Where I'm from......

[Hack]

Where I am from, you are either going "up north" or "downstate." You are either a "Yooper" (live in the Upper Peninsula or U.P. or Yoop, thus Yooper) or a "troll" (because you live in the Lower Peninsula, below the Mackinac Bridge, thus you live under the bridge and are a troll). We call tourists in the northern part of the state "fudgies" because they often frequent the many fudge shops. You often use your right hand as a map of half the state and point to where you are from, if you were born in the Lower Peninsula. You can kind of use your left hand as the Upper Peninsula. Where I am from (northern Michigan), most schools close on the opening day of deer hunting season because so many teachers and students call in sick so they can go hunting. Where I am from, it can snow as early as October and as late as April or May. Where I am from, Canadian coins are accepted as change and given as change just like American coins, except for the Loonie...we don't take the Loonie. Where I am from, you either eat your coney dogs Flint style or Detroit style. And always with mustard and onions. In fact, that's the only time I put mustard on a hotdog.

Where I am from, my little hometown on the shores of Lake Huron, it is not unusual to hear a little Polish at a certain butcher shop because the butcher knows Polish to talk to some of the older customers, some of whom still feel more comfortable talking what they grew up talking (Polish). So, you sometimes hear "Dzien dobry" in the morning. In my hometown, there is a restaurant attached to the bowling alley (hey, the population is only 4500) that usually serves an all-Polish food buffet on Thursdays. All you can eat - $6, and that includes the duck blood soup. In my hometown, people buy their meats at the butcher, not at the grocery market. And there are two outstanding butcher shops for such a small town. In my hometown, there was a radio program every Saturday morning on the local radio station that was dedicated to playing Polish folk music and polkas for two hours. The man who hosted it recently died, so I think the show will die too...and that makes me sad. In my hometown, there are essentially two churches -- Catholic and Lutheran. My town is almost evenly divided between the churches and between Polish and German ancestry (I am half and half). On Christmas Eve, the Catholic Church has a 6 p.m. Mass and the schoolchildren from the Catholic school sing Christmas carols in Polish and the little old Polish ladies (who still wear scarves or kerchiefs on their heads at church) sing along in Polish too.

Fun thread.

[CrankyOldGuy]

Originally Posted by Hack

Where I am from, you are either going "up north" or "downstate." You are either a "Yooper" (live in the Upper Peninsula or U.P. or Yoop, thus Yooper) or a "troll" (because you live in the Lower Peninsula, below the Mackinac Bridge, thus you live under the bridge and are a troll). We call tourists in the northern part of the state "fudgies" because they often frequent the many fudge shops. You often use your right hand as a map of half the state and point to where you are from, if you were born in the Lower Peninsula. You can kind of use your left hand as the Upper Peninsula. Where I am from (northern Michigan), most schools close on the opening day of deer hunting season because so many teachers and students call in sick so they can go hunting. Where I am from, it can snow as early as October and as late as April or May. Where I am from, Canadian coins are accepted as change and given as change just like American coins, except for the Loonie...we don't take the Loonie. Where I am from, you either eat your coney dogs Flint style or Detroit style. And always with mustard and onions. In fact, that's the only time I put mustard on a hotdog.

Where I am from, my little hometown on the shores of Lake Huron, it is not unusual to hear a little Polish at a certain butcher shop because the butcher knows Polish to talk to some of the older customers, some of whom still feel more comfortable talking what they grew up talking (Polish). So, you sometimes hear "Dzien dobry" in the morning. In my hometown, there is a restaurant attached to the bowling alley (hey, the population is only 4500) that usually serves an all-Polish food buffet on Thursdays. All you can eat - $6, and that includes the duck blood soup. In my hometown, people buy their meats at the butcher, not at the grocery market. And there are two outstanding butcher shops for such a small town. In my hometown, there was a radio program every Saturday morning on the local radio station that was dedicated to playing Polish folk music and polkas for two hours. The man who hosted it recently died, so I think the show will die too...and that makes me sad. In my hometown, there are essentially two churches -- Catholic and Lutheran. My town is almost evenly divided between the churches and between Polish and German ancestry (I am half and half). On Christmas Eve, the Catholic Church has a 6 p.m. Mass and the schoolchildren from the Catholic school sing Christmas carols in Polish and the little old Polish ladies (who still wear scarves or kerchiefs on their heads at church) sing along in Polish too.

Fun thread.

i love a good pierogi

[Soft*Silver]

I make GREAT perogi's...and we say it with an H sound for the g, not a hard G sound...

Originally Posted by CrankyOldGuy

i love a good pierogi

[WolfyOne]

When I first saw the title of this thread all I could think of is........

................from my mother and that's where I'm from

I'll be back at a later date to post again
When I return, it'll be as a grown up

[Laerkin]

Where I come from...

