One of the reasons why I consider 2004 a great year is because I was lucky enough to have been able to celebrate Valentine’s day on top of the Empire State Building. I was with my cousins who lived around the area. We had to fall in line for 2 hrs, just to buy us tickets. Then we had to wait another hour just to get accommodated to the elevators that will service us to the 86th floor Observation Deck. And let me tell you – their waiting area was not that pleasant. Much like how our government offices here. Good thing it was winter, our bodies had absorbed freezing air to last us for an hour or so. As for the rest of the hours of waiting, we had to wait in zigzagging lines amongst the hundreds of people inside some not so ventilated, small, basement corridors that we had to take off one garment at a time just to sustain us some breathing room.
Nevertheless, that crowd was expected. Valentine’s day is Empire State day anyway. Thanks to those Hollywood movies (by the way, I prefer to relate the building more to Sleepless in Seattle rather than An Affair to Remember).
view from empire state (i think this is the brooklyn side)
Considering it was winter, it was one fortunate day that we had 100% visibility on the deck, a clear day – no snow, no fog, but just enough clouds to cover the sun’s glare. A perfect weather for romance. As for me, I am just there for the view.
Romance indeed was amidst that frozen day. On the 80th floor was a wedding reception. Amongst the people falling in line, 80% were couples; the rest are families (like us). We also saw several bride and grooms who took their wedding vow on the deck – I think it was a total of 17 couples that day.
After taking several pictures on the deck, we got in the souvenir shop on the same floor, bought some magnets, shirts, and a penny that was engraved into the empire state logo ($1 token for the engraving machine), took some more pictures then went down to look for a nice restaurant to have lunch.
Oh! I almost forgot, there was also this woman I saw from the deck, dressed on a business suit with a huge red flower pinned on her gray coat, and was pulling with her a suitcase (looking like she just got off from the airport); she was wandering around the deck for several minutes, as if looking for someone. Maybe she was supposed to meet (or elope with) someone there. How romantic! But I wasn’t able to see if she did find who she was looking for, I hope she did.
:)
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Your life is really a movie, if only you’d watch it.
Have you been watching yours?
On valentine's day 2005, i plan to stay near, no... i plan to stay as close as possible ;)
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