Hello from Maine!

Hello everyone, from chilly Maine, northeast USA! This is where I grew up as a child, and I wanted to return one more time before leaving for Japan. Maine is known for lobster, probably more than anything else. We have a spoken accent here: the "er" sounds a lot like "ah," so words like "lobster" sound like "lobstah". That is, if you're a real native, but for some reason I don't use that accent even though I grew up here. Not sure why. I went with my father, who still lives here, to the lobster shack today to buy some to cook at home. It's considered a special treat because it's a little bit expensive, even here, where it comes from. But in New York it's much more expensive. And as far as I know, you don't see much lobster in Japan. So I felt it was a last chance to have the experience and enjoy it. Absolutely delicious... If you find yourself in Maine, visit Portland. It's worth the trip, and you can find this store pictured here when you are in the Old Port (the center of downtown). Maine has a charming countryside feeling, and I'll miss it when I'm gone, but I think that in Shikoku I'm likely to find similar charm.