One of the great things about New York is that you don't even have to go beyond Grand Central Terminal to see the world. The world comes to you.
In addition to the world's commuters and tourists using the facilities to move about the region, shop, gawk, or body block me en route to my train, many international travel bureaus use the Great Halls to publicize. There was a Turkish display which I missed completely, but more recently Northern Ireland had a presence in the Hall. If you look carefully (and squint) you can see a replica of the hull of the Titanic through the cathedral spires and domes. The display had multimedia components, but my favorite part was the actors dressed up as if they were passengers from various steerages. Nothing throws you off more at 10:00 am on a Saturday though, than seeing a Lady glide across the floors in full jet-black Edwardian garb. I had to blink and look away, then I had to check to see if I was the only one seeing her. Grand Central is haunted, you know, and I wouldn't have been too surprised if it was an apparition. I was that tired. Nope, it was just one of the actresses after a cuppa!
At another end of the hall was the performing stage. Wouldn't you know we got there in the afternoon as the fiddlers and dancers were performing. (Which reminds me, when is the Scottish contingent coming to NYC? Me needs some more men in kilts!)
I just liked the view here, but let me tell you, the Hall is so vast and the lighting so odd, that even with a flash, this doesn't always photograph well. See what happened when I tried to take a picture of Jane? 
The flash issue came up again when I surreptitiously tried to take a picture of this Asian gentleman with a fabulous Mohawk and British inspired Punk outfit. He had Union Jacks on the front of his skin-tight leather pants, and what looked to be bones on the back, complimented with a leather jacket, wallet-chains, piercing, and other appropriate accoutrement. Definitely not the "normal" commuter type that you see Monday-Friday during rush.With a flash, the picture didn't quite come out. Without the flash, my camera just couldn't hack it. (It's probably a combo of my camera and the Terminal Lighting). He was there alll day. I kid you not. Jane and I left GCT at 10:30 am and came back by about 6:00 pm and he was still in the same place. I was not the only photographing him, and he didn't seem to have anything to do with the Northern Ireland Exhibition.
He wasn't the strangest thing I saw on the commute recently. That would be these two playing "music" for money.
Cookie Monster says: Can I Haz Commuter Cash for COOOOKIES?
I've seen this crew before. They pop up in various spots around the subway and in various outfits. Who know where they'll be next and in what garb?
Finally, on my normal evening commute through GCT, I catch different trains from different tracks, depending on the time. One of these usually goes out of track 102A, downstairs, where there is a sign pointing out the obvious-- that you have to take another stairway to get down into the bowels of the station to the train track.
Every time I see the sign that says "STAIRWAY" the song "Stairway to Heaven" pops into my head. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
I'm apparently not the only one.
Some one who carries around a Sharpie and Post-Its caved into our mutual conditioning and relabeled it.
I noticed. I stopped, backtracked, and dug out the camera. I documented. I grinned all the way down the stairs and on to the train. I think the conductor thought I was nuts. (No comments from the peanut gallery!)
The Post-its were still up the next morning.
I wonder for how long?
Stay tuned for more pictures of the crazy commute that the day in the life of Auntie Nettie. Coming sometime!
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