Hello! This is Hirai.
The weather has been humid and gloomy lately. My body feels heavy, just like the heavy rain clouds.
At times like that, I like to look at things I like to lift my spirits!
The title of this blog is "Rag and Camels" and it's just a list of things I like, but today I'd like to talk about "camels" rather than "rags."
While writing this blog, I thought back to when I first became so fond of camels.
If I had to find a connection among my earliest memories, it would be that the performance at our kindergarten play was "Aladdin."
I wasn't particularly interested in Disney animation or manga when I was a child, but I did like Aladdin and read the picture book.
I think I first became interested in pyramids, mummies, and the desert when I was in junior high school.
I remember being excited when I watched Professor Yoshimura Sakuji's program.
I first became interested in tribes, ethnic groups, and things related to ethnic groups when I was in high school and would often go to Asian goods stores with my friends.
I first encountered the world of Islam in my third year of university.
I am not good at English, so I chose Arabic as my second foreign language.
I thought that if everyone started from scratch, with neither the English alphabet nor grammar working, we might be able to make it work.
Arabic is deeply connected to religion, so as I researched Islam, I became increasingly fascinated by this mysterious and unknown world...
I think it was around this time that I started to become aware of camels.
After that, he meets Rug and jumps into this world, and his love for the camel only grows stronger with each passing day.
My favorite is the dromedary, but for some reason I'm not very interested in the two-humped camel.
Whenever I see anything with a camel on it, I can't help but buy it, so my camel collection is slowly growing.
If you wear this camel cap and go to the zoo to ride a camel,
I also have a sad memory of being turned away because "only children can ride this."
Here are some of my favorites that have recently joined my collection!
It's a little bumpy, but I still wanted to get my hands on the "Camel Squeezer." I love squeezing carrots, so when I found this I nearly jumped for joy!!
Thinking about camels somehow makes me feel happy...
See you next time!