Every year I try to take a long-haul trip (good to be a freelancer), and most of the time I go to Europe. After having lived in the UK for 4.5 years during the year 1999 - 2003, I feel a sense of belonging there (not only because I hold a EU British passport but because I really enjoy the culture, the architecture, the old, the people there.) The year 2006 was no difference. After having been to most of Eastern Europe, this year I decided to visit the Baltic states, to the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, three ex-soviet states who are so eagar to embrace to the west.
Eastern Europe is a continually changing continent. Only 17 years ago when they were still behind the iron curtain, today many of them are full members of the European Union. Things are changing fast, capitalisation is embracing in nearly every sectors of the society. Price of goods, transportation, and nearly everythings you can think of, becomes horrendously expensive. (especially in old town Tallinn...) However, on the downside, local wages haven't increased in proportion. I remembered asking a local Estonian and asked what the local wages for an ordinary person is, and she answered, "about 5000 Estonian Kroons per month." This is equilvalent to 3500HKD, or 350 Euros. While in Riga, Latvia, I also asked a local about the minimum wage there, and the minimum wage was only 70 centimes per hour. (which is 0.70 Lats, or equilvalent to HKD10 per hour) Man! How can people afford to live with this wage, especially in Tallinn, where everything is so expensive?
Well, I can't answer, but yet I know, when countries are embracing capitalisation, that is what's happen. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. But yet, I believe that it is all for the good... competition means a better society, better services, better food, better for a traveller (definitely!)
Eastern Europe is a continually changing continent. Only 17 years ago when they were still behind the iron curtain, today many of them are full members of the European Union. Things are changing fast, capitalisation is embracing in nearly every sectors of the society. Price of goods, transportation, and nearly everythings you can think of, becomes horrendously expensive. (especially in old town Tallinn...) However, on the downside, local wages haven't increased in proportion. I remembered asking a local Estonian and asked what the local wages for an ordinary person is, and she answered, "about 5000 Estonian Kroons per month." This is equilvalent to 3500HKD, or 350 Euros. While in Riga, Latvia, I also asked a local about the minimum wage there, and the minimum wage was only 70 centimes per hour. (which is 0.70 Lats, or equilvalent to HKD10 per hour) Man! How can people afford to live with this wage, especially in Tallinn, where everything is so expensive?
Well, I can't answer, but yet I know, when countries are embracing capitalisation, that is what's happen. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. But yet, I believe that it is all for the good... competition means a better society, better services, better food, better for a traveller (definitely!)
No comments:
Post a Comment