trendwatch: my hashi benetton chopsticks
i really must give ecoprops to my japanese homies for pioneering eco (pronounced eh-ko ｴｺ) before it was what all the cool kids were doing, and my observations from my recent trip to japan only furthered that belief. to be fair, there were some rather disappointing practices that made me frown as well, but more on that later.
since my closest friends like to beat me when i don’t bring back omiyage for them, i found myself scrambling around the massive shopping complexes of my mom’s hometown whimpering, and at times, blatantly talking to myself. each shop displayed wares which were either too cutesy, too useless or too illegal to bring back to the u.s. until, to my utter delight, i discovered my hashi (by benetton, yes, that benetton). apparently, they don’t just make corduroy pants and cashmere berets in all the colors of the rainbow. they also make chopsticks in all the colors of the rainbow!
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my hashi, which means, surprise!, “my chopsticks” in the mother tongue, allow you to tote around your own pair of utensils and obnoxiously whip them out when dining with your pals. it’s a great conversation starter, although you should be warned that many of the reactions will be hostile. one hostess even tried to force her disposable wooden chopsticks on me! seriously, can i live?!!!
overall, i think these my hashi are great, but there are 2 flaws that i would like to point out:
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1. they are packaged in a plastic tube wrapped in yet another plastic sleeve! why??! they are supposed to be eco-conscious!
2. the “hashi wipe” tissues that come in the package are a bit silly. i’d rather excuse myself to clean my hashi in the bathroom than rub them vigorously with alcohol-smelling disposable napkins.
all in all, i give my hashi a thumb and a pointer finger up! get it? because you use those fingers to hold your hashi… no? okay, i’ll stop now. let’s just say that they are worth the 1050 yen, but you could certainly find a better, less wasteful alternative.
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trendwatch: chopsticks
at first glance, you might be skeptical about yunhong chopsticks shop’s business model. after all, chopsticks aren’t really considered high on the “must-have” item list. but consider the link that the owner of the franchise store might have been banking on: having your own pair of chopsticks is the ultimate eco-fashion accessory. not only does carrying around your own chopsticks cut down on a huge amount of waste, it’s also downright amusing to see the confusion it causes amongst your friends and waitstaff. it’s also a way for you to showcase your personality and style just like you would with your purse, shoes or cellphone.
as nascent as it is, i’m not the only early adopter by any means. at our last gathering at yakiniku riki’s 5 out of 8 (that’s 62.5% for all of you numbers people) of my japanese school classmates whipped out their own pairs and they’re not even japanese! color me impressed!
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that being said, you can consider this part deux of my blogera on my favorite utensils. see part 1 about the chopsticks bra here.
yunhong sells chopsticks and other utensil-centric accessories in all shapes, materials and sizes ranging from the intricate and ornate to the simple and minimalistic.
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check out these very bond-like collapsible chopsticks in a brushed metal carrying case:
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these training chopsticks would make a thoughtful (or offensive depending on how you look at it) gift for your favorite little kid or person trying to learn how to use chopsticks.
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speaking of bras… triumph’s my chopsticks bra
lingerie maker triumph international japan has really outdone themselves this time. their “my chopsticks” bra features cups that resemble a bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup. the environmentally friendly part is that there are collapsible chopsticks that you can tuck into the bra and bust out (c’mon, that deserves a chuckle) when it is time to eat. that way, you have no need for disposable utensils!
okay, i admit that this may be taking the concept a bit too literally, but the message is great. it is so easy to use your own pair of utensils, if you just put a little bit of effort into it. it is estimated that japan goes through 25 billion disposable chopsticks in just one year. that is 90,000 tons of waste!
chopsticks bra in action
triumph lingerie model yuko ishida carries around a pair of her own chopsticks regularly and added that “the chopsticks on the sides help add a little extra volume to your bust.”
saving the earth is so sexy!
source: www.pinktentacle.com
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why is this a site?
swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.
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