Following the suggestion of a dear friend I have decided to post a funny story just to let the world know I am indeed alive, if a tad busy with life!
So, two days ago I was running late as usual on my timetable getting ready for university.
Make-up on, half dressed, hair still wet from the shower but with my backpack already packed from the night before so at least I didn't have to worry about that... Except, I still needed to put the flask with my soup in.
Oh dear! Run to the fridge, choose the soup, warm it in the microwave, put it in the flask and put the flask in the bag.
Almost ready to go now...
Shoes on, hair almost dry, a last touch of lipstick and off I go to pick up the bag.
Up on my shoulders and... why is it so heavy?!? Never mind, must be just that I'm tired!
Eh... did it just move?!?
Right, bag off my shoulders, I notice I didn't close the zipper properly... Opening big enough to allow... No, it can't be... Or maybe yes...
Open the bag... and yes, there HE was...
I found my little stowaway in my backpack!!!
"Were you thinking of coming with me to uni?" I rhetorically asked...
The answer is a loud, proud purr... And of course no movement hinting that he had any intention to come out of the bag.
Sushi, my little monster got so close to get taken into an anatomy lecture today that I really wonder (having already found him once playing with my stethoscope) if he's pursuing a medical career same as me!
Sorry little one, you'll have to stay home for now but I promise to share all my notes with you as soon as I'm home!
DEAR DONA...A life and medical journey...
Thursday 25 February 2010
Tuesday 9 February 2010
You snooze, you lose...
... and in this case it's meant literally!!!
I got news that a group of geeky friends have invented an alarm clock that donates your money for every minute longer you'll spend in bed... oh dear!!!
This clever clock is on sale in the US through ThinkGeek and it has an unpronounceable name such as Sn?zN?z.
It is connected directly to your bank account and, when you buy it, you have the option of choosing who will receive the money and the amount given.
Every time you'll hit the snooze button (the one that allows you to spend a few more minutes in bed before ringing again) sleeping will become expensive and possibly the thought of it is likely to get you out of bed fast!
To maximise the "speed"effect I'd suggest choosing someone you don't particularly like as the receiver of your money, this may really get you on time to that all important date you have with your office desk in the morning... Anything rather than giving money to someone you loathe!
Or alternatively you could choose a charity, and then, maybe, cheekily be able to convince your friends that you're not really a lazy person, you just have a good heart and stay in bed for a good cause!!! ;-)
Good luck with that!!!
I got news that a group of geeky friends have invented an alarm clock that donates your money for every minute longer you'll spend in bed... oh dear!!!
This clever clock is on sale in the US through ThinkGeek and it has an unpronounceable name such as Sn?zN?z.
It is connected directly to your bank account and, when you buy it, you have the option of choosing who will receive the money and the amount given.
Every time you'll hit the snooze button (the one that allows you to spend a few more minutes in bed before ringing again) sleeping will become expensive and possibly the thought of it is likely to get you out of bed fast!
To maximise the "speed"effect I'd suggest choosing someone you don't particularly like as the receiver of your money, this may really get you on time to that all important date you have with your office desk in the morning... Anything rather than giving money to someone you loathe!
Or alternatively you could choose a charity, and then, maybe, cheekily be able to convince your friends that you're not really a lazy person, you just have a good heart and stay in bed for a good cause!!! ;-)
Good luck with that!!!
Sunday 7 February 2010
I did it my way...
When I set off to NY I had great ideas in mind blog-wise...
I was sure I'd get to every evening with so many things to comment on and manage a great post on all experiences.
But as it usually is the case, not all the best laid plans turn out the way you want them to...
Indeed I got to each evening with my head full of ideas but also there was so much more to these two weeks than just telling the world what I had been up to... So many characters I met, many places I saw, many things I experienced (and so much exhaustion!) that it turned out impossible to make an account of every single thing I did during the day...
So I have decided to write posts about random stuff I'd come across and then, only at the end of my stay, make a whole general post about my two weeks in the Big Apple.
Since I didn't want this to sound like a shopping list, instead of mentioning every single place I've been to, I'll tackle whatever I did by feelings... I hope this will make it even more fun for you to read.
To start with I had fun, and loads of it!
Fun because I was with a friend who is like a brother to me and sharing things with "family" always makes them special. We wandered all over Manhattan and a bit outside too, went ice-skating at Central Park and oh it was quite sore when I fell!
