Still very hot in the middle of the day. Huge lumps of camel-fat (presumably from the hump), very white, like pork fat, on sale in the bazaar. Said to be only eaten by “people from the mountains.”
Wooden spoons here are cut out with a small adze, which is used with great skill until the spoon is almost entirely hollowed out, after which a gouge-like tool (but with the edge at the side) is used, & then sand paper. Some of these spoons are 2’ or 3’ feet long & the head as large as a breakfast cup. This work done mainly by children, ditto the work of making wooden ploughs (very primitive, & solid in such numbers as to suggest they have to be renewed every year.)
October 4, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Masses of camel fat. Gargantuan spoons. Homer Simpson.
October 4, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Ewww, camel fat sounds terrible. This is the first time I’ve ever even heard mention of it. I wonder if anyone still eats it today?
October 4, 2008 at 3:54 pm
solid in such numbers
Was this in the orignal, or a transcription error?
October 4, 2008 at 5:57 pm
“solid in such numbers”? I think “sold” would be the more correct interpretation of the manuscript.
October 4, 2008 at 7:09 pm
“They say he carved it himself… out of a bigger spoon.”
October 4, 2008 at 7:25 pm
After a week of terse telegraphed notes, suddenly the most surreal and amusing entry so far. More like this please, George. Er, Eric.
October 5, 2008 at 5:26 am
I wonder if they had a “bring your parents to work day?” Doh!
October 5, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Mmmmm….camel fat…..
October 5, 2008 at 3:11 pm
It must be “sold,” not “solid.”
October 5, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Within many of the exciting episodes of The Mod Squad (1968-1973), a stoic Clarence Williams III commanded authority when he demonstrated his sage wisdom and said, “Solid.”
October 6, 2008 at 1:49 am
How do you like your hump?
With one lump or two?
October 9, 2008 at 6:31 am
[...] not older than 6 work at some of the simpler parts of these jobs. Children of about 8-10 work with adze and chisel, very diligently and with great skill. Children almost too young to stand are set to [...]