soup nazis

Some things stop me in my tracks. This was one.

I know I should be writing to you about our two days in Darwin. And I will do that. But some topics simply trump others.

After returning to the ship this afternoon for lunch, I was walking along the buffet line when I spotted this sign. Usually, the signs posted on top of the buffet describe the dishes below.

Based on the title, I almost expected to see slabs of this:

Hermann Göring, that bulbous buffoon who served as Hitler's luftwaffe stooge, was fat enough to serve as a roast -- though I suspect there is not enough gravy on earth to cover up his deplorable taste. Certainly, there must have been some mistake.

Well, yes and no. This is what was underneath the sign.

It is a rather mundane version of fried rice from Indonesia. But I know it as "nasy goreng." Fried rice with meats, vegetables, and spices -- often called the national dish of Indonesia.

But why the difference in names? Admittedly "nazi goering" and "nasy goreng" sound similar.

When I asked the head waiter, he said the Indonesian food staff translate "fried rice" as "nazi goering." When I pointed out that all the references I could find on line were "nasy goreng," he shrugged in his Slovenian way and walked off.

I really do not have a dog or a "nazi" in this fight, but it seems odd that a company like Royal Caribbean had the option of using "nazi goering" and "nasy goeng," and chose to use the one that is far more likely to cause at least a bit of offense.

Or maybe I have it wrong. Maybe it is a riff on "Inglourious Basterds." It may be the ultimate revenge fantasy. Eating our way through the monsters of the twentieth century. Stalin steaks. Mao burgers. Pol hot Pots.
Nietzsche may have had it almost correct. What we eat makes us stronger.