Author Archives: andyq

Book Review: George Ilsley’s The Home Stretch: A Father, A Son, and All the Things They Never Talk About

Posted on 5 November 2020 by andyq

The Home Stretch: A Father, a Son, and All the Things They Never Talk About by George K. Ilsley My rating: 5 of 5 stars You wouldn’t think, necessarily, that a book about a son, visiting his father in his … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Milan Kundera’s The Festival of Insignificance

Posted on 5 October 2020 by andyq

The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera My rating: 2 of 5 stars As a young man, I discovered Kundera’s novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and since, have read a number of his books. At the time, his writing … Continue reading →

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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

Product review: Nanobag (reusable shopping bags)

Posted on 13 September 2020 by andyq

When I shop, particularly for something new, or from a source that I’m unfamiliar with, I usually try to find reviews. What I want is to read a convincing voice that says: yes, you are making the right decision. Or: … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Consumer | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Blogging, Creative Non-Fiction, Food n' Grog | Leave a comment

Book Review: Kawai Strong Washburn’s Sharks in the Time of Saviors

Posted on 23 August 2020 by andyq

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn My rating: 3 of 5 stars I spent summers in Hawaii as a child, while we were visiting my grandmother. It took me many years to realise that the Hawaiian … 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 →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction | Leave a comment

Sydney Food Diary: Chin Chin, Surry Hills

Posted on 21 July 2020 by andyq

For my birthday, I wanted to go somewhere special, and it’s been almost three years since I went to Chin Chin for lunch with my friend Lai Heng and meant to come back (here’s the review from then). This time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian, Food n' Grog, Modern Australian, Sydney | 2 Comments

Sydney Food Diary: The Colonial, Darlinghurst

Posted on 6 July 2020 by andyq

Almost four years since I’ve been to the Colonial, and I’m impressed they’ve kept it open. As I’ve said many times on this blog, the restaurant business is hard in Sydney! And getting through the COVID lockdown: these are hardworking … Continue reading →

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Coffee in Sydney: Take Coffee, Marrickville

Posted on 30 June 2020 by andyq

We were looking for coffee, perhaps Vietnamese coffee, after our amazing pork rolls at Alex ‘N’ Rolls. On that little strip of Illawarra Road, we couldn’t find anything. Lots of small restaurants, but nothing that looked like it served Vietnamese … Continue reading →

Posted in Cafe, Food n' Grog, Sydney | Leave a comment