Martini Manicures

Thursday evening I experienced another “first” down under, except this time in the world of bar and pub experiences. My mate Sara has a book which contains a bunch of free and cheap activities to do in Sydney. This book has become our tourist bible. One activity that caught my eye was called “Martinis and Manicures” -- two of my favorite things! It claimed that there was a bar in Sydney that gave free manicures to any patron who purchased a martini. It sounded too good to be true. However, one click of the Google search button confirmed that this remarkable freebie did exist at the Chamberlain Hotel (hotel, remember, is aussie lingo for bar). Their website advertised: Purchase a martini and receive a free manicure on Thursdays after 5:00 pm. Thursday just happened to be my only evening off this week. I looked at my nails. They had seen better days. Nail polish was one of the many items discarded from my suitcase in an effort to “cut-down” my packing. I looked at Sara and Aubrey. They looked at their nails and back at me. A simultaneous group nod confirmed my hearts greatest desire (at that moment) - we were going to “Martini Manicures” on Thursday.

Thursday evening happened to be a rainy one in Sydney, perfect for sitting inside, unwinding with a cocktail and getting pampered (for free! That’s what makes this all so exciting). Based on the hotel’s website, I had envisioned walking into a classy establishment that had a manicure room separate from the bar where we would take our cocktails with us to get our nails done. Thus, I was slightly surprised when we walked through the doors to find ourselves standing inside just another pub, full of male patrons downing pints of beer and backpackers chowing-down on platters of fish ‘n chips. I approached the bar tender to inquire about where the martinis and manicures event was taking place. She pointed behind us, “Right there. You can buy your drink here and then get a number there.” I looked behind me. Literally arms distance away was a woman setting up here manicure space on a table in the center of the bar! I did a double take. This  was it? Disappointment began to settle in, but I hadn’t waited with anticipation all week to not get a manicure, so I ordered a glass of wine (turns out you didn’t have to order a martini, any drink would do) retrieved my number and took a seat at a nearby table with the girls. We were sitting in a bar full of patrons (who were un-phased by what was going on, mind you) waiting to get a manicure at a station set up smack-dab in the middle of the bar. The absurdity of the whole situation began to set in right about now, as the aroma of nail polish remover, beer and chips mingled in my nostrils. I began to laugh. Only in Australia would this exist, and only in Australia would people think it normal. There is absolutely no way that the states would allow something of this nature due to sanitation laws. Just imagine the possible scenarios. For example, you’re sitting with your glass of beer and someone’s nail clipping soars through the air and lands in your drink. So foul!

But I put my sanitation worries behind me and got that manicure. And let me tell you, it was one of the more enjoyable manicures I’ve had.  I was expecting her to slap some paint on my nails an send me on my way, but she actually performed a complete, legitimate manicure on my hands including an incredibly relaxing hand massage. And normally when you get a manicure you sit there bored with nothing to do but stare at walls. But here, in the bar, there was an unending amount of people-watching to be done. So I was quite content. And my nails look fabulous. And all I had to do was purchase a $7.00 glass of wine. Thank you Sydney for being so bizarrely cool.

What's On This Week: Football, Booze...Oh And Free Manicures @ 5PM