Yes, black and white people in the Memphis area don't mix all the time, but on this 14th of Nov, I've noticed several ways on how all Americans can come together, whatever their color:
-Graceland, first stop of the day, after a night in the car 60 miles South of Memphis (-2C outside, 7C in the car).
Situated on the well named Elvis Presley Boulevard, this super kitsch Mansion holds a lot of personal object from the king, from bling bling costumes to private jets (which had to be sliced to be towed from the airport to the home of "Elvis Presely Entreprises", ruled by Elvis' daughter).
It looks like Disneyland, and the license plates on the 10USD car park tells you the King still lives in many American heart.
- Shooting, whatever their gender, social/racial origins, Americans shoot (I've witnessed the whole American society in the shooting range, from white collar to black woman speaking with a terrible southern accent), a lot: "The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) in the United States is 101.053 1 firearms per 100 people", so I wanted to know if one would like to lend me a gun for a couple of hours, in order to celebrate the soon 50th birthday of Kennedy's death... (THIS IS A JOKE). I've googled "shooting range memphis" and found one not that far: for less than 100 bucks, I've been able to test a pistol and a semi automatic with 150 rounds, without showing my passport... My hands smelt gun powder for hours, but this didn't ring alarm in airport dust detector...
Very weird feeling, the most disturbing thing is the sound, so loud, even with earplugs (and no, they hadn't target not with human silhouette...). This is my 6th stay in the US, and the first time I had the opportunity to go to a shooting range.
- like every one (black and white) I've crossed the Mississippi on a steel bridge
- I've meet as well the whole American society along the mighty river (who was walking the dog, jogging, walking with kids...), while strolling on my scooter to take gorgeous pictures of the sunset
- The Memphis Rock'n Rill museum explains how the farmers, black and white, were made redundant with mechanization after WWII, and how Memphis gathered these people who had few but their rural songs with them, and how it catalyzed the creation of Jazz, blues, Rock'n'roll
- 19h00, it's time for the Basket ball game in the Fedex-sponsored stadium, and the whole city population gather around its team:
with this Typical US mix of food & entertainment.
The Memphis Tigers won 95 56:)
- I was starving, so I joined the BB King Blues Club in the famous bar&restaurant street for a nice Salad with a live band... AWESOME
-they both have gated communities... ok, not the same: for white with nice little fountains with spectacular view on the Mississippi (imagine Wysteria Lane... ok, that's it), the black in the suburb close to the Memphis Airport (Home airport of Fedex, the National Guard C17's and served by several commercial carriers... noisy...). I've finished to pack my stuff at 1h30, slept in a car close to the airport, for a flight to ATL at 7h30 in the morning, but that's another story...
-Graceland, first stop of the day, after a night in the car 60 miles South of Memphis (-2C outside, 7C in the car).
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| Sur la route de Memphis... (merci Eddie) |
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| Who can say E.P.doesn't look gay ? |
It looks like Disneyland, and the license plates on the 10USD car park tells you the King still lives in many American heart.
- Shooting, whatever their gender, social/racial origins, Americans shoot (I've witnessed the whole American society in the shooting range, from white collar to black woman speaking with a terrible southern accent), a lot: "The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) in the United States is 101.053 1 firearms per 100 people", so I wanted to know if one would like to lend me a gun for a couple of hours, in order to celebrate the soon 50th birthday of Kennedy's death... (THIS IS A JOKE). I've googled "shooting range memphis" and found one not that far: for less than 100 bucks, I've been able to test a pistol and a semi automatic with 150 rounds, without showing my passport... My hands smelt gun powder for hours, but this didn't ring alarm in airport dust detector...
 |
| 50 rounds later |
- like every one (black and white) I've crossed the Mississippi on a steel bridge
- The Memphis Rock'n Rill museum explains how the farmers, black and white, were made redundant with mechanization after WWII, and how Memphis gathered these people who had few but their rural songs with them, and how it catalyzed the creation of Jazz, blues, Rock'n'roll
- 19h00, it's time for the Basket ball game in the Fedex-sponsored stadium, and the whole city population gather around its team:
- I was starving, so I joined the BB King Blues Club in the famous bar&restaurant street for a nice Salad with a live band... AWESOME
-they both have gated communities... ok, not the same: for white with nice little fountains with spectacular view on the Mississippi (imagine Wysteria Lane... ok, that's it), the black in the suburb close to the Memphis Airport (Home airport of Fedex, the National Guard C17's and served by several commercial carriers... noisy...). I've finished to pack my stuff at 1h30, slept in a car close to the airport, for a flight to ATL at 7h30 in the morning, but that's another story...
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