Author Archives: andyq

A little Monday night meal at Le Café du Commerce, Paris

Posted on 7 October 2014 by andyq

The thing is, in Paris, on a Monday night, most restaurants are closed. My friends were staying near Commerce and I did a pretty comprehensive search, I thought, on TripAdvisor, and I was having troubles coming up with options. Out … Continue reading →

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

Reading Hemingway in Paris

Posted on 4 October 2014 by andyq

Today, I have been reading Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. He writes about his younger self in Paris, as a writer, living, without much money, on the Left Bank in Paris. I am a writer, just moved here to work … Continue reading →

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

A little trip to southwest France

Posted on 4 October 2014 by andyq

As much for my own records as to provide advice, I thought I’d do a little summary of our August 2014 trip: We’d decided probably a year before that France would be our destination, but where? So many places to … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

The Amazing Abtronic

Posted on 6 September 2014 by andyq

Note: This is one of my most popular blog posts. People keep searching for it, and finding it. If you want to save some time, here’s the take-home message. This thing doesn’t work. Eat less or do some sit-ups. Whether … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Non-Fiction, Family | 13 Comments

Hotel Review: Auberge Florida, Castera-Verduzan, France

Posted on 20 August 2014 by andyq

Auberge Florida 2 Rue du Lac, 32410 Castera-Verduzan, France   You would not guess from the humble exterior of this restaurant that inside are two rooms for guests, and that the experience offered would be one of a luxury get-away. … Continue reading →

Posted in Review, Travel | Tagged | Leave a comment

Restaurant Review: Cafe Paci

Posted on 27 July 2014 by andyq

I’ve found a new favourite restaurant in Sydney and it’s name is Paci. Café Paci opened in August 2013 in the site of the old Cafe Pacifico. It’s witty that the Finnish chef Pasi simply shortened the name of the … Continue reading →

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

My Dad’s Lawyer

Posted on 2 July 2014 by andyq

At my mom’s 80th birthday, I ended up sitting next to my Dad’s old lawyer, let’s call him Uncle Kasra, an Indian-Canadian man of Farsi background with a beautiful wife and two dynamic daughters, who we saw from time to … Continue reading →

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

Australian culture: the Hills Hoist

Posted on 1 June 2014 by andyq

While rotating clothes lines attached to a heavy metal pole stuck in your backyard have been around in Australia since the turn of the 20th century, it was a bloke named Lance Hill who made his model in Adelaide in … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Creative Non-Fiction | Leave a comment

2014 in lists (art, books, entertainment, shows)

Posted on 31 May 2014 by andyq

Aha. New organisational system for 2014… Rather than continue to add to the same big posts of shows and concerts I’ve EVER seen, I’ve organised the old lists into separate archival posts either by the year, or before that… And … Continue reading →

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

New tasty treat: Tsukemen

Posted on 25 May 2014 by andyq

I love trying new food, and was intrigued by the menu item ‘Tsukemen’ at Ramen Zundo, a small Japanese restaurant tucked into the row of quick eateries on the ground floor of World Square. I’ve tried cold soba noodles, light … Continue reading →

Posted in Food n' Grog, Sydney | 1 Comment