Welp. By the time I managed to dig out these pics, a new prompt from the wonderful Cinammon Cup Coffee has come out. Yet, I've spent the past week looking for these, so here we are. Last week, the community was talking about special teahouse memories, and that theme really spoke to me.
There's a teahouse a couple blocks from my house, in this wonderful, residential area of the neighborhood, situated inside the garden of an old townhouse. It's called Infinitea, and it's right behind where my friends and I went to school. Let me tell you, we were real proud we got the pun. Ah, to be 12 again.
More like 15 here.
This particular teahouse was a staple growing up, not just because of the lush greenery, or the pretty interior decor, but because of what it meant to us. Given that we all lived on the same general neighborhood, this was the hangout place. It's where we first got to play grown-ups, because it was one of the fairly few places we were allowed to be alone in. To go without supervision.
The delicious cakes and tortes helped, certainly.
It was a place to grow up in. To feel grown-up in. And it was slightly before Instagram and social media were a thing, or maybe we were just late in adopting it, I'm not sure. But most of our outings were picture-free. No "Wait, I'm snapping a picture". Just good ole dig in.
Turns out I always had a thing about hiding in greenery.
Growing up here was also a thing of culinary beauty. When we were kids, again, there wasn't that much focus on social media, as there is now. So we got most of our cooking ideas (my friend and I enjoyed baking from a young age, I guess) from our outings.
It was here we first sampled carrot cakes, and cheese cakes. It was also here, I think, we first got a whiff of fancier, creamy chocolate cakes, not the spongy, overly-sweet variety we'd previously known. It was, as they say, an education.
That's Bob Dylan on my shirt. Running back through these has been such a fun chance for introspection, and revisiting my 15/16 year old self.
But time passes. We grew up, and slowly moved from being kids and thinking it was oh so fancy and mature coming out here. We didn't ditch the place, though.
I was 17. My hair was blue, and phone cameras were crap.
The place moved from being a fancy hangout to being a minimal effort get-out for when we hadn't planned anything better. I took my best friend out here for her 18th birthday, since nothing special was going on, and she was kinda down. It was a place to observe so much of our life.
I had my first date here. So did my best friend. I still have the little heart-shaped note that came with our tea. It reads "Fairytale Autumn". I took it as a sign at the time, even as my date didn't know we were on one.
We haven't been there a while. A few years. I meant to revisit this week, thinking about this prompt, but the weather's just been a real killer, so maybe when it cools down a bit. Autumn, maybe.
Thanks to @cinccf for this trip down memory lane :)
The Motorhead T is worth a full upvote!
Haha thank you :D I was just thinking I still wear both the tee and the shorts. Hat's gone though. I didn't know you were a fan :)
Oh yes a massive fan, goes all the way back since I was 16.
Shame about the hat!
The words "massive fan" and "Motorhead" go well in my mind :D Same here. I actually dyed my hair blue the day after Lem died. I was so... in shock. Cool to have learned this about you, and hey, one can always get another hat. :D
That's dedication, dyeing your hair I am impressed. I only got to see them twice but obvs amazing, and LOUD!
Wow, what a nice post, I was overcome with a certain feeling of nostalgia too. It's been a long time since those places I used to visit as a kid closed. I remember spending a lot of time in a little bakery where they sold a lot of candy too. It was a warm and homey place, unfortunately I have no physical memories from there, just the ones in my memory.
Ah, but those are the best ones, aren't they? :) As long as it exists in your memory, I reckon it's all good. I'm glad you resonated. Thank you for stopping by.
Yayyyyy, Honey with blue hair is definitely killing it and I'm not surprised that you were 17 at that time. The rebellious spark kicks in. You look lovely still btw. Strangely, I can barely see much difference in your face now. It's like you didn't age.
Memories like these are so touching and I'm glad you got to share them. Especially glad to see those yummy looking chocolate cakes.🌺
Aw thank you sweetheart. <3 And I feel the same about the cakes, this definitely made me hungry xD
It is wonderful to go back in the footsteps of the past, memories are rejuvenated and make us smile while mental photographs pass one after another.
Thanks for sharing.
Good day.
It is. I'm glad I found these :) Thank you for stopping by!
Oh, your post is so cute that I got teary-eyed. It's wonderful to have photos and more so, a story documented about that era of your life.
It's so sweet that you and your best friend both had your first date there 😍
PS Are you gonna write a song for the Coffee Contest?
Here's my husband's version:)
Oh god the Motorhead logo is just so easy to adapt. I love how everything we adapt it to instantly looks badass too :D Is he a big scuba fan? I was actually just thinking about scuba diving. It's on my list of things to figure out :D
I know! It was a challenge though, like the universe was hiding those pictures from me for some reason :D
I had not seen that!! I'd say it depends how creative I'm feeling :D But I would love to.
Yes, my husband is a scuba instructor. That's how we met when he was living in Jamaica, and he was involved while we were in the Philippines.
It would be nice if you got to join the contest. Just remember to check all the details. I guess writing a song would be like writing a poem, but with a chorus. I tried writing a few lines just for fun. I wouldn't want it to be on my profile so I won't post it 🤣... it was that bad!!!
I had no idea he was a scuba instructor ~ that is so cool!
I will :D If nothing else, for the love of coffee! :D I'm sure it wasn't that bad xD And hey, it's a fun exercise anyway!
Yes, we are totally opposite. He loves the deep blue and I'm terrified of it 😆
I'm getting some amazing entries and I got a brilliant idea from riverflows... It woulls be great if you get to write something:)
I can see why. Does he get a lot of people who panic underwater? Just curious, 'cause I can kinda see myself doing that.
I saw her entry, it was brilliant!!
Now and then he has cases of people struggling to clear their masks.
I tell him all the time that I could demonstrate a panic diver for the Rescue courses. It would be no act. The only thing is that I might give onlookers a heart attack. 😂
💯% I hope people will vote because the winner will be based on the people's choice :)))