Fun when after a 4 hour tour of the Rockefeller Centre, NBC Studios and Observation Deck we finally got out on a different side of the raod from where we went in and looking at the building we didn't even recognise it though we had been in for such a long time!
Fun trying to emulate poses and looks of the Broadway show billboards, taking pictures everywhere, meeting new and old friends for some good NY banter, and definitely fun experiencing the local cuisine. I had a pretzel for the first time and Umby had some cheesecake...
And the inescapable Starbucks that literally haunts every single street corner and that inevitably became our favourite breakfast meeting place.
Fun experiencing the real NY with the best tour guide ever, Laura! She has been such a source of inspiration, laughter and definitely adventure!
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Then we got emotional!
Because of the homeless people in the street, because of the awful "fashion furs" trend that people seem to wear more and more especially in the city, at the poorer areas in NY, at the cold we suffered that made us think how fortunate we were, having to experience it just for a short time while there are people around who have no choice...
Emotional under the Statue of Liberty and its meaning and at Ellis island and all it represents.
In its big lounges it was almost possible to still hear the voices of the people who spent many days there, sometimes weeks not knowing what was going to happen, sometimes being separated from their families, ready to start a new life in a completely unknown place and realising how the "American dream" for many turned out not to be a dream at all...
We got very emotional at Ground Zero, the place where the two twin towers stood once and though they are rebuilding new skyscrapers we could only bare the sight of it for a few minutes and then had to leave...
.JPG)
Then it got serious!
Thinking about the future, where our roads will take us, where we come from... serious reading all the little signs our wonderful God put on our paths. My med-school, Umby's performing career, the hospital, the Lee Strasberg school... What is it going to be? Are we making the right choices and what are we leaving behind?
And then, is it really up to us? Though one still can't help but wonder...
.JPG)
Then it was frustrating!
(...or maybe not too much...) trying to figure out how to get somewhere using the subway which is very straightforward once you understand how it works... though it takes some time to get used to...
And then all the madness every time we got close to any sort of landmark: take off your jacket, take off your scarf, your shoes, your belt, open your bag, stand over here, no, that's too close, go back a bit, don't move, don't talk and sometimes don't even breathe!
"Do you have anything explosive on you?" Erm... let me think... NO!
Go there, come here, show me your passport, ticket and even your eyes...
And then you can get all your stuff back to start the whole thing again just as you go round the corner.
I understand that security is very important and if we did find annoying having to go through all that just a few times, imagine the poor guards who have to say the same thing day in day out to thousands of visitors... No wonder they sound a bit mechanic in their dealings!!!
And last but not least, it was heart-warming!
Thanks to Umby, Laura, Luca, Giorgia, Lara, Silvia, Stefania, Francesca, Tad, the friends at the pizzeria Keste' (who despite the exotic spelling make possibly one of the best Italian pizza you'll eat in NY!)
Their kindness, their friendship, their smiles made these two weeks absolutely exceptional and we already can't wait to go back in July and for a whole month
.JPG)
There is still so much of the Big Apple that needs to be bitten and we thoroughly look forward to it!
I was sure I'd get to every evening with so many things to comment on and manage a great post on all experiences.
But as it usually is the case, not all the best laid plans turn out the way you want them to...
Indeed I got to each evening with my head full of ideas but also there was so much more to these two weeks than just telling the world what I had been up to... So many characters I met, many places I saw, many things I experienced (and so much exhaustion!) that it turned out impossible to make an account of every single thing I did during the day...
So I have decided to write posts about random stuff I'd come across and then, only at the end of my stay, make a whole general post about my two weeks in the Big Apple.
Since I didn't want this to sound like a shopping list, instead of mentioning every single place I've been to, I'll tackle whatever I did by feelings... I hope this will make it even more fun for you to read.
To start with I had fun, and loads of it!
Fun because I was with a friend who is like a brother to me and sharing things with "family" always makes them special. We wandered all over Manhattan and a bit outside too, went ice-skating at Central Park and oh it was quite sore when I fell!
Fun when after a 4 hour tour of the Rockefeller Centre, NBC Studios and Observation Deck we finally got out on a different side of the raod from where we went in and looking at the building we didn't even recognise it though we had been in for such a long time!
