Plastic (This week's Photo Hunt theme)

Plastic, as shown in this on-line dictionary definition (one of two -- one for an adjective, another for a noun -- that it has, actually), has many meanings. However, living in Hong Kong as I do, one specific type of plastic item immediately leapt to mind when I read what this week's Photo Hunt theme was: that is, bags made out of this malleable human-made material whose use is so widespread that it can feel that it's everywhere we look (and photograph)!

For a time, I toyed with the idea of taking a photo of some of the plastic bags that are so freely given out by Hong Kong shops and stores; and so much so that even I have accumulated far too many of. (And this despite my having taken to carrying spare bags around in order to help stem this flow of plastic bags into my hands; only, often times, I find that I'm not as fast at getting my own bag out of my backpack or trouser pocket as the person behind the counter is at putting bought items into a new one!) After thinking some more though, I've gone for something more culturally, if not visually, interesting...

For those of you who don't recognize it: the durable red white and blue plaid material shown covering a Macau building -- and thereby protecting it from the elements -- is more often seen on bags which originated in the Chinese-speaking world (some say Taiwan; others say Hong Kong; but, in any case, they now also are made -- and used a lot -- in Mainland China) but now can be found elsewhere, including African countries like Ghana. Known as the amah bag, its design has even been coopted by at least one famous Western fashion designer! And, unlike with the flimsier plastic bags that tend to be freely handed out, they tend to get used over and over, for a long period of time, and thus could be said to be more eco-friendly... :)