Maxson Central

A recent topic of conversation around town has been the increase in natural gas prices. From what I have been able to tell from the news and what people have said, the price of natural gas has either doubled or increased by 50%. According to this article at B92 the price of natural gas has jumped from $250 (US Dollars) to nearly $500 for 1,000 cubic meters. For those who don’t know your conversions, 1 cubic meter is about 35 cubuc feet. How does this compare to what you pay in the US?

Well, when Cyndi and I were living in Columbus, OH and getting our gas from Columbia Gas, we were paying the outrageous amount of 99 cents per mcf–100 cubic feet. In Richmond, we payed about $1.49 for that amount of gas. So, in Columbus, we would have been paying about $350 for about 1,000 cubic meters of gas.

I know the amount isn’t that much, but the rate of increase is huge. Imagine having your heating bill double within a month. At the start of winter! Now, imagine living on a fixed very small income. Now you get the idea.

Oh, I just realized that most of those prices are in dinars. Right now, the current exchange rate offered by the banks in town is 60 dinars to the dollar. This is up from a low of 47 dinars to the dollar we saw about a month after we got here.

Picture from winkydo

First off, I didn’t get any pictures from today.

We had some friends over from the US.  Today was a day for them to spend around Cacak helping people.  One of our other American friends here goes to a gym and had talked to them about helping them out with some work they needed done.  Well, we show up today only to find out they didn’t have supplies.  Our friends hung out in the gym and I had a cup of coffee next door.  I was able to spend some time talking to people…and I even ended up and got my coffee for free.

Then, we went and had lunch.  A chicken Sandwitch.  Very good!

Later on, we went back and helped a friend’s neighbor with some wood.  While we were working (there was about 8 of us) another neighbor came out and started working on his wood.  Well, after I tried to remember how to ask if I could help him–I got it all wrong if you were wondering, but he spoke some english–I went over and asked.  We then, instead of working, we went back to his place and had coffee.  And cheese.  And Kymak.  And bread.  And Aivar.  And eggs.  And juice.  And coffee.  And garlic.  And water.  We didn’t get any work done on his woodpile; however, we had a good coversation.

Tomorrow, I’m going back to see him in the afternoon.  Pray that I’d have the words to say.

Picture from claudecf