Fish Languages
There are two things Monterey is known for: fish and languages. Granted, those are two very different things, but they have more in common than you think. Both fish and languages need one thing: places to study them. This is where Monterey excels — in fact, these are the two biggest things going for the old capital of California — schools.
There’s a proliferation of colleges and universities in Monterey. Yes, it seems academia quickly filled the void left by the collapse of the regional fishing industry. At one point, not so long ago, Monterey was the canning capital of the west coast. Fishermen would flood Cannery Row (now a fashionable shopping and dining district) in an effort to get their goods canned and shipped to Eastern markets.
Eventually, the harbor reef collapsed from a combination of erosion and negligence. This resulted in the fishing industry moved north to San Francisco and eventually to Seattle. In its wake, though, Monterey became a center for oceanographic studies. In fact, the deepest sea trench is only miles off shore. Yes, there is the ubiquitous Sea World type of attraction at the Monterey Marine Aquarium, but it does offer an academic cut above your basic theme park.
Not only did the city become a marine research center, it became a linguistic Mecca. This may have developed in tandem as more and more diverse nationalities migrated to Monterey to study marine life. Therefore, the need for multi-lingual studies increased. So, indeed, it may be the case that of one hand washing the other. Now, the city is home to a handful of internationally recognized linguistic programs and curriculum.
The only way to fully appreciate the city is to book a room in any one of the Monterey hotels and spend a week or two taking in the sights. If you like scuba diving, you’re in luck — the city is home to one of the few scuba academies in the nation. Take a dive, swim with the fishes, then hop out and dry off in time for your French class. Sounds like the perfect place. Throw in some sumptuous cuisine and cafes, and suddenly its heaven.
Come, speak German to the fishes, and stay in a lovely Monterey hotel. Bask in the former glory of this still vital city — then go scuba diving.
