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Of Xoomei, Horses, and Travel
Bollywood dance class was canceled tonight, so I was able to go see Khogzhumchu perform at the Kennedy Center. I hadn't actually heard of them before, but I feel obliged to support performances of xoomei (Tuvan throat singing) in Washington, D.C. Also, it was the Millennium Stage, so it was free. They were somewhat more traditional than some of the other throat singers I've heard and very good. As a result of the commentary, I had a minor epiphany. Namely, all of the best xoomei is about horses. Sure, there are songs about other things - nature, love, camels. But horses really work best.(Oddly, I don't think I've heard songs about yaks. But kargyraa, which is the deep droning stuff I particularly like, is supposedly imitative of the grunting of yaks.)
In other news, I've made progress on my arrangements for my upcoming trip to Peru. Specifically, I've managed to buy a plane ticket from Lima to Cuzco. This is harder than it sounds because my credit card company decided this was "unusual activity" and blocked it until I called them. My other internal travel will be by train and bus. I really need to decide whether or not to spring for the large amount of money to stay a night at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (the one right at the entrance to the ruins) versus a hotel in Aguas Calientes for a night. It would be nearly half the total cost of the trip (remember, I got an amazing deal on the airfare to Lima) but the idea of seeing Machu Picchu in the early morning is pretty appealing.
Also travel related, I went to Flyer Talk dinner last night. There are actually people who are far more obsessed with frequent flyer miles than I am. I ended up sitting next to one guy who churns credit cards (i.e. signs up for new ones with mileage bonuses) so he can take four or 5 international trips a year. But he travels in coach, which drew the wrath of the guy sitting across from me, who is a fan of buying cheap and complicated domestic tickets to earn the mileage for fewer trips, but in first class. This is something of a religious war and makes me look reasonably normal.
FInally, I am still following The Amazing Race. For my take on Sunday's episode, look behind the cut.
I particularly enjoy episodes set in places I've been to. For example, I immediately recognized the post office as soon as I saw that clue, for example. I've been to the Reunification Palace, too, though I never had to push concrete animals around or take VCRs apart before getting there.
I was hoping that Lance and Keri would be eliminated, but no such luck. The poker girls are annoying, but in a more interesting way. And, even though I liked them, I think Marcy and Ron did themselves in by taking so long to figure out they should ask a local to unscramble the letters.
If you had to ask me now for an overall pick, the Harlem Globetrotters are cool and collected and just seem like a class act.
In other news, I've made progress on my arrangements for my upcoming trip to Peru. Specifically, I've managed to buy a plane ticket from Lima to Cuzco. This is harder than it sounds because my credit card company decided this was "unusual activity" and blocked it until I called them. My other internal travel will be by train and bus. I really need to decide whether or not to spring for the large amount of money to stay a night at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (the one right at the entrance to the ruins) versus a hotel in Aguas Calientes for a night. It would be nearly half the total cost of the trip (remember, I got an amazing deal on the airfare to Lima) but the idea of seeing Machu Picchu in the early morning is pretty appealing.
Also travel related, I went to Flyer Talk dinner last night. There are actually people who are far more obsessed with frequent flyer miles than I am. I ended up sitting next to one guy who churns credit cards (i.e. signs up for new ones with mileage bonuses) so he can take four or 5 international trips a year. But he travels in coach, which drew the wrath of the guy sitting across from me, who is a fan of buying cheap and complicated domestic tickets to earn the mileage for fewer trips, but in first class. This is something of a religious war and makes me look reasonably normal.
FInally, I am still following The Amazing Race. For my take on Sunday's episode, look behind the cut.
I particularly enjoy episodes set in places I've been to. For example, I immediately recognized the post office as soon as I saw that clue, for example. I've been to the Reunification Palace, too, though I never had to push concrete animals around or take VCRs apart before getting there.
I was hoping that Lance and Keri would be eliminated, but no such luck. The poker girls are annoying, but in a more interesting way. And, even though I liked them, I think Marcy and Ron did themselves in by taking so long to figure out they should ask a local to unscramble the letters.
If you had to ask me now for an overall pick, the Harlem Globetrotters are cool and collected and just seem like a class act.