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Q: The make do philosophy. Has it caught you?
You know what I mean. From door handles to electric sockets. From floor mops to bike lights.
Have you, like me, just accepted that things just break and are not able to do what they are supposed to do.
I have given up trying to explain why a floor mop made from strips of recycled estate agents nylon suits are not the best design solution to collect water from wet floors.
Everthing just falls to bits, does not do what it is supposed to do... I have given up.
I just turn the door handle a certain way. I use the mop as a squeezi. I have given up on anything actually working.
I accept that anying you buy will break, or not work at all.
My resistance is weak... What about you?
Hate to answer my own question.. the reason for my rant...
Its a stupid pedantic thing.
Toilet roll holders. Nice soft absorbant tissue, no issue with that. Top quality. But the bog roll holder, pull a square or 2 and the cover falls off. When the toilet contractors won the contract they all had those plastic triangular keys. Those were lost, sticky tape next. That too has been abondoned. Now pull the paper, it all falls to bits.
I pick it up rather than complain, or suggest improvements.
I have given up... have you?
It's caught me -- to a point, anyway. I try to find good quality stuff (like mops, toasters, toilet valves, dishes, light bulbs, sheets, doormatz, etc.) but have come to accept that they won't last long. When we decorated, I installed most of the kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and shelves, myself, so I could be reasonably certain they won't fall off the walls. I say the words "Damn cheap Chinese crap" fairly often. To be fair, thoug, I felt the same way in the US the last few years I was there. Stuff breaks faster than it should -- and too many products are designed by people who consider appearance not function.
I just had one of those moments today,
I was given a key for a new 3 bedroom apartment provided by the school and the key has actually warped and bent around after using it for 6 weeks, the key maker used the cheapest tensil strength metal possible to make the key. Fortunately I made 4 copies at a better key shop the first week in anticipation of the problem. The wife said I was crazy but her key broke off in the door and my needle nose plies had to fix her problem that she said would not happen and was not a problem.
My biggest gripe had been the lousy belts for men, I have gone through 13 belts in 8 years here, but the leather belts I bought in Saipan and Hawaii that said "made in China" are just fine and look brand new, 4 year old belt, but every so called leather belt I have bought in china has been complete shit, best lasting 8 months.
If you live in tier 2 or 3 cities, even if you are willing to pay more, the quality is just not available and the Chinese just don't even understand quality at all. I bought a water cooker for heating water recently and I have had to replace the midea water cooker every 3 years, but I have one I bought "Phillips", made in Japan, that I brought with me 8 years ago from America and even with a 110 / 220 converter to use it, it still works. I hesitate to buy a Phillips Japan cooker on Taobao and get a fake one, paying for quality that is not quality is worse than paying for shit products.
icnif77:
All 'leather' in China (and elsewhere) is plastic, because it's much cheaper than real stuff, but it isn't as durable ... I am not sure how to advice on recognising real leather, but I just know as I see it.
I bought 2 real leather belts in Nanjing GAP in 2012 on discount, he he, shell for some 100 Rmb each. I am good for next 20-years on jeans belts.
I am still using real leather briefcase from my school years some 30-years ago.
Istanbul-istan is well know for the real leather, but all repair shops are using fake one. I had to redo briefcase handle by myself with real leather scraps I bought in HK years ago.
