Out & About #1111 | Suburban Summers

​Much like the Eaton Centre, there tends to be something new at Square One every week. This declaration is truer in the summer months, for visitor volumes are normally higher, with pop-up events becoming more common.

​On one day, there was an artist Meet & Greet at Sunrise Records. Fans queued along the corridor for a photo op chance. While there was a remarkable number, it could hardly rival the likes of concert entry for K-Pop concerts.

My afternoon snack would comprise of a $2.25 Pineapple Bun and $3.95 XL Iced HK Milk Tea from Saint Germain Bakery. Consistent with earlier observations, the bun was satiating. There was an undeniable sense of nausea to be experienced with their consumption, despite the rather customary appearance. While I appreciated the crushed ice and substantial portion of my selected beverage, the formula would reveal itself gritty and dismal as one neared the bottom of the cup. Whether this be owed to drink mix powders or synthetic creamer is uncertain.

​In the evening, I rounded up a former coworker for participation in Fresh Air Fitness. Forgiving weather conditions had enabled our attendance.

​A breeze filled the air, though it didn't succeed in eliminating perspiration. By the end of the hour-long session, my face was flushed and bangs stringy and chaotic. On the other hand, my partner-in-crime was barely shiny.
When a middle-aged man approached me after the class to commend my "performance", I was brought back to cheery days at LA Fitness.
"You have really good sense of rhythm! I was actually following you the whole time since I couldn't see the stage." He then left me with a thumbs up. "You're really good!"

Needless to say, this brought a distinct smile to my otherwise exhausted complexion.

On my subsequent office, I was further bombarded by stupidity. After repeating the frustrating tale more than a handful of times, I've resolved that incompetence indeed rears itself in the most unexpected of ways, and that slowness and stupidity are incurable. Those occupying the office spaces of my new workplace appear to be physically compromised overall; but clearly, the deficiencies can span more than one cognitive category.

​On a brighter note, I finally learned the source behind frozen fillets in the freezer: One of the staff members regularly visits his Manitoulin Island cottage and brings back trout to share with the masses. I was encouraged to bring one back, though ultimately forgot as I departed the office in a hurry.

​When (a late) lunchtime rolled around, I sought out the Miniso x One Piece pop-up at Square One.

​It was cute, but, knowing none of the references, I departed without a single purchase.

Browsing Indigo, I learned of their new communal seating on the lower level near the mall entrance. The Wild Robot was also discovered to be a book - constituting a three-part series no less!

​Procurement of temporary tattoos were debated at kioki and.... With a single sheet priced at $3.99 and 3 at $9.99, hesitation surfaced. In the end, the transaction was not executed on the basis of financial constraints.

​Of course, one could argue that my spending decisions weren't consistent. On an early Saturday morning, after concluding the first half of Wednesday Season 2 in the wee hours of the morning, I lugged myself towards Indigo. Frankly, the decision had been a last-minute one, spurred from geographic convenience as opposed to desire.

​I had awoken around the 8:45 AM mark and swiftly accomplished my morning routine. With just six minutes prior to store opening, I pulled into a surprisingly busy asphalt lot in wait of Maple's round 2 drop. A member of staff distributed tickets to those positioned outside the store before opening time; I was 60th in line.

We filed into the store in single file shortly afterwards, utterly blessed by the presence of A/C. There were likely more than one hundred of the Jellycat plushies available, for some visitors merely strode in after 9:30 AM and joined the queue without a numbered slip.

My own five-point specimen was obtained in record time. By the 9:40 AM mark, I was ready to leave for morning groceries. There, I was met with the unavailability of butter, thus exited promptly and arrived home seconds before 10 AM. Lineups aren't often this organized, but I was glad for Indigo's orderly approach.

Returning from further appointments, I crafted the drink conceived on the drive back: A Piña Colada ice cream-topped Matcha Slushie. By gently pouring a shot of matcha over crushed ice flakes, the drink stayed icy for a few hours. The ice cream scoop alone wasn't enough to sweeten the beverage though, so I added a small amount of yellow sugar simple syrup.