Author Archives: andyq

2023 in lists: Musicals, theatre, concerts, books and exhibitions

Posted on 31 December 2023 by andyq

Musicals and theatre La Cage Aux Folles, The Concourse, Chatswood: I was surprised at how silly and old-fashioned this musical was, and to find out what a huge success it was at the time. Times change, I guess.  Joseph and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Concert, Exhibition, Sydney, Theatre/Concert Review, Theatre/Show | Leave a comment

2023 in lists: Movies

Posted on 31 December 2023 by andyq

Movies (seen in the cinema) Avatar: The Way of Water: I can barely remember the first one, though I saw it and I remember some of the controversy over whether people liked the computer animation or not. I liked a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Concert, Exhibition, Film, Review, Theatre/Show | Leave a comment

2023 in lists: Television

Posted on 31 December 2023 by andyq

A work in progress. And … a sign of the times that I am watching so much TV these days, that it’s better to make a separate post for it, and leave the movies, books and theatre in their own … Continue reading →

Posted in Television | 2 Comments

Book Review: Sharon Olds’ Balladz (poetry)

Posted on 30 July 2023 by andyq

Balladz by Sharon Olds My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think I must have discovered Sharon Olds’ book The Gold Cell in my late teens or early twenties, and then worked my way backwards as well as reading her … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Poetry | Leave a comment

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: Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem

Posted on 12 June 2023 by andyq

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu My rating: 3 of 5 stars An interesting controversy, I can see, from the reviews on Goodreads. A dear friend recommended this to me, although he said I might not like it, if I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, Writing | 1 Comment

Come dine with me: Dessance, Paris

Posted on 23 April 2023 by andyq

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a blog post on a restaurant, but for Dessance, I’ll make an exception. With so many exceptional restaurants in Paris, I always recommend that friends treat themselves to at least one very … Continue reading →

Posted in Food n' Grog, France, Paris | Leave a comment

Some advice for Paris, particularly FOOD

Posted on 7 April 2023 by andyq

Because I’ve been lucky enough to live in Paris twice – four months in 2014 to 2015 and three months in early 2016 – I am sometimes asked for advice. And I freely give it. From my Dad, when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Food n' Grog, France, Paris | Leave a comment

Book Review: Kevin Wilson’s Now is Not the Time to Panic

Posted on 2 April 2023 by andyq

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I liked ‘Nothing to See Here’ enough that I was definitely keen to read more. I find Wilson a very interesting writer. The narration … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Review | Leave a comment

Travel advice: Italy – A visit to the Gargano

Posted on 2 April 2023 by andyq

It’s April 2023 and I recently found this blog post from 2019 that I never posted! I think I drafted it and then was planning to match it up with photos once at my home desktop … and then never … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Travel | Leave a comment