$12.90 HKD

What can you buy with $12.90HKD?

Today, I came to find the answer to that the hard way.

Like any other school day, I was again mulling over the snacks section in Wellcome debating over what to get as an after lunch snack. Today, the milk candy spoke to me. But of course, as audiences of the competitive, multi-market world today, it would not come as much of a surprise that there was unfortunately more than one brand of milk candy on display atop the calorie-laden shelves. One says, “I’m cheaper!”, while the other shouts, “You’ve never tried me before!” Believe me, it was definitely a tough call. Then, a man of trouble comes along. He, by the name of Clifford, unknowingly invades into my little inner banter and exclaims, “GET THIS ONE! IT TASTES SOOO GOOD!” So of course, swayed by peer influence, I got it- even though it was at least 3 dollars more expensive than the other brand. Even though it had a bug-eyed girl with an awkward straw hat staring out of its tin can. Even though ALL THE ELEMENTS WERE AGAINST IT.

And? I knew I should have trusted my instincts. Upon spending at least 5 minutes trying to pry the scotch tape off of the opening, I finally managed to open the battered tin lid just to find that there were only a disappointing 10 PIECES wrapped in INDIVIDUAL PLASTIC WRAPPER with identical scary-farmer-girls printed on them, which were placed inside ANOTHER plastic wrapper curled up to fit inside that deceiving pothole of a tincan.

How frustrating. Not only were there merely 10 pieces of milk candy in that tin can of chicanery, they had also ineffectively wrapped each individual candy in 3 LAYERS of protection. Plastic, plastic, and aluminium. That’s A LOT of resources invested into 10 sodding pieces of candy- that by the way, didn’t even taste that good! It was definitely not worth its price- I paid $12.90HKD for 10 pieces of artificial milk candy that probably cost less than 20 cents to make. So in consuming 2 whole dollars worth of candy, am I suppose to accept that I probably spent 3 more dollars on the complete exploitation of resources of this company, and another 7 dollars just to look at the ridiculously creepy cartoon farmer girl grinning back at me from its conniving aluminium surface?

I was outraged.

I hereby I cry out on behalf of all the victims of this despicable deception and trickery, that we shall stand up to this evilness! In fraternity and sorority we stand! Against the forces of overpriced food we stand! Against the wastage of resources for the creation of unpleasant cartoon characters we stand!

…

So I suppose what I’m really trying to say is, don’t buy Peko-chan milk candy.

I couldn’t find the blue version that I bought today, but this should give you sufficient visual pollution warning.