A woman writes that last year she saw several subway advertisements for Hunter-Douglas window blinds and asks if I can find the company's phone number. She complains that local services are extremely expensive and leave a lot to be desired. Recently, for example, she contracted for similar work but as soon as the prepayment was in the bank, the workers disappeared. She feels the current economic slump has seriously affected simple business transactions and trust. Now she says she can't depend on anyone.

Oh yes she can! A reader found the Hunter-Douglas local office on their Web site (www.hunterdouglas.com), but what he had to say was even more helpful. He had his blinds made in California to fit his local apartment. They cover two sliding glass doors to the balcony. They are made of pleated, translucent fabric with a honey-comb cross section. He chose the triple-cell model for maximum insulation and reduction of noise. They weren't cheap, he points out, about $500 each, but the noise level is down and heating and cooling costs have been reduced by 50 percent. "They are perfect for retro-fitting the poorly insulated, Third World housing we commonly find in Japan," he wrote, adding his personal opinion: Hunter Douglas makes excellent products and he has never seen a Japanese equivalent.

The Hunter-Douglas office is located in the Keihin Higashi Oi Bldg. 2F, 2-13-8 Higashi Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0011, phone (03) 5762-4828, fax (03) 5762-4801. If you would like to discuss your blinds in English, ask for Naoko Oikawa. Some of the types and styles available in the U.S. are not yet sold here, but the selection is still wide. They are innovative and attractive, and far more functional than anything I have seen on the local market. They are top quality and will be custom made for your windows with a wide choice of styles -- pleated, wooden, vertical, roller, Venetian and others. Your windows will never have looked better.

Even with all that praise, it is still nice to have a choice. Another gentleman writes that his company, Takachiho Overseas, imports several window treatments including SunScreen, Springs Window Fashions and Roll-Up blinds. He suggests that interested readers should call Toso Co. at (03) 3553-9359 or fax (03) 3555-3787 in Japanese. The company does not sell to individuals but will suggest a store that can fill a customer's requirements.

For many years I have been writing about Tupperware, an easy product to praise. Some pieces in my collection are quite old, but they continue to fulfill their function very well indeed. I once wrote that if my Tupperware were a person, it would be old enough to vote. There is a wide variety of sizes and shapes to be used in refrigerators and/or cupboards and some are designed especially for microwave use. Tupperware is only available through company representatives and to find one convenient for you, call (03) 5485-6460.

So I was a bit annoyed when someone told me of a new product for the same uses. I don't like to dilute my loyalties especially when I have been pleased with a product for years, but then I learned it is made by Rubbermaid, one of the best-known names in kitchen supplies in the U.S. Also in its favor, it is being distributed by Amway, a company with not only high-quality household, personal and health products but also a strong sense of community service. Immediately after the Hanshin earthquake, local representatives used their extensive networks to deliver, free of charge, Amway products that helped ease victim's lives. Later, participants in the Paralympics told me how Amway had provided them with a makeup studio so they could look their best as well as do their best, and supplied helpful products for their personal use. I should tell you too that there were no PR efforts to publicize the company's generosity.

So I want to tell you about Rubbermaid's containers, available in many shapes and sizes, clear-view with a rubber edged, easy to apply top that can be replaced by one that with the container can go directly from refrigerator to microwave. Few wasted motions there, and less dish washing afterward. The best advice I can give is to own both. Call (0120) 12-3777 to find a representative near you.