Sha Chen Department Store - Eat Shit, Get Lucky with a Kumquat Metal Pin Badge Brooch

MANNER | Sha Chen Department Store - Eat Shit, Get Lucky with a Kumquat Metal Pin * * Dimensions: 38 mm x 30 mm Craftsmanship: Baked enamel on zinc alloy - Seeing preserved plums and kumquats isn't always a good sign, as it often means your mother is about to administer a dose of bitter herbal tea, disguised as a sweet treat. How many times did your clever self escape your mother's broomstick? But this time, as the herbal tea reflects your grimace, you know there's no escape. "A mouthful of sugar, a load of shit," the saying goes, "eat shit, and you might get a kumquat." Feeling parched, a bowl of herbal tea is the only fitting companion. - Snacks exist not to satisfy hunger. Consider the Cantonese term for snacks: "hau lap sap" (口立濕), sometimes written as "hau la zaap" (口垃雜). This term has two popular origins. One theory suggests that since preserved fruits and snacks are thirst-quenching, the mere sight of them makes one salivate. Another theory links it to "la zaap" (垃雜), meaning miscellaneous or junk, implying snacks are purely for "satisfying a craving" and not a proper meal, hence "hau la zaap." Besides preserved fruits, other snacks consumed for leisure are also called "hau lap sap." - The meaning is quite literal. In the past, when resources were scarce, these items were inevitably categorized as lowly, miscellaneous goods. Thus, even today, you might hear mothers admonishing their children: "Eating so many 'hau lap sap,' it's no good for you!" Today, this expresses a mother's concern for your nutritional well-being. In a different context from the past, it meant your mother disapproved of you spending money when you should be saving. - While it's said that "mastery comes from diligence, not idleness," you must admit that technological progress owes much to human laziness. Tracing the course of history, you'll find that trends reshaping the world often begin with seemingly trivial or nonsensical matters. Similarly, throughout history, many who indulged in sensual pleasures and gluttony have, through these "hau lap sap" that tempt the senses, given rise to countless absurd tales and traditions.