Betelnut wisdom. Bizarre but true…

by DJay Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:47 am

Betelnut wisdom. Bizarre but true…

My sources in shady places inform me of an American who was having breakfast one morning in a Dhaka hotel. (Coffee, rusks, bread, butter and jam) When a Deshi Babu, chewing betelnut supari, sat down next to him. The American casually ignored the Babu who, nevertheless, embarked on a conversation.

Babu: ‘Americans eat the whole rusk, crusts and all??’
American (in a bad mood): ‘Of course’

Babu: (after gobbing a huge red patch next to the yankies feet) ‘we don’t. We only eat the insides. Crusts we collect in a container, recycle them, transform them into rusks and sell them to the states as delicacies.’ The Babu has a smirk on his face. The American listens in silence.

Babu persists: ‘Do you eat jelly (jam) with the bread and rusks??’
American: ‘Of course’

Babu: (cracking his betelnut between his teeth and chuckling,)’! We don’t. Here we eat fresh fruit for breakfast, then we put all the peels, seeds, and leftovers in containers, recycle them, transform them into jam and sell the jam to the states. Tee Hee Hee! Just then the American stood up in a rage: I’ve had enough…’

Before he could finish, his face turned beetroot red and abruptly clutching his chest (and nether regions) he hit the deck. The shocked Babu immediately came to his aid as a small crowd gathered, whilst the American continued to turn darker shades of red. Somebody suggested mouth – to – mouth resuscitation. Babu, blaming himself for the collapse, and desperate to make amends dived in.

After several attempts the American seemed to thankfully return to normal. He sat up groggily: ‘Babu, thanks for that, especially since you widely contributed to that scene. I’ve know got chunks of slimy betelnut remnants in my mouth, but hell who gives a Dunkin Doughnut, I’m living and I’ll be damned if I complain’ he sneered. ‘It’s not betelnut’, replied Babu, ‘I forgot to tell you I’m suffering from bronchitis’

^ brokentooth