a little warm

It was more than a little warm outside. So what do I do to add to the heat? I make pasta with an Arrabiata sauce, which apparently means "angry." Basically it means I add a lot of crushed red pepper (and I think I may have added too much). It definitely had a little kick to it. I like my food spicy, but I did have to get a glass of milk in order to get rid of the tingly feeling along my lips. It was great to cook something again as it's been a few weeks since I've really done something in the kitchen and I miss that. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I'm a good cook, but I do love it.

I'm also having fun with the new digital camera.

I went back down to the Mall this morning/afternoon to check out the new exhibtion at the Freer and Sackler Galleries: Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries. This is another exhibition that I recommend. There were boxes and swords made of intricately carved silver and ivory, and others made out of tortoiseshells that were nearly translucent. There was this globe that turned into two goblets by breaking in half, with the Southern Hemisphere supported by Atlas and the Northern Hemisphere supported by another, smaller globe (or something...I was caught by Atlas and the idea that this sculpture broke into the two goblets).

It's interesting because I don't think Portugal was really thought of as a major player back in the day. They started off strong, but when we (or at least me) think of the colonies, it's England, France and Spain. But Portugal had influence not just in the New World with Brazil, but also throughout India, Japan, China and Africa.

There's a lot to see at the exhibition, and it's broken up into the spheres of influence. And if you are looking to escape the heat, you could do worse than to spend a few hours in a musuem. It was freezing inside!

And of course the Folklife festival is still going on. I cruised through it on my way to the Freer. I visited last weekend and walked through it more, but today I overheard some Irish singing and some Mekong drumming. I wish I could get my voice to mimic the Irish singers, but I think I'd sound ridiculous if I tried. So I'll leave that to Enya.