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Out & About #524 | Collective January Visuals

1/31/2019

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Welcome, winter.

The first snowfall of the season is bound to hit before Chinese New Year, and by February if not in January. That said, snow isn't quite as foreign to us Central Canadians as it is to West Coast-ers and some of our southern neighbours. We are not the type to cease activities because of precipitation. Rather, the adequate services are simply forced into play. Life must continue.
​1) Behold our beautiful blue skies!
2) Another snippet of a CoCo run, as per usual
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3) Sonoya has seemingly been replaced (renamed?) Brown Donkatsu
4) Just typical 아가새 things with JJP
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​5) Attempting quick s'mores with the few unused digestives lying around the house
6) A pineapple-turned-potato-head microfoam creation
7) Experimenting with waffles while utilizing orangecane's most trusted recipe source ultimately led to the nastiest, stiffest lumps of cooked dough ever. (I'll stick to my regulars next time.)
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8) Love Me Sweet (Square One)
​The bakery had introduced bubble tea to their menu towards the end of last year. Seeing as the mall-centric chain does not specialize in such a field,  I was fully informed that quality was not guaranteed.
I steered clear of their ostentatious smoothies and cream caps, opting for an Oolong Milk Tea with Grass Jelly instead. It was a typical combination that allowed little room for error; the absence of complication was the very reason why it was chosen.
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Out & About #523 | Platform (Round 2) + Markham Things

1/26/2019

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​There comes a time where one must engage in a trade off between efficiency and sanity. While meticulously packing up my study setup is more than just time-consuming, the need to present myself as a proper human being to the rest of the world surfaces on occasion.

In a world where working acquaintances are widespread and unemployed vehicle-equipped companions are few, making last-minute plans almost never follow through. This wasn't a huge deal to me, since I had a few solo activities to accomplish and was more than ready to engross myself with. (Amongst these was the latest episode of Real Thai, which had aired several days prior. Of course, it had taken a considerable amount of willpower to filtrate out the spoiler screencaps.)
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​Few spots in Markham are open before noon on weekends. Thankfully, Platform happens to fall within the sector of early openers.

​​I made my way over around the 9:40 AM mark, then proceeded to ease myself into one of the two small booths situated towards the back of the café. This area was not only dimmer than the table I had selected previously, but also much chillier. As these tables were camouflaged from sight from the bar area, bells had been provided to alert the counter staff of any requests.
Seeing as I had just set down my belongings, I strode up to the barista to inquire about the possibility of turning down the A/C in the back. She seemed troubled by this request.
"You can just ring the bell." came her blunt response. "I don't think so but I can ask the owner."
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Of course, she never did head towards the kitchen to ask.
​Instead, she suggested to move to a (larger) table near the front, closer to the blinding UV rays penetrating through the front windows. "
When it gets busy, I will have to ask you to move though." she added.
There were no outlets at my table, but the Office suite doesn't drain much juice anyway.
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​A Pour-Over of Hatch's Ethopia blend was requested, along with a Western Sandwich. Its name was a tad misleading, in my opinion; the constituents of the sandwich did not feature Texan-style seasonings or cowboy-esque additions. Rather, it promised  a classic brunch buffet omelette placed between thick cuts of toasted ciabatta. Diced bell peppers, red onion, and Black Forest ham were the primary components of the omelette; at its centre was a slab of Kraft cheddar Singles that was more runny than it was gooey/stringy. 
It was odd to see the oils separating from the runny cheese mixture, then seeping into the remainder of the sandwich. Cheddar - especially heavily processed renditions of it - is arguably my least liked cheese variety, and I can't say that the scene left too positive of an impression.
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Out & About #522 | Weekly Roundup Feat. Shuyi + Inatei

1/18/2019

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​By this point in time, many would have resumed their regular workflow for the new year. This is the case for most of my dining pals, but, for me, it's been a period of recapping Atlantic adventures from last fall, as well as the continued job hunt.

