Take my Vitasoy, dammit!

When it's cold in Hong Kong like it's been lately (ugh, when will it stop?), one of the simple comforts you can get is a warm bottle of Vitasoy at 7-11.

That's exactly what I did one morning several months ago, after which I stuffed the empty glass bottle into my gym bag and sort of left it there for a while (read: 1 or 2 months).

At the time, I flew a lot, so I didn't have time to go return the bottle to 7-11 for recycling until we moved offices, which was when I was forced to deal with all the crap that had accumulated around me.

Little did I know the wrath I would encounter.

Running into the 7-11 that I originally bought the bottle from, I pulled it out of the side pocket of my gym bag and shoved it in the face of the woman working there. She happened to be crouched on the floor sorting out stacks of magazines at the time, and when she saw my Vitasoy bottle her face immediately blackened.

"Wahhh... it's all moldy!!" she cried out in disgust, giving me the ugliest stink-eye I've ever seen in Hong Kong.

"I'm here to give it back to you for RECYCLING..." I told her. "Do you want it or not?"

She continued to give me the stink-eye, shifting her gaze to the bottle and back to me. "Why didn't you wash it?? It's so moldy!!"

"Ugh!" I grunted, which was the short form for what I really wanted to say: "Gimme a break woman. It's 8am and I don't have the time or energy to argue with you why you don't want to take the bottle I'm bringing back to you for RECYCLING, okay??"

Having "said" that, I marched over to the cash counter and slammed the bottle down before storming out of there.

To be fair, I could have and probably should have rinsed it out, but I didn't, and I had no idea I'd be judged for my (slightly) moldy bottle. So for future reference, it's probably best to return it on the same day or right after drinking it, or, keep it at home as a flower vase (which I have a few of already).

Otherwise, let this be a lesson from the 7-11 lady: Rinse out your damn Vitasoys!