John Chew
@poslfit.bsky.social
I like words, math, languages, code, food, organisation, and problem-solving. I work on Scrabble, election data, dictionaries, and translation.
松茸御飯とイクラ Rice cooked with matsutake marinated in shoyu, mirin, sake & kombu dashi, topped with ikura (salmon roe). The Japanese use the Russian икра (ikra), probably because they showed the Japanese that they could safely eat it after freezing. икра also = calf of the leg ~ daikon in Japanese.
November 5, 2025 at 10:43 PM
松茸御飯とイクラ Rice cooked with matsutake marinated in shoyu, mirin, sake & kombu dashi, topped with ikura (salmon roe). The Japanese use the Russian икра (ikra), probably because they showed the Japanese that they could safely eat it after freezing. икра also = calf of the leg ~ daikon in Japanese.
I wasn’t sure how to express how I feel about tonight’s World Series game until I saw this ad at a local Japanese supermarket
November 1, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I wasn’t sure how to express how I feel about tonight’s World Series game until I saw this ad at a local Japanese supermarket
Slowly acquiring a fountain pen collection, thanks to the corrupting influence of a good friend.
October 28, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Slowly acquiring a fountain pen collection, thanks to the corrupting influence of a good friend.
I can ride past this sign now without falling off my bike, if I focus on the bad kerning and ignore the illogic.
October 8, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I can ride past this sign now without falling off my bike, if I focus on the bad kerning and ignore the illogic.
Just noticed Google does support Canadian French!
September 25, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Just noticed Google does support Canadian French!
OMG, this actually works; it’s a useful life hack.
September 25, 2025 at 4:47 PM
OMG, this actually works; it’s a useful life hack.
Checking to make sure all the Scrabble tiles are there
September 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Checking to make sure all the Scrabble tiles are there
Celebrating my hometown of Toronto taking one more step closer to its long coveted “world-class city” status: this is the first time I’ve flown into YYZ and found it faster to take public transit home than a car. (51 minutes vs 54 minutes).
September 11, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Celebrating my hometown of Toronto taking one more step closer to its long coveted “world-class city” status: this is the first time I’ve flown into YYZ and found it faster to take public transit home than a car. (51 minutes vs 54 minutes).
First week experimenting with farmer’s market shopping with @kchew.bsky.social by bicycle, to gather data about the need to replace our car that got totaled last week.
August 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
First week experimenting with farmer’s market shopping with @kchew.bsky.social by bicycle, to gather data about the need to replace our car that got totaled last week.
Pix and it did happen.
August 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Pix and it did happen.
Giving the new passport a try en route to BWI for the annual Scrabble Players Championship. Grateful for benevolent monarchy.
August 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Giving the new passport a try en route to BWI for the annual Scrabble Players Championship. Grateful for benevolent monarchy.
I think I paid MXP 10,000 (about US$4) for these flip flops in the late 1980s and they didn’t even last 40 years. I’ll see if I can repair them.
July 23, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I think I paid MXP 10,000 (about US$4) for these flip flops in the late 1980s and they didn’t even last 40 years. I’ll see if I can repair them.
My family got me a new tabletop game for Father’s Day: Misfits elevates to a competitive form an activity that we’ve been annoying fellow restaurant patrons with for years, stacking things precariously to see when they fall. Excellent choice. Available in Toronto at @snakesandlattes.bsky.social
June 15, 2025 at 8:07 PM
My family got me a new tabletop game for Father’s Day: Misfits elevates to a competitive form an activity that we’ve been annoying fellow restaurant patrons with for years, stacking things precariously to see when they fall. Excellent choice. Available in Toronto at @snakesandlattes.bsky.social
Pareidolia or ominous portent?
June 13, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Pareidolia or ominous portent?
Congratulations to our older son, a newly graduated Honours BS (Bioethics and Quantitative Biology, with high distinction)!
June 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Congratulations to our older son, a newly graduated Honours BS (Bioethics and Quantitative Biology, with high distinction)!
Finally, a first win at @olaugh.bsky.social's annoying new game, “two thousand fortyish”.
May 14, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Finally, a first win at @olaugh.bsky.social's annoying new game, “two thousand fortyish”.
Our back yard shows its spring colours
May 12, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Our back yard shows its spring colours
Happy Mother’s Day to @kchew.bsky.social !
May 12, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Happy Mother’s Day to @kchew.bsky.social !
Grand opening of the new St Lawrence Market building
May 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Grand opening of the new St Lawrence Market building
Homemade pad krapow gai with homegrown holy basil
May 8, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Homemade pad krapow gai with homegrown holy basil
It contains all its limit points.
April 26, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It contains all its limit points.
Myrmecochory brings all the ants to the yard. (Sanguinaria canadensis)
April 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Myrmecochory brings all the ants to the yard. (Sanguinaria canadensis)