Next month I’ll be in Providence, Rhode Island, for a weekend break.

On the off chance you’re browsing the Internet and a) stumble upon this site, 2) are from Providence and iii) want to do a dinner interview during the weekend of Friday April 23 to Sunday April  25, click here to book a dinner.

Margarita Pracatan, the Cuban singing sensation with a better grasp on joie de vivre than your average French person, remains one of my favorite strangers interviewed for this site. I first saw her back in the UK in the mid-1990s on a television show hosted by raconteur/author/critic/everyman Clive James, and now she’s received a warm mention in James’ most recent volume of his ongoing autobiography.

In “The Blaze of Obscurity” — well worth a read even if you’re unfamiliar with James — he has generally kind words for this special woman who has made New York City her adopted hometown. These sentences ring particularly true:

She was even more exuberant when she wasn’t singing than when she was. . . . The connection was purely Platonic but the guys had to eat amphetamines to stay with her. . . . With Margarita in our lives, we could never relax — a frequent result when you finally meet your dream girl.

I tend to agree. Whenever I’m in New York I try and meet up with her. When 3am rolls around and I’m bleary eyed and can feel the onset of a headache from too much white wine, she’s still raring to pour another glass and keep on laughing, talking and singing.

I’m always looking to meet out-sized personalities for an interview, so if that’s you, or someone you know, feel free to book a dinner.

Time for some good news.

Apparently Ralph Archbold, Philadelphia’s most well-known Benjamin Franklin impersonator, is on the mend following his stroke last year.

Regular readers of this site (hello mum and dad) will know that a little under a year ago I interviewed Ralph over dinner in the City of Brotherly Love. It was depressing to hear about his stroke in June, but according to this article and accompanying video he’s on the road to recovery. Hoozah.

Today’s dinner with a stranger is actually brunch with a stranger. But I felt that “Brunching With Strangers” was an awkward title for a website, so I’m going to say that, technically, the meal I had counts as a dinner. Right? Right.

Anyway, by clicking here you can read about Teresa Suarez. I met up with Teresa last month at a tea shop in Manhattan, where I quizzed her about the three jobs that keep her busy — primarily her work selling adult novelties.

Here’s the third and final (mercifully, I’m sure) video of Margarita Pracatan and I attempting various festive songs. I know it’s a little out of date. This time round we’re singing “Feliz Navidad” with two key elements. First, we’d had quite a lot of wine by this point. Second, neither of us knew the words.

Pretty fantastic, yes? Hmm. Perhaps don’t answer that question. Anyway, apologies for getting the video up after the festive season. I’m sure you’re heartbroken. A real dinner interview update is coming next week.

Hello again!

Hope you had a good time over Christmas. Later this week I’ll be uploading the rather belated third festive music video I recorded with Margarita Pracatan. In the meantime, a short update on my travel plans this year.

I’ve updated the list of places I intend on visiting in 2010. Take a look and if I’m going to be visiting your location, then get in touch and book a dinner with a stranger by clicking this handy link. Or not. It’s entirely your call.

I’m heading home to England for Christmas and won’t be updating this site until 2010.

I know, you’re devastated. But stop the sadness and dry your tears because I’m leaving you with a splendid festive gift. Here’s the second of the three recent videos I recorded with Cuban singing sensation Margarita Pracatan — it’s our stellar attempt at “Merry Christmas” late one Saturday night in New York.

Another update? Oh my!

Here’s another dinner interview, this time in New York City with actor/teacher Jack Freiberger. Click here or here or even here (hint: all the links lead to the same place) to learn about his work developing a one-man stage show (running off-Broadway until January) that merges both the acting and educating worlds.

Back from another weekend in New York City and two fun interviews.

More on the first of those two interviews later this week, but in the meantime enjoy this video that I made with Margarita Pracatan during last weekend’s visit. Yes, I reunited with the Cuban singing sensation from my interview almost exactly a year ago. Two bottles of discounted white wine later and I was up for singing some Christmas songs to get into the festive spirit.

Behold the first of three videos, our rendition of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” for your listening pleasure. Ahem.

Let me work some magic…abracadabra, here’s a new interview!

This time I’m back in Washington, DC, for an interview with magician Michael Chamberlin. Click on the picture above or that link in the preceding sentence to learn about this Maryland-born magician, and also to watch a rather splendid video of a nifty magic trick he performed after dinner.