NC State Fair

This is the last of the North Carolina state fair series (I'm actually going to have to do something blogworthy now). It was a good experience, I wouldn't go every week, but it's a pretty cool thing to do once a year maybe. Here is the NC flag, the sky was beautiful, even a touch of Carolina blue at the bottom of the picture.

This was one of the first things I saw as I entered the fair ground. I was told there was going to be wall to wall red necks.

Thats more like it....

I think this is a really nice picture of Andy and Bonnie. Also one of the few photos I have taken of Andy when he is not doing something stupid.

Back to the locals. It was a bloody massive thing. They get you with the deep-fried food as you get in. Then the rides halfway through. Someones gonna be sick.

This picture has two purposes. Firstly it shows the place where I got the ostrich burger. Secondly some fat Americans for y'all. To be fair, even at a place that sells deep-fried everything there weren't that many fat people and I'm sure you will find a similar amount in Blackpool or Skegvegas. Has my radar gone, or I am joining them.

You gotta love those Carolina sunsets.

Although after dark the freaks come out....

Red necks will pay to see anything. Oops, sorry thats Andy. Notice above only 50c to get in. Thats 25p.

I thought I'd finish with a nice one.

The state fair may not be the most intellectual of pursuits in the world, but I'll say one thing, it was a lot of fun. I recommend anyone going to one, just don't expect much and you will be pleasantly surprised.

NC State Fair - Ass and Big Melons

One of the reasons for having the state fair is so that the farmers can show off their produce. It is fantastic as they show all the huge and weird looking looking fruit and veg. The pumpkin behind me is over 1,100 lbs, which is about 500 Kgs or bloody huge. You could actually buy huge pumpkins in whole foods these last few weeks, I didn't fancy spending $30 to eat pumpkin for the rest of my life.

I just think these look geat

Here is Andy checking out the workings of a chicken.

You could do many people an injustice with that bad boy.

I really wanted a chili after this. I also wanted a bacon sandwich after seeing the pigs too...

It is just crazy the amount of stuff they had on show. I loved the strange looking stuff. Yes I gaupped like a slack jawed yokel. You know what they say, when in Rome...

Well I promised you ass..

.... and big melons

What did you think I was going to show you..... you are a dirty bunch aren't you.

Trying not to get fat.......

As we all know I am a lazy man and I am not the best at being motivated to do physical exercise. Unless there is a beer afterwards maybe. The has pretty much continued if not got worse since moving to the states. Recently it has got better as I joined the football team. This is only once a week and is pretty sporadic so tonight I finally broke down and ran round the Duke East Campus track, see Figure 1.

Figure 1. Bob trying to feel better about himself.

According to the source of all knowledge, or wikipedia as some call it the track is 1.5 miles all the way around. I did it in 16 minutes which is pretty bad (I did have to walk a bit). My aim is to get it down to about 12 ish. As in my youth I ran a mile in about 7 and a half minutes therefore it would be about 8 minutes a mile. I am waiting for the abuse in the comments.

NC State Fair - Food

As already mentioned in the last post I went to the NC state fair. Making small animals run round a track is not generally a major pastime in North Carolina, but eating is. Typically the unhealthier the better. The state fair is no exception, in fact it makes kebabs look almost healthy. As y'all know Andy and I are seasoned eaters, so much to our surprise it was Bonnie who "didn't want to really eat" who got the first culinary delight. A really buttery corn, which was pretty nice actually. Andy not wanting to be out done got a giant turkey leg, which I also tasted (you can take the boy out of yorkshire...)

I forgot the bloody fiver didn't I....

Not wanting to be outdone by the Yanks I decided to actually pay for something. A deep fried Twinkie (a normal one can be found here). Not necessarily the healthiest start to my evenings eating but I tell you what, it was fantastic. The shop I got it from pretty much did everything. Fried snickers, oreos, several dough related items and even chocolate dipped frozen cheesecake for those not wanting their food battered. It would go down a treat in Scotland.

Yep I ate that. Aren't y'all proud of me. Yes I am wearing my cowboy shirt.

