Category Archives: Creative Non-Fiction

Hi Andy, it’s Andy

Posted on 8 July 2023 by andyq

I had a routine with Andy, whether by email or phone, where I’d immediately greet him with ‘Hi Andy. It’s Andy.’ This amused me inordinately and Andy agreed, telling me once, ‘It never gets old’. Way back in 2011, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Creative Non-Fiction, How to live, Writing | 2 Comments

Book Review: Ian Young’s London Skin and Bones: The Finsbury Park Stories

Posted on 14 September 2020 by andyq

London Skin & Bones: The Finsbury Park Stories by Ian Young My rating: 5 of 5 stars I met Ian decades ago when I was at university, but I never knew the stories of his years in London, living in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Creative Non-Fiction, Gay Life | 2 Comments

A minor history of food blogging

Posted on 23 August 2020 by andyq

I just scrolled through my oldest blog entries, here on my website, to trace a little history of my food blogging adventures. While I started my website, way back in January 2005, it was a static website, used to promote … Continue reading →

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Hurricane warnings

Posted on 27 July 2020 by andyq

There’s a hurricane warning for Hawaii at the moment. My brother, Tom, who lives in Kaneohe, with his family, says there’s never been a Hurricane Level 1 Warning since he’s lived there, which is now over 30 years. It’s scheduled … Continue reading →

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Ramon’s Books

Posted on 10 October 2018 by andyq

After the memorial for Ramon, I was about to leave when I heard his sister asking a small group of people, ‘What shall we do with his books? They were his most prized possessions. We don’t know what to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Books, Creative Non-Fiction | 1 Comment

I was a member of a teenage cult

Posted on 24 August 2018 by andyq

When I was fifteen years old, I entered a program at my high school in Vancouver called B.C. Quest. It was touted as an outdoors education program, and become infamous in 2006 when one of our teachers was involved in … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Creative Non-Fiction | 2 Comments

The Christmas Booze Delivery Run

Posted on 4 August 2018 by andyq

I’ve had a series of bad events for the apartment I rent out, so I felt that I wanted to show some appreciation for my property manager, who has had to do a LOT more work than usual, and send … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Creative Non-Fiction, Family | Leave a comment

Witches

Posted on 7 June 2018 by andyq

I remember being in the car, one of the series of station wagons my father loved, on a family trip. I believe it was somewhere in the USA, to Seattle or maybe Spokane for the World Expo. I would have … Continue reading →

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Buttercups

Posted on 15 May 2018 by andyq

Walking to the hospital, I am noticing the plain, boxy apartment buildings of Vancouver of the 40s and 50s, none renovated, in colours of pastel and forest. I can hear the voice of a friend Bert who left the city … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, Family, Journal, Writing | Leave a comment

Pearson College’s The Nostalgia Project

Posted on 21 March 2017 by andyq

For two years, I went to a tiny international college in Vancouver Island on a bay at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The idea of the United World Colleges, as Pearson College was one of I think six at … Continue reading →

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