Folklife Festival

Here's a picture from a cooking demonstration in one of the Northern Ireland tents at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. I didn't take the picture, but I found it on Flickr. We forgot a camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it that we were there.

Ali took the kids down there yesterday afternoon and I met them after work for dinner. This year, the Festival has exhibits from the Mekong River, Jamestown and Northern Ireland. The theme is, "Places that have had some Troubles, but would now like to increase Tourism."

By the time I met them on the Mall, the temperature was about 135 degrees in the shade (which does not exist on the Mall). They must have decided to make the museums free in Washington so that people might actually come here in the summer. We cooled off with some Mekong River specialties, crisp Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp and spicy Larb Gai. Jake and I practiced saying "Larb Gai" and when we got to the front of the line and he actually ordered it, all the Thai ladies were giggling and asking him what else he could order from the menu. He froze up, but a lot of what he says sounds like he's reading from a Thai menu, so he probably could have pulled it off if he'd tried. "Gap Bai! Prat Doh!"