Thursday, September 13, 2007

Slavery--Still Alive and Well in Monterey Bay

Everyday, I get a "photo of the day" from National Geographic. Today's photo is of sea nettles from the Monterey Bay Aquarium:Now, if you reach back into your memory banks, I visited the aquarium with MonkeyPig not too long ago and posted some of my sea nettle pictures. Here is my favorite one:
I don't think that's half bad for a hand-me-down camera. So, my question to you is:

Who has the better photos of sea nettles from the Monterey Bay Aquarium?

Oh, by the way, did I tell you guys about the enslaved bears that MonkeyPig and I saw on Cannery Row that day? Right, didn't think so. Well, after we finished with our visit to the aquarium, MonkeyPig and I walked along Cannery Row. We saw the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company as well as the Wing Chong Building. We got some candy at the candy store. Yes, over half a pound of salt water taffey (and I don't even like taffey) and some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

We also chanced upon The Beach Bear & Co. As you can see, it is styled as a "bear builder's store." Due to my affinity toward bears, I, of course, was curious to see how bears are built. Lo and behold, displayed prominently in their storefront were enslaved bears. That's right. You heard me. Enslaved bears. The bears are used to fluff their fellow bears' stuffing (two are fluffing while the other two look as though they've folded), and also to operate the blower which delivers quick bursts of air onto "finished" bears to remove all evidence of the slave masters (e.g., hair, skin, anything to identify the slave masters).

After this shocker, MonkeyPig and I were just emotionally spent. And, what do emotionally spent people do? They eat, of course. That night yielded the best restaurant we visited during MonkeyPig's visit (thanks to Ghetto FOBulous for the recommendation!). At the Hu Chiang Dumpling House, we had:


Year Cakes



Drunken Chicken



Dumplings (of course)



Green Beans with Pork



Hot and Sour Soup

7 comments:

  1. re: so-called "year cakes"

    year cakes? it's come to this has it? let's just go ahead and call them what they really are--people are entitled to the truth.

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  2. You know what? I thought you would have that type of reaction. I'm not going to disclose the term you use for the year cakes. That's just not what I do. I am a lady afterall. You know, the one you send to get your unmentionables, mister!!

    *sob*

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  3. "the term you use"

    wait-what? the term *i* use? holy crap, i thought that one of your sisters claimed it to be the direct translation, or something.

    as gilda radner might say: never mind!

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  4. "Year cakes" is the direct translation! The term you use is not. ==:o|

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  5. point is, your sister is the culprit.

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  6. National Geographic win hands down. You know why?? Because if you're gonna show some guy flipping the sea nettles off. He should've use the correct flip sign.

    MP

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