Comments on: Differences between California and New England http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/ By a Francophilic, Anglophilic, nostalgic Nintendo-loving New England linguist Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:58:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: floweringtrees http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-1089 floweringtrees Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:46:05 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-1089 Thanks for posting this, with excellent references. I've never lived anywhere west of New York, but I think about this topic a lot myself. Last week I was in NH, and talking with a man from Arkansas. He said that when he moved to a small village in NH called Gilsum, no one approached him or had anything to say for months after he moved there. Even then, he barely got to know anyone in the town. Years later, after moving, he met someone from Gilsum, who told him, funny - there used to be a guy with your name who lived up the road from me. This man from Arkansas said, that WAS me! He said in Arkansas, if you moved to a new place your new neighbors would be lining up with pies and welcoming gifts, loaded with curiousity about you. In NH, he suggested that people value privacy over all, and even if curious, they would try to mind their own business. Another anecdote from my personal experience growing up in New Hampshire: Folks in town may not exchange more than a word or two about the weather in all your years there, but the minute you get stuck in the snow, or have a chimney fire, they will show up to help without being asked. I'm bringing this up about the South, because I've heard and experienced similar things about West Coast-East Coast differences. Particularly with regard to those social interactions. Thanks for posting this, with excellent references. I’ve never lived anywhere west of New York, but I think about this topic a lot myself.

Last week I was in NH, and talking with a man from Arkansas. He said that when he moved to a small village in NH called Gilsum, no one approached him or had anything to say for months after he moved there. Even then, he barely got to know anyone in the town. Years later, after moving, he met someone from Gilsum, who told him, funny – there used to be a guy with your name who lived up the road from me. This man from Arkansas said, that WAS me!

He said in Arkansas, if you moved to a new place your new neighbors would be lining up with pies and welcoming gifts, loaded with curiousity about you. In NH, he suggested that people value privacy over all, and even if curious, they would try to mind their own business.

Another anecdote from my personal experience growing up in New Hampshire: Folks in town may not exchange more than a word or two about the weather in all your years there, but the minute you get stuck in the snow, or have a chimney fire, they will show up to help without being asked.

I’m bringing this up about the South, because I’ve heard and experienced similar things about West Coast-East Coast differences. Particularly with regard to those social interactions.

]]> By: sgazzetti http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-1018 sgazzetti Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:51:14 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-1018 A very interesting essay, with lovely and illuminating maps. I'm especially interested to see how strictly regional 'pond' and 'brook' are, something I don't recall noticing as I moved around the country, though I did notice in northern Maine they call 'pond' some pretty enormous bodies of water. I'm from Maine but lived in California for a few years, and in various other parts of the U.S. I couldn't find a link to an RSS feed for your site -- a necessity for lots of readers nowadays -- so I made one for your blog. It's <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/wordpress/uIhc" rel="nofollow">here on Feedburner</a>. I'd highly recommend putting a link to it on your homepage for readers who want to come back (bookmarks are, like, SO 2006). A very interesting essay, with lovely and illuminating maps. I’m especially interested to see how strictly regional ‘pond’ and ‘brook’ are, something I don’t recall noticing as I moved around the country, though I did notice in northern Maine they call ‘pond’ some pretty enormous bodies of water. I’m from Maine but lived in California for a few years, and in various other parts of the U.S.

I couldn’t find a link to an RSS feed for your site — a necessity for lots of readers nowadays — so I made one for your blog. It’s here on Feedburner. I’d highly recommend putting a link to it on your homepage for readers who want to come back (bookmarks are, like, SO 2006).

]]> By: SquamLoon http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-890 SquamLoon Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:33:58 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-890 Magnifique. Magnifique.

]]> By: Denis Goddard http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-887 Denis Goddard Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:30:24 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-887 I moved myself and my family from California to New Hampshire about 3 years ago. I have not regretted the move even for a second! My thoughts on the differences, and on what's going on here in New Hampshire, are at: http://freestateblogs.net/history_and_purpose I moved myself and my family from California to New Hampshire about 3 years ago. I have not regretted the move even for a second!

My thoughts on the differences, and on what’s going on here in New Hampshire, are at:
http://freestateblogs.net/history_and_purpose

]]> By: FreeStateProject http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-886 FreeStateProject Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:37:15 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-886 I moved from LA to NH 2 years ago. You make some great points! I found most of the people I hung out with in LA were..... former New Englanders. I love the fact that NH has no income or sales tax and leans to smaller government. Great post! I moved from LA to NH 2 years ago. You make some great points!
I found most of the people I hung out with in LA were….. former New Englanders.
I love the fact that NH has no income or sales tax and leans to smaller government.

Great post!

]]> By: Varrin Swearingen http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-885 Varrin Swearingen Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:24:26 +0000 http://verseau.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/differences-between-california-and-new-england/#comment-885 This is a *great* article. Thank you for taking the time to write it! V- This is a *great* article. Thank you for taking the time to write it!

V-

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