Patrick Lum

Jan 12, 2025 | theguardian.com | Patrick Lum

I’d been learning Japanese on and off for years when, on New Year’s Day 2022, I realised I could still barely master the sushi bar menu. Three years on I’m now reading my ninth book, having finished a few hundred comics and a videogame – all in Japanese. I’m still amazed at my achievement. My biggest breakthrough? Learning to embrace ambiguity and finding comfort in incomplete understanding. Growing up, I would constantly ask my parents and teachers what new words meant in English.

Oct 8, 2024 | theguardian.com | Patrick Lum

Everyone knows about the Tetris effect, named after the puzzle game that is so compelling players can find themselves visualising falling blocks and imagining how real-world objects could fit together long after turning off the Game Boy. Similarly, playing too much Burnout or Grand Theft Auto gave some of my uni friends pause before they got behind the wheel in real life. But few video games are so enthralling that they begin to invade one’s subconscious.

Jul 19, 2024 | theguardian.com | Patrick Lum |Doosie Morris |Jasper Peach

Could you go meat-free? We asked three omnivorous Australian households to cook vegetarian meals for a week and to keep a diary of their results. Eggs and dairy products were allowed but all other animal proteins including seafood were not. The results? Two households saved time and money, while one family actually spent more dollars and minutes preparing meat-free meals. And those with children had a more difficult time switching to a temporary vegetarian diet.

Dec 31, 2023 | msn.com | Beejay Silcox |Declan Fry |Steph Harmon |Cassie Tongue |Emily Wind |Joseph Cummins | +5 more

Dec 31, 2023 | theguardian.com | Beejay Silcox |Declan Fry |Steph Harmon |Cassie Tongue |Emily Wind |Joseph Cummins | +5 more

1. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsPan Macmillan ($34.99)Beloved cult classicI first encountered this “trilogy in five parts” on audiocassette and accidentally played the tapes in the wrong order. It still made sense – a testament to Douglas Adams’ absurdist brilliance. The Hitchhiker’s Guide is less a cult classic than a cult (imagine PG Wodehouse in space), but the enduring pop-cultural appeal of this series stems from something deeper than its intergalactic wit.