John Matel's Memorial Blog
It is hard to buy Christmas presents for me. I know that I have everything I want that the kids could reasonably give me. So it is nice to get “consumables”. I do enjoy trying different sorts of whiskey and beer. I really cannot tell the difference in detail, but it is fun to try.
The picture shows what the kids bought for Christmas. I have begun to work through it.
Went to the Brazilian Embassy for a photo exhibit “Brasília 1957: a 20th Century Saga.” Brasília was not my favorite place, but it kind of grows on you. It is a nice pleasant place to live and building it was a heroic achievement. It pulled population and the development from the coasts and into the middle. Anyway, I enjoyed the exhibit and a film that went with it.
My photos are from the walk to the embassy from the Metro. It is around a half hour walk from Foggy Bottom and a generally nice way to go. First picture is Taras Shevchenko, a 19th Century poet and a father of Ukrainian literature. I am sure my old colleague Tania Chomiak-Salvi knows about him. Next is Phil Sheridan, famous for his action in the Civil War and later on the plains. Third is Ataturk and the last photo is from the exhibit.