On numerous occasions, both in the past and present, I have contended that the culture of improvisation is profoundly embedded in Malawian society. The populace finds the adherence to formal procedures excessively burdensome, opting for expedient shortcuts.
Many undertakings in Malawi flourish through improvisation. One notable area where this practice prevails is in the naming of things. Adhering to formal names is viewed as tedious or inconsequential. Many do not bother to find out the proper name of a thing and instead use names people commonly use.
For instance, any beverage created by dissolving dried leaves or ground, baked nuts in hot water is considered tea. Any other name is merely descriptive nomenclature. Thus, one might encounter terms like tiyi wa khofi (tea of coffee) or tiyi wa koko (tea of cocoa). In my youth, it was a common practice to dissolve roasted sugar in water and drink the solution, calling it tea.
Some people refer to any toothpaste as Colgate. They will assert they are using Colgate even if they are using Pepsodent, Aquafresh or another brand. There is a proliferation of toothpaste brands these days. Many people find it too troublesome to use the proper name. This habit likely reflects the strong brand loyalty to Colgate that many Malawians have developed.
What truly sets my teeth on edge is the misnomer of calling plastic ‘paper’. Many people, to my dismay, are guilty of this. The term ‘plastic’ is often used as an adjective to describe paper, resulting in expressions like mapepala a pulasitiki (plastic paper). However, there is no such thing as plastic paper; paper is paper and plastic is plastic. One is inherently different from the other
Just because plastic and paper can be drawn into thin sheets or rolls, does not make them the same. Plastic is a polymer made from synthetic, man-made materials. Paper, on the other hand is derived from plant material, primarily tree stems that are crushed into pulp. Additionally, paper can be produced from cotton, special grasses such as esparto, or even hemp. In this respect paper is closer to cloth than to plastic.
Because it is made from vegetable matter, paper will readily decompose if left exposed. Plastic, however, does not decompose. Although there have been attempts to manufacture biodegradable plastic—plastic capable of decomposing by natural means—the majority of plastic produced by factories remains non-degradable. If you closely examine a freshly excavated field or road in town, you will notice numerous plastic fragments protruding from the soil, whereas paper is scarcely visible, having already decomposed
That is why plastic poses an environmental hazard, while paper does not. Plastic remains in the soil indefinitely without degrading, disrupting natural soil cycles. In contrast, paper is benign, as it decomposes naturally and does not interfere with the environment.
A plastic bag is not the same as a paper bag. However, many shoppers in Malawi will ask for a paper bag when they actually want a plastic one. This confusion between paper and plastic extends to the products made from these materials, such as bags, tubes and sheets. It is not uncommon for people to refer to a plastic sheet they use to place on the roof to increase its water proofing properties as a paper sheet.
Another common mistake people make is calling any bag, whether plastic or paper, a ‘jumbo.’ Many will casually say, “I will carry my items in a jumbo,” referring to either a paper or plastic bag. This practice originated from a company in Blantyre called Paper Converters, which manufactured various paper products, including branded paper bags. The largest of these bags was branded ‘Jumbo.’
Originally, Jumbo was the name of a giant elephant that Arab hunters captured in East Africa in 1862. They sold it to a dealer of animals in Italy. It changed hands a few more times and ended up in London Geological Gardens. After living in London for 16 years, Jumbo was again sold and this time to an American circus owner, and was shipped to America in 1882. It tragically died in a rail accident in 1885. Because of Jumbo’s gigantic size, anything perceived to be a giant was given the name jumbo. Today we talk of a jumbo jet meaning a giant jet airliner. So Paper Converters were not wrong to brand their giant paper bag Jumbo. We are wrong to call any bag made from paper or plastic a jumbo.
I would urge everybody to search within the nomenclature of things and use proper names.
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