A Friendship Diary: A Day of Thrift, Milk Tea, and Memories Before the Quake

Girl's day out is important to recharge ourselves and release stress from school works. Nothing is merrier and happier than setting aside academics for hours with my girl friends from college and rebelling for a while with thrifting and food. Hello, my dearest Hivers, it is Talay again, back on track and writing my real-life experiences. It has been three days since I posted my last blog, which was delayed because of the complete blackout and signal loss after Typhoon Tino. To be honest, this typhoon felt heavy to think about and scary to hear news about, especially for those who live in the city. It is just fortunate that it is over, but I extend my condolences to the bereaved families.

Actually, I wrote this blog’s draft before the typhoon, so I don’t intend to be talking about it and will now transition into my daily blog. Before the earthquake, we really had a good girl’s day out in Bogo City after our Monday class. Remembering good days like this one is very helpful as it eases the anxiety, sadness, and worries we have in this situation. But of course, I always try to process it first and sit with all my emotions to acknowledge them properly and not repress them.

The travel from Medellin, where our school resides, takes about 20 minutes. We usually ride a bus, and sometimes it takes longer because it takes time before the bus arrives. I’m sure you have read some of my previous blogs about Bogo City. The first thing we really did when we arrived there with my girl friends was visit the thrift stores in town.
There are a lot of thrift stores built around—across roads and different spaces. One thing I like about these stores is how they sell really good clothes that don’t even look thrifted. And the best part? They are sold at low prices that we, as students, can afford. So whenever we visit this place, we always make sure that thrifting is our top priority.

Have you heard about Cafetana? I guess this café brand is already known across regions in the country. After thrifting, we visited there as our stomachs were already rumbling while strolling around. It took us about 15 minutes of travel from the store to get to Cafetana. We ordered right away so we could eat immediately, as we had another task to do and some inquiries to make for our research project.

We ordered two servings of loaded fries or nachos in cheese flavor and four milk teas in completely different flavors. I really love eating nachos because of how they give a crunchy and sweet taste in my mouth as I eat them. I am really not into food, but this one—even the last bit of nachos—I will eat it. Unfortunately, this time, I had a friend to share it with. But instead of getting sad about not eating it all by myself, I was happy because I got to share it with an important person in my life. It made the eating more memorable and fun.

Look, they are also selling sweets here. In the photo, I guess those are cakes in various types. I just knew they were cakes because they looked like one when I saw them, but I’m not entirely sure though.

We decided to take a little and quick walk on Bogo Pantaland before leaving the place. This pantaland is very popular in the town, embedded here are many memories of visitors from all walks of life. Families, friends, and especially college students take a daily walk here after work or classes, as this place brings peace to their minds that no other place can replicate. The reason why this pantaland is popular is not just because it is a place, but because it is a safe space for everybody to rest after a long, tiring day of braving life. But after the earthquake, this pantaland was destroyed—the roads cracked and the corners crumpled. Yet, the memories stored here are still dancing with the breeze and the golden hue of the sunset.

Looking back on that day makes me realize how precious simple moments are—the laughter, the food we shared, and the stories that filled our hearts. Even if nature sometimes shakes our world and tests our strength, memories like this remind me that there’s still joy to hold onto. Life may not always be calm, but days like our girl’s day out remind me that peace can always be found in good company and in the little adventures we create.