I have arrived in this large eastern village, and am surprised to find the weather here to be much colder than where I set out from.
The name of this village is strange to me, but it is pronounced: Tohr-aun-toe.
My guide, a member of the local population who has proved himself friendly and useful, has furnished me with a small room in which to sleep. The people of his culture are strangely attracted to a small box that flashes light very quickly, and in colourful patterns. I have noticed that they will spend hours simply gazing at the light-box.
Today I participated in a ritual involving the males of this culture. I entered a small room with them, full of some sort of equipment, and we began to make a primitive kind of music. This seemed to make them all happy, and so I participated.
On the walk home, my guide made me to understand, through gestures and sounds, that a large raveen we passed by had once contained a creek, full of salmon, but that his culture had buried this creek in order to build their large village around it. He made me to understand that this was a very sad event, and a grave mistake that his people had made.
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I too once visited Tohr-aun-toe and enjoyed the hospitality of the very same guide. During my stay I observed many strange things, including this light box you speak of. If you look more closely you will see the reason for there fascination. The box often contains images of warriors engaged in violent and spectacular battles. It also sometimes shows thousands of archaic symbols (undecipherable to me, perhaps you will have better luck decoding them). I highly suggest you make your way to the large structure (near your guides hovel) where they display the arts and crafts of their village and surrounding areas, it is quite amazing considering their primitive means. Also, be warned they have some substances that can be intoxicating. If they offer you the fermented beverages, only partake slightly, as its toxicity is not lethal in small amounts, but dangerous neverthess. Also be weary of the native tokens for exchange, while they seem small and insignificant they are highly valuable in their culture (and ours) and the cost of everything is quite high. If you have any glass beads, maybe they will take those instead.
And what of the Altar of Vapours?
Does your guide still worship there?
I must have missed something....where are you? Toronto ? lol
If you are fortunate (or perhaps not), your guides will take you to participate in the dangerous competition known as "kum-ewt", wherein they enter large mechanical contraptions which then hurtle forwards at dangerous velocities. This takes place on several playing fields in the vicinity, the most famous being the "for-oh-wan". I believe that this may have originated as a fertility rite, as one must be post-pubescent age in order to be allowed to operate the contraptions. However, adults of all ages participate in the ritual, though it may be noted that young adults are probably the most lethal competitors.
ha! my guide doesn't participate in this "kum-ewt", but is in fact one of the rare people of his village who walks places.
I'm nominating this for best foreign correspondence. I can't stop laughing. Tell your guide to change his loin-cloth.
Do we have Alfa awards?
we have four, but they're pretty secret.
Sigh.
Fine.
Oh , good idea. Awards. Lets do it.
Wolfy...
your brilliance shines unto the universe...from a single point outward and onward.
(I wish the ole "single point of light" speech didn't come before I wrote this...
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