As we are all left scratching our heads at what's safe on the shelves for human consumption, I already had my first chee-na product scare many months ago.

The Mother bought a full-size bottle of Pantene Hair Shampoo from a neighbourhood provision shop. "Cheap," she explained. Although this much-liked-by-general-consensus hair product doesn't count as my favourite, I used it anyway. After my first use my scalp didn't feel comfortable. But I promptly dismissed it as shampoo residual and rinsed my hair again. Three days of use later, my scalp started to itch. Quite badly.

I was scratching my scalp non-stop. And I do not count lice as one of the possible causes. On the fourth day, I switched to my usual Dove shampoo and the itching was no more. I warned The Mother about the use of the 'Made in China' shampoo and it turned out she felt the same uncomfortable sensation. She squealed when she learnt it was made in China.

The bottle, destitute of its suppposed purpose, now stands at a dark dark corner of The Mother's toilet. It only has to clean the toilet floor now.