New York, Full of Surprises

Washington Square Park

One of the things I love about living in NYC is how full of surprises it can be. Not too long ago, my husband and I decided to take a long walk from Greenwich Village up to midtown. Along the way, we walked through Washington Square Park, admiring the arched structure even though we’ve seen it numerous times before. It was a bustling scene there, made all the more lively by a street artist playing the piano in the middle of the square. Everything was hunky dory. Then BAM! A few minutes later, our senses were assaulted by the sight of strangers without pants loitering around in Union Square. It was the annual “No Pants Subway Ride”, and some brave souls had dared to shed their pants and their inhibitions to parade about in the biting cold. We laughed at what was a provocative yet comical scene in front of us. A few feet ahead, we came upon a group of Hare Rama Hare Krishna devotees sitting on the pavement and singing spiritual songs. They urged passerbys to denounce material desires and worldly goods to reach a higher moral and spiritual consciousness.  And around the street corner, you would have found a girl looking a lot like me, posing in front of a brick wall and forcing her husband to take pictures of her for her blog. The irony of the situation was not lost on us. Ah New York, what a contradiction you are. Never dull, never expected.

Street artist playing the piano in Union Square

No Pants Subway Ride

Blouse and belt from Target; Military jacket from Macy's; Purse from Nine West; Skinny jeans from Old Navy; Bow flats from Terminal 21 Bangkok