Photo from www.utrechtart.com
Although most office supplies were decidedly inferior in the Middle East, my time outside the United States turned me into a major pencil snob. Sorry Staples, but I wouldn’t write with your pencils if I had to choose between a Ticonderoga and a hunk of leftover charcoal from the barbecue grill.
Before he left Qatar, I had my husband go to the grocery store and pay 10 riyals (about $2.75) a box for three boxes of Faber-Castel Goldfaber 1222 pencils. I don’t think you can even buy these at art stores in the US. The closest I’ve found are pictured to the right and will set you back a buck-forty a pencil.
But oh, when you sharpen one of those Faber-Castels to a fine point and the tip glides along the paper, it’s so worth 140 pennies!
***
If you haven’t heard yet, October is Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month.
Join me in toasting the occasion with a big mug of your favorite coffee!
