MLM

despite what you may have heard - today we learned that "MLM" does not stand for "multi-level marketing" scheme (please see here for details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing) but actually is an acronym for "make life meaningful".

and how you may ask?

by becoming a member of the multi-level marketing scheme that encompasses everything but the kitchen sink. (actually if you hand your life savings over, they might include a "free" kitchen sink - assembly and installation not included)

If you're squeamish about women-issues you may want to skip the next paragraph...s.

The product is Winalite Anion Sanitary Napkins. And not only do they make that time of the month a little happier but they are (apparently) FDA approved, prevent and CURE cervical cancer - ALL while improving your quality of life AND making you closer to God (I didn't get to ask if this was while you were selling the product or using it).

And I wish I was kidding.

After doing our "fly by the seat of our (sulfur-smelling) pants" wildlife conservation talk at a school in Malang city, we were invited out for snacks/lunch/time to sell their MLM to us. After meeting a few additional guests (also members of the same MLM) we were immediately swooped away to Eden aka Winalite Anion Sanitary Napkins MLM - land.

Funny enough, they used Helen Keller as an inspirational story in their brochure. Apparently, in America she is a "legend" (I'm not sure if that means she was fictional) and will somehow encourage you to sell more sanitary napkins and persuade you to join their MLM.

For those of you not quite in on the lingo, a sanitary napkin is a "pad" for menstruation - Ari was informed after we had arrived back at PWEC. While sitting their pretending to be interested he had thought to himself "This is stupid, why would I want to sell napkins?" I was wondering "Who would want to buy a pad from Ari?"

Anyway, long story short. The PWEC staff we were with didn't know enough English to save us and we were almost cornered into attending a meeting AND a convention for a bunch of people who sell pads. In turn, we almost became pad-salesmen.

You will be happy to know, we resisted. Ari more adamently, because really, how could a successful MLM only sell napkins?