...my high school principal surfed every morning before school. He drove an old yellow VW Bug and rode around with the board on top - in case the swells were awesome enough to head back after work.

...Christmas is a time for flip flops and a thin sweater, Christmas lights wrapped around palm trees, and snow is something you see only see on TV.

...cutting school meant racing to the beach for a day of seeing and being seen.

...everyone got a brand new car for their 16th birthday - usually a convertible (except for the handful of us that were middle-class - I got a used 1984 Cavalier in yellow with solid black vinyl interior).

...it's called a freeway (not a highway), it's called "THE 5" or "THE 15" when referring to said freeway, and no matter how much you resist - a touch of Valley Girl sneaks into your speech.

...Round Table Pizza, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints, In-n-Out burger, and sun-baked unsweetened iced tea are a staple of survival.

...everyone thinks it a liberal place but it's actually very conservative in an odd way.

...kids in high school frequently get plastic surgery as birthday and graduation presents from their parents, looks are more important than skill or intelligence (though those are valued, too, if you're lucky enough to be blessed with both), and education is the highest standard (I was lucky in this way).

...people are nice, everyone is relaxed and social, and the speed is much more chill than my current location on the East Coast.

[WolfyOne]

Where I'm from the northsiders clash with the southsiders when it comes to baseball

Growing up gunshots and gangs weren't the main topic of conversation like it is today
Kids were safe to play outside without fear
You knew you better run home when the church bells rang or you'd miss dinner


Where I'm at now is much more peaceful
If you forget to lock your door at night, no one breaks in
I don't see graffiti all over the walls of buildings
Your neighbors to each side of you and across the street want to know you

[PearlsNLace]

Where I come from what on the bar b que and at the road side stands is Tri-tip. If your not from there, you can google it. But warning, if your a carnivore, it will make you drool. Yes, Darling, its better even than bacon.

Where I come from its not hard to find a farmer who will let you do the after-pickins- its the picking that happens after the commercial picking is done. This means free food for canning, eating, baking, jelly-ing and can be the answer to a prayer if your not afraid of bees, hard work, and heat.

Where I come from a month of 110+ heat that sucks the life right out of your lungs is ok, cause at least its not 120.

Where I come from your 2 to 4 hours from every where ELSE you want to be, and not where anyone really WANTS to be.

Where I come from the languages and cultures collide with such diversity that if we are not trying to kill each other, then we are trying to sell our food to each other. Its not exactly tolerance, but it IS commerce.

[rockybcn]

Originally Posted by Hack

Where I am from, you are either going "up north" or "downstate." You are either a "Yooper" (live in the Upper Peninsula or U.P. or Yoop, thus Yooper) or a "troll" (because you live in the Lower Peninsula, below the Mackinac Bridge, thus you live under the bridge and are a troll). We call tourists in the northern part of the state "fudgies" because they often frequent the many fudge shops. You often use your right hand as a map of half the state and point to where you are from, if you were born in the Lower Peninsula. You can kind of use your left hand as the Upper Peninsula. Where I am from (northern Michigan), most schools close on the opening day of deer hunting season because so many teachers and students call in sick so they can go hunting. Where I am from, it can snow as early as October and as late as April or May. Where I am from, Canadian coins are accepted as change and given as change just like American coins, except for the Loonie...we don't take the Loonie. Where I am from, you either eat your coney dogs Flint style or Detroit style. And always with mustard and onions. In fact, that's the only time I put mustard on a hotdog.

Where I am from, my little hometown on the shores of Lake Huron, it is not unusual to hear a little Polish at a certain butcher shop because the butcher knows Polish to talk to some of the older customers, some of whom still feel more comfortable talking what they grew up talking (Polish). So, you sometimes hear "Dzien dobry" in the morning. In my hometown, there is a restaurant attached to the bowling alley (hey, the population is only 4500) that usually serves an all-Polish food buffet on Thursdays. All you can eat - $6, and that includes the duck blood soup. In my hometown, people buy their meats at the butcher, not at the grocery market. And there are two outstanding butcher shops for such a small town. In my hometown, there was a radio program every Saturday morning on the local radio station that was dedicated to playing Polish folk music and polkas for two hours. The man who hosted it recently died, so I think the show will die too...and that makes me sad. In my hometown, there are essentially two churches -- Catholic and Lutheran. My town is almost evenly divided between the churches and between Polish and German ancestry (I am half and half). On Christmas Eve, the Catholic Church has a 6 p.m. Mass and the schoolchildren from the Catholic school sing Christmas carols in Polish and the little old Polish ladies (who still wear scarves or kerchiefs on their heads at church) sing along in Polish too.

Fun thread.

I lived in Michigan almost 40 years and I am also from a German and Polish heritage. I miss Fat Tuesday and sharing Paczki´s with everyone. I miss homemade gumpkis ánd I miss the pasties made in the UP. I just plain ol miss Michigan....well, ´cept for the snow!