Out & About #1181 | FIFA Watch Party, Level 1 Hip Hop at Dance Life X + Markham

​A late return on Sunday made for quite the insufferable Monday morning in office. The previous night's meal of hotpot had resulted in my body burning up uncontrollably, my complexion breaking out, and awaking up several times due to internal heat. Needless to say, the beer-and-champagne duo I had downed did not help my case: A mild hangover headache was in store for me.

In any case, I somehow made it to the office, albeit staggering and stumbling. Although I had brought along my helmet, biking on city streets with four hours of sleep was hardly recommended. Instead, I took to a brief walk to my former workspace.

​Meeting old teammates reminded me of pre-trauma times - a period where everything flowed in tranquility and I was genuinely happy, despite a tad stagnant in my career. The way that they welcomed me back with open arms, wide smiles, and plenty of questions about my return was more than I could have asked for.
These were people that accepted me as I came. I didn't have to prove my worth, to defend my skills, nor be on edge about being thrown into a raging fire. Mutual respect was a guarantee.

Despite my transition to a different team, our relationship hadn't changed, and I couldn't be more thankful.

​The next in-office day came after two evenings of sleeping early. In the morning, my upper body strength was tested with weighty baggage comprising of ice packs, food, and post-work attire. In the afternoon was a FIFA watch party, and in the evening was a Hip Hop dance class.

Now properly rested, lunchtime once again meant cycling in the city.

My ride comprised of:

• Avoiding taxis on Front Street
• Interpreting bike signage while riding
• Evading mentally unstable residents of the streets while striving to adhere to traffic signals
• Being mindful of delivery driver e-bikes ready to run you down
• Ridiculing Spadina's status as a "shared cycling route"

​I stopped by The Well, continued towards Portland to ride the newly-installed bikeway (lots of asphalt deficiencies), and then returned to the office.

One hour later, we collectively headed over for a private FIFA Watch Party. The amount of snacks were unreal! From exotic chips to biscotti to strawberries to my last-minute milk pudding x coffee agar creation (horrible idea to mix gelatin and agar, mind you), there was absolutely no shortage of sustenance for streaming.

Reheating the bars using a somewhat unreliable toaster oven gave me an excuse to avoid remaining stationary while watching a game I was hardly interested in.

​Around 4:30 PM, I made my escape, taking two coworkers - who were as equally uninterested - along with me.
We parted ways shortly afterwards, with one heading for Nepalese cuisine with friends and another eager to return home. I, on the other hand, was keen to check out The Rec Room.

Brimming with children, teenage couples, and sports fans, the internal quarters were disgustingly warm and stuffy. Each of the games were also practically double the price at the Square One location.

​Two rounds of Pump It Up! 2024 later, I jumped on a bike and steadily made my way northeast towards Dance Life X.

​Since my first visit last year, I had always been keen to try the other classes on offer. Erring on the side of caution, I settled on a Level 1 Hip Hop class as opposed to Level 3 Jazz Funk for my return.

I docked at Isabel/Church after a 28 min ride from Bremner and Simcoe, arriving 15 mins before class start. Little had I known that the facility housed at least 5 more studios in a separate section than I had been last. There were also a second set of bathrooms, wherein one could find two shower stalls (that doubled as change rooms), a bench, two impossibly small stalls. A water dispenser, sofa, and benches with peeling patent leather were positioned outside the studio rooms. The water dispenser had long run out of water before the second session classes even commenced at 7:15 PM though.

Half of my ride from Bremner/Rees to Church/Isabella

The Level 1 Hip Hop instructor was a persona I had been following the instructor since her time at Star Dance. Her roster of genres ranged from waacking to K-Pop covers to hip hop, which was an interesting combination not unlike SWF 2's renowned battler, waackxx_xy, who, in fact, follows Dance Life X's instructor!

After waiting seemingly an eternity for the bathroom, I scurried into the studio for class commencement. We started with stretches, followed by warm-ups consisting of bounces and groovy steps. Offering a sharp contrast between the hip hop vibe were the strong, clean arms commonly associated with waacking, however these arms quickly disappeared after the stretches.

