Good Day Brewers - Pang here! ☕

The StoryBrew Master Course is officially out!

Did you know that new experiences make for great stories?

Give it a try!

Your homework for the weekends is to learn a new skill!

Then see if you could craft a story out of it — with an important lesson to be shared with this world.

You’ll also be surprised at how little you know about life!

Estimated reading time: 1,638 words - 6 mins 53 secs

Perfection

Two weeks ago, I spent the weekends embarking on a culinary adventure with my girlfriend, Sam.

Well, it was my idea.

I love Mochis, considering them to be the pinnacle of desserts.

However, the price tag attached to these delectable confections made us wonder if they were worth the significant dent in our wallets.

So we scoured the internet for an easy recipe for beginners, got the ingredients at a local Red Mart, and began the process of making these delicious treats.

We started transforming the glutinous rice flour into a doughy, sticky mixture in the pan, skillfully blending it with the perfect two-to-one ratio of water.

I was a little worried at this point.

A previous failed attempt to make tapioca pearls on my own left me feeling less confident about all of this. I still couldn’t shake off that feeling of having to toss away those ingredients and clean up the sticky gooey mess.

Thankfully, the recipe worked as the mixture coalesced into a substantial lump.

We carefully transferred it onto a plate, only to encounter our first hurdle.

“Oops! It’s stuck!” My girlfriend said in a panicky tone.

We tried scraping the surface but the sticky amalgamation clung to the plate, seemingly unwilling to relinquish its newfound home. To salvage the situation, we had to dust the dough with cornstarch and gently scrape it to coax it away from its adhesive embrace.

Surely, it’s going to be easy from here on, right?

Or at least that’s what I thought.

But crafting these delectable treats into dainty, bite-sized morsels brimming with tantalizing fillings proved to be an art unto itself.

We scrapped out small portions of dough, skillfully flattening them into circles, and adorning the center with a sphere of green tea lotus paste. Next, we had to skillfully envelop the filling within the dough, akin to the art of folding dumplings, yet unique in its own way.

While working on this step, we realized that the cornstarch coating made the dough smooth, causing it to lose its adhesive properties, and preventing the folds from securely clinging together.

That’s when I recalled reading a comment that suggested moistening our fingers in a small bowl of water to facilitate the closure of the doughy embrace.

Thankfully, it worked. But the multitude of folds created creases on the surface, which made these treats look aesthetically awful.

“Why do these look so ugly?” Sam looked at me and heave a sigh of disappointment.

Undeterred, she proposed an alternative approach, flattening the doughy portions into squares rather than circles. With each corner precisely positioned at the center, the resulting shape promises fewer creases and a more elegant presentation.

But perfection still eluded us.

After countless iterations and a whirlwind of ideas, we arrived at a breakthrough. Triangular forms emerged as the optimal solution, with three simple folds at the center securely cradling the green tea lotus paste within its delicate confines.

To further elevate the visual allure, a gentle dusting of matcha powder adorned the peaks of our creations, imbuing them with an irresistible charm.

“Moss on the Rock!” My girlfriend shouted gleefully.

Yup! That’s the name we gave our small delicious babies!

Despite our many encounters and setback, our pursuit of perfection allowed us to appreciate and embrace the imperfections in our crafts. We found creativity and joy in the process.

This is a great reminder that beauty does not only lies in the final result but also in the experience of exploration, experimentation, and shared moments.

And what better way to bond than through a shared moment of learning, right?

Behind-the-scenes

Yes, the above photo looks aesthetically pleasing.

But you should see these behind-the-scenes shots!

So much effort goes into wrapping them beautifully and masterfully.

Easy to learn, but hard to master!

Are you learning a new skill?

Here’s a Story Arc that will help guide you to craft your own story.

#1 - Introduction

Let’s start with a simple introduction!

• What are you learning?

• When did you learn it?

• Did you learn it together with anyone else?

Two weeks ago, I spent the weekends embarking on a culinary adventure with my girlfriend, Sam.

