NYC Week 3!

Sunday I decided to be the laziest. I laid in bed for way too long watching Law & Order SVU.  I finally made it outside the apartment and explored a little more of the city with two other students from school. In a city like New York, there's so much to see every way you turn so it was great to be able to see more. I also tried out a new wide-angle lens on my camera which has since taken some great shots.

We started by Grand Central where we saw Pershing Square.  I will HAVE to try this breakfast spot sometime during the next few weeks!

Pershing Square - The busiest and best breakfast in New York

We then headed towards the United Nations where we say some damage from the Hurricane.  Next to the UN there is this beauty of a globe.

Globe at the United Nations

A city like New York also inspires some deep thoughts on occasion.  Seeing all the cars speed past at night was one of those moments.  No matter what's going on in your life, the world keeps moving so try to keep up!

Gotta keep moving cause the world never stops

Monday was just a typical day.  We finally were able to return to work and really get moving on our project.  After a full day back in the office, I was too tired to do anything else.  

However Tuesday was Election Day!!! I hade voted a month ago with an absentee ballot since I wouldn't be in my hometown all day but I was super excited to find out the results!  Once polling sites began closing across the country, I headed out with a few friends to see the city and most importantly go to Rockefeller Center, which was lit up as "Democracy Plaza" for the night.

Empire State Building

The first thing we spotted was the Empire State Building specially lit up for the night.  Normally when the Empire State Building lights up, there are three horizontal layers of lights.  However, they made it SUPER special this night but doing three vertical stripes!

We then walked North to get to Rockefeller Center and on our way saw the New York Public Library.  With the lens I bought on Sunday, I snapped this picture.  I'm absolutely in LOVE with the lens!

New York Public Library

After seeing those two beauties, we finally made our way to Rockefeller Center.  It was absolutely beautiful.  It looked so patriotic but it also showed the deep divide in this wonderful country of ours.

The photo on the left shows the plaza as a whole while the photo on the right shows the Rockefeller Center tower.

The crowd would cheer each time a state had enough data to project a winner and it was as though there was a bar graph on the building.  Each candidate had something like a window cleaner cart with their name and the current point estimate on it.  As they were projected the winner of a state, the number on their cart would be updated and the cart would raise to show the relative position of the candidate compared to the needed total and the opponent.  The picture below is of the moment that Obama was projected the winner of the presidency and the cart was raised. 

Obama reaches 270

It was a moment that I can't quite explain.  With this being the first presidential election I could vote in, I felt accomplished (strangely, I mean what did I really accomplish? I filled out a ballot? Great job! You can fill in a bubble!), excited, but potentially most important, nervous.  While the majority of the people were cheering (New York City being a fairly democratic area) I knew that around the world, country, state and city the reactions would not be quite the same.  No matter who ultimately was elected, the country would be divided and it really is going to take some great effort to get people to compromise and do what's right to get America back to where it should be.  Where we are now is not one or two people's fault. We all must take accountability.  If you don't have the money, don't spend it.  It's basic accounting for each citizen AND for the country.

Okay, my rant is over now. 

Oh, and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were all lazy again.

<3 have a fabulous weekend!