First of all thank you for taking some of your precious time to read. I really appreciate it.Second of all, I would like you to know more about me. I was born in The Western most country of Africa called SENEGAL, where also were born Akon, Youssou Ndour, Cheikh Anta Diop, Leopold Sedar Senghor,(google them lol) and today lives about 11 million people. It's known everywhere as the "country of hospitality". The official language is French BUT we have about a dozen different dialects spoken there. It's such a beautiful Eden for those who like beaches, nature, and friendly people, at a very affordable cost. New York City was not the 1st place i thought of to move to. It was so high in the ladder that it was the top above the wall. Yet Faith I believe brought me here 13 years ago. I spoke English, but fairly well. As soon as I step in this land, Everything was the size of unreal. Every step was done with my big mouth wide open. Every day remains an undescriptable heaven like moment. If words can describe things, they can't do for the sensations and dreams roaming in my mind still. The air was filled with challenges, and the time ran twice faster than any other place I have ever been before. The diversity of the population was an equation for someone who came from one of the multicultural places in Africa. As years passed I was an immigrant, then New Yorker, now I am licensed sightseeing Tour Guide ( nearly impossible to even think about it 15 years ago ). A love story started and the title is: NYC PASSION
01- 02nd 2010
Be part of history
You need emotions, to create sensations ; once the sensations are deep you get Passion. It's easy to hate what you love . Oh yes the line is thin. The problem with NYC, is anything that you hate is loved, cherished by almost everyone, or to be simple it's Lovely. Looking for love is a daily task for a human; most of our actions contribute to that end where everyone loves us more than us. Some seek that through power, money, or fame. We must be loved by any means. So we look for our lover everywhere and if you are somewhere you only get what they offer. However when you arrive in NYC you find it All waiting, charming, calling for you, as you become part of the treasure hunted. It is a feeling that makes you comfortable right the way. So you are confident tracing paths of all of these immigrants that sang the fabulous stories of the "American Dream". And as a NYer you are blessed to make, participate, witness or narrate HISTORY that the World crave to hear or read.
01- 03rd 2010
Cold Happiness
It's another day in NYC, COLD, as many people who came originally from the other side of the hemisphere have never felt back home (like me). Everyone shares this temperature below freezing. I wish we could get used to the cold . It doesn't really matter much whether or not you just arrived in NYC or lived here all your life, the feeling don't discriminate: it's Cold. I meant brutal; the kind where you don't want any part of your body exposed, where liquid are no longer liquid outside, where it burns after long exposure where your toes or fingers cold block your flow of thoughts, where you are never going to think about having a tan, barbecue or sun bath. You can tell everyone gained weight with all the extra clothes but still walking like you are climbing Mount Everest.
With all of this, there’s still a bright light through NYers face. Not the one of this "non heating sun", but the pleasure of knowing who you are, what you represent and most of all where you are: NYC. Years have passed, winters or summers will come harsh, never really to please but extreme; it doesn't matter how hard they are a NYer never back down. All survival techniques are put in place to brave the weather as it is the least of the equation (being common), on how to make it. The happiness of people is unbeatable by a seasonal factor. So instead of having life stopped because it's Sunday morning and it's cold, residents go to church, to the grocery get newspaper, shopping, visit a friend, jogging, walk the Brooklyn bridge, museum, and of course as always to Work in the Cold happiness of a regular winter day in NYC
The King of our kingdom, the Emperor of this Empire State, married to our beloved “Liberty Enlightening the World", what couldn’t The Empire City be separated from : The Empire State Building
Can people undestand, this stand in the heart of the Big Apple? Let’s review it together for a better prospective. It all started when the wealthy family Astor couldn’t hold on to a beautiful two-buildings Hotel : Waldorf-Astoria; an amazing palace for who could afford its luxuries.
The big depression had just hit the world and to write the least, money wasn’t around. That land on 34th St near 5th avenue sold to the new owners, the idea was to be realized. Building a skyscrapper in a record time ( on the plans 1 year 6 months ). History was then to begin with Al Smith and his workers.
On March 17th 1930, construction of the Empire State Building began. Under the direction of architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates, and a peak labor force of 3,000 men, framework rose at a rate of 4 ½ stories per week
Every resources needed for the work was gathered at hand reaching distance if possible otherwise delivered every morning. 600 workers hired daily, divided in groups of 4 to be hired and or fired. 250 people at the same moment waiting on the sidewalk for work. If the “Sky Boys” Needed water to drink, it was up, needed lunch, it was up; toilets even were up in a time where our sophisticated computers weren’t available with a record week where 10 floors were built. So they came to work everyday even if they were sick or exhausted they would still come to keep the job for the other members of the group.
In those conditions the work continued until May 1st 1931, the Empire State Building was inaugurated as the Tallest building in the World. Having inside 68 elevators ( now 73 ) and 186 miles of steel, while made of limestones from Indiana the new Art Deco was constructed in the Record Time of 410 days for 102 floors (1 year 45 days), a record still held. It stayed the World’s tallest building at 1,454 feet - (1,453 feet, 8 9/16th inches) or 443.2 meters to top of lightning rod- from 1931 to 1973 with the completion of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
Of course Al Smith had problems after the construction of so much office space inside the ESB in a time where work was most needed. A big part of the brand new building was Empty up to the point the New York Times used to refer to it as ” The Empty State Building". To answer to that the President of the Corporation of the ESB hired a group of people to turn on some lights at night inside so everyone will think that it was well occupied.
The best help arrived as a savior in 1933 with the movie ‘KING KONG’ .It brought back the tower to the highest of its fame
Another creative way to make our nights brighter looking up since 1932 lights on top and from 1976 with colors and over the years changing them for all special occasions. For exemple Green for St Patrick’s Day, Blue-White-Red on Independance Day .
In 1945 at the end of World War II, an Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber plane crashed into the 79th floor of the building in dense fog, killing 14 persons including the pilot who thought the tower was just 1000 ft or shorter. the incident took place in the morning.
Another amazing fact is The building’s dirigible mast (now the base of the TV tower) was originally designed as a mooring mast for Air blimps (unfortunately because of several unsuccessful attempts and the volatile wind conditions at 1,350 feet, the idea was ultimately abandoned).
Since 1986 it is a National Landmark, a title that i think it should have been given as a world’s landmark knowing it’s the most famous skyscrapper.
An Emperor always stands tall , even after a hit, he manages to make people trust the way he celebrates every good they do or have. It’s a Symbol.
All visitors everyday except certain holidays have between 8 am and 1:15 am the following morning everyday to go visit the observation deck at the 86 th floor and depend on the season with a little more money the 1o2nd floor. As many tourists want to go up i recommend you go online and get the express pass to avoid the long waiting lines of a beautiful summer day.
It’s imperative for any New Yorker or visitor to say i have visited the Empire State Building
Now i love this next video it’s short but it’s powerful. . a Lightning Strike Empire State Building
Just as Powerful that strike can be my love for this iconic building, i can’t describe it all i wish i could, but i hope you can understand this stand of The Empire State Building.
. It doesn't really matter much whether or not you just arrived in NYC or lived here all your life, the feeling don't discriminate: it's Cold. I meant brutal; the kind where you don't want any part of your body exposed, where liquid are no longer liquid outside, where it burns after long exposure where your toes or fingers cold block your flow of thoughts, where you are never going to think about having a tan, barbecue or sun bath. You can tell everyone gained weight with all the extra clothes but still walking like you are climbing Mount Everest.
For exemple Green for St Patrick’s Day, Blue-White-Red on Independance Day .
