Out & About #1013 | Star Dance Again + Colossus Birthday Lunch

7/10/2024

When Monday morning rolled around, I realized that the sinus pains experienced during my downward dogs could no longer be ignored. My face was swollen, with the pressure behind my eyeballs being irrefutable. Once again, I had found myself in a state of sinus-related ailment.

A trip to the doctor earned me a small bottle of nasal spray. Should my condition not improve within 3-5 days, or I begin to experience symptoms of nasal discharge, ear pain, or worsened pain, then antibiotics would be prescribed as the next step.

Lessened headaches were observed the following day, which gave me enough hope to continue powering through my pre-birthday programs.

My go-to birthday cake of leen go was prepared upon request. In a hurried fashion, I proceeded with candle-blowing and "cake-cutting" customs before zipping off to an evening dance class.

With one of three classes remaining in my Star Dance trial pass, I opted to register for an 8-9 PM Intermediate Commercial Choreography session. I set out at 6:58 PM, bracing myself for the remnants of rush hour traffic. Thankfully, the weekday evening saw relatively light levels of congestion, enabling an arrival of 7:35 PM.
Consistent with the previous session, I parked along the residential section of Poyntz Avenue and strode over. It was, regrettably, equally humid as before, though devoid of rainfall warnings.

Just as before, the corridors were as stuffy as could be, with the waiting area comparatively worse without any sort of ventilation. Class overrun appears to be a persistent aspect of the studio as well, for the previous session was delayed at least five minutes due to final practices and filming attempts. When class participants of the preceding Heels class finally dissipated, a noticeably urban-looking crowd filed into the studio. It was at this point that I realized the staggering number of participants, as well as the prevalence of street fashion and forearm tattoos amongst the group. This was in stark contrast to the beginner classes, where the general choice of apparel lay with hiking gear (a boxy t-shirt, capris, and runners) or gym attire (sports bra, leggings, and canvas sneakers).

Most of the attendees comprised of regulars, who either giddily engaged in conversation with their neighbours or began stretching. The instructor, being the same as the Hip Hop Intro substitute, commenced the class without stretching. Within seconds of our entry, he announced the day's class to be "Part 2" of "last week's choreo". My heart sank immediately, dismayed and disappointed. The lack of communication has always been one of my biggest gripes about GTA dance studios; suffice to say: little has changed over the years.
The instructor informed that the piece would constitute the longest segment taught thus far, spanning about ninety seconds instead of the usual thirty. His disclaimer that "this wasn't his usual pace or style of teaching" held very little value, for the fifteen-minute recap of "Part 1" was more confusing than constructive.

Half the class had participated in the previous week's session, earning the advantage of a thorough breakdown of the moves in addition to independent practice time. The other half, those had decided to partake in the drop-in format without prior knowledge, would be at a strict disadvantage, even if approaching the session with dedication and an open mind.
The instructor's lack of continuous enactment of the moves weren't helpful either. As one already having difficulties grasping the moves and their transitions, his dancing to the music at full speed thrice and pacing about the class for the subsequent ten minutes was hardly enough to make up for lost time. Repetitive demonstrations would have assisted in reducing the learning gap, yet not even the bare minimum of runs had been executed. Needless to say, cues and lyric association imagery were not utilized whatsoever.

Again, I found myself missing BGM tremendously. Perhaps I wasn't the only one feeling lost.
While I did not emerge unhappy with progress, I was indeed irritated that the instructor had rushed through Part 1 and instructed the class to "practice with music" without guidance and without fully recalling the moves. The Afro dance vibe is challenging to grasp to start, but not knowing half the choreography only intensified the difficulty level of the session.

As with the Hip Hop Intro session, none of the moves were particularly challenging. That said, delivering them with intent wasn't possible without years of multi-genre experience. My observations from the last class remained valid: The instructor was knowledgeable and seasoned, but his teaching style suited a progressive program (with a fixed array of students) rather than commitment-free drop-ins.

After changing, I exited back onto street level. The loss of illumination had not brought relief on the city. Instead, the evening saw darkness paired with a sticky, atrocious humidity. Rolling down the windows would only incite moisture from the air to enter the car, thus I remained in my driver's seat, A/C blasting and eating my packed dinner at the late hour of 9:40 PM.

Prior to departing, a stopover at Bake Code was made for the redemption of my birthday bonus. The perk promised a Regular-sized beverage off the fixed menu without toppings. Slushies, coffee, and green teas hardly appealed to me, resulting in my choice of Thai Tea once again.

