Two Englishmen in New York

The thing I love most about travelling is that you are completely out of your comfort zone. Everything is different – the money, the cost of things, the people, culture, shops and restaurants. Slowly but surely you suddenly recognise streets and start to know your way around, you get more confident with directions and ordering things and now Mrs Woog and I feel like we have been here for months. We are such shy, retiring petals…

We are most certainly making the most of it – soaking up each moment and opportunity that comes our way. On Thursday night we were at a fancy place on the Upper East Side called Quality Meats and while we were waiting for our table and having a drink at the bar we got chatting to a lovely English man – let’s call him the Hedge Fund Manager – because he is one. Travelling on business and his dinner companion cancelled at the last minute it didn’t take us long to ask if he wanted to join us. I’m not sure he knew what he was getting in for sitting down with two half pissed mouthy Australian housewives but he was very kind and funny and charming, in the way that the English are. At the end of the meal he asked if we would join him again the following night with his friend for dinner because we were “so refreshing and FUNNY”. Mrs Woog quickly pointed out to him that he was not going to get action from either of us and he was still keen? He was. Excellent! A dinner with new friends in a town we don’t know? Um DER.

So that’s how we found ourselves down at the Meat Packing District on a balmy Friday Summer’s evening. As you do. The age limit down there was substantially lower than the other places and the clothes tighter. We met at a bar first (called Revel) where I quickly worked through the last bit of Thursday’s hangover with two Prosecco’s (I drink that stuff so often that it’s like water to my body) and were introduced to Hedge Fund Manager’s old friend from London who lives in NY Ugo. Ugo was potentially one of the funniest men I have ever met. Again charming and FUNNY. And easy on the eye.

After drinks we walked two blocks to our restaurant for dinner called Abe & Arthur’s where we had a reservation made. Someone made a reservation for us!

I made Ugo stand outside of Hugo Boss and take his snap explaining to him that it was going to go on the blog. Told you so…Hi Ugo!!

The restaurant was quite fancy. Traditional American style food heavy on the steaks and with BIG menu’s. They like big menu’s over here. Hedge Fund Manager busied himself with the wine list again (he’s a bit of a wine wanker and Mrs Woog and I quite liked paying him out about it). I’m not sure ANYONE has ever paid him out about anything much, and he quite liked it. Maybe this was the refreshing part?

Someone ordered some lobster cakes to start with. I ordered something called “Beth’s Meatballs” because of the name but they were quite disappointing and meatballish.

This was Ugo’s fancy roast chicken.

And my fancy sea bass. It was delicious.

Hedge Fund Manager went with steak. So much steak in New York!

And then we all shared a dessert which was an outrageously good peanut butter cookie with ice cream on top. Yuh HUH.

We sat and laughed and chatted non stop about our lives, and kids, our husband’s and wife and ex wives. Instead of just Mrs Woog and I sitting out together somewhere and Ugo and Hedge Fund Manager sitting together somewhere else, the four strangers from different parts of the world all had a riot of a time – making memories that will last a life time.

We went out afterwards to a bar because Ugo wanted a dance. As soon as we entered the bar and ordered a round of drinks and the POINTER SISTER’S started playing – bang! The dancing began. Dead set, the cool DJ was playing retro music for the cool young one’s, but we were in our element because it was daggy music that WE LOVE. Winning! I asked Ugo what he would usually be doing on a Friday night and it was the same as me and Mrs Woog – watching TV. We all decided to live it up (well all of us except the Hedge Fund Manager who goes out all the time in London). Next thing we knew in walked two of the hottest chicks who we started talking to (of course we started talking to them) and what do you know? They loved us! OF COURSE THEY LOVED US. Hedge Fund Manager was quite pleased with the turn of events and prospect of chatting them up – but they were only interested in chatting with Mrs W and I and of course pumping it out to Gun’s & Roses (Yep, the cool DJ played Gunners AND Acca Dacca too – we were in heaven). The two beauties turned out to be a famous Australian model Geo Bourke a delightful girl from Brisbane who is here working as a model. She allowed me to gush over her and stroke her pretty youthful face while her cool mate Kaela Humphries laughed at me. After a while chatting it came out that her brother was Chris Humphries, Kim Kardashian’s ex husband, and I let her tell me everything she could about them. I nodded and smiled, danced and stroked her youthful face too. She laughed and me and danced. It was quite awesome. I think they thought we were refreshing too. By refreshing I mean that there aren’t usually drunk Australian housewives dancing to Guns and Roses in there on a Friday night. We are just the breath of fresh air this sultry city was after!