Fun trying to emulate poses and looks of the Broadway show billboards, taking pictures everywhere, meeting new and old friends for some good NY banter, and definitely fun experiencing the local cuisine. I had a pretzel for the first time and Umby had some cheesecake...
And the inescapable Starbucks that literally haunts every single street corner and that inevitably became our favourite breakfast meeting place.
Fun experiencing the real NY with the best tour guide ever, Laura! She has been such a source of inspiration, laughter and definitely adventure!
Then we got emotional!
Because of the homeless people in the street, because of the awful "fashion furs" trend that people seem to wear more and more especially in the city, at the poorer areas in NY, at the cold we suffered that made us think how fortunate we were, having to experience it just for a short time while there are people around who have no choice...
Emotional under the Statue of Liberty and its meaning and at Ellis island and all it represents.
In its big lounges it was almost possible to still hear the voices of the people who spent many days there, sometimes weeks not knowing what was going to happen, sometimes being separated from their families, ready to start a new life in a completely unknown place and realising how the "American dream" for many turned out not to be a dream at all...
We got very emotional at Ground Zero, the place where the two twin towers stood once and though they are rebuilding new skyscrapers we could only bare the sight of it for a few minutes and then had to leave...
Then it got serious!
Thinking about the future, where our roads will take us, where we come from... serious reading all the little signs our wonderful God put on our paths. My med-school, Umby's performing career, the hospital, the Lee Strasberg school... What is it going to be? Are we making the right choices and what are we leaving behind?
And then, is it really up to us? Though one still can't help but wonder...
Then it was frustrating!
(...or maybe not too much...) trying to figure out how to get somewhere using the subway which is very straightforward once you understand how it works... though it takes some time to get used to...
And then all the madness every time we got close to any sort of landmark: take off your jacket, take off your scarf, your shoes, your belt, open your bag, stand over here, no, that's too close, go back a bit, don't move, don't talk and sometimes don't even breathe!
"Do you have anything explosive on you?" Erm... let me think... NO!
Go there, come here, show me your passport, ticket and even your eyes...
And then you can get all your stuff back to start the whole thing again just as you go round the corner.
I understand that security is very important and if we did find annoying having to go through all that just a few times, imagine the poor guards who have to say the same thing day in day out to thousands of visitors... No wonder they sound a bit mechanic in their dealings!!!
And last but not least, it was heart-warming!
Thanks to Umby, Laura, Luca, Giorgia, Lara, Silvia, Stefania, Francesca, Tad, the friends at the pizzeria Keste' (who despite the exotic spelling make possibly one of the best Italian pizza you'll eat in NY!)
Their kindness, their friendship, their smiles made these two weeks absolutely exceptional and we already can't wait to go back in July and for a whole month
There is still so much of the Big Apple that needs to be bitten and we thoroughly look forward to it!
Friday 5 February 2010
Limelight
Tonight I made arrangements to meet a few friends for dinner.
It's restaurant week in New York when all the most expensive, most renowned, most famous restaurants open their doors to the "commoners" and for a mere $35 one can get a 3 course dinner. Even though one shouldn't forget to still add the cost of drinks, taxes and tips the experience is well worth it!
So, for such a special occasion I decided to dress up to my best!
Since when I arrived in NY two weeks ago I have been wearing nothing but jeans (safe the suit I had on today at the medical conference) so the pretty and floaty skirt I choose for such a night feels just right.
I put on my make-up, gorgeous dangling earrings, do my nails, a touch a sparkling body cream, black stilettos on and none of these Hollywood actresses has anything on me!
As I start walking down the road I catch a glimpse of myself reflected in the American Eagle shop window and I smile, I look good! And of course the "Italian-from-Milan" princess inside me is fairly content.
I even manage to collect a couple of compliments as I walk towards the restaurant and though of course I don't respond (ladies never do!), I nod in self-approval...
But, as I bask in this moment of happiness, with my head in the clouds, surrounded by the bright lights of Times Square, I completely forget that I am wearing a skirt and walk straight on to one of those subway grids...
Yeah...
You guessed it...
My skirt lifted right up to my head and it took me a while to realise what was going on!!!
So this time instead of a couple of comments I get a full blown applause and cheers from the people who were in Times Square assisting to a charity concert for Haiti!!!
