Shark Week in the Year of the Monkey

I wonder if the Year of the Monkey is considered a super meme when it comes to the world population?
Considering the Asian part of the planet is right into Chinese Astrology and a fair bit of the west, as well, I would imagine that the monkey would be playing a rather big part in the global consciousness/unconsciousness this year. 

The three wise monkeys over the
Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan

I went past the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour three times this year, but I only stopped to take a real good look and eat something on my last trip when I was heading down to Sydney to watch my team the Cronulla Sharks play the North Queensland Cowboys in a NRL semi-final on my birthday.

The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour

North Queensland Cowboys vs
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
and I was there

Walking through the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, 
New South Wales, Australia

Oddly enough, North Queensland is THE banana growing area of Australia. 
"About 95% of Australia’s banana production is in North Queensland in the Tully, Innisfail and Kennedy regions south of Cairns, on the Atherton Tablelands to the west of Cairns, north of Cairns near Mossman and further north at Lakeland Downs and Hopevale near Cooktown. Other production areas are in Southeast Queensland, northern New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory" 
But for some reason I was craving like a pregnant woman for a banana split, as all I had eaten that day was the scone, strawberry and cream which I wrote about in this post -
Our Daily Bread
"Bananas are Australia’s number-one selling supermarket product, outselling not only every other fruit and vegetable but every other supermarket line."

My brunch at Broardwater, New South Wales

My very late lunch at the Big Banana, Coffs Harbour

I hadn't had a meal at the Big Banana for about 30 years and never knew that their mascot was a monkey now. 
We don't have monkeys in Australia, apart from the ones found around zoos ... and possibly IKEA stores;-)

When I saw that monkey sitting on the bench at Coffs Harbour, I had a flash back to an old post I had written years ago -
The IKEA Monkey

That looks a bit like an IKEA uniform to me

After I had eaten my banana split ice-cream, I headed to the souvenir shop to see if there was anything worth taking home as a memento of my visit.

I decided to get a surfing monkey in a clear banana shaped container that contained some kind of yellow fluid.

And surprise, surprise, like most IKEA furniture, this monkey fridge magnet was made in China.

Now the funny thing is that I always had the feeling the the Year of the Monkey was going to be a very special year for me personally ... and it has been ... and I remembered that at the start of the year I had written a wish and placed it on a wishing tree at the Crystal Castle, and it also came true.

2016: Year of the Fire Monkey

My wish hanging on the wishing tree at the Crystal Castle

I wonder if all those wishes came true on that tree:-)

The crystal I was given at the castle on the day

I was given the crystal in a singing
bowl ceremony in this tent

I realized recently that I have had that crystal in my car on all three road-trips this year, so it has been all over Australia with me and parked right across from the Olympic stadium when my football team lifted the grand final trophy.
Does that make you wonder about the power of crystals?-)
My football team, that has never won a grand final in the 49 years that they had been in the NRL competition finally won this year ... and I was there to see it.

Another funny thing was when I got home and checked my mail the Sync Book boys had sent Sync Summit posters that I had ordered at the start of the year and forgotten about ... and what was the theme on these posters for this year?
Da .. dum ... da ... dum ...

Year of the Shark?

And the Sharks won the NRL grand
final at the Sydney OLYMPIC stadium

That last road-trip to Sydney and Canberra to watch my team win the semi-final and grand final in just over a week was one special week for me in the Year of the Monkey, that I hope never to forget ... I say hope to never forget, because my father had Alzheimer's and died the week before the start of my road-trip.

So, the Year of the Fire Monkey will be one long burned into my memory. 

Lucky numbers 4 and 9?!

It was the Sharks 49th year in the NRL this year, too;-)

I also spotted this banana in pyjamas gnome (above) in Canberra, as well as this Shark gnome (below) when I saw the black swan event in Canberra which I wrote about here -

A Black Swan Event in Canberra

I say,"say gNOme to IKEA!"
I hope the Sharks can win another grand final in the Year of the Rooster and maybe even against the Roosters in 2017.

UPDATE: 2021

A Chinese Monkey Message on Dragon Boat Festival Day?