| Price |
February 7, 2019
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| In the newspaper on this day, he read an article that mentioned about the increase of prices of certain foods starting from the upcoming spring. He became in a bad mood. He was self-employed. He wasn't poor but he wasn't rich as to ignore it. The article read that the price of instant noodles, ice cream, PET bottle drinks', etc. would be raised one after another starting from the next month. He hated the 'one after another' part. The reason of the increase, the article stated, was that material prices went up, as well as transportation costs, etc. The makers couldn't absorb the increase anymore, and decided to raise their products' prices. It added that Coke's price would be raised, for example a 1.5 liter bottle would become $3.2. The increase was for the first time in 27 years! Cup noodles would become $2. He wondered who ate a $2 cup of noodles. Beverage makers would raise the prices of bottled and canned j  uices, teas, etc. Dairy product makers would raise their prices on ice cream and yogurt because of the increase in price of cattle feed. Processed seafood makers would raise the prices of canned fish and other products. The increase would be by several percentage points. The article stated that this increase of price was based on the current situation of current high oil prices and higher salaries of truck drivers. He checked on the internet about this country's citizens' living situation: Social insurance fees had been going up for a couple of decades. Workers' salaries had been stagnant for a couple of decades. Average income per family had been stagnant or decreasing, too. The consumer price index had been stagnant for a couple of decades. These 20 years were called the 'Lost 20 years' because of no development, at least for statistics. But this country's people didn't riot. It was because of China. Once, his country had a bad reputation for its high prices. Tourists and workers from abroad complained, saying that everything in this country was too expensive. But the situation reversed completely after 30 years. When he went to a country in Europe two years ago, he was amazed at seeing one bottle of Coke priced two or three times that of his country's Coke. Now things in this country became cheaper than those in Western countries'. It was because of China. 30 years ago, their wages were said to be one tenth or twentieth of developed countries. Many makers went there and made products at a low cost. Especially for his country, China was a neighboring country and transportation cost between the two was cheap. It had a big effect. Daily goods: 'One Dollar' shops appeared about three decades ago and spread all over the country. When he looked at the various products, he was shocked to see so many things for so cheap. Besides the one dollar shops, many other shops started to sell things that were made in China. The prices were very cheap in comparison. Clothing: One now-famous clothing maker went to China and started to make good-quality and durable clothes. Their products were simple, not so fashionable, but somehow stylish. It became a social phenomena to wear their fleeces that were rather cheaper than regular ones. Since he knew this shop, he only bought his clothes there. He liked their stretch type of jeans that maybe they had invented. As they were durable, he had no need to go to other clothing shops. Electric appliances: TVs became cheap. PCs became cheap. His lap-top PC was only 200 dollars. Various parts and components were built in China. Entertainment: Movie theaters became expensive but DVD rental fees became very cheap. He was able to rent a DVD for one dollar a week, although some of his friends used a net service that offered cheaper movies. These were some of the benefits from advancement of technology. House: He never bought a house, but he knew that there were now well made, fully installed houses that were relatively inexpensive. Life line: Gas, electricity, water, kerosene, and gasoline became expensive. Having a smartphone was sometimes expensive. Food: The price of rice was the same or a little bit cheaper than decades ago. Egg prices were the same, or maybe even a little cheaper than before. Some basic vegetables were about the same, unless there was some bad weather. Meat became sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive because of various trade policies. Imported whisky and wine was very expensive in the past, but now they were drastically cheaper because of trade policies. On the whole, thanks to globalization and new technology, things in this country became relatively cheaper than before. China's GDP went up by 2,500% for 3 decades, and now their wages are approaching to other developed countries' workers. It means there is an increase of costs. He didn't eat cup of noodles so much. He didn't drink Coke at all. And, he didn't eat ice cream. So this time, the increase of prices wouldn't effect him too much, maybe. But, about this country's future (less population, less workers, more pensioners), maybe the economy would become weak, and things would become more expensive ... But he was not so pessimistic about it. As this country's prices were low, many tourists came from abroad and contributed to this country's economy. Because of shortage of workers, the government made a law to increase workers from abroad. They would revitalize this country's situation, he hoped. |
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*riot: 暴動を起こす
*reverse: 反対になる
*durable: 長持ちする
*phenomenon: 現象
*componebnt: 部品
*on the whole: 全体として