WHAIWHAI NY Starts to crystallize. Of course, it’s something we’ve been working on for a while. We’ve been busy for months developing the content and the platform and organizing the whole thing. But until now it was all so theoretical. New York seemed so far away – not just geographically speaking. It’s another world, so different from what we, working at the Ca’ Tron farm in north-east Italy, are familiar with.

Then off we went for a full week in the Big Apple to discover the stories, observe the places, find enigmas and clues, make contacts and build relationships. So, here is a log of our experience in the States. Um, it’s not exactly written in prosaic style, partly out of laziness, partly so we wouldn’t bore you. Anyway, here’s…

Fabio’s Journal

Monday

Venice airport. Did you pack your luggage yourself? Business or holiday? Take off those shoes, welcome on board, blanket, pillow, awful movie, nodding off, Kennedy, long line for passport check, digital fingerprints, the arrivals hall (why are they always so dreary looking?), taxi, Jamaican driver, drives like he’s in a race, wide streets full of potholes, skyscrapers, the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan apartment, Andrea, the Gizmodo guys’ crib, first purchases, historic pizzeria, the bitter end, beer and live music, really really tired.

Tuesday

A little blue between the clouds, Starbucks, Greenwich Village, Washington Square, Gay Street, feeling groggy, walking, stories clues and enigmas, walking, buildings, signs, Mexican food, Chelsea, more walking, statues, bas-reliefs, peeing at Starbucks, must’ve walked 20k, legs are hurting, Viva Skype and video calls, some spaghetti at the crib, relaxing, nighttime. So far the stories have been really nice, the places are fascinating.

Wednesday

I wake up to rain, late start, line at the Apple Store, suddenly it’s sunny, spring-like, more streets, more big buildings, more enigmas, peeing at Starbucks, Midtown, meeting, more miles on foot, Taddeo, interesting conversations, perspectives, a beer, Japanese food, really old brewery, the cracks in the sidewalk, rinsed mugs, a beer turns into two, St Mark, cheerful, excellent stories, excellent places, looks like WHAIWHAI NY’s gonna be cool, sleep.

Thursday

It’s spring, intense blue sky, spring weather, the Empire, Macy’s, crowds, Times Square, more crowds, St Patrick’s, everything’s green, lots of Guinness, parade, a green carnival, peeing at Starbucks, seeing more places, hearing more great stories, more enigmas, more mysteries, Madison Square Garden, everybody’s eating, the game, cheerleader interludes, announcer who never shuts up, ’Melo Anthony, brewery in Soho, finished checking out the places, found material for the enigmas. WHAIWHAI NY’s gonna be real intriguing.

Friday

It’s spring in NY, downtown, financial district, the new WTC is growing, Wall Street, Battery Park, the ocean, short sleeves, Statue of Liberty down there, Brooklyn Bridge, Little Italy, Chinatown, Soho and Greenwich are bustling, shopping, Mexican basement, margarita, the bitter end, rock ‘n’ roll, sleep.

Saturday

Sun, lots of sun, windy, a bit cooler but no one seems to notice, Central Park, rappers dancing, horses, the zoo, musicians playing on benches, it’s in and outside the city at the same time, Upper East Side, lavish houses, shorter buildings, no fast food, Italian bakery, expensive stores, the Met, Italian lutists, subway, a medium-rare steak.

Sunday

Takin’ it easy today, get up slowly, blue sky in the background, a stroll in Soho, High Line Elevated Park, Chelsea Piers, il molo, comical attempt at golf by the river, young American soccer players, the skaterz, 34, MoMA, last-minute shopping, new friends, Oficina Latina, to bed for the last night here.

Monday

Rain, gray sky, packing bags, taking notes, farewells, bye-bye New York.

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Here’s what my mind brought home from New York:

size: wide streets with huge holes, big cars, big bellies, big muscles, huge buildings, so many people, so much space but it’s always full, I feel so small.

consumer culture: everything’s a shop window, stores upon stores, one fast food joint after another, bar after bar, this city is the heart of consumer culture

the public good: it feels like paradise that public property is for everyone and no one. Clean parks, clean public bathrooms, trash actually in the trash cans, order amid chaos, there’s a sense of common property that Italians can only dream of, New Yorkers love their city and they convey that to you

speed: Everything changes so quickly – that used to be a president’s house? There’s a store there now. They’re constantly looking towards the future, maybe too much in some cases, but it helps explain the economic results.

service: the concept of service is very strong. In public places, stores and offices, people are welcoming and willing to help. As soon as you open a map, someone passing by asks if you need help.

the obvious: this place is full of obvious things. Signs that state the obvious and explain the obvious. Everything’s got rules and protocols. As if they don’t want people to have to bother thinking about certain things so they can concentrate on other things.

Italy: The Italy brand is priceless here. Everyone uses Italian sounding names for products to make it seem like they’re better quality. Good food often gets Italian names, even if prepared by Pakistanis. Coffee has Italian names, luxury fashion items have Italian names, and restaurants have Italian names, though the owner may not even know where Italy is.