Could I have picked a more inappropriate moment to do such a thing?!? Possibly not!!!
Me being me I'm sure my face (and hopefully just that!) will be remembered for time to come here in the theatre district!
Oh well, I got my 5 minutes of glory in Manhattan, not many people can say that... but I'm back in my jeans already and will stay that way till when I'll get used to the evil subway drafts (or learn to watch where I go!)
It's restaurant week in New York when all the most expensive, most renowned, most famous restaurants open their doors to the "commoners" and for a mere $35 one can get a 3 course dinner. Even though one shouldn't forget to still add the cost of drinks, taxes and tips the experience is well worth it!
So, for such a special occasion I decided to dress up to my best!
Since when I arrived in NY two weeks ago I have been wearing nothing but jeans (safe the suit I had on today at the medical conference) so the pretty and floaty skirt I choose for such a night feels just right.
I put on my make-up, gorgeous dangling earrings, do my nails, a touch a sparkling body cream, black stilettos on and none of these Hollywood actresses has anything on me!
As I start walking down the road I catch a glimpse of myself reflected in the American Eagle shop window and I smile, I look good! And of course the "Italian-from-Milan" princess inside me is fairly content.
I even manage to collect a couple of compliments as I walk towards the restaurant and though of course I don't respond (ladies never do!), I nod in self-approval...
But, as I bask in this moment of happiness, with my head in the clouds, surrounded by the bright lights of Times Square, I completely forget that I am wearing a skirt and walk straight on to one of those subway grids...
Yeah...
You guessed it...
My skirt lifted right up to my head and it took me a while to realise what was going on!!!
So this time instead of a couple of comments I get a full blown applause and cheers from the people who were in Times Square assisting to a charity concert for Haiti!!!
Could I have picked a more inappropriate moment to do such a thing?!? Possibly not!!!
Me being me I'm sure my face (and hopefully just that!) will be remembered for time to come here in the theatre district!
Oh well, I got my 5 minutes of glory in Manhattan, not many people can say that... but I'm back in my jeans already and will stay that way till when I'll get used to the evil subway drafts (or learn to watch where I go!)
Thursday 4 February 2010
The power of the mind
While checking the news form the medical world today I came across this rather interesting article that according to me put things right back in perspective where they belong.
The article explains of a new method used that unlocked communication with patients trapped in a vegetative state. Apparently scientists have been able to reach into the mind of a brain-damaged man and communicate with his thoughts.
The article explains of a new method used that unlocked communication with patients trapped in a vegetative state. Apparently scientists have been able to reach into the mind of a brain-damaged man and communicate with his thoughts.
This state of awareness was also detected in other patients who had been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state.
Without going too deep into the mechanics of this system it is sufficient to say that the method uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging that shows brain activity in real time.
It was thought till today that patients in a vegetative state are awake, not in a coma, but have no awareness because of severe brain damage.
A control group was asked to do some basic motor "imagery" association such as imagining to play tennis or imagining to be just roaming the streets.
As different parts of the brain are activated when we do vigorous movement and when we don't the doctors associated the tennis game with a "yes" answer and the roaming with a "no" answer and were able to make contact with the patients who then managed to answer several questions this way.
Besides considerations on the fact that this method will be able to allow communication with patients on what way to go with their future treatment, it also opens the doors to deeper considerations such as termination of life.
Too many times the life-aiding machines are switched off because it is thought that there is nothing else to do. Too many times communication with the patients is given up because we can't understand what is being said... Out of 60 patients tested with this method, 43% were able to communicate (with 100% success in accuracy of their answers interpretation)
So, though it's still early days, though research still needs to be perfected and pursued, this just goes to show how quick sometimes we are in dismissing the power of our mind!
Without going too deep into the mechanics of this system it is sufficient to say that the method uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging that shows brain activity in real time.
It was thought till today that patients in a vegetative state are awake, not in a coma, but have no awareness because of severe brain damage.
A control group was asked to do some basic motor "imagery" association such as imagining to play tennis or imagining to be just roaming the streets.
As different parts of the brain are activated when we do vigorous movement and when we don't the doctors associated the tennis game with a "yes" answer and the roaming with a "no" answer and were able to make contact with the patients who then managed to answer several questions this way.