When the DJ allowed my last request for the night (I convinced him the song to see the night out should be Fleetwood Mac’s Thunder…BAM he agreed!) and 2am came around Mrs Woog and I bundled ourselves into a cab laughing and singing all the way home, and then all the way into bed.  I can’t remember as random or as fun a night as the one that we had with our new friends. All of them. Actually, anyone who gets in our path in this fine city.

That’s what travelling is about to me. New experiences. New cities. New friends. New memories.

Comments

  1. Loving getting up and reading the latest episode of Mac & Woog do NYC. Loving your photos. 🙂

  2. I’m not sure I’ll have the energy to do New York your way, but I’ll try!

  3. Can I please come along on your next trip? I don’t mind where you and Mrs. Woog are going, I will go anywhere!
    I have a passport and I love prosecco!
    I am so glad you guys are having such a great time! And I love reading all about it!
    Mother Down Under

  4. You can’t make this stuff up x Love every word and photo!

  5. Ugo said you go and I said no, you go! You girls go … off! X

  6. Sounds so fun … where can I place my registration form to do a ‘I heart NYC’ trip with you gals.!
    Love the spontaneity & serendipity of your encounters.
    I am sure there will be many many retellings of this tale from HFM & Ugo too 🙂

  7. Beth your accounts of your trip are BEYOND awesome. I feel like I am a fly on the wall, pissing myself laughing at the antics of you two charmers!

  8. I am loving these stories, strangers in a strange land are so much fun and great to see a pic of this infamous Englishman!

  9. I have not laughed so hard in weeeeeks!!! Love you gals. So proud that you requested a bit of Stevie magic!!! X

  10. Bloody awesome you two.
    xo

  11. Love the Hugo Ugo snap. Brilliant!
    Fleetwood Mac – awesome! Xx

  12. Hilarious. Loving these updates and living vicariously through you both!

  13. Awesome awesome awesome
    Puce with envy
    AWESOME!

  14. Ok now I NEED to know what Kalea said about Kris & Kim – next time we cross paths expect to be bombarded by me 🙂

  15. That is amazeballs.

  16. Anonymous says

    You two are the best.
    Best sort of fun, ever and in NYC too!
    I so love New York

  17. I’m with Hilary, sign me up for the tour group. Great post. And just quietly Mrs W is looking stunning in that last photo! She does hangovers and jet lag ridiculously well!

  18. Have been offline for a few days and wondering what you two have been getting up to. Pleased to see you’re exceeding my expectations!!! Keep enjoying!

  19. Mmmmmm Hedge that fund manager my way!!!

  20. I love the energy in this post !

  21. Anonymous says

    I’ve met Geo before, she’s lovely! She’s with the same plus size agency as me – Bella! Haha, small world! 🙂 Your cuz Liv xx

  22. What a perfect night! Hope the Hedge Funder’s sent private jets for you to holiday with them in places like Mustique.x

  23. Sounds like you’re having an awful time! Good on you. Have some food/dancing for me too!

  24. Well that all sounds just completely cool lady friend. Any night that ends in dancing has got to be a good one. But making new friends in a new city, that is very impressive. You girls are owning that city xo

  25. What a fun night. Next time can this little Irish girl tag along too?!!! You two are mad fun!

  26. What a fun and random night…travelling is such fun!

  27. OMG I’m dreaming of New York (and planning for next year) decided to go for a walk down your memory lane.. I love this post..

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