36 Hours in Kansas City

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week I went to Kansas City for the 2nd International Conference on Minimalist Music. I gave the paper on Steve Reich that I also gave at the University of Central Missouri New Music Festival last March. Since I've had enough of traveling through Missouri to give conference papers for a while, I think I'm going to retire this paper. Also, it was the first paper I wrote in grad school and it's time for something new.
I arrived in KC in time for dinner and left before lunch on Thursday, but it takes forever to get to London so wasn't home until midnight. Here are some photo highlights.


The large, tree trunk totem pole in the London airport's gate (singular). Not shown: a smaller wooden carving of a beaver, staring blankly at it.














A bell tower in the KC Plaza area. It was playing a very nice chime version of a Beatles song (I forget which).
















I had REALLY fabulous ribs at this place. You know it's going to be good when there's a statue of a bull outside. It smelled like barbecue all around the Plaza.

















The street outside Jack Stack.











A pretty street lamp.


















One of many fountains. Supposedly KC has the most fountains of any city in the world, 2nd only to Rome. I really did see no fewer than 10 in the 18 hours that I was in town.












The conference was held at the University of Missouri Kansas City, whose mascot is the Kangaroo. I don't know what it is, but there's something weird to me about those blue kangaroos.


















Traveling from the U.S. to Canada isn't that fun. You have to go through BIG time security on the Canadian side, then customs in the first U.S. city you come to, then security again. In Kansas City during my departure, they made me throw out my toothpaste. I know the liquid thing is a big deal, but most of the time I accidentally forget to put my lip gloss in the approved plastic bag and NO one says anything. This time, though, they were suspicious about my toothpaste (which had been used about 3 times) and they tossed it out.
The Toronto airport is really nice inside.

Atrium...thing.









The sight of this Tim Hortons was strangely comforting after 9 hours of traveling. It's cheap and they have great decaf!










These maple syrup bottles were in a gift shop. I'm not sure what that metal figure is...a guy? A snow man? A hockey player?