Outside the establishment was a fully packed patio. For reasons beyond me, groups of friends had opted to share rapidly-disintegrating pastries in the dead of summer instead of enjoying the cool temperatures of the air-conditioned indoor seating area.

Overnight, heavy rainfall was experienced across the GTA due to a passing hurricane. I awoke briefly in the middle of the night due to its volume, then eventually fell back into a deep slumber until 10 AM. Sinus pains had escalated to the point where helmet-like pressure could be felt on the forehead, temples, and eye area.

I was, by no means, about to resign from my hard-earned time off, however. Slowly but surely, I geared myself up for the arrival of a new decade. My fuchsia leather jacket was debuted, with three-toned studs from kate spade to match. The thunderstorms would continue throughout the morning and into the early afternoon hours. As we made our way into Oakville, the skies persisted grey, drizzly, and entirely unreflective of typical mid-July conditions.

On a mission to redeem birthday freebies, the first was none other than Sephora's mini beauty set. I had intentionally chosen the Sephora at Oakville Place, for there was a greater chance that all redemption options would be available, unlike Square One, which sees more traffic on a regular basis.

Next, we'd venture to Downtown Oakville for lunch at Colossus.

One of my initial concerns was the availability (and cost) of street parking during working hours. Whether owed to the power of Mother Nature or the late lunch hour, I successfully secured a spot right before the restaurant without issue. Paid parking would be enforced at a rate of $2 per hour, an extremely reasonable rate compared to downtown Toronto or Mississauga City Centre.

As predicted, the restaurant was relatively quiet at our time of arrival. No more than three tables were observed occupied. Each party was also seated far from each other, presumably to preserve privacy.
We were gestured to a two-seater near the front of the restaurant, again providing a similar-sized buffer from other patrons. The table was well-illuminated due to being close to the window and also physically separated from the double-doored vestibule. With time, the adjacent table was pushed against ours to ensure sufficient space for our orders.

Our picks would comprise of: a Souvlaki Bowl, Grilled Sea Bass Fillet, and a Greek Paella. For the Souvlaki Bowl, I had specified to have onions removed from the salad and "tzatziki drizzle dressing" on the side, as its description prompted imagery of a runny, potentially vinaigrette-style dressing. Our server acknowledged these customizations and provided larger plates for sharing. He then returned minutes after to confirm whether the salad accompanying the Grilled Sea Bass Fillet was also to exclude onions - a considerate inquiry given that all items were intended to be shared.

The Greek Salad arrived first, separate from the Grilled Sea Bass upon request. The dish included crunchy lettuce, plenty of kalamata olives, and finely crumbled feta. Its base was admittedly oily, though pleasantly aromatic with the thorough sprinkling of sage - utterly unconventional to me, but well-received nevertheless. Of course, I evaded the raw sliced onions at all costs and stringently sought out the other components.

Priced at an exceptionally reasonable twenty-three dollars, the Grilled Sea Bass Fillet was the epitome of the Mediterranean-style fish. While the specific seasonings and/or cooking techniques can vary across the seaside countries, the overarching concept and treatment of lean fish reigns superior. Resulting is a flawlessly crisp exterior that shatters readily under the touch of a fork and knife, pale, tender flesh on the underside, and an admirable absence of fishy odours (with or without use of lemon). Admittedly, a tad too much oil had been used in the process of maintaining suppleness amidst the inherently lean qualities of the protein source.
Besides Greek Salad, the entrée would include lemon potatoes, small tomatoes (sliced for increased surface area, but not exactly halved), and rice pilaf. My eyes had widened at the inclusion of Lemon Potatoes, for I've yet to encounter a variation of the side that I did not enjoy. SK's rendition had been addictive, therefore raising expectations.

Colossus' approach utilized sizable chunks of potato that were cooked till fork-tender but maintained their shape. A mild citrus essence hovered about, and could be intensified with a squeeze of fresh lemon if desired.

