TUESDAY MAR 9

Feel like enjoying a primal afternoon with the "Kalahari Kingdom?" Spend a few hours at the Franklin Park Zoo. You can trek through the Bongo Congo, converse with a snow leopard or try out the zoo's new addition: Its Outback trail which hosts kangaroos, wallabies and emus. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd. 541-LION. Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $6.

For a spine-tingling glimpse into a technocratic future, watch 1985's Brazil at the Brattle Theatre. The Y2K bug is small fries compared to this depiction of a computer error and its ramifications on a bureaucrat's life. The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St. 876-6837. 4:45, 7:30 and 10 p.m. $7.

Take the T to the New England Aquarium for a change of scenery. Observe ocean circulation and weather pattern images with the their new interactive satellite. Then watch the ocean deep on a towering IMAX screen after waddling back from the Little Blue Penguin exhibit. New England Aquarium, Central Wharf. 973-5200. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. $12-13.50.

Escape the hustle and bustle of Harvard dining halls; have a bowl of cold gazpacho at Iruna. On a sunny day, it is pleasant to share some tapas on the porch; The interior's as welcoming as a household kitchen, but on a sunny day, take your tapas to the patio. Iruna, 56 JFK St. 868-5633. Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.

From domesticated kitty cats to the powerful lions of the Serengeti, "Cats! Wild to Mild" provides a comprehensive overview of the feline species. The exhibit displays more than 25 taxidermied cats--effectively letting the cats out of the bag so that visitors can learn about their favorite "Fluffy." Through May 9. Museum of Science, Science Park. 589-0250. Sunday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. $9.

Josiah McElheny revives the Renaissance with his glass work that imitates past Venetian glass-blowing styles. "The Story of Glass" will be at the Gardner Museum until April 25. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway. 566-1401. Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $10 ($11 on weekends).

Venture down Church Street and make a bracelet out of colorful baubles. Thousands of beads line the shelves; half the fun is in scanning the myriad colors and shapes. Beadworks, 23 Church St. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m.