Nosy Parker - who was this Italian sensation?

[DianaCox]

Charles and I went to Monterey for a quick 24 hr vacay a couple of days ago. We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. Suddenly a group of about 25 Italian tourists eating dinner on the other side of the restaurant swarmed over to our side - there was a very nice looking man about 40 years old, dark hair and beard, having dinner with his wife and three elementary-school aged kids. Suddenly, the man was standing up in front of the small stage in front of us (where a jazz duo was playing), and pix were being snapped - group after group took pix with the guy. They kept pestering him when he went to sit down to eat with his family.

Old and young - all the tourists were SO excited to have their pic taken with this guy. He was really well built - I though perhaps a soccer player? Maybe a movie star? A recording artist? Anyone have any guesses who it could have been that all ages of Italians would be beside themselves to have their picture taken with?

 

[Whit]

Nope I am very nosy and would have asked one of the tourists and regardless of embarrassing my husband I probably taken a picture with him too.

 

[newanatomy]

No guesses from me.

I do have a funny story like that though.

When I was young, maybe 19, thin and blonde, my husband worked as the food and beverage director at a hotel. The owner invited us to his home for a dinner he was throwing for a group of Japanese travelers at his home. The travelers all wanted their picture taken with me! They wanted to show their friends at home the tall (I am only 5' 8") blonde American girl, I guess. Wild.

 

[JackieOnLine]

Diana, I have no idea - I think I might have asked, I'm Mega Nosy.

4K - that is hysterical!!

 

[brooklyngirl]

OOOOO! I have a funny story too!
I was in mainland China while writing my master's thesis on the healthcare system there. The hospital provided me a surgeon my age to translate, escort me around town and a car and another guy who was our driver. While driving we got in a fender bender. The driver got out and a heated exchange ensued, the police came and joined in the shouting. Then all the neighborhood people wandered over and got involved too. A crowd of at least 75 people were standing in the roadway, yelling at each other. All the while the surgeon and I are sitting, waiting in the backseat. He got out and went over to speak with the police and other driver.

All of a sudden the crowd became totally silent and every one of them turned around at once to stare at me in the car. The surgeon came over to the car and asked me to step over to the crowd because they wanted to meet me. Everyone was staring, and talking excitedly; people started to run home. They came back with their cameras (pre-cell phone days) and started posing with me for photos.

The surgeon whispered to me that the driver could lose his license and his job if he got a driving ticket from the police so the surgeon told them I was a famous American movie star, Rosie O'Donnell. After nearly 45 minutes of posing for pictures, I wonder how many Chinese photo albums I am in.

That is one of the funniest things I've ever heard! You and @newanatomy are big time celebrities with the Asians! LOL

 

[DianaCox]

Both stories are too funny!

I did try to ask our waiter - he diplomatically lied his face off and said it was nobody, just Italian tourists being friendly. Suuuure.