Duct Tape or Salted Fish - You Decide

In case of a catastrophic emergency I'm moving to Indonesia. I just learned that while the Department of Homeland Security encourages U.S. citizens to prepare for a disaster by purchasing duct tape, heavy duty trash bags, water, and canned goods the government of Indonesia is much more pragmatic on the matter.

According to a 1998 document issued by the Indonesian Minister of Trade, the nine essentials for living, in order of importance, include:

• Rice
• White sugar
• Cooking oil and margarine
• Beef and chicken
• Chicken eggs
• Powdered milk
• Corn
• Kerosene
• Iodized salt

Additional essentials include:

• Wheat flour
• Soybeans
• Instant noodles
• Chili peppers
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Salted fish
• Mung beans
• Peanuts
• Cassava or sweet potato
• Cement
• Fertilizer

I am not quite sure what I would do with the cement and the fertilizer after a disaster since I have no discernable gardening or construction skills but you better believe that after a year as a haus frau I could at least whip those instant noodles into shape without any trouble. I think.