Besides considerations on the fact that this method will be able to allow communication with patients on what way to go with their future treatment, it also opens the doors to deeper considerations such as termination of life.
Too many times the life-aiding machines are switched off because it is thought that there is nothing else to do. Too many times communication with the patients is given up because we can't understand what is being said... Out of 60 patients tested with this method, 43% were able to communicate (with 100% success in accuracy of their answers interpretation)
So, though it's still early days, though research still needs to be perfected and pursued, this just goes to show how quick sometimes we are in dismissing the power of our mind!
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Overheard in New York
One has to love New York and its people... There is such a variety of ideas, cultures, backgrounds and humour that it is almost impossible to go around town and not pay attention to conversations of those passing by, especially if like me you love to learn the local "stuff".
Yesterday has been a day full of jems... I heard a few more but these four really put a smile on my face.... I'm sure it'll be just the same for you!
Black guy on the street: Hey girl! You lookin' fine... I'm gonna do things to you... Yup, lots of... things!
His friend: Like, what you gonna do to her?
Black guy on the street: Things man, I said things!!
- In Union Square
Dad: Don't tell me what to do, you're not the boss.
Little daughter: You're not the boss too!
Dad: Then who's the boss?
Little daughter: Obama is the boss!
- At 46th & 7th
Older lady to a little barking dog: Shut up! This is not your sidewalk!
- In Times Square
Middle-aged woman: So, is she like, skinny pregnant?
Friend: Yeah, she looks like a model
Middle-aged woman: Good! There is just no excuse to gain weight during pregnancy!
- In Starbucks at the Rockefeller Centre
Yesterday has been a day full of jems... I heard a few more but these four really put a smile on my face.... I'm sure it'll be just the same for you!
Black guy on the street: Hey girl! You lookin' fine... I'm gonna do things to you... Yup, lots of... things!
His friend: Like, what you gonna do to her?
Black guy on the street: Things man, I said things!!
- In Union Square
Dad: Don't tell me what to do, you're not the boss.
Little daughter: You're not the boss too!
Dad: Then who's the boss?
Little daughter: Obama is the boss!
- At 46th & 7th
Older lady to a little barking dog: Shut up! This is not your sidewalk!
- In Times Square
Middle-aged woman: So, is she like, skinny pregnant?
Friend: Yeah, she looks like a model
Middle-aged woman: Good! There is just no excuse to gain weight during pregnancy!
- In Starbucks at the Rockefeller Centre
The new Alcatraz
The name Alcatraz brings to mind the famous prison holding the most dangerous criminals and from which allegedly it was impossible to escape.
With this in mind it is possible to see why scientists have chosen this name for an encyclopedia that analyses all bacteria causing hospital infections.
This idea of listing all characteristics of every single bacterium responsible for hospital infections started at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. They decided to catalogue the DNA sequence of each and every single bacterium in such a way that it will be possible to compare it with those already present in a database. This process will be fundamental in helping to understand the history of the infection and what caused it.
In this way it should be easier to decide what antibiotic to prescribe to cure the infection as some bacteria have now developed a high resistance to some of them.
Many pharmaceutical companies are also adhering to this program to help create antibiotics able to wipe out any sort of infection.
This however is only one of the options that university research is exploring...
Another breakthrough discovery arrived from the university of Parma, in Italy, where researchers unlocked the principle behind dental caries sequencing the entire bacterium responsible, the Bifidobacterium dentium. It was hard to understand how a bacterium that is normally located in the intestine could survive in the oral cavity: by analysing its genes, it was seen how instead it could metabolise sugars in the saliva and resist to the active ingredients of toothpaste and cause damage to the teeth.
From all of these researches was born Alcatraz - the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea. Ideally this encyclopedia will manage to list all microorganisms present on the earth collecting data on each one's DNA...
One would hope that security would make it more difficult to "escape" from there than from the real Alcatraz!
With this in mind it is possible to see why scientists have chosen this name for an encyclopedia that analyses all bacteria causing hospital infections.
This idea of listing all characteristics of every single bacterium responsible for hospital infections started at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. They decided to catalogue the DNA sequence of each and every single bacterium in such a way that it will be possible to compare it with those already present in a database. This process will be fundamental in helping to understand the history of the infection and what caused it.
In this way it should be easier to decide what antibiotic to prescribe to cure the infection as some bacteria have now developed a high resistance to some of them.
