A Cup of Happiness
A5 zine (44 pages)
A$11, plus AUS postage A$3 if required
This site will accept PayPal and card. If you'd like to pay via PayID (preferred) or if you're overseas and interested in a copy, please contact Zhi-Weng via Instagram @thatbubbleteablog.
Please indicate in the notes section at checkout if you would like it signed.
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A brief description from the author, Zhi-Weng Chua
Over more than 5 years, I have documented more than 180 drinks from more than 120 different stores. My book is a collection of pieces inspired by my bubble tea adventures.
When I started my blog in 2018, it was because I was overwhelmed by the number of stores that I existed. I wanted to keep track of the stores I liked, and hoped this knowledge may be of value to others.
As the list of reviews grew, I realised they were becoming a sort of diary. Each bubble tea experience was a snapshot of my life. Catch up with friends. Celebrations. Farewells. First dates. Forever love. My writing traced the changes in my life, and in who I was. I created this book to capture this, along with my reflections on the experiences I found most impactful.
The content ranges throughout the zine, a mix of explanations, recounts and musings blended with samples of my blog posts, with the style varying from playfully technical and scientific, to sentimental and personal. Here are two snippets to give you a small sample.
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Till next time
It was difficult moving to a new city for me. I don’t find it easy to make new friends. Fortunately, a university acquaintance at the time moved up not too long after I did. We got to know each other better through bubble tea catch-ups and by the time I was moving back, we had become good friends. This was the last bubble tea I had with him before moving back. Although I didn’t ever feel like I was able to put roots down in Sydney, my time in the city played a big part in helping me find out what was important to me. This includes being able to appreciate moments in life such as this one.
‘But I’ve already had bubble tea tonight.’ I was resisting my friend’s suggestion of getting a second cup. The first cup of the night was more than satisfying and I knew the caffeine would affect my ability to sleep early.
‘Don’t worry about the caffeine, we’ll get one and share.’ That was enough to tip the scale.
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Judging a book by its cover
There are some very modern and glamorous stores around. Many times, the appearance belies the quality of the drink. Here is what I wrote about one of those experiences where although the cover was nice, the pages within the book might as well have been blank.
A very modern-looking store, it catches your eye as you walk past with its bright lights and neon-looking order sign. I decided to pick the Brûlée Pearl Milk Tea. I wasn’t particularly excited by my pick, as it was picked mostly by elimination rather than desire.
I was unimpressed by the drink. There was nothing particularly outstanding about it. The tea was probably the best part as it tasted fresh enough but was otherwise unremarkable. I found myself wanting to finish my drink just for the sake of finishing it.
I learnt from this experience that brûlée drinks are not my thing, along with reinforcement of the fact that appearances don’t matter much, especially when the substance behind them is lacking.
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