October 23, 2005
Don’t waste
I’ve received an e-mail chain mail from a friend of mine and I find it quite disturbing. What disturb me more are not only the pictures, but also our current society where there are still people who waste food (take a walk to the science faculty canteen and you’ll see what I mean). I’m not talking about those who didn’t lick clean their dishes clean, but rather those who took mountains full but only eat two or three mouthful and leave the rest to waste.
There is a Chinese saying for these kinds of wasteful people but I just can’t find the right translation for it. And often wastage of food is related to current luck or fortune of one being (as said thought in Chinese or was that Confucius???)
Though I’m not too clear about the origin of weather Confucius or Chinese culture that relate wastage with fortune, I do know darn well that my mom did a very good job bringing me up NOT to waste any form of food.
I can still remember when I was little, I was a greedy bastard. I see anything appetizing, I ask for it. Since I was small and was still growing, my mom naturally let me have it. I took a bit then said I was full. It happened for quite sometime and my mom had enough. One day after dinner, I saw my favorite food, burger. I asked for it.
My mom asked “You just had dinner, are you sure you want it?”
I said yes, I’m hungry”
After two bites, I was stuffed and didn’t finish. Furious, my mom forced me to down the burger. I just sat there crying at the burger, slowly taking bites of it till nothing left. Not only was being hungry miserable, but being stuffed to the brim is equally as antagonizing.
From that day onwards, I never ask for food that I know I’m not able to finish. I’ve also to thank National Geographic for their work and coverage in some African countries where famine is their number one enemy. Knowing how lucky I am being blessed with a country where hunger is lamely translated as not eaten in hours. While in Sudan, a few hours of not eating is nothing compared to the number of days the have to go through without food.
If you have the stomach for the pictures, I’ve uploaded 2 of the most inoffensive ones. I don’t see how any human being with any sense of conscious, not feel any guilt or pity on those poor souls.
As a closing statement, look at these pictures and think twice before throwing your food away.
(click on thumbnails for bigger image)
October 26th, 2005 at 7:07 pm
i wonder is the chain mail from me?hihi!
the chinese saying is” if u waste the foods now, the bad luck will tur to your nest generation, where they will starve becuase of you wasting foods”
October 26th, 2005 at 7:08 pm
opps, alot of worng spellingif u waste foods now, the bad luck will turn to your future generation, whereby they will starve cos of lack of foods.and they starve because of you!as punishment
October 28th, 2005 at 7:32 am
cool, thanks. that’s the chinese proverb that i was looking for.
anyway, the e-mail’s from Ting How.
November 9th, 2005 at 3:23 pm
malu ni…..sign