Tell Me Something............Anything!

[Barry]

Most of the pictures I've posted here have been of Happy's dishes.

[Marco]

Oh right, I thought it was you... I'd like to see one of her curries though, or something traditionally African

Marco.

[Pigmy Pony]

Oh right, I thought it was you... I'd like to see one of her curries though, or something traditionally African

Marco.

Nothing too spicy mind, nowt worse than looking at a picture of a hot curry, unless there's a glass of milk in the shot.

[Pigmy Pony]

It is not just dry goods she sends, there is other stuff such as clothes, shoes (especially trainers), electrical goods: irons, hair dryers, curling tongs etc. that is also sent, even children's dolls. Essentially anything that is either unobtainable, costs less here than there, and is of much better quality than what is available locally.

You would be surprised the amount of rubbish the Chinese send to Africa: we get the best stuff, but they don't.

As regards postage, all the stuff to be sent is carefully packed, either in shrink-wrapped bundles for the clothes, in stout cardboard boxes for the dry goods, or in strong suitcases for the more vulnerable items. We know someone in the shipping business, so it is all collected and packed in a shipping container. So shipping costs are by volume not weight, and we always get a good rate.
It takes about four months to sail to Cameroon, and on arrival it is unloaded to be restored in another container near our home there for subsequent sale.
Happy has been doing this for years, it's her business. I don't have any part of it, apart from doing some driving.

Ah, I thought it was just stuff donated to family and friends, didn't realise it was a business. Sounds like she has her head screwed on

So are you saying that the products China sends to us is the good stuff? Blimey.

Though I doubt China is alone in these practices, companies would have us believe they all work ethically. Truer to say their goal is to maximise profits within the legal constraints of the country they're dealing with. Years ago, the printing company I worked for did all the carton work for a certain proprietary medicines company I shall not name, and one of their products (can't remember the name but it was some kind of "tonic"), destined for Africa, came with enclosed literature which differed markedly from what we would find at our local Boots. Claims of hightened alertness, better sleep, improved libido and sexual performance, resistance to disease and longer life. None of these claims appeared on the UK version.

Forty years on I'm sure it will have all changed, but it won't be because these companies have grown a conscience.