​The class progressed at a very manageable pace. I had no idea what to expect of a "Level 1" class before entering into the studio, but confidently confirmed that the description aligned with the class contents. Although a far cry from an "absolute beginner" class, it incorporated skill-building moves that could be further refined by practicing at home. Repetition in the sequence allowed participants to familiarize themselves with the moves, slowly adding bounce and groove where feasible.

There was, admittedly, a shocking amount of footwork. While these steps did not pose great challenge to me after years of K-Pop choreo practice, the warm-up bounces were difficult to execute with precision and presence. Identical commentary could be extended to moves that required a "loose" upper body. Instead of sharp, defined isolations, the choreography demanded a liberal aura to flow through the body. In this sense, Level 1 served as the perfect opportunity to practice hip hop fundamentals with repetition and guided cues. The instructor also strived the convey the details of the moves to the best of her abilities, either using imagery and examples or breaking down the moves into either footwork or arms (akin to Zumba).

​Despite not enjoying the immature aura of other class participants (one guy came late and stood directly in front of me!), enrolling in Level 1 Hip Hop had been a splendid decision on my part, furthering my dance journey in genres less acquainted.

I departed the studio in haste, opting to change out of sweaty attire only after returning to the office.

​Dinner assumed an end-of-day discounted Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich and zero calorie Muscat Iced Tea from Kibo Market.

Accompanying my short-lived stay in the office kitchen were FIFA highlights from the Brazil vs. Scotland game, which succeeded in riling up even me, a total non-sports enthusiast.

Afternoon pick-me-ups are home included Vietnamese Coffee brewed using a phin and a flavourful-but-frustrating blend from Tobbi Cafe (ironically ground too fine for use in the traditional contraption) and a Ribena Refresher with dehydrated green lemon slices from Taiwan.

I also proceeded to sample new findings from my Scarborough sake run, commence a fresh vial of vanilla extract with new Grey Goose, and unveil souvenirs from Greece from my browsing partner's household. Orbs reminiscent of eyeballs were evidently representative of the Mediterranean country.

​The weekend was welcomed with yet another hectic schedule. Morning pilates enabled me to start the day in an affirmative, fulfilling manner. While the session featured a repeated sequence from last week, the unexpected familiarity allowed for better performance: Having been exposed to the moves at least once, I had acquired a better grasp of the sequence, thus better control overall. The six-day downtime has also granted an opportunity to practice at home. Apparently, the instructor's class format involved repeating the same routine for two weeks, then introducing a new one. At the termination of class though, she informed that she would be away on vacation for two weeks. Regrettably, the last weekend of my community centre pass would be with an unknown substitute.

Following the class was a series of errands and chores. These activities led me into the early hours of the afternoon, at which point I grudgingly made my way towards Markham.

​Despite allocating 75 mins of travel time for a commute original estimated for 60 mins, driving conditions on the 401 were despicable. I nearly arrived late after having to detour for two collisions along my route.

Thankfully, the appointment progressed timely and smoothly though, and soon I rejoined the outside world and its harsh UV rays.

​It had never occurred to me that Markville shuttered at 6 PM on weekends, which was all too reminiscent of Richmond for comfort. I bawked at the early closure, hastily marching from one end of the mall to the other to reach my POIs before the gates were drawn.

I had expected end-of-day closing sales from Saint Germain, but unfortunately found none. A Sweet Corn Bun and discounted Portuguese Tart were procured from the bakery in the few minutes before closing.

​The plan was to consume the bun with a side of Comebuy. Alas, the Downtown Markham district proved tragic for parking. Moreover, Comebuy's extraordinarily sluggish service deterred me from placing an order. I'd grit my teeth while meandering back home for the next hour.

A few bites of the Sweet Corn Bun reminded me why I often steered clear of Saint Germain. The bun was satiating, while the fillings heavy and dimensionless. The inclusion of cheddar lacked cohesiveness, the mayo was sickeningly rich, and the corn kernels were slightly shrivelled. Lucullus would have assumed my preference, though my strides had not been grand enough to make my entry before the mall's unseemly closing time.

​My next trip to the northeast end of the GTA is currently unplanned. With two more beauty treatments credited to my account though, it is likely that I will make my return prior to the arrival of wintry weather.