After the successful taming of the twinky I was on fire. I needed more deep fried goods. Somebody thought of a great way for kids to get their 5 veg a day. Deep fry the bugger. Here pictured are, pickles (gerkins to the educated among us), mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini (or as civilized people call it courgette).

Andy was tempted by the slabs of cooking meat. Good job the have the drool guard.

For desert I had a chocolate covered frozen cantaloupe. The lady who served me used to live in Skegness.

I say it was desert. I had an ostrich burger after the pig racing. I didn't eat loads of but it was good fun. I think I would have been a little I'll if I had any more. Well you can always fit an ice cream in can't you. Even the half a tub they gave us and called it a bowl.

All in all some interesting culinary delights. The ice cream was probably the best. Mmmmm cookie dough.

NC State Fair - Racing Pigs

Here is the first post about about my visit to the North Carolina state fair. This is possibly the coolest thing ever. Racing Pigs and also goats and ducks! Only in NC! It was such good fun. It was packed and they were playing covers but in a country style such as Superstition by Stevie Wonder but with a Banjo... We were loving it.

Then it get all NASCAR getting people pumped about the race. It was pretty cool the guy telling us that they race for cheese doodles (wotsits for us Brits). I tell you they were bloody fast.

The first is of pot bellied pigs and the second is goats. Optional screaming by Andy Simnick. Well enjoy the videos.....

I even got the t-shirt.......

World International Beer Festival

I had the pleasure of attending my first proper beer festival. Well as long as you don't count the effort that they had in the farmer a few years ago or the Sheffield University Beer festival that was meant to last three days and all the beer was gone by 11 on the first night. No this was different, this was classy, this had tickets, a website and over 150 different beers. For $35 (£17.50) it was a four hour all you can drink extravaganza, you even got a special tasting glass. Which is beautifully modeled below, with fiver as people now complain if it's not in the photo.

The festival took place at the old Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which was made famous by film Bull Durham and Kevin Costner. It was cool actually being on the field, but that thought didn't last long as there were 150 beers to try in convenient two ounce servings as to promote 'sensible' enjoyment, just waiting to be.... well enjoyed. The beer was great. Most of it was American, thankfully none of it was Budweiser. American beer is good, Brits do tend to get on their high horse about US beer tasting like pisswater (Americans are also annoying saying that we drink beer warm), but I am sorry to the say worst beer I tasted there was Tetley's. I knew it was going to be bad but I had to for old times sake. Thankfully one of the best was the Black Sheep Hobgoblin. Now that bad boy was for old times sake. I also tried Polish Mead, you know what they used to drink in Robin Hood times. Mead is pretty much bloody strong stuff which is also sweet as it is made from honey. I whole heartily recommend it. It reminds me of a lyric by the Sonics "[It'll] make you jump, it'll make you shout, it'll even knock you out". It got a little hazy towards the end, but I can assure you a good night was had by all.....it ended up in Cosmic with me giving Andy a great (apparently) pep talk, I'm not entirely sure what I said and what it was about but I am told I had a smile on my face so all was good with the world.

It's called football not soccer

I have joined departmental inter-mural football (or soccer as the natives call it) team. Thankfully it is in the recreational league. I think I would look really bad in that league. It's nice to see it though. The name of the post comes from a team name in the other league.

It is nice to see the American's playing the sport the rest of the world loves. Although it's strange that even though many of them love to play it, hardly any people watch it. It does show. We were talking about 'soccer' at lunch the day before my first game and Michelle said she watched a 'kindergarten' game where they just crowded round the ball and kicked it until it went out. Well... it's not that far off.

I have met a few who do watch it. I do probably talk to them far too much in the pub, but then most people probably think of me as 'that crazy British guy'. I know most of my research group do. They even say it to my face, in the nicest possible way.

PS I did score in the last match. Woo hoo.

The importance of speaking correctly

I asked for my hair shaved on the sides and cut short on top. This is what I got....

It was too late, by the time I had realised how short it was. Damn my eyes! I have been tempted to have my hair cut shorter for awhile now. I just guess its forced on me. A change has got to be good eh? It made me laugh for about 10 minutes non stop anyways.