Many pharmaceutical companies are also adhering to this program to help create antibiotics able to wipe out any sort of infection.
This however is only one of the options that university research is exploring...
Another breakthrough discovery arrived from the university of Parma, in Italy, where researchers unlocked the principle behind dental caries sequencing the entire bacterium responsible, the Bifidobacterium dentium. It was hard to understand how a bacterium that is normally located in the intestine could survive in the oral cavity: by analysing its genes, it was seen how instead it could metabolise sugars in the saliva and resist to the active ingredients of toothpaste and cause damage to the teeth.
From all of these researches was born Alcatraz - the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea. Ideally this encyclopedia will manage to list all microorganisms present on the earth collecting data on each one's DNA...
One would hope that security would make it more difficult to "escape" from there than from the real Alcatraz!
Runner up, and up, and up...
If the thought of a broken escalator fills you with dread you may consider staying away from the race I'm talking about!
Today people from 19 states and 17 different countries met in the lobby of the Empire State building for the annual Run-Up race from the foyer to the Observation Deck located on the 86th floor. The race covers 1576 steps... Now, I don't know about you but when sometimes the elevator in my building is broken I really don't relish the idea of climbing the steps to get to the 5th floor... But to the 86th?!? This event isn't really calling my name out loud!
This said it is quite typical of the extremes you can encounter in a city like NY where anything is "normal" and everything moves at such a pace that it takes a while for your head to stop spinning.
There was no shortage on New Yorkers who completed this race under intriguing circumstances and my appreciation goes to Ginette Bedard who completed the race in only 22:35, Ginette is 76, of French origins and she apparently just said "Oh la la!" once she finally reached the top... what a legend!
Safe for emergencies the ESB's staircase is only open once a year on this occasion so the runners always race through stale air and with a cloud of dust at every step. Considering how freezing and humid the air is at the 86th floor the runners end up racing into a big cloud and all remarked how wonderful that is.
This is an invitation only run and people wishing to participate should contact the New York Road Runners Club stating they wish to join... As much as I'm in awe of the people attempting the race, something tells me that I won't look up their number anytime in the near future though...
Today people from 19 states and 17 different countries met in the lobby of the Empire State building for the annual Run-Up race from the foyer to the Observation Deck located on the 86th floor. The race covers 1576 steps... Now, I don't know about you but when sometimes the elevator in my building is broken I really don't relish the idea of climbing the steps to get to the 5th floor... But to the 86th?!? This event isn't really calling my name out loud!
This said it is quite typical of the extremes you can encounter in a city like NY where anything is "normal" and everything moves at such a pace that it takes a while for your head to stop spinning.
There was no shortage on New Yorkers who completed this race under intriguing circumstances and my appreciation goes to Ginette Bedard who completed the race in only 22:35, Ginette is 76, of French origins and she apparently just said "Oh la la!" once she finally reached the top... what a legend!
Safe for emergencies the ESB's staircase is only open once a year on this occasion so the runners always race through stale air and with a cloud of dust at every step. Considering how freezing and humid the air is at the 86th floor the runners end up racing into a big cloud and all remarked how wonderful that is.
This is an invitation only run and people wishing to participate should contact the New York Road Runners Club stating they wish to join... As much as I'm in awe of the people attempting the race, something tells me that I won't look up their number anytime in the near future though...
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Every girl's dream!
This afternoon, my friend Laura and I had to go and personally check out the 18th Annual Hot Chocolate Festival at the City Bakery.
I have to say that us girls did it out of the major sense of duty that drives us, going to sacrifice our line to gain knowledge on this very important event and spread the word.
Since 18 years, almost every day of the month of February there is a new flavour of hot chocolate (only 3 flavours are repeated) lovingly prepared and offered to the public...
To my surprise (NOT!) the majority of the people in line for the tasting were girls...
To my surprise (NOT!) the majority of the people in line for the tasting were girls...