Well, it was my idea.

#2 - Context

Don’t leave your readers confused!

let’s add some context to explain the situation!

• Why did you want to learn this skill?

• What does learning this skill means to you?

I love Mochis, considering them to be the pinnacle of desserts.

However, the price tag attached to these delectable confections made us wonder if they were worth the significant dent in our wallets.

So we scoured the internet for an easy recipe for beginners, got the ingredients at a local Red Mart, and began the process of making these delicious treats.

Besides all that, it’d also be a fun bonding experience between me and my girlfriend.

#3 - Stakes

Stakes keep your readers on the edge of their seats!

Be sure to include it here as well!

• What was at stake here?

• Any past experiences that could possibly result in this attempt to be a failure?

I was a little worried at this point.

A previous failed attempt to make tapioca pearls on my own left me feeling less confident about all of this. I still couldn’t shake off that feeling of having to toss away those ingredients and clean up the sticky gooey mess.

This left you feeling that I could’ve failed at this attempt!

But did I? Guess I made you read on!

#4 - Initial Learning

There are different phases of learning!

Let’s focus on the initial phase! Was it easy? Was it difficult?

• How did you feel initially when learning this skill?

• What were some initial challenges?

We carefully transferred it onto a plate, only to encounter our first hurdle.

“Oops! It’s stuck!” My girlfriend said in a panicky tone.

We tried scraping the surface but the sticky amalgamation clung to the plate, seemingly unwilling to relinquish its newfound home. To salvage the situation, we had to dust the dough with cornstarch and gently scrape it to coax it away from its adhesive embrace.

Surely, it’s going to be easy from here on, right?

Or at least that’s what I thought.

#5 - Conflict

Let’s move on to the next stage of learning!

You’re bound to experience more conflicts with the steeper learning curve!

• What is the biggest struggle you face?

• How did you overcome it?

While working on this step, we realized that the cornstarch coating made the dough smooth, causing it to lose its adhesive properties, and preventing the folds from securely clinging together.

That’s when I recalled reading a comment that suggested moistening our fingers in a small bowl of water to facilitate the closure of the doughy embrace.

Thankfully, it worked. But the multitude of folds created creases on the surface, which made these treats look aesthetically awful.

“Why do these look so ugly?” Sam looked at me and heave a sigh of disappointment.

My girlfriend was clearly disappointed at how the mochi turned out in real life, compared to how we imagined it to be!

#6 - Mastery

As you continue to practice your craft, you’ll gradually approach mastery!

Share that experience with our fans, shall we?

• As you attempt to overcome the conflict, what did you learn?

• How did you get better at it?

Undeterred, she proposed an alternative approach, flattening the doughy portions into squares rather than circles. With each corner precisely positioned at the center, the resulting shape promises fewer creases and a more elegant presentation.

But perfection still eluded us.

After countless iterations and a whirlwind of ideas, we arrived at a breakthrough. Triangular forms emerged as the optimal solution, with three simple folds at the center securely cradling the green tea lotus paste within its delicate confines.

To further elevate the visual allure, a gentle dusting of matcha powder adorned the peaks of our creations, imbuing them with an irresistible charm.

“Moss on the Rock!” My girlfriend shouted gleefully.

Yup! That’s the name we gave our small delicious babies!

#7 - Takeaway

Finally, it’s time to close this chapter in our lives with a bang!

• What’s the key takeaway here?

• Can you end it with a question to make your fans ponder over this story?

Despite our many encounters and setback, our pursuit of perfection allowed us to appreciate and embrace the imperfections in our crafts. We found creativity and joy in the process.

This is a great reminder that beauty does not only lies in the final result but also in the experience of exploration, experimentation, and shared moments.

And what better way to bond than through a shared moment of learning, right?

And that’s pretty much it!

It’s time for you to learn a new skill and practice your storytelling craft!

Let’s kill two birds with one stone, shall we?

Send me your stories to devour if you wish for me to consume them and poop you some rainbow feedback!

Your Barista,

Pang

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