Blog Archives
Summer Picnic on the Commons
Summer is Here! Mix and mingle with QAPA members for a relaxing afternoon out in Boston Commons! This is a POTLUCK style picnic, so please RSVP with a food/drink item you can bring. It can be as simple as chips and salsa to whatever gourmet dish you want to whip up. QAPA will provide snacks and utensils.
We will gather at the Park Street T station at 11:30am. Then march off to a warm spot out in the park.
If you have any sports equipment that you can share with the group - frisbee, football, etc - please let us know in your email response! Oh, extra tarps or lawn spreads for sitting would be great too, just in case we run out of space. =)
Also, I want to make a quick plug that QAPA is a purely volunteer driven organization, and while donations are never required at events, it would be much appreciated!
And…pets are welcome!
Location: Boston Commons - Park Street Green Line Boston, MA 02144 US
When: Saturday, May 22, 11:30AM
See you there!
QAPA Annual Holiday Party
This year, instead of having our annual holiday party at Chau Chau City like we normally do, we decided to have a more intimate gathering at Albert and Rich’s house. Dinner at their fabulous condo — complete with egg nog, cider, and a crackling fire — is the perfect end to an unforgiving arctic day.
We ate some very ethnic foods, ranging from samosas to lo mein, and caught up with each other’s activities throughout the past year. Among some of the QAPA veterans, we welcomed several new people whom we hope to see at upcoming events.
A warm thank you to everyone who came, and happy holidays to all!
Boston Pride
The Truck
Us with Sam Yoon!
I’d say this one was of the best Prides so far. By the time I arrived at the staging area, MAP and Asian Impact were already loading up the truck with the candy, water, and packets. Obviously, because we were actually in the parade, it was hard to see the front and tail end of it, but from what we saw around us, the participants were revved up, in costume, and ready to rock.
City councilman, Sam Yoon stopped by to say hi and take a picture. He told me his daughter’s name was Mimi too, and I said, “Oh, then she must be very pretty.” Heh heh.
Banners
Once the horns sounded, the parade was off, and QAPA, MAP, AI, and Masala were on the move. Our banners were raised high and the fuchsia really made them stand out — they looked awesome. All our volunteers (including Scooter) were decked out in the sashes and bandannas that Ellen had made and my only regret was that she wasn’t at Pride to see them in action.
There was so much energy from the crowd. They didn’t even know what we were passing out, but they still wanted it! Sex-packets and Starburst were stuffed into people’s eager hands. We were cheered and whistled at; we really felt the love that day.
Scoots on the move
I dare say the star of the show was our mascot, Scoots, who displayed her rainbow streamers with pride. As we blazed the parade route, I heard (gay) men, women, and children squeal when they saw Scoots approaching. It was sheer madness!
Words don’t do QAPA’s Pride experience justice, so try this video on for size:
Wine and Cheese
The Wine and Cheese Fundraiser at Albert’s house is always an intimate affair — a nice way of catching up with friends and meeting a few of the new QAPA members. We’re all busy people but it’s great to be able to sit around in a quiet setting appreciating fine foods and discussing what is going on in all our lives. Among the updates, we learned that Sarav’s documentary is making great progress and we even have a sneak preview for you all:
I have a new job at Bentley, which is worlds better than my old job. I especially love the fact that Bentley is marching in Pride and that they have an LGBT organization for faculty and staff. I’m still facilitating the Coming Out Support Group at the Cambridge Women’s Center, which I think is going well, except that summer seems to be its slow season. If anyone is interested in coming, I highly encourage it!
We’ve been missing Albert, but are glad to hear that his acting career is ramping up. In other mentions, congratulations to Jay who has just finished his law degree!
All of us are really looking forward to Pride and are committed to making it one of the best ever!
