In the Time of Grace: Drool, Anyone?

Forbes.com is a treasure trove of lists about material things we mere mortals can only salivate over. Going through the lists on uppermost wealth can be an entirely pleasurable time to while away a vacant hour or rest from a harried moment. Here are some of the things that only the moneyed gods and demigods can afford:

The world’s most expensive home rests on six and a half acres in Beverly Hills, California and costs $165 million. The estate has six buildings, three swimming pools, and a movie theater. There are 75,000 square feet of living space on three storeys, housing 29 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms. Is this making you hungry already? You can opt to dine at l'Arpege, obviously one of the world’s most expensive eateries where lunch costs $500 a pop.

Material acquisition can be fun if you can get your hands on the world’s most coveted things. The Chanel "Diamond Forever" Classic Bag, with 334 diamonds totaling 3.56 carats and set in 18-carat white gold hardware, goes for $261,000. You can hurry to get one if you’re able because there are only 13 such totes available worldwide. The Tulip E-go laptop with a gem-encrusted logo starts at $50,000 apiece. Prefer to have additional diamonds to spruce up a personalized design and your payout can go as much as $300,000.

Groceries may be cheap but a meal can be expensive if cooked on the Le Cornue stove that costs $40,000. This cooking equipment, dubbed as the "Rolls Royce of stoves,” belongs to a hand-assembled line that is available in 16 colors, crafted from porcelain enamel. The Sub-Zero refrigerator, called the "monument to food preservation," automatically adjusts defrost patterns and sends off an alarm when a drawer or door has been left open. You can have all these conveniences for $12,000 per refrigerator unit.

Make your posh home a showcase of luxurious style and expensive taste. The Zuber wallpaper that lines the walls of the White House can be had for $31,845 or $42,000 at its most pricey. Made of pure crystal, the 14-inch tall Lalique flower vase comes at only $7,200. Your guests can be assured of sound sleep on Léron linens made of 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton that cost $4,375. Baccarat champagne glasses are $267 each, while Gracious Style napkin rings of 14 karat gold or platinum and embellished with Swarovksi crystals, semiprecious stones, and enamel come at $125 for a set of four.

I nudge myself back to reality as these figures confront me:

The United Nations World Food Program reports that as much as 25,000 people die everyday because of hunger or hunger-related causes. Close to three billion people or half of humankind today live on less than two dollars a day. 640 million people live without adequate shelter. The world’s homeless population has reached the 1 billion mark. 400 million have no access to safe water. 270 million have no access to health services.

One billion children or half of all children in the world live in poverty, millions of them dying before they reach the age of five. According to UNICEF, 26,500-30,000 children die everyday due to poverty. That means one child dies every 3 seconds. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”

According to the 2007 Human Development Report (HDR) of the United Nations Development Program, the poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income, while the richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income.

Would you care to daydream about those delicious goodies, too? Unless, of course, you have one or some of those already stashed away somewhere.