The cost of food

In Singapore, we have heard of this before - food prices are rising. Examples are my chicken rice has gone up 50 cents and my tea has risen by 10 cents. As we complain, I thought it is only a good reminder if we compare ourselves to other cities.

In my recent trip to Beijing, I invested a significant amount of time in food. I guess it must have been the thrill of trying new food, coupled with the cold weather that accelerated my digestion process.

In one of the mornings, I had a egg tart (see photo above) for RMB 1 (S$0.21). And mind you, this is not sold from one of the roadside stalls along a dirty, smelly drain. In fact, it was sold at a confectionery (see photo on the right) fresh and hot, together with many other pastries, along a busy street.

     In one of the evenings, I decided to have a rest at one of the coffee joints. I had a ice-blended coffee for RMB 27 (S$5.68). It wasn't any expensive place - Angel in-Us is just like Starbucks. As I let the price sink into my head, I constantly reminded myself that there are coffees that would cost 5 times more at a hotel.

In a fast-developing city like Beijing, I wonder if the price disparity is too great for me to swallow. While the commoners seem to enjoy the variety of street-sides hawker food, the rich who are few and mighty continue to pile up their wealth.

To this day, I am still gasping at the fact that the coffee costs 27 times more than the egg tart. After this day, I appreciate the price increases of the food in Singapore are still within my means.