Episode 7
St. Louis
Good Morning All Ye Faithful!
For those of you who are familiar with James Hadley Chase,(Yes, you could start a book at Delhi & finish it by the time you reached Ambala Cantt.i.e. or Dhuri, if you wish!), all his protagonists are either ace reporters or photographers, gone to seed, yet, masters of their art, with their ear to the ground. And they hang out at places where you got the cheapest bourbon & greasy, oily, dripping-with- chilli hot dogs/burgers! My connection with the truly American burger/hot dog began with JHC.
I have been chasing this dream of putting down a couple of these, washed down with Bourbon, as they call it. My last visit to the Land of Plenty was a disappointment with regard to sinking my teeth in these culinary masterpieces. We travelled coast to coast, but like the Holy Grail, the HD was elusive.
Till last week! Right under our noses, the Creve Coeur parish held a Carnival
(Fun Fair to the uninitiated natives) and would you believe it, there was this stall, selling all things banned by the health inspector, with the Good ole Cheese Burger & Hot Dog high on the list. For 2 $ apiece, it was too much of a temptation, not to yield to. And another 3$ for a cup (read Lassi type glass) of Budweisser (on tap), what more could you ask for? Boy, my trip was made & sad memories of the last visit, washed away by the first gulp of Bud Light! This was the typical Bar-be-Que spit, on the lawn, with an apron-clad chap tossing the burgers with practiced ease. And of course, there was a wide choice of dressings, starting with relish, sauerkraut, onion, ranch & mayo!!It was a typical community affair, much as we have in our colonies/societies, except that you wouldn’t find the ‘panditji’ asking you for a glass of beer! (Here, the pastor was the chief host!) So, stalls selling eats, clothes, gifts etc. & all the proceeds going to charity. Good fun. And of course, the various rides, carousels etc.
As regards the ‘wash’, I just picked up a ‘Wild Turkey’, 101% proof. Brother, was the gobbler a real cobbler. Finest Bourbon from Kentucky.
(Fun Fair to the uninitiated natives) and would you believe it, there was this stall, selling all things banned by the health inspector, with the Good ole Cheese Burger & Hot Dog high on the list. For 2 $ apiece, it was too much of a temptation, not to yield to. And another 3$ for a cup (read Lassi type glass) of Budweisser (on tap), what more could you ask for? Boy, my trip was made & sad memories of the last visit, washed away by the first gulp of Bud Light! This was the typical Bar-be-Que spit, on the lawn, with an apron-clad chap tossing the burgers with practiced ease. And of course, there was a wide choice of dressings, starting with relish, sauerkraut, onion, ranch & mayo!!It was a typical community affair, much as we have in our colonies/societies, except that you wouldn’t find the ‘panditji’ asking you for a glass of beer! (Here, the pastor was the chief host!) So, stalls selling eats, clothes, gifts etc. & all the proceeds going to charity. Good fun. And of course, the various rides, carousels etc.
As regards the ‘wash’, I just picked up a ‘Wild Turkey’, 101% proof. Brother, was the gobbler a real cobbler. Finest Bourbon from Kentucky.
The weather has not been too good last couple of days, but the week-end has seen a sea change, beginning last night (Friday) with showers that cooled the air, bringing the temp down from 95 F to 68 F, this afternoon. We have just returned from a short picnic, if you can call it that, from the local Creve Coeur Park.
I think I mentioned it in my earlier mails, but this is a vast, beautifully wooded area, lovely roads & small covered & uncovered sit-outs. So, with SMT(‘sasta, mazboot tikaoo) Chinese, something like what our Nepali/Garhwali ‘chefs’ churn out, and a hamper of Samuel Adams beer, we spent a lovely day playing cards,( music of course) and God, not playing spoil-sport, overcast sky but no rain, birds all over, their presence noted only due to their songs and the occasional White-tailed deer, passing by you, within stroking distance. I could feel Sherwood Forest. (Except that there were Red deer in Sherwood!)
We headed for home around 4:30 and after a most welcome cup of Tea, generally flipped out, each one in his/her own chosen way. Jenny back to work, Kalpana for walk, following which, she & Janu raided a few of the Malls, and yours truly, reliving the 60’s, with a string of Clint Eastwood ‘Spaghetti Westerns’.
I think I mentioned it in my earlier mails, but this is a vast, beautifully wooded area, lovely roads & small covered & uncovered sit-outs. So, with SMT(‘sasta, mazboot tikaoo) Chinese, something like what our Nepali/Garhwali ‘chefs’ churn out, and a hamper of Samuel Adams beer, we spent a lovely day playing cards,( music of course) and God, not playing spoil-sport, overcast sky but no rain, birds all over, their presence noted only due to their songs and the occasional White-tailed deer, passing by you, within stroking distance. I could feel Sherwood Forest. (Except that there were Red deer in Sherwood!)
We headed for home around 4:30 and after a most welcome cup of Tea, generally flipped out, each one in his/her own chosen way. Jenny back to work, Kalpana for walk, following which, she & Janu raided a few of the Malls, and yours truly, reliving the 60’s, with a string of Clint Eastwood ‘Spaghetti Westerns’.
Early dinner & to bed. This has been a short one, keeping in mind, ‘If brevity is soul of wit…..!’
So long folks. Keep watching the space on your monitor, for the next episode of my Ramblings. Till then, as they say, TC & keep J
Ashok Gune (10 June 2011 in commemoration of completing One month’s stay!)
P.S. One oversight in my “When Nature Calls”. The poet in question (‘Leisure’) is William Henry Davis & not Hillaire Bellock. My corrected draft has the right info. I goofed on that, but.. “Insaan akhir galti ka putla..etc.
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