My first lesson on inflation

My first practical lesson in economics was on inflation. In the Sixties, as a teenager, I was helpless when my mother lamented that she had to buy 'vegetables' (a term used by Chinese to buy fresh vegetables as well as meat and fish to be cooked, to go with rice as main meals like lunch and dinner), with only Rm10 a day! During those years, we have extended families living with us as well, so the yearly increase in number of people added to the effects of inflation which admittedly, the rate of which was comparatively low. Other basic items like rice, milk, sugar and so on, were ordered and delivered in bulk by the local sundry shop, taken care of monthly by my father.

In retrospect, what I learned was not really the effects of high rates of inflation but more because of population growth! But basically, it was the same in the sense that my mother had to stretch the buying power of a fixed amount of Rm10 daily. She had to think of ways to cook meals using cheaper items, by substitution. There was a time when a sister-in-law was in confinement at home, and she had only eggs and noodles with a dash of the customary sesame oil to cook for her.

I could still remember when she actually commended the three of us (youngest brothers) that we did not mind what was provided, or left over after others had eaten earlier. I could also remember when there was nothing left, a visit to the local food stall to buy back some curry to go with home cooked rice was considered a treat by me. I could eat rice with just salted vegetable to go with it.

I have been through tough times and I could not resist reminding teenagers not to be fussy over food, especially when they say, 'I'm fed up of eating rice at that shop'. The word 'fed up' would seem inappropriate even though it was probably true. To me, it would be better not to mention the term and just go to another place to eat for a change.

I was actually made to reminisce about the hard times by the first paragraph of the following article in The Sun:

Pinch or blow by Daniel Chandranayagam...

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=55257
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