A limited budget equates to investing more time at home and deploying coupons whenever possible. Of course, standardized bubble tea sessions cannot be forgoed though.

1) CoCo's Brown Sugar Milk with Pearls 
Despite having landed in BC since the summer months, the highly raved-about concoction didn't arrive in the province until January 15th.
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​Points could not be redeemed for this promotional item, nor could ice and sugar levels (or size!) be adjusted.

Truthfully, I am far from being brown sugar's greatest supporter. I kept an open mind towards CoCo's rendition, though the absence of tea in only exaggerated the sweetness of the beverage; it was simply too sugary to be consumed in a Large size. There remains the possibility of deliciousness within a hot variation of the drink, however I honestly can't say I'm itching for another cup.
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2) A Big Mac with Fries for only two dollars plus tax? Don't mind if I do!
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3) Shuyi Tealicious
​New to ever-expanding roster of bubble tea franchises in the GTA is Shuyi Tealicious. Its discovery was actually a pleasant mistake: I had been researching a different establishment when its name surfaced in the sidebar.
The chain hails from China and currently has three locations in Ontario: conspicuous coordinates in Agincourt (Scarborough), a shop on Spadina in Toronto's bustling Chinatown, and a Mississauga outpost in a plaza that also houses a pet store and tutoring facility. Needless to say, it was most convenient to venture over to the last location.
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​The interior was quite spacious and mostly free of stickiness. Girls behind the counter understood the fundamentals of the English language, but had difficulty with communicating anything beyond that level.

I took to a Signature Grass Jelly Milk Tea along with a Mango Pomelo Meet Grass Jelly. Neither permitted ice/sugar adjustments; in addition, the latter was only available in a Regular size.
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​Having requested a hot beverage, I anticipated a toasty cup of milk tea to emerge in one of their insulated paper cups. Instead appeared a lukewarm formula sealed in a narrow plastic cup. Grass Jelly floated at its surface, while specks of unidentified toppings had sunk to the bottom. Given its name, I hadn't expected any other toppings besides grass jelly. Moreover, I had also found it odd that the girl behind the cashier hadn't inquired about any possible allergies: the additional toppings consisted of cubed coconut jelly, peanuts, red bean, and a few indiscernible others.

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Out & About #521 | Partial January Visuals

1/13/2019

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​My New Year's Eve had been spent working on an intense project, to the extent where determination to complete the backbreaking task far exceeded any desire to celebrate the arrival of 2019. Said project remains incomplete and undisclosed from the world due to technical limitations (otherwise known as an extremely faulty laptop with diminishing RAM).

I had granted myself a short breather from the venture, which permitted indulging in other interests - namely GOT7 fancams and food adventures.

1) Attempting the Inkigayo Sandwich
Never to be the quickest at picking up trends, news of the Inkigayo Sandwich hadn't quite made its way to my attention until orangecane uploaded her extremely overdue Korea post.
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​I was instantly intrigued, for how could I not be? Strawberry jam and egg salad sounded like a fabulous combination. The same cannot be said for cabbage slaw, on the other hand. Regardless, I became invested in the idea and promptly set out the next day in search of ingredients.

Many YouTubers had developed their own rendition on the broadcast station cafeteria special, which I scrutinized down to the very detail before formulating my own recipe.
Potatoes were neglected - for carbs on carbs is just excessive - and a dash of fresh dill was incorporated. Homemade strawberry jam was substituted for the sugary storebought nonsense. Imitation crab meat was wholly forgotten until the slaw filling had been completed and set to chill.
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​A large batch had been constructed in preparation for a potluck dinner. The remaining ends of the purchased loaf were then utilized to create a prototype featuring the three fillings. At this point, it was discovered that four slices of bread was absolutely ridiculous, even when pressed together firmly. Consequently, the final version consisted of three slices, with sides bearing strawberry jam and cabbage slaw meeting at one end of the sandwich.
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​To be quite frank, the resulting product was a tad odd-tasting. Coleslaw wasn't my cup of tea to begin with, though tried-and-true fillings such as strawberry jam and egg salad hadn't succeeded in raising its ranking either. Food fads have always been a hit or miss though.
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​2) A cozy east-meets-west potluck marked the farewell party of a certain foreign comrade. It was here that homemade 쌈 wraps, mushroom-laced 불고기, extra-mild kimchi fried rice, and not-so-mild Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) were served to us (in a rather interesting manner, I should add).
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The room we dined in lacked a table, so the group resorted to eating off the floor. A candle was lit to set the mood and compensate for inadequate insulation.

