I have an ongoing joke at the local carnicería (butcher shop). They ask me how much I want, and I reply 454 grams, una libra (one pound). Like every other country in the world except for Liberia, Myanmar, and one other, Uruguay uses the metric system—mostly).
We then asked if they had lamb. Siempre. Always. Who knew?
He brought out an entire frozen lamb carcass, cut the length in half with the band saw, then cut off the hindquarter we wanted. The band saw blade is within easy reach of the customer.
I grew up using, and still use, dangerous power tools. But band saws terrify me a little bit, ever since 8th grade (age 13) shop class, when the teacher demonstrated the capabilities of a band saw by cutting through a piece of 2×4 like it was butter, and probably at the same time encouraging us to imagine that 2×4 was some part of our body.
But hey, that was in the United States. It’s probably not too late to sue for psychological trauma, mental distress ….
I grew up in farming country, upstate NY. Harvest time – don't get in front of the combine….
In shop class in school, we had a demonstration on how to properly cut out our laminated wood into a circle that we would later shape on the lathe into a bowl. Gerry didn´t pay a lot of attention. Thus, when he was cutting his circle, he managed to slice the middle finger of his right hand down the middle past the first knuckle. After a delay for an administrative investigation, and a repeat of the demonstration on how to cut, we were allowed to resume cutting out our bowls. I too, am not fond of band saws.
About that time, a classmate Gerald blew off a good part of his middle finger with a firecracker. Perhaps a good name not to have had.
I never understood shop class. Was it useful for your future? How long are school hours in the States?
Industrial arts (shop class) was important while the United States still made things, and needed people who knew how to make things. With manufacturing gone, and the culture overwhelmed with consumerism, the corpgov class now likes unthinking, skill-free, easily-manipulated illiterate shoppers, so that's presactly that the schools spew out.
Where can you find this carniceria?adress
Heading inland from Atlántida, Rura 11 turns to the right and you’ll see Parroquia Cristo Obrero (a very cool piece of architecture, open Saturday afternoons for look-see) on the right. Turn in there, and you’ll see Carniceria Progreso just ahead on the right. Hours are 0800-1300 and 1600-2000, so don’t do midday… as we have many times.