Potpourri (78 cents)

Carry out tonight from Dahlak, an Eritrean restaurant located at 18th and Florida. Took out their vegetable combinations. Quite good. Second time I have gone there. Each time, I seem to have been the only non-Eritrean in the place. And none of their customers are female. But they are quite friendly. Maybe they see a new market in white males? I'll do it again. (The picture, by the way, is from one of the Dahlak Islands, off the coast at Asmara)

Stopped in next door at my favorite wine store to tell them how well the Rudi Wiest Riesling went with our dinner, and asked them to recommend a second Spanish red to complement the Razon which we like so much. They suggested Vina Rey, a 100% tempranillo. About $10, like the Razon, so we shall see.

Finally got to the Portugal exhibit at the Sackler. As usual, we went the day before it closed. A great exhibit, with separate sections dealing with Portugal itself, and Portuguese colonization and commercial activity in China, Japan, India, Africa and Brazil.

I started Manju Kapur's "Difficult Daughters", but on the first ten pages, I came across the following words: shor-shaar, chauth, uthala, aalu ki sabzi, mithai, pice, angan, sandhya, bua, beti, dai, puja, hakim, and allopath. Can I get through this book? I see what's going on, but I must be missing something.





Speaking of white panel trucks, every time I see one, I am sure there is some sort of terrorist inside. You may remember when the Washington sniper w
as running around and no one knew when or where he would strike next. Witnesses had talked about white panel trucks being in the vicinity of the shootings, and anyone driving a white panel truck came under suspicion. Well, it turned out that the sniper was driving, I think, a red Chrysler. Or something like that. There never was any connection between a white panel truck and the crimes. But that is of no matter, because the connection had been established in my mind. If I, the least susceptible of people, can have my mind twisted by this unimportant, short-lived suspicion, is it any wonder that prejudices develop against Jews, blacks, Hispanics, Arabs, or whomever? How can one be expected to shake them off??

Then, there was the weird comment in yesterday's Washington Post by a staff writer comparing the presumed disagreement between high level members of the Bush administration on the proper course to take in Iraq to "family members squabbling at a funeral". Huh??

Finally, as we all know, Labor Day is always the time that Washington's heat and humidity breaks. But this year it did not happen. Today it was an ultra-humid 90 something. Global warming? Can you judge it based on one day and one week??