A Year in the Life of a Czech Plush Monkey.
Week 15:  April 25 - 1 May 2004
Food glorious bakery!
 Sunday, 25th It always starts with food.
Monkey begins every day planning what he wants to eat and where he can mooch it. One day, while j-walking* between Phillip's Bakery and the Black & White Photo Lab, Monkey decided to invite Claude to participate in a Gorilla Foto-op Art project.

"See that neon light? There are lots of pretty neon signs in town. Let's go take pictures of them and afterwards you can buy me dessert at the place with the best sign."

*J-walking is a bad thing and don't do it even if you see Monkey do.

Monday, 26th

We know it's all about food & drink for Monkey. He loves banana daiquiris; but even so, he's never been inside Club Raven because of The Birds. Opice saw Hitchcock's film in Bodega Bay and it all seemed so real. "Like I was there!"

"As much as I love the sign," he vows, "I won't go in unless Claude's buying."

Move your cursor to "hover" over the picture
and you will see an animated night view.
Monkey watching Club Raven neon sign, day/night.

Remembering Tower Records heyday
Original Tower Records

Tuesday, 27th

Tower Records'
first storefront.

Monkey takes a moment to remember the heyday of Tower Records --before he was born. He once visited the Piccadilly Circus store in London as well as the Hard Rock Café in Sydney, which only shows how far he'll go if other's are paying. (But that's another story.)

Beneath the famous neon dancing teens is Tower Café, a great place for brunch. Tomorrow Opice will show you some of his night work (tho, again, not the Australian shots because some things just don't belong on the internet).

Tower Records Tower Tower Records Dancers

Wednesday, 28th
The fotografers' behinds the scene.

Monkey directs Claude to the perfect shot.

"I know what I'm doing! Don't tell me what to do," they kept telling each other.

 Monkey points and Claude shoots.

Thursday, 29
Year of the Monkey
DAY 100!


The 2nd best of the best neon signage in Monkey's town is the Crest Theatre. Opice invites you to view his evening extravaganza of theatrical histrionics during his limited engagement [limited to the marquee by good taste].

Tickets for sale! .
Crest Theatre celebrates Year of the Monkey Day 100
Watch the lights!
210k video file

Banana plants >20 ft. tall

Friday, 30th
Banana Arbor Day

Today Monkey takes a break from his neon fantasy to acknowledge his favorite plant.

I think that I shall never wanna
Poem as lovely as a banana

The fruit my hungry mouth likes best
Delicious creamy, I do attest

Poems are made by apes like me
While nanners grow in bunches free!

 Ornamental banana blossom

Saturday, 1st May Day

Today is International Labor Day and several nations including Czech Republic join the European Union!

Monkey is going to celebrate by doing his best work at Claude's expense.

"Mmmmm, banana split," Opice rhapsodizes shoveling down dessert. "Good eats!"

"Didn't you love those neon signs? But this is the best neon place of all! Next week let's taste-test all the pizza parlors in town. I'll clip some coupons to save you money, Claude."
ICE CREAM - What a catch!

Click below
to watch a
movie of the
Soda Jerk
in action.

(83k video file)

(280k video version)

  Monkey would like to thank Claude Duplat for his fotografic expertise this week except,...
"Saying 'thank you' would set a precedence. Next thing you know people would start expecting me to apologize for everything I do. That'd be crazy. I wouldn't have time to do anything, anymore."

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