In my haste, I had forgotten my hand cream once again, but was graciously offered a travel-sized tub of Vaseline from a coworker.
As the noise levels surged around the 11:30 AM mark, I grew increasingly more excited - for not only was there more food than the lunchroom tables could handle, the variety was absolutely stunning!
Regular potluck contenders of Caesar salad, fruit and vegetable trays, and shrimp cocktail rings were present, however the number of homemade dishes far exceeded pre-packaged varieties. A few local items also made it to the table, including original Uncle Tetsu, Swiss roll cakes from Bake Island, and four styles of thin-crust pizza from Pizzaiolo.
The creator of the japchae had, impressively, brought all ingredients in compartmentalized containers for mixing on-site. Sesame seeds and salt were transferred to small zip lock bags; even soy sauce and tongs had made their way downtown from suburbia. I had found the stir-fried Shiitake mushrooms and excessive dusting of untoasted sesame seeds peculiar, as they didn't particularly contribute to complexity. The noodles were of a nice, chewy consistency, though the combination lacked sesame oil. Nonetheless, it was a delicious - and laborious! - take on the vegetarian noodle dish, despite not entirely authentic.
Baba ganoush and guacamole had both been regarded fondly at first, having conjured my fondest recollections of the dips. They were found to be of a looser consistency than desired, and far less potent in profile. Meanwhile, the pita was flat and tough, rather than pillowy and eager to be dunked.
The Sourdough was considerably less tangy than expected, but evoked strong notes of cocoa powder. Raisins and walnuts had been embedded generously within its cross-section, then sealed with a thick, chewy crust. In place of a crackly surface and fudgey centre, the brownie was dry throughout, offering a uniformly dense texture. My wooden fork would remain upright once stabbed, further indicating its deficiency in ductility.
That said, the basbousa was undoubtedly the driest of them all, though still interesting to try. Fellow coworkers acknowledged the unfavourable texture through pursed lips.
Over the period of my absence, Uncle Tetsu had moved from their original location at the northwest corner of Bay and Dundas to across the street and into the Atrium on Bay, taking its cheese tart-specific spinoff of Uncle Tetsu Bake with it. The new space offers Cheese Tarts, as well as Soft-Baked Cookies and the overpriced Strawberry Angel Hat cake.
Its old storefront, now vacant, was spotted with a smashed door, while the former space of Uncle Tetsu's Matcha Café and Uncle Tetsu Bake has transformed into Unholy Donuts.
Out of curiosity, I picked up a $19.90 manual shredder. Muji kindly offers SPC discounts, so the final total was achieved with 10% off.
Just north of the Yonge/Gerrard intersection was the entrance to the Aura Concourse - the access point I had failed to locate last week. Keeping with the theme of homelessness, I couldn't enter into the space until more yelling was heard. This time, it came as an exclamation of "People walking while looking at their phones!" Well, it wasn't untrue.
Much to my relief, a member of security was constantly patrolling the area, on the lookout for oddities. A young fellow, masked and capped, was also spotted cleaning the escalators.
At long last, orderlyblue's stellar Vancouver map would see a proper home.
The man behind the cashier had been munching away before attempting to answer my question gracefully. He responded that the goods were outsourced, but the name of the bakery wasn't audible through his thick, unidentifiable accent. On his phone, he pulled up the Google Maps page of Circles and Square - a surprisingly distant supplier in an untravelled section of North York, where Eglinton meets O'Connor.
I began gnawing on the cookie while trekking back, for a training session would await me upon my return. The first bite was utterly mediocre, but the second was traumatizing. An resounding crack was heard, followed by severe pain in the teeth and gums. Immediately, my fingers flew to the bottom row of teeth - Had I loosened a tooth?!?!
Despite the initial shock, my footsteps continued forward. Vibrations were felt all around. Later that evening, it was confirmed that I could not chew without fear, nor bite without feeling strain. The tooth had unmistakably suffered a sever blow.
Never again, Black Wolf.
On the other hand, it allowed the costly Apricot Log from COBS Bread into the spotlight.
As opposed to mere email confirmation, I received a text confirming my "booking". The instructor's name was also included in the notification, bringing about some degree of relief, for it was the same lady who had led the Beginner Reformer Series.
I pulled into the plaza two minutes late, but was excused due to wrap-up procedures from the previous client. (It was a notable deviation from Korean studios, which are always punctual, even at the expense of trimming class short.) Once settled, we maneuvered over to the Reformers. My pick was, obviously, the one nearest the window.