Here is this year's list of days and flavours:
1st - Lemon
2nd - Chili Pepper
3rd - Chinese Cinnamon
4th - Espresso
5th - Ginger
6th - Banana Peel
7th - Caramel
8th - Vanilla Bean
9th - Earl Grey Tea
10th - Moulin Rouge (pomegranate, espresso, dark chocolate, lemon)
11th - Tropical
12th - Bourbon
13th - Milk Chocolate
14th - Love Potion
15th - Vietnamese Cinnamon
16th - Hi Ho Pistachio
17th - Milk Chocolate
18th - Darkest Dark Chocolate
19th - Creamy Stout
20th - Happy
21st - Sunken Treasure
22nd - Ginger
23rd - Arabian Nights (cinnamon, liquorice, cardamon, pepper, coriander and a variety of tea leaves)
24th - Ode To The Polar Bear
25th - Beer & Brown Sugar
26th - Shangri-La
27th - Banana Peel
28th - Festival Finale (TBD)
2nd - Chili Pepper
3rd - Chinese Cinnamon
4th - Espresso
5th - Ginger
6th - Banana Peel
7th - Caramel
8th - Vanilla Bean
9th - Earl Grey Tea
10th - Moulin Rouge (pomegranate, espresso, dark chocolate, lemon)
11th - Tropical
12th - Bourbon
13th - Milk Chocolate
14th - Love Potion
15th - Vietnamese Cinnamon
16th - Hi Ho Pistachio
17th - Milk Chocolate
18th - Darkest Dark Chocolate
19th - Creamy Stout
20th - Happy
21st - Sunken Treasure
22nd - Ginger
23rd - Arabian Nights (cinnamon, liquorice, cardamon, pepper, coriander and a variety of tea leaves)
24th - Ode To The Polar Bear
25th - Beer & Brown Sugar
26th - Shangri-La
27th - Banana Peel
28th - Festival Finale (TBD)
If you are wondering about some of the favours such as Ode to the polar bear or Sunken treasure they are a mystery to me as well... :-S
On arrival we are greeted by chunky marshmallow curtains... I have never seen a marshmallow that big and wonder what would ever happen to them if I dared taking them home to my furry kitty friends... something tells me they wouldn't last long (and yes, I'm referring to the curtains not to my pests...)
That's quite fascinating though possibly not very practical to keep...
The bakery is big and it's starting to get crowded. It's that time of the day when a cup of tea (in this case of hot chocolate) is a need more than a want and people coming out from their offices, or in town for any reason, would think it a good idea to join the queue for a gulp of this rich, thick and perfumed treasure to warm the soul.
Today it's Lemon Hot Chocolate day and my brain rebels at the idea of anything citrusy mixed with anything milky but I also think that it must be something worth trying if it's the flavour chosen to open the festival... After all, one wouldn't want to scare the clients away on the first day!!!
So Laura and I shoot a quick video with our cameras at the entrance for Laura's Blog and get in.
Laua's blog is in Italian but, if you have even a basic understanding of the language, it's well worth a visit as all of NYC best hidden secrets are revealed!
Laua's blog is in Italian but, if you have even a basic understanding of the language, it's well worth a visit as all of NYC best hidden secrets are revealed!
We immediately notice the TV crew of Channel 4 news on site to report the event, this must be really good!
We join the line of people waiting and finally, when after a very long while a lady comes to ask us if we still had to pay, we realise that we were standing in the wrong spot and completely skipped a massive queue extending all around the main counter on the other side of where we were standing... I know this may sound typical Italian but this is actually typical of Laura and Dona... no bad intentions, just a bit ditzy!!!!
We order our chocolates and I say yes to a marshmallow because I belong to the school of thought that if one has to sin, the sin has to be worth to be committed!
When the cups arrive this is what we see:
The marshmallow in my chocolate is a white brick, same as the one they used for the curtains. Should I eat it? When I finally decide to pull it out from the chocolate my fingers feel the softness of the texture, my nose smells the very distinctive vanilla perfume it gives off and when I bite into it, it just perfectly melts in my mouth... I have never tasted anything like that... and to top it off it starts to offer me a bit of that lemon flavour my hot chocolate is supposed to taste of.
And I'm surprised... very pleasantly I must say!
Against all odds, lemon and chocolate marry extremely well, the drink is soothing, a bit exotic and I do polish the mug till the very last drop.
Unfortunately I have to go back to the UK on the 6th February but if the rest of the month is anything like today I may even consider go plea with Air France to move my departure date to the 1st of March and beg my classmates to take notes of all the medical lectures I'd miss during the month... After all life is made of priorities and who could ever deny that something like this is every girl's dream?!?
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