Category Archives: Family

A small personal history of eating

Posted on 28 January 2023 by andyq

My family has always been obsessed with food. It needed to tasty and cheap, and bonus points if you knew or liked the people providing it. Combining our Asian heritage with our Asian thrift meant that our favourite restaurants were … Continue reading →

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How websites have changed! And so have my niece and nephew.

Posted on 2 January 2023 by andyq

Once upon a time, I kept a page on my website that showed off my niece and nephew in their younger years. Way back in 2002, when Jeremiah (now Jerry) was born, it was a good way to share photos … Continue reading →

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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

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 →

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Home cooking: Locomoco

Posted on 15 September 2016 by andyq

The locomoco is a Hawaiian invention. It involves plain white rice (variation: Japanese white rice) with a burger patty on top (or two), and then a fried egg on top of that (or two), and over the whole thing: gravy. … Continue reading →

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The Sze Yap underachievers

Posted on 15 November 2015 by andyq

I just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and came across a passage that struck me. His theory is that the cultures that cultivated rice paddies, as compared to other crops such as wheat, learned that their success depended not on … Continue reading →

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Thor and Freyja Playing

Posted on 21 May 2015 by andyq

Because there are not enough kittens on the internet:

Posted in Family, Stuff, Sydney | 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

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 →

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Christmas in Vancouver: Diaries

Posted on 16 January 2010 by andyq

My father types: 09/12/12, Saturday: Eggs, portuguese sausage, raisain toastSunWiiFit 51 yearsFiddledLunchCracked filbertsTV lazed.Supper, Not much explanation is needed for strangers. Portuguese sausage is spicy and when heated, an orange oil rises up and coats the cut surface. It is … Continue reading →

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