Prior to commencing, I notified the instructor of pain in the right knee - a crunchiness that I presumed to have resulted from excessive strain. Simultaneously mentioned was the desire to strengthen weaker aspects of my body, in particular the left side of the body. Contrary to the other instructor, she nodded knowingly, acknowledged my cognizance of this importance, and proposed exercises to identify areas of weakness, while reducing the spring tension to prevent further deterioration of the muscles supporting the knee.
In this sense, privates sessions are worthwhile the value due to these small observations: Simple adjustments like pulling shoulder blades down, keeping elbows straight but not locked, and reminders to engage specific muscles quads are very important. It is tragically difficult - and nearly impossible - to learn these things on one's own, even with a plethora of YouTube resources and a mirror for visual reference. But, by having irregular movements being pointed out by a third party, one is equipped with knowledge and methods of rectification. By way of consciousness, poor form and alignment can be corrected and implemented on a daily basis.
The breathing pattern was altered for the footwork, inhaling while extending the legs and exhaling while bending the knees and bringing the Carriage back in towards the footbar. This was described as "intermediate" level breathing, and shifted focus to hamstring engagement and lengthening the spine. Variations of the footwork were conducted with the heels affixed in a "V" position" and again in a wide turnout position. The latter positioning introduced the least amount of strain to the knee.
Rather than continuing with Reformer exercises as per the typical group class format, the instructor added an extension panel to the Carriage. It wasn't the short platform for standing lunges, but a panel that spanned the entire length of the Reformer, removing the headrest entirely and covering the footbar. Springs attached to the tower attachment would be used for the subsequent exercise; as such, the Reformer had been transformed to a "half Cadillac" to eliminate the need for additional equipment. Witnessing such an adaptation was a revolutionary first for me.
The exercises would be conducted with the aims of mobilizing areas of "stickiness", identifying areas/angles lacking fluidity, and strengthening various leg muscles. We would start with my stronger side, such that my range of motion could be used as a point of reference when evaluating the comparatively weaker counterpart.
I slid my right foot through a strap that was affixed to spring suspended from tower. The leg was drawn down to hip height and maintained at that level, from which point all movements were conducted at a 45-degree angle, given the point of suspension. The lower leg would bend for support, the head would lay on the left arm, and the waist would gently lift away from the Carriage.
We then proceeded with the following exercises:
- Mini leg lifts to warm up
- Bend and extend
- Lift and lower, with foot in line with hip
- Combo of bend, extend, and lift; executed in both directions
- External rotation upwards then lift and lower
- Ronde de jambe (French Ballet terminology for "circles in the air") with pointed feet and toes rotated towards ceiling; executed in both directions
Naturally, I proceeded to inquire whether the exercise could be performed without the tower. The instructor was reluctant to suggest an equivalent alternative, for using a spring suspended from above enables both lateral and rotational tension. Removing the spring-loaded strap from my leg, I steadied myself onto a partially deflated, medium-sized ball. It was noted that the ball was intended for external feedback: one's body can - and should - touch the ball, but not collapse into it. In a semi-raised position with one forearm on the Carriage, passé extension drags were executed in both directions, on both sides. Pointing the foot upwards and flexing the foot down was common practice, but either format could be used for the reverse direction.
The lesson was concluded with a few step-ups on the chair. The pedals were linked to move in unison and the spring tension was set minimally to prevent further knee strain. I would place on one foot on the pedal, the other on the platform, hinge the upper body forward, and slowly rise towards the height of the platform. Only two counts were conducted per side, due to time constraints. It is worth noting that Korean studios tend to use heavier springs for such exercises, particularly lunges and thigh.
Since I tend to move slowly to maintain my form, lessons tend to go by faster than expected, especially in comparison to self-guided YouTube routines. It is with some degree of sadness that I couldn't continue with the lying, single-leg push-downs on the Pilates Chair, though truly did appreciate the small form adjustments and openness to questions throughout the entire session. My perspective of The Pilates Body had absolutely upgraded since the last visit, for the sheer reason that I detected new, helpful content for progressing my wellness and mobility journey.
1) Two-Bite Brownie Attempt
Sunday Baking's Mochi Brownie recipe is known as my go-to crackly, gooey, rich brownies. My sole gripe is its generally softer consistency, which makes it difficult to incorporate into layered treats, such as my Oat Fudge Bar. The gluten-free variation did not bake to a uniform consistency in the mini muffin tin.
Though the surface boasted wispiness, the bottom half was quite crumbly and practically impossible to remove from the pan in one piece. For future attempts, I may contemplate the addition of flour for structure. In addition, I believe I ought take heed to abstain from over-filling the cavities.
These colourful creations made a third appearance in our household, this time directly from the freezer into the oven.