Empire State of Mind by Jay-z & Alicia Keys

   
 Listen to ME while you read
   All of these pictures are from separate days. We have spent two days in NYC and one day in upstate New York visiting family.

 (Above)   This is Lincoln Center. Apparently, the fountain didn't used to go up that high. I guess its a new installment but I like it. I ended up standing on the other side when it got really high. That way, I got wet which was so incredibly nice.

(Below) Headed to upstate NY. It was so beautiful up there. Mountains, greenery, and wildlife. I never saw a bear though which was disappointing.

Below is a picture of Grand Central Station and the Chrysler building. We went inside Grand Central to find the "whispering wall". That endeavor is pictured below. Pretty much, one person stands on one side and whispers at the wall. Someone else stands on the other side and can hear it. It is pretty crazy because it sounds like a voice is coming out of the stone.

We decided to ride a tram that goes over to Roosevelt Island. We had no real purpose to be there but the views were very pretty.

Below is the Brooklyn Bridge. It took us about twenty or thirty minutes to cross on foot. There are two lanes. One for bicycles and the other for pedestrians. I became very angry after a while because everyone seemed to think they were the only people on the bridge and the most important people in the world. They would stop to take pictures or walk four wide so no one could get past them. That kind of shit drives me absolutely crazy. Other than though, it was a nice walk. hehe Later, we had ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and looked out at Manhattan.

War House is a play on Broadway that really cleaned up at the Tony Awards this year. It was nominated for five Tony's, including "Best Play", and won all five!

   It was a very interesting play but the things I liked most about it had little to do with the story line. Don't get me wrong, it was heart warming. But this is definitely for animal lovers. If you like to watch movies like Free Willy or read books like Where the Red Fern Grows, than you will love this play.
   I enjoyed watching because of the technology. Every "horse" was puppeteered by three people. Two people stood inside the metal body to make its legs move and one person stood outside moving the head, eyes, and ears. That person was really who brought the horse to life. I think they must have studied every movement a horse makes. Eventually, you stopped watching the puppeteer because he was in a costume the same color as the horse and also blended in with the period (in this case, 1912-1916). If someone walked up to the horse, it moved back and cocked it's head like it was nervous. It galloped. It did everything exactly like a live horse. It was quite incredible to see.
   My absolute favorite part was the way they dealt with the language barrier. See, the play takes place during a war that included England, Germany, and France. Yet the entire play was written in English so we could all understand. So when a German and French man came up to one another, they both spoke English in their appropriate accent but would say things like, "I don't understand you! I don't speak German!" It was hilarious to hear both sides of the conversation because that really is how we react when we speak a different language than the person we're talking to. We start talking louder... and using crazy gestures... and yes, it can sometimes help get the message across. But let's face it, you're both still saying words the other person does not understand.
    All in all, it was a beautiful play that I would recommend to just about anyone. I took this next picture during the curtain call (Shh! I wasn't supposed to take pictures in the theater).The long, white thing that looks like a ripped piece of paper was used to project "backgrounds", dates, or other things to make the play come to life. It was very innovative because that wouldn't have existed in the time period the play took place. Yet, it made scene changes very quick and left quite a bit up to imagination. The only set pieces they really used was a lone door, which represented an entire house that the audience had to imagine. Also, three or four people (dressed in period attire) would hold long sticks to add a fence around horses. It sounds weird when I describe it, but it was really very natural.

 When we got home that night, I noticed a weird rash on both of my legs. This happened last year too after we went into the city. It isn't a heat rash because it wasn't very hot that day. I think it probably has to do with germs, cleaning products, or the fact that my skin is just incredibly fair. If you have any ideas to what it could be, let me know! Also, if you have any questions about War Horse or the sights I've seen, just ask below in the comment section.