Geography Lesson

[Roger Penn]

I think most people have said at one point or another during the advent calendar, but you’d have to go back and read every last post to put it all together! LOL.

I was born and raised in Portland, OR, USA, and am still here (close enough) but have lived in Texas, Alaska, and Panama.

[Michael Thompson]

I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have lived in this general area (mostly suburbs) most of my life except for a few years in the Pontiac, Michigan area and in Tulsa Oklahoma when I was very young.

[Chris Weber]

My first job after college was in Pontiac. I built trucks. (Other people helped).

GMC Truck and Coach. 6am to 230pm. UAW.

The first break was at 8am, and they blew the horn to tell us to get back to work at 8:23.

I would go sit on a tool box, cross my arms, lean my head forward, and fall asleep for 22 minutes. I’d wake up at 8:22, right before the horn went off. Every day.

[Jürgen]

A very nice idea Tom (even though I would have liked to sign the privacy policy beforehand).

Since you only live about 11 hours and 35 minutes away from me by plane, I won’t enter the whole address just to be on the safe side 🙂

Country: Germany / State: North Rhine-Westphalia (“Nordrhein-Westfalen”, that’s where most of us live, not in Bavaria as often wrongly assumed). That’s where I was born, that’s where I live and that’s probably where I’ll hand over the spoon („den Löffel abgeben“ / end my life).

Cheers and also to you Tom, all the best wishes for the new year !

[Jung Roe]

Tom, you’re only 12 hours away. Does that mean you will show up with the presents, food, drinks, and good cheer if we tell you where we live? LOL ????

I was born in Busan South Korea (the most southern port city, and 2nd largest city in Korea). Moved to Washington State USA and lived there from 1965 to 1969, and during those 4 or 5 years lived in half a dozen different places as my dad studied for his PHD at Washington State University in Pullman WA, and then worked at different hydro electric dams and PUDs (Public Utility Districts) throughout the state. Pullman, Bridgeport, Wenatchee, Ione, Tacoma, and Seattle WA are places I recall living in. I remember this huge German Shepard dog, that was much bigger than me, the landlord had in Seattle. We moved up to Vancouver Canada in 1969 when I enrolled into Kindergarten, and I’ve been here ever since, except for a couple of years I lived in Toronto in the 80s, but moved back to Vancouver.

[Jürgen]

A brilliant idea Jung: Tom comes over with drinks and some snacks („Pulle Bier und Schnittchen“ as we say) 🙂

PS: Do you really say “Kindergarten” ? How do you pronounce it ?

[Jung Roe]

Jurgen, I will have to remember that phrase Pulle Bier und Schnittchen for when I visit Germany one day. Kindergarten is pronounced pretty much the way it is spelt. Maybe “Kinder – Garden”.

[Tom Fones]

Uh guys, i was thinking more like me showing up and asking what’s for dinner.

If only i could get my car started.

Jung,
your parents moved to Canada in the sixtys to avoid our education system?

You clearly have benefited from very educated parents.

David H. i have many cousins in the Piedmont area. W.S. & Greensboro and thereabouts.

Diana it’s funny how you want to move to a more tax-friendly state.

I have well off friends who just left Northern California for the Lake Powell area. Now we are getting swamped this winter after so much drought and after
your governor said pray for rain. A long time ago Willie Nelson had a song about everyone moving to Mexico. Now everyone want’s to be Willie’s neighbor.

Juergen, we have said kindergarten at least since i was in kindergarten.

Cheers

[Chris Weber]

When I was prepping for retirement, I had a list of cities and countries in the world I was thinking of visiting. I’ve never been to Asia, but Busan was on that list.

It’s not looking likely I’ll ever get there, but who knows.

[Jung Roe]

Hi Chris,

I hope you get a chance to visit Busan. I went back and visited in 1995 and then again in 2007 as part of my honeymoon. It’s interestingly a port city like Vancouver with similar natural beauty, but being on the ocean, the water is rougher in the port and often windy, unlike Vancouver which is calmer because it is protected by Vancouver island. Busan is a kind of mix between Vancouver and San Francisco.

[Chris Weber]

I love cities on the ocean. And I know a little about Busan. I saw a travelogue once that mentioned it, although not in much depth. Cities and countries didn’t get on that list of mine without some research.

You may remember the time I mentioned all the Korean restaurants in the city where I live. I used to joke that I’d had so much B3 and kimchi in my life that I had become part Korean. So that was a reason for me wanting to go, just for the food. Food is one of my hobbies. I only know about 10 Korean words and they’re all food words.

But Seoul was also on my list, and if I do go to Korea ever, it might be with my daughter. She is totally into esports and is prepping to do her career in game development, and of course Seoul is esports Mecca. So if I go it may be to Seoul instead.

[Jung Roe]

Hi Chris

I was in Seoul last year in the Spring, always enjoy visiting there too. It’s a fun city indeed, so much to see and do there, and yeah I noticed there are electronic gaming places all over the city, it would be a gamers paradise for sure. One thing I noticed and have read at travelers website is the mention of how it is generally safe everywhere in Seoul, Busan etc. Sure, there are I am sure pick pocketers and petty crime you have to be careful of, but It always felt safe walking around anywhere in the city late at night without concern of being mugged, at least I felt safe.

[Chris Weber]

I was born in Detroit. You can’t scare me with cities too easily.

But other things are scary. Like I was just doing a search and ran across my post from 4 months ago where I said the same things about Seoul and visiting Korea. Oh well, I guess I’m getting old.

[Bud Jackson]

To Jung, Tom, Chris, Jacki, Jurgen, Roger, Michael, Ron, Diana & David!
(I hope I didn’t miss anybody!?)

I’m sure I posted something like this before, but I was born In Honolulu, Hawaii where my parents lived for 2 years. At age 3 months, they brought me kicking & screaming to Seattle, Wash, where I grew up in West Seattle. When I was a kid, my Aunt & Uncle took me on trips to Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana & Vancouver, BC.

Later, in between getting my Music Degree at the University of Wash. in Seattle, I lived in NYC for 2 years, studied the trumpet, worked at Macy’s and had a great time! In those younger years I traveled to about 30 or so States, including Texas & Louisiana & several Mexican border towns, plus several Caribbean Islands. And also, to Montreal & Toronto, Canada.

Before finishing my degree, I received 15 College Science credits on a trip to Kenya, East Africa, then spent about 2 months on my first European trip. I visited England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, West Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and winding back thru England & Scotland! Since then, I’ve returned to Europe 3 more times, visiting Switzerland, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland & France. I do love it over there & I have Ancestry from England, Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, plus French & German from Northern Switzerland! And perhaps more ancestry from “Je ne sais crois!”

I’ve always been interested in Music, History, various Languages, travel, etc. I taught Music in Middle & High School, & Elementary, mostly Instrumental Music, & General Music lately in Elementary Schools. I retired 3 years ago, but somehow, I keep substitute teaching, currently in an Elem. School. I love