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.

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 - 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.......

North Carolina BBQ

I have just been for my first real North Carolina barbecue, here and here are web links just in case you like me had no idea what it is. And here is what it looks like. It's good proper southern cooking, which means its pretty bad for you, but tastes good.

Sorry for cheating on the photo but will get a real one soon. It was good though. A lot of pig was involved. I mean a lot. I had a plate and it was half a pound of meat. I had the 'pulled pork' with BBQ beans, sweet potato fries and hushpuppies. It was really good. And it only cost $10 or 5 sheets for y'all back home.

The 'pulled pork' is just a lump of roast pork that has been spiced in the North Carolina style, which I guess to most people in the UK is just BBQ sauce or a variation on that. Hushpuppies are fried dough and are really bloody good, and can be seen at the bottom of the picture. I really recommend cutting some sweet potato up and sticking it in the chip pan because they were so nice. BBQ bean are pretty self explanatory, kinda like baked beans and BBQ sauce but not as they were a different type of bean. You can also get loads of other random sides such as potato salad and coleslaw. Oh yeah and a big vat of BBQ sauce just in case you needed more.

My view is that it is a take on the good old hot roast pork sandwich, but with a spicy kick. I had one of the ways you are meant to eat it. The other way is in a sandwich, where you have it with coleslaw and potato salad. So that is very much like a HRP. Which reminds me of the fantastic HRP I had on Bramall Lane, which consisted of HRP, stuffing, apple sauce and roast potatoes.

El Gigante

So an introduction to 'el gigante'. 'El gigante' is found in Banditos, and is not for the weak of stomach. It is a giant burrito, which is Spanish for 'little donkey'. I'll tell you one thing, there is nothing little about this bad boy. I came to be sat in front of 'el gigante' because I stupidly said to Andy 'yeah that sounds like fun' while drunk. I think it is important to keep your drunken promises, well maybe not the 'I'm going [insert chain of swear words] kill you, you [rather longer chain of swear words]', but the stupid ones are always good. Also I guess it is part of American culture to eat a meal where you win a t-shirt if you finish it.

So there we were, three brave warriors, who had been starving themselves for days (well that lunchtime Chick-Fill-A sandwich was just a snack....hmmm maybe it wasn't the best of ideas) sat down to take their place in Durham history. When the waitress was talking about it, she did it in a hushed voice that you get when people are talking of a legend. Life was not going to be the same after this burrito. Here it is with a UK size comparison.


Here it is compared to Andy. I guess it is scary it is actually bigger than him.


This was a really good burrito to start with.


It kinda got a little painful.


But I wasn't alone.


Maybe not for Dong Woo.


Dong Woo finished first and was eying up everyones plate. He didn't even break a sweat.


I came second. It was a tough finish. The sour cream nearly got me.

Strangely the American came last....

But we all got our t-shirts and our picture on the wall. The staff were so excited that we finished. They even had to go and get batteries for the camera.


A few words of warning kids. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. I was in the safe hands of Americans who know what they are doing. Although, I couldn't think till about 5pm the next day. It was pretty tough those last few bites. I really did think I wasn't going to make it at one point. Not long after I really did regret making it. Sleeping wasn't great and it did take me four hours to eat a sandwich the next day. Looking back it was really funny and hey it saved me having to buy food the next day.

It really was worth it as I got to wear the hat.....