I don't think I've stepped foot into Sushi Tei since my grandparents moved to B.C., so I guess it was purely out of convenience when I decided to dine here to catch up with a friend after work.

The restaurant changed owners a few years back - the boss used to be a kinda, smiley old man, but I believe it's now run by a few Korean youngsters.

We received a few complimentary appetizers after ordering, which is pretty typical of a Korean restaurant. The number of side dishes we received had been greatly decreased compared to the previous owner though; we used to also receive a few pieces of grilled mackerel during the meal.

Going to spin after an extremely hectic day at work was a total treat.
I first discovered the Dessert Cafe when my friends had posted photos after dining at one of their locations in Toronto. When I found out that they had plans to open up a franchise in Mississauga, I just knew that I had to drop by for a taste. (I mean, how could someone with such a massive sweet tooth resist?)

spin is located at the corner of one of the new buildings near Square One. Parking is very limited, and also requires to be paid by the hour (meter parking). But as the restaurant is situated only a few minutes from the theatre, parking at Famous Players and walking over was an easy way to avoid having to pay.

Intense days are intense.
My last exam took place on Saturday at 9 AM, which meant that I'd need to arrive on campus at least twenty minutes prior. As the rest of my day was completely packed, I decided to park at Square One and retrieve the car later to continue with the rest of the day's activities. Initially, I had planned on returning home for a quick bit at some point during the day, but the events were scheduled quite closely and I didn't get a chance in the end.

After writing a horrid pass/fail exam (which I sincerely hope I did pass, as failing to do so would result in seeing my lovely (CAN YOU SENSE THE SARCASM?!) prof's face for another year...again.), I hopped onto the bus and headed over to Kariya Park.

I don't believe I took any non-cosplay-related photos on my phone, so here are shots of a Chicken Onigiri from Kenzo that I had packed for lunch, and my furry driving companion (Ehehe).

The full Kariya Park Cosplay Picnic album can be viewed HERE.

Firstly, please excuse the lack of visuals appearing on this page in the past two weeks - exams had temporarily taken over my life until the last week of April.

To ease myself back into the blogging-posting groove, here are some snaps from the very few times I exited my house in between cram periods. (And yes, this post is going back in time - don't you just love being able to schedule posts?)

A while back, I happened to be in Hamilton for an interview. As opposed to returning back home to an empty fridge after finishing around 1:15 pm, the more practical solution to appease our stomachs was to drop by Starbucks on Locke Street to refuel. (I also happened to have two unused rewards on my card, so the Veggie & Monterey Jack Artisan Sandwich and Chicken Salad & Brie Wrap below were able to be consumed at no cost. Might I also add that the cheese pull from the Monterey Jack was quite a sight to lay eyes on.)

The week started off with running errands at Square One. And following these errands, I decided to drop by aroma for the first time to grab a quick pick-me-up.

The cafe-style restaurant was quite narrow, with tables scattered randomly throughout the channel. Some customers had sat down and were happily chatting away with their friends, while others were sitting alone, with their headphones on and laptop out, evidently in their "don't-bother-me-I'm-trying-to-do-work" mode. CP24 was also being show on two monitors near the cashier. I approached the order desk slowly, contemplating their drink menu.
Not in too much of a coffee mood (especially since I would do Starbucks or homemade coffee any day anyways), I decided to go for the "Aroma Rise", which was described as "ice, orange juice, and vanilla" and depicted by one of the servers as an orange slush.
I relayed my order to the guy at cashier, who had a neutral expression on his face until I asked to pay with a means other than cash. After taking my order, he took out a huge jug of orange juice and set it on the counter in front of the window that connected to the kitchen. He then proceeded to take other customers' orders, before finally returning to fill a plastic cup with ice and orange juice; he then set it on the window ledge, where another man dumped the contents of cup into a Vitamix for blending. That mixture was later placed in front of me, cup sticky.

