Wednesday, August 8, 2007

1 Australian Sausage Roll = 2 days food in Indonesia

Well, thats just an approximation. Our meals are very simple in Indonesia and are mainly vegetables and tofu/tempeh. So, thats what I'm basing the comparison on.

Its crazy isn't it. The sausage roll I ate for morning tea today would have paid for the meals in our Indonesian household for nearly 2 days. Its silly but I'm always doing conversions like that when I buy things over here. The quiche that I wanted for lunch was 4.5 days of food. I decided to skip it though because it didn't look all that fresh and these comparisons are driving me to find more value.

Yes, I know its not really apple to apple and you need to do the dollar to dollar type comparison but....I'm not analysing it for a doctorate. Its just how my brain operates.

This one is the most shocking conversion I've had so far. I went to my favourite dentist for my annual checkup and clean and it came to the equivalent of :

66 days of food for out household in Palembang
OR
2 months pay for my driver (who incidentally NEVER goes to the dentist)
OR
the cost of a 2nd hand motorbike in Palembang
OR
3 months membership at the Novotel Palembang Gym
OR
8 days of trucked water

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Imagine what the equivalents will be if you were to live & spend in the UK!

NomadicExpat said...

That's the problem with the world isn't it -- the unfairness of it all? When I was in Beijing and needed my daily dose of caffienne (something that you might not understand since you dont drink coffee), everytime I bought a latte at Starbucks (coz that's the only foreign chain there), I would feel so guilty (feeds a family of four), but yet, I see all these chinese yuppies who go there as well (no idea how they can afford it even thought they are yuppies there!). I tried drinking the local coffee, but they tasted so bad.... buttery and bitter. ewww.

Well, start trading in AUS$ (aren't you doing that already?) to justify spending there. Or, make your own quiche! ;-)

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Those comparisons show up a lot of differences in the world, such as the extortionate costs we in Britain have to pay for something that is much less elsewhere.

Mateo Armenta said...

I always try not to think in those comparisons, it makes me feel bad and prevents from buying things.

Amanda said...

Yes. It doesn't matter that I am spending the AUD that I earned here, the comparisons still prevent a lot of spending. Its a good thing in a way....extra savings :)