Far Out Bout
Kate skated in last weekend’s roller derby bout, scoring a ton of points and winning over NW Arkansas. I made it on the KC Star’s website in their photos section.
Matt and Ryan watching the bout. Photo: Steve Yates
Indy Car Race
I went to my first, and possibly last, Indy Car race last weekend at the Kansas Speedway. About half way through the 200 laps, I realized the race is much more exciting if you pick a drive and cheer for them. I picked Danica Patrick because I’ve paid for more of her advertising than any of the other teams in the race (GoDaddy.com). She finshed 11th place, but made a nice comeback in the final laps from around 20th place.
One highlight of the day – we got to ride around a drift track in a 2010 Mustang. A large tobacco company, who can’t advertise in public anymore, hosted the event for “smokers” so they couldn’t be blamed for trying to recruit non-smokers. After signing my life away, and providing 100% accurate personal information, I was sitting in the passenger seat sliding sideways across the pavement.
Sushi
Kate and I took a crack at making sushi for Valentine’s day. Instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, we find an incredibly complex recipe and spend the afternoon/evening cooking. Time well spent, and a tasty product at the end. I had made sushi before in college, but it wasn’t as elaborate as this time. We spent an hour and a half just making the rice! Luckily Kate brought home a sushi for dummies book from the library, and it guided us through all the steps.
Sushi Pics
From the left: Shrimp Nigiri, cucumber roll, spicy tuna battleship pieces, spicy tuna, spicy crab
India part 4 – Mysore Palace
For my last weekend in India, 5 guys from my team and I went to nearby Mysore to visit the large palace. We had breakfast along the way, where I had some of the most tasty Indian food of my trip. A quick stop at a summer home of an important warrior (who really remembers the details!), a drive past the local catholic church, and then we arrived at the palace. Of course my entrance fee was ten times that of Indians, but it was worth it to see all the intricate wood carved doors, paintings of parades, and stained glass windows. Afterward, we rode a camel and elephant, stopped for Chinese food, and went swimming at sunset underneath a wide set of waterfalls. A long but fun day to wrap up my trip to India.
India part 3 – Taj Mahal
Another check mark on my lifelong list of things to do – the Taj Mahal was truly awesome! I traveled to Delhi this weekend, and spent Saturday touring Agra. I saw the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort (still actively used by the Indian Army), Akbar’s Mausoleum (built by Akbar for himself when he died), and the Itmad-ud-Daulah Tomb (contains the tombs of seven family members). The Shatabdi Express took me to Agra in 2 hours, and served breakfast and dinner – very nice service compared to US trains (but the bathrooms have some room for improvement). I’ve added many pictures with comments to my India album.
India part 2 – R.K. Market
Besides working, and driving between work and my hotel, I haven’t had much time for sight seeing. I’m still looking for good Indian food…or good food of any kind, I just haven’t had anything exceptionally tasty yet. Quality of food is a big player here, as some of the less commercial restaurants can be flavorful but questionable. I did have Raj, my driver, take me to one of the big markets and we walked around for a couple hours. It reminded me of KC’s City Market, but about 100 times larger. In our two hours we covered only 1/4 of the area. Raj tells me this is where most people do their shopping, and bulk wholesalers have shops intermixed with the retailers – so which one you choose depends on how much you want to buy. I’ve added some pictures from the market to my India album.
2 guys 1 bike
India part 1 – I'm here!
Hello from India! My company has sent me to our office in Bangalore, India to train some new System Engineers on the tasks that my team in Kansas City performs. I’m working with a team of 12 very dedicated associates, teaching them the tips and tricks of our processes. I left Kansas City on Dec 1st, touched down briefly in Dubai in Dec 2nd, landed in Bangalore on Dec 3rd, spent a couple days jetlagged, working, and sleeping. Now that I’m finally adjusting to the 11.5 hour time difference, I’m getting out into the city more. I visited a church and a Christmas Bazaar last weekend (and of course didn’t take my camera), and I’m heading to a large market tomorrow after work. My company has provided me with a dedicated driver for transport to work and wherever else I need to go, which is very nice since Bangalore has such heavy traffic. I’m planning on visiting the Taj Mahal this weekend, and a large palace in Mysore next weekend (and maybe even a jungle!). I’ll write a few more times while I’m here, and post lots more pictures.
Pics
A government building with offices for elected officials, that's all my driver could tell me :)
Quixotic
The local performance group, Quixotic, presented a “site specific” show last weekend at the Nelson Atkins Museum. They used the front lawn as a stage, projected animations onto the side of the building, and spun from a rope in front of the white lighted Bloch Building. The Kansas City Star has a good article about the event.
Quixotic:Surface, a site-specific performance
KC Roller Derby
Kate and I went to the Kansas City Roller Warriors game Saturday night after the Air Show. I tried to take some cool action pictures and videos, but my little camera isn’t fast enough to capture them without blur.
Pics
Calling the Jam
KC Air Show 2009
On Saturday, I went to the Kansas City Air Show with some friends from work. It was pretty cool seeing all the planes so close, and who doesn’t like seeing a B2 Bomber fly overhead? The Golden Knights started Saturday’s show with some very cool smoke effects from their canopies. Click the picture below for an album with more comments on the various planes.
Pics
The Golden Knights spiral down with 35' of smoke attached to their legs