I stared at the drink for a while, pondering whether they had included ice cream in the my drink at all. Upon asking the man who took my order at cash, he informed me that there was no ice cream contained in Aroma Rise - the "vanilla" simply referred to vanilla syrup.
It took a few nanoseconds to process the horror that had just taken place: I had paid $4.57 for orange juice blended with ice, something that I could've easily made at home for under a dollar.
And not only that, but the cup had been handed to me sticky. Reaching underneath the already coffee-stained napkins at the beyond filthy condiment station while carrying four other bags to clean it off wasn't exactly my idea of grabbing a pick-me-up.

I didn't manage to take a sip of the drink until I unloaded my bags, but the taste made my heart shrivel up even more. The drink was tasteless - bland beyond belief. The ratio of ice to orange juice had been too high, and I couldn't even swirl my straw around the drink. Needless to say, I will NOT be returning to this place ever again.

I even attempted to salvage the drink once getting back home. "Perhaps it might not be all that bad if I make some adjustments", I naively thought. Adding a spoonful of sugar and a splash of milk, I proceeded to thoroughly mix the drink until all the components were dissolved. I then lifted the drink to my lips, only to be faced with disgust again.
I poured the rest of the drink down the sink. Never have I tasted something so foul in my life. And the thought of having paid $4.57 for this monstrosity just fostered an even greater amount of frustration.


The Aroma cup itself proved to have a great design, though. To rid the revolting taste of "Aroma Rise", I created my own iced mocha, topped with coconut whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The lid was flat, unlike that of Starbucks, and the straw hole was large enough to fit in a wide straw.
I continued to create more slushie-like drinks throughout the week, filling the Aroma cup with my new concoction each time. The cup is now one of my favourites to use; I just can't digest how a cafe with such a great cup design could produce drinks so abhorrent.

My first exam is tomorrow, and I'm currently conflicted between the urge to post recent visuals and the need to digest the methods used to find the primal/dual of a function. In the end I chose to play Tsum in order to finish the second Bingo card instead.

Earlier this week, I finally got around to visiting a newly-opened bubble tea and candy store in Westdale by the name of Kuma's Candy.

A friend of mine had told me about this store's migration from Jackson Square to Westdale Village about three weeks ago, but only recently have our breaks overlapped due to the semester slowing to an end.

The location that they took over was initially an antique shop, which had sold interesting, but extremely dusty, trinkets that would've brought much visual interest to food photography shoots. Its interior was now painted an excessively sweet cotton candy pink, which seemed appropriate as the walls were lined with a never ending selection of sweets and cute toys.

Short school weeks are always great. While they may not always prove to be productive, they most definitely have a relaxing effect on the body and mind. (That is, of course, given that you are not exerting yourself at full force over a part-time job.)

I actually managed to finish two of my many assignments on Friday evening. Perhaps the brick toast had something to do with it.

April crept up on me before I even knew it, hurling a 4-day week full of assignments, final projects, and quizzes directly in my face. To be honest, there really isn't much else to say regarding all the tasks that need to be completed before exam crunch can begin. I'd love to complain some more, but I'd also like to move on with life and introduce some of this month's (and a bit of last month's) visuals.

When one suddenly begins to desire an Oreo slush, but then is immediately conflicted with thoughts of an iced macchiato, concoctions such as the following may arise: Oreo-Coffee Chiller/Slush.
While I wanted to flavours to mix slightly for a caffeinated chocolate-y taste, I still wanted to be able to clearly distinguish between the elements within the drink. By utilizing the difference in the densities of the two drinks, two somewhat distinct layers were created: a bottom one consisting of slightly sweetened iced coffee, and the top an icy, creamy Oreo slush. (More photos can be found HERE under Miscellaneous Food Adventures.)

On the rare occasion that I am not on campus nor at home, it's possible that I may be out exploring. What appeared to be a plain, dull commercial building lacking in personality from the outside actually housed some stunning interior design. Buildings with tall roofs somehow always find a way to amaze me, and I found this one to be particularly appealing.