Burst Their Bubble Tea

(I attend a college with a high population of Asian students, which means that the surrounding commercial area has a lot of Asian shops and restaurants that are usually staffed by Asian workers. A new bubble tea place opens, so I decide to stop by on my way to my boyfriend’s apartment one day. Bubble tea can come with “bubbles,” which are very chewy and round, or “jellies,” which are firmer and rectangular. Note: I am white, and my boyfriend is half-Asian and speaks perfect Mandarin.)

Me: “Hi, can I get a mango green tea with bubbles, please?”

Cashier: “We can’t do that. All of our drinks come pre-made. The mango green tea comes with jellies.”

Me: “Oh, um… Can I add bubbles with the jellies, then?”

Cashier: “It’s $0.50 extra.”

Me: “Okay, whatever.”

(They make my drink and I take it back to my boyfriend’s place. I explain to him what happened, and tell him what I’d like to do next. We go back to the tea shop the next day. My boyfriend goes up to the counter and orders in Mandarin while I lurk out of sight. A couple minutes later, he brings me my drink.)

Boyfriend: “I asked for a mango green tea with bubbles and they just asked what size. And their drinks aren’t pre-made; they make them in the back from scratch!”

(Now every time I want a bubble tea, my boyfriend has to order it for me or the workers try to give me something I don’t want!)