Tattoo City (700 Lombard, SF. 415-345-9437, www.tattoocitysf.com) in North Beach is run by Ed Hardy, described by a thoroughly be-inked coworker as the "granddaddy of tattooing." For $150 an hour ($80 minimum), you can give a tat lover the chance to get worked on at this legendary house of ink.

The psychic arts

Love, money, family, ritual, change – issues swirl like flakes in a snow globe during the holidays. Astral energy and psychic guidance surely beat the time-honored coping mechanisms of excessive sleeping and eating. If you're personally skilled in the astral arts, and too broke to employ the services of a specialist, lay down the tarot cards or read a star chart for your friend or beloved. Otherwise, turn to the expertise of our local empathic community.

The Bay Guardian's own Jessica Lanyadoo (one half of Double Team Psychic Dream) offers tarot card and astrology readings (415-336-8354, www.lovelanyadoo.com, lovelanyadoo@hotmail.com). Astrology sessions run $85 an hour; tarot readings are $1 a minute, $2 for couples. Call or e-mail for a gift certificate.

The Scarlet Sage Herb Co. (1173 Valencia, SF. 415-821-0997, www.scarletsageherb.com) hosts in-store tarot readings Thursdays and Fridays, 2 to 3:30 p.m., with tarot maestra Tracy Beckerley-Taguchi. The readings last 20 to 30 minutes and are offered on a sliding scale of $20 to $35. Pick up a Scarlet Sage gift certificate on location.

For the pet obsessed, how about a session with pet psychic Barbara Reed (415-821-9349, www.intuitionforanimals.com)? Reed conducts energy readings and healings on animals, primarily via phone, telepathy, and photography, although she occasionally makes house calls for a small additional fee. Rates are $50 for half an hour, $75 for 45 minutes, and $95 for an hour.

Up, up, and away

The best immaterial gift of all is that scarcest of urban commodities: your own sweet time. A weekend, overnight, or even day trip with your homegirl or honey will feel like thrilling outlawry as you sneak away from the holiday hoopla. Planning a mini-vacation for a buddy or beloved can veer toward exorbitant, but it will win you major love points for the rest of the year. At the least, plan transportation and reserve lodging; for extra points, plan meals and some activities. You can be charming and still be cheap if your friend or lover is adventurous with regard to public transportation and offbeat bed stays. For example, the carless and the truly cheap can take BART and bus to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel (210 Pigeon Point, Pescadero, 650-879-0633, www.norcalhostels.org/pigeon), off Highway 1, where you'll be rewarded for your efforts with a hot tub soak. Reserve a bunk ($18-$25) or private room ($49-$56) online or by phone.