across the straight...the world is certainly different

I've recently visited/worked in a small NW US town, almost as northwest as you can get without being in Alaska or Hawaii. It's 1 hour from another small town and this is what I found (note. apologies to the two students residing in this country, one who married an american. And of course, apologies to S for any observations you may think inappropriate. I don't know what Orono is like, but I hope its not like this).

-2 drive-through expresso stations
-mexicans everywhere
-larger plates
-pancakes as big as my plate
-average weight of oh, 250 or so
-they don't know what a shiraz is
-a take-away lunch consists of a sandwich and an apple, accompanied by 2 coookies, a chocolate bar and chips
-everyone hunts or fishes
-the trucks are big and the cars absent
-they don't have creeks, but they do have this strange thing called a 'crik'
-definitely an accent
-True Value hardware advertises Guns and Ammo

Sometimes I think that I'm happy to live in the country that I do

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a merry christmas and happy 2007! While I won't be in Etown this year, it should still be a good christmas time full of good warm weather...who am I kidding I think they're predicting another storm for thursday.

Anyway, hope everyone is all right. Things are good here. Haven't been doing much. Just getting used to work and getting a little bit of fieldwork in. Heading to Washington for some cross-border work this week...I'll see how things are handled in the tiny little country to the south.