Tue 17 Feb, 2009
Before we came here we had lots of conversations with expats “on the ground”. We asked them what is was like, what should we expect, etc. Many of our conversations had to do with what could we buy there vs. what would we need to bring with us. We were told that we could buy pretty much anything we really needed, though it may be different quality, more expensive, etc.
When we arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how many products I could find that were the same as I would buy at home. I was unpleasantly surprised by the cost of some of those things, but if I desired to spend the money I could get a comfort item. On one of my first trips to an expat store I bought Diet Dr. Pepper for Mike and some Old El Paso salsa for our Tostitos (oh, I miss Mexican food!!).
But the times have changed in the last few months. I can’t imagine where I would find Diet Dr. Pepper. And, oh, the days of salsa are long gone. We went two weeks without finding flour in the local grocery store. The shelves are emptying around us.
The falling world economy has come to us in a unique fashion. In an attempt to keep Indonesian products selling, imports have now been limited. We’ve heard reports of shipments of food being held up at the docks for months. We’ve even heard that the food is at the store, but can not be placed in the shelf because the packaging is not in Bahasa.
This has been taken a step further by the Indonesian government now issuing a decree that any employee of the government must now buy only Indonesian products. Clothes, food, cars . . . all must be made in Indonesia to be purchased. Any failure to do so will result in a fine for the employee.
I don’t know if this will work or not, but it certainly made me shake my head. Would this happen, could this happen in the U.S.?! It’s just another example of what I took for granted before I moved here.
Laurie says:
Every time I go to Chili’s, I will raise a glass in your honor! Would you like me to send some dry packets to season foods with?