Too much wrapping (2004-03-26)
The stores here put a lot of attention to the way they wrap your
purchase, and sometimes they overdo it. I once bought two sticks
of grilled chicken from a stall in the food section of a department
store. I had to remove three layers of plastic before I could get
to the food. The chicken, all of three tiny pieces of meat on
each stick, was put in a plastic box, followed by a plastic bag, then
finished with a big plastic shopping bag. I ate the chicken in
less than a minute and ended up with garbage I'm sure weighed
more than the food itself. I have since learned to use the phrase
"Sono mama ga ii desu." It means "leave it as it is" (Japanese
don't like to say no or sound negative in their words, therefore people
avoid saying things like "I DON'T want a bag for it" or "Please
DON'T use so much wrapping") It doesn't always work but at least
I try.
The world has enough trash to deal with without me adding to the
problem if I can help it.
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