Similarly financially-friendly was the Souvlaki Bowl. Twenty dollars had supplied a gargantuan portion of carbs, seasoned veggies, and legumes. At the centre of the platter was one skewer of Chicken Souvlaki. Need not be fooled though - each knob averaged the size of a golf ball! These substantially sized pieces were remarkably tender and not overcooked in the slightest. Plated underneath were giant Lima beans in a medley of oil, tomato, and herbs; they were initially deemed rigid and devoid of textural depth, but softened to a bean-like consistency with time. Adjacent were sturdy grains of spinach rice and homous (the Greek spelling of "hummus"?), impressively complex, but bore a noticeable amount of oil to enhance flavour.
My fingers eagerly reached for one of several pita triangles. They proved pillowy and plush, instantly satisfying my month-long cravings for soft pita. Needless to say, it paired excellently with the flavourful, garlicy, and textured tzatziki. The "on the side" request had confined the renowned condiment to the depth of a single plastic spoon. Our server, unaware that the plate already entailed a portion, brought along a second serving. He was about to retrace his path back to the kitchen, but, upon exchanging glances with me, set the additional spoonful down on the table. Grateful I was to have received this bonus, for tzatziki is an emulsion I deeply relish and enjoy.

Our third selection, the thirty-five dollar Greek Paella, was confirmed as scrumptious as before. Again a colossal platter, the medley was served piping hot with plenty of seafood and even a sprinkle of shredded - no, grated! - kefalotiri cheese on the surface. Mussels, calamari, shrimp, and spicy sausage were woven between a tomato rice pilaf in abundance.

It is worth noting that, although rice constituted a part of each dishes, their profiles did not overlap at any point. While the Paella boasted tender, well-seasoned morsels, the Grilled Sea Bass' rice pilaf was plump and soft, while the Souvlaki bowl's herbaceous with a mild edge.

In notifying our server of the day's celebratory significance, a bonus dessert was delivered at the conclusion of the meal. Our appetites had reached capacity long ago, thus the proposal had incited some degree of worry: I was not aware of any fruit- or cake-based desserts.

Presented on the same blue ceramic plates as our mains was a triangle of Baklava, with a sparkler candle implanted within, and mixed berries with a sprig of fresh mint. Both elements were then dusted with icing sugar and plenty of cinnamon. Visually satiating, I wasn't sure of what to expect from the Greek version of the Middle Eastern pastry that soared in popularity over the past year.

The section boasted wispy layers of Phyllo pastry, a thin layer of finely chopped nuts, and a base layer of syrup-soaked pastry. Yet, none of it was quite as filling as expected. Compared to its Middle Eastern counterparts, the treat embraced a reduction in sweetness and placed greater emphasis on the airiness of the upper layers.
Alternating forkfuls of the Baklava with tart berries, refreshing mint, and the unexpected hit of cinnamon made for a delectable, gratifying finish. And somehow, we managed to devour the plate's contents before realizing.

Colossus had been an unanimous decision leading up to the big day, and it did not disappoint. The Oakville outpost boasts exquisite, traditional Greek fare, spacious seating, attentive service, and adorable wooden stall bathrooms. While I wouldn't have minded the undersides of the plates being wiped, I have few complaints otherwise.

Over the course of our lunch, precipitation lessened and, eventually, the storm passed to yield clear skies. We took this opportunity to roam Downtown Oakville, concurrently relieving ourselves of feelings of fullness.

The trip enabled an umbrella-free excursion to COBS Bread for my complimentary Cinnamon Bun, as well as browsing of local clothing shops that are usually closed during dinnertime visits.

It was still a bit humid, but a light breeze would present itself from time to time to alleviate the dampness.

I discovered VIA Pilates from street signage on Dunn Street and caught a glimpse of the studio from the outside, as all classes for the day had terminated by noon.

Lakeshore Rd past Reynolds St took a turn for less inviting scenery, thus we made a sharp turn to revert back to the car. Just prior to returning, I caught sight of a series of posters advertising colourful bingsoo.

Flyspin was learned to be a hybrid spin studio and café. The spaces were kept separate, such that the coffee shop could continue operations even in the absence of studio classes. I noted promotional flyers of a complimentary first class for new participants. The service staff were not of Korean descent, prompting some hesitation towards the authenticity of their snow ice offerings.

Shoppers Drug Mart and The Alley would assume the final stops of the day. By purchasing at least one drink in the calendar year, one would be entitled to a complimentary birthday offer utterly free of restrictions. In contrast to Chatime, one could redeem any drink off the menu, including limited edition or exclusive releases, in any size with any combination of toppings.

My choice of a Lemon Winter Melon Punch with Pineapple Jelly was undoubtedly refreshing. The substitution of pineapple jelly for my usual go-to of lychee jelly had also been a splendid decision, for it contributed a sweet acidity to the drink.