(Side story: Amidst setup preparations, someone carelessly dropped my coleslaw on the ground, cracking the container in a manner I hadn't thought possible. Hence, there was no other choice than to wrap up leftovers in a flimsy plastic bag...reminiscent of scraps. Sigh.)
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The occasion also marked my first attempt at SoMaek (소맥) - a popular Korean mix of beer and soju - as well as the first intake of soju in my entire lifetime. Both thrilling and terrifying, the experience was one I wouldn't mind repeating at a later point in the future, when I have a ride home secured.

We ended the evening off by dashing out into the streets with a confused, angry middle-aged man questioning our identities. Fun things do happen downtown.
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Out & About #520 | Downtown Things Feat. Fune

1/2/2019

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​And with the New Year resumed the pre-arranged catch-up sessions. Three continuous days of toiling away at a major, soon-to-be released project had resulted in the over-exertion of wrist and ocular muscles. A breath of fresh air was needed before one could summon up the strength to proceed with the lengthy assignment.

I first stopped at Chinatown, a district that has never witnessed a shortage of bubble tea joints. Arriving after 3 PM meant the availability of Cactus Tapioca, so I headed to the spot that I hadn't frequented for quite some time. (Of course, I had to have forgotten my stamp cards at home...)
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​With utmost confidence, I can now proclaim that One Zo has officially gone down the drain.
The pricing system and loyalty program have been altered such that customers are paying even more than before, but with fewer rewards even swearing loyalty. What's more is that drink quality has plummeted significantly - terrible to the point where nausea and stomach sickness were experienced after only one-third of the cup had been consumed.

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Purchasing a large-sized Caramel Oolong Latte had been an awfully uninformed decision, and I ultimately tossed the seven-dollar atrocity into the trash to prevent further unpleasantness.
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To atone the lingering slickness of One Zo, I made a brief stop at Juicy Dumpling at Dragon City Centre. It was appropriately named after their signature $2.99 Steamed Soup Pork Dumpling - also known as Xiao Long Bao (小籠包/XLB), though the menu also comprised of savoury pancakes and other carby delights.
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​At a measly $3.14 after tax, one could not go wrong with the eatery's namesake S1 order. The bite-sized dumplings were positively delicious with an insanely reasonable price. Moreover, seating was plenty and service was friendly and efficient. Several diners took their orders to go, but many also stayed to enjoy some chitchat time with their fellow feasters.
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I met up with feedthebear shortly afterwards, at which point we leisurely made our way over to our chosen dinner destination in the Entertainment District.

​Fune was located in close proximity to Roy Thomson and the largely familiar King/John intersection, yet I had never batted an eyelash while striding past in the past (unintentional homograph usage).
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    Who Am I?

    Formerly an avid owner of several interest-based portals, Random Thoughts of a Quirky Blogger presents precisely the elements expected. From experiments in the kitchen to miscellaneous musings, from IGOT7 reflections to developments in transportation infrastructure, it's all consolidated here. Welcome to the raw, unfiltered side of Quirky Aesthetics.



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WHAT DOES "QUIRKY AESTHETICS" MEAN?

Quirky =  a term that commonly refers to something/someone distinctly different and unique
Aesthetics = the visual aspect of things



Together, Quirky Aesthetics refers to the things, events, and happenings seen and perceived by this blog's creator - quirky perspectives in a visual form.

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