TGIT -Thank goodness it's Thursday is the motto of the Manhattan-ites. I decided to have a little lie-in after the martini-fuelled night before and to prepare for the chaos that normally ensues on Manhattan Thursdays. Later in search for my caffeine fix I managed to crawl out of bed to the nearest Starbucks.
One thing that particularly struck me as true about New York is their thriving dating scene. I recall the countless times I'd be lazing on the couch with my best mates watching re-runs of Friends and Sex and the City and thinking: 'My god. This is such a far cry from reality. Who on earth would get chatted up in a lift, on the subway or in a coffee house?' Now I've realised (and must tell my girls post haste) that getting picked up in a place other than a bar or pub by a sober and seemingly sane man may only exist in fiction in Europe, but it's a pretty frequent occurrence in the Big Apple. On that note, it wasn't long until I had my first friendly chat-up in the Starbucks down the block.
'So this is your coffee?'
'Yep think so.'
'Did I spell your name correctly?'
'Uh yes...'
'It's a very pretty name. And I really like your hat.'
'Thanks'
'What are you up to today?'
In spite of the many friendly and seemingly normal male New Yorkers, there are of course the select freaks dotted around the city. I recall my first day in Times Square at the local pizzeria. His choice of pick-up line, Joey Tribiani's infamous: 'How you doin?'. Does that actually ever work? Sad to say that that unfortunately that wasn't enough to make me weak in the knees, so after a friendly dismissal I rushed to the corner to eat my pizza quietly and at a distance. Now remember how I had mentioned the danger of the New Yorker charm? Combine the deadliness of that with an irresistable Italian smile and you've got the gist of the men in Little Italy.
Being one of the biggest 'Godfather' fans known to mankind, I could not leave Manhattan without paying homage to the home of the Corleone family, especially with the San Gennaro festival going on. For the other Godfather fans out there this is the festival where Vito Corleone kills for the first time and also the time when Vincenzo guns down Joey Zaza - so YES it is an important time for a Godfather fan like me. I wandered down Mulberry St. past cigar stalls, pizza, cannoli and a few 'ciao bellisimas', hoping to find myself a Michael Corleone. Instead I found myself at the annual cannoli eating competition. Six minutes, six contestants and a truckload of cannolis. Who can eat the most in 6 minutes? To add to the excitement, Gianni Russo who plays Vito Corleone's godson (Johnny Fontane) in The Godfather attended as the cannoli-eating competition judge. Oh my god, oh my god... This probably the closest I'll get to the Corleone family EVER. I was torn between awe for Johnny Fontane and disgust for Fat Flash Gordon frantically shoving his 13th cannoli down his esophagus. Containing my disgust I rushed towards the stage after the competition to find Johnny. Yes yes I may sound like a bit of a groupie, but I'm sure my fellow Godfather-followers would've done the same. I shoved my way through the crowd and managed to shake hands and banter a little before having a picture taken with dearest Johnny Fontane. Made. My. DAY.
After all the hype I decided to cool myself off with a glass of Italian red and a real Italian-American pizza. Oh yes, another grease and fat-filled meal for me. When in New York, healthy eating just seems to fall by the wayside for me. And to add to my calorie-packed day, I thought I'd say ciao to Little Italy and head to Bleecker Street to try out the famous Magnolia Bakery muffins before heading out for the infamous Manhattan Thursday Nights.
Side note: I'll be posting another entry for Day 7 just because it was the longest most awesome day/night ever. Go figure... it's Manhattan Thursdays.
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