May 26, 2008

When Frugal Is Unsafe

Frugal is something I associate with the Chinese. My dad had a Chinese national for a stepfather, and he certainly was the waste-not-want-not kind of person. Year in and year out, he would give, as "bonus" to his hardware store employees, a t-shirt and a calendar. The kind where tides and the phases of the moon are plotted.

From a Fil-Chi friend, I learned that a five-centavo markup on highly sellable items is better that a five-peso markup on things that take a little longer to sell.

Such frugality is a cultural thing. The Chinese have seen the worst of times. They have been through wars and pestilence, fires, quakes, rebellions, displacements, migrations and all sorts of trials and tribulations imaginable. Naturally, they learned to make do with what little they had.

But there are times when frugal becomes unsafe. When recycling is taken too far. Like those cheap, toxic plastic toys. Or when this manufacturer used minced cardboard to stuff his dumplings.

And then there are the hair bands made of used condom (see this and this. I don't know, but isn't it kind of like having HIV and STD hanging over your head? And where do they get those used condoms in the first place?

6 comments:

Gina said...

Now, that's really pushing it! Sobra naman.

Kung totoo man yung about sa hairband (will visit the link) , talagang yukkkkkkkkk nga!

pillow_talk said...

used condom on your hair? kadiri nga! think of the health issues...

Anonymous said...

Hi, I got the link to your site from my friend Gina. I enjoy reading your blogs, especially this one. Can't believe that about hairbands??? Really??? I'd rather use yung fabric na lang hindi plastic para sure! Hahaha! - Len

Unknown said...

First, it was the unsanitary fried chicken factory (which I blogged about) then came the cardboard-lined dumplings, and now this?

I'm a Tsinoy and even I am appalled at the unsanitary and wanton disregard for public health and safety by those enterprising Chinese in the mainland. For them it's always profit first and customers be damned...

ScroochChronicles said...

Eww...used condoms for your hair..No way!! That, I think, is taking frugality too far.

Pero meron din mga Pinoy who can recycle in the most unsanitary and unsavory ways. Have you heard about those people who cook the leftover Jollibee chicken that they find in the trash and sell it as adobo or some other "chicken" dish? I guess dala na lang ng hirap ng buhay.

Mel said...

hello menchie. can't call you anna. i enjoy reading your blogs. i still remember how i admired you in highschool because you write so well. i still admire you now. keep blogging. i can't wait to read more of it. hope youll find time to visit my blog too.