A Very Special Dinner

Last night we had a very special dinner. Well, last night we cooked our food the old way.

Our LPG just emptied.

I asked immediately our LPG dealer for the delivery. They told me that they only have one LPG available but they cannot deliver it because the delivery boy was not available. They instructed me, instead, to just pick up the LPG from their store. I asked how much is their current selling price and I was really disappointed by their reply. They said “wala na po pala kami LPG. Bukas pa ang dating ng suplay” (we don’t have LPG stock anymore. It will be available tomorrow).

The year started with the shortage in LPG supply. It is in the news for several weeks now.

It could be remembered that the price of LPG rolled back during the holiday season. Then, starting January there was already a shortage in supply. I am thinking how it is connected to the allege LPG price increase due to the – “expected increase of LPG contract prices in the world market” - that will take effect on the first week of February.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said that the selling price of LPG right now should be around 450.00 to 470.00 pesos only. Retailers who will be caught selling it at more than 500.00 pesos will face charges of over pricing. However, it is also reported that some retailers are selling it at 580.00 pesos per 11 kilogram LPG tank. Some are even selling it at 80.00 per kilogram or 880.00 per 11 kilogram tank. One can buy it at “tingi”, for example one kilogram or two kilograms.

Well, that is supply and demand.

The ‘artificially induced shortage’ has caused this ‘artificially induced high price’ of LPG gas.

And, necessarily, people are buying because it is a basic need. I, myself, am ready to pay for whatever price the retailer set if only to spare me the inconvenience of cooking the primitive way.

As far as I can remember, this is the first time that we had this problem in the supply of LPG to the point that one cannot buy the product even he has the money.

Nevertheless, we have to eat. So, we have to cook our food, in whatever way possible,

Last night, my sister Ingks and I used our 'primitive’ skills that we learned during our Girl Scout days in cooking our food. This time we have to be really creative. We made an improvised ‘kalan’ out of a milk can. Then we used charcoal – which is now highly-priced too due to the high demand.

At this point in time we have to take things easily.

We just enjoyed the experience trying to ignore the inconvenience, though it took almost two hours to prepare our dinner.

Indeed, the experience permitted us to practice our primitive skills. It also reminded me the value of patience. The whole cooking process last for almost two hours, yet it surprisingly relaxed me. Somehow, we need to slow down, sometime, in this fast paced way of living.

Last night, we labored in cooking our food. Our rice may not pass the quality of class restaurants, but it filled and sustained us, anyway.


Last night we had a very special dinner.