Kutu.
And no, we're not talking about crabs. Not even going there! You'd be forgiven for thinking that kutu here actually means lice.
In fact kutu is an ancient form of profit-sharing where the ladies pool together their meagre resources into a fund where each particular member gets to dive into on regular intervals for a monthly spending spree. Don't even know how the name started but I figure it might have something to do with the fact that lice sucks a drop from each of its unwilling benefactors while it grows slowly into one big fat gooey bonanza.
Not sure how this game started - possibly some bright spark during the colonial days - but it has been going around ever since forever in the hospitals. Walk around the wards and the lockers and you'd see notices of the latest kutu scheme being carried out.
Are they playing kutu?
I know my math is not the greatest. In fact it sucks. But I believe if the ladies would diligently stuff their own earnings into their own piggy bank, it would amount to the same thing. When I ventured to suggest such an investment scheme to the nurses, they stared at me as if I'd said something ultimately sacrilegious.
A few even lifted their handbags ready to bean me.
Obviously you don't mess with the kutu.
Or it bites.
Kinda like crabs.
18 comments:
I guess it's the same with arisan in Indonesia. But, in Indonesia, when choosing the one who'll get the fund of the month, they use the occasion for having a small tea & gossip party.
And yeah, I also wonder why don't they just use a piggy bank to do it. I guess they do it not only for money, but for gossips ^^
You really, really had us thinking that the nurses would go around checking for lice on the patients!!!
ya i thought it's lice too~ just to let you know that KUTU is also popular among the staffs in a certain large departmental store in KLCC. In my department was several ladies and 1 very sisterly guy and they almost had me joined in! wakakaaka
I think it's more of a social thing than saving money. Look, they usually spend those money anyway~ for karaoke and such~
Kewl. And arisan is such a great name, lada.
Kutu just reminds me of lice. So I'm not surprised you thought the same, janvier :)
Doubt my nurses go for karaoke. They are much too conservative and god-fearing for that, froggie.
P
I thought it was lice too! I thought there was a kutu outbreak in your hospital and the first thing I thought of was "Duuuudeee....even if I'm dying and my arm is falling off from the socket, I'm not going to wherever this guy is working...." Hahaha =p
And yeah, I have issues with playing kutu too. But that's just because I'm stingy and I have issues when it comes to giving people my money....unless of course those people happened to be a really hot gigolo and I happened to be horny.
Yes, only under those circumstance am I okay to part with my money ;-p
we call it "paluwagan" in manila. same principle though not specifically just for women. it's quite co-ed here.
like you, i too don't see the point of it since you don't really earn anything, except for having a big cash out when it's your turn to, er, cash in. i was offered to join once when i was still in college. when i posed my arguments about "wouldn't it be far better to put it in a bank and earn interest?", they strangely dropped the offer and retreated back into the shadows....
Oh yeah a few of my friends tried to rope me in to this one before. I said no, naturally. I'd hate to part with my money and see it spent by someone else before I get to my turn hahaha!
I haven't heard of Kutu schemes since my grandmothers time. Sure brings back memories ... LOL!
I learnt a new word n new thing today. kutu...
I didn't know there's another meaning for kutu as well..interesting..the only place that I have heard this word lots of time is at the STD clinic..Very very bad "kutu" conditions ~ XP
i think somehow "kutu playing" is culturally bound to middle income malays. I'm not sure..coz my Ms Mum-the homemaker, still plays it xD [i felt embarassed now...ah ha ha xD]
i've asked her about it, and she just said, it's a mind tricking solution kinda thing. Coz, when the time comes for you to cash in, you can suddenly splurge your money to buy anything.......
Indians are crazy about this too. My parents play kutu with my neighbours.
Now I know there's still such thing here. Thanks for sharing :)
"... you don't mess with the kutu"
LOL
it's prevailent amongst school teachers too.
owh my goodness~!!
i didn't know that a lot of people dunno abt kutu.
the first moment seeing the title...i know already it's abt this money scheme popular among the ladies ;) but never played it before though
from the word 'berse-kutu'?
just like to share my tuppence worth here;
think the term kutu originated from the tamils i.e. kutu = to pool togather.
jus thought some of u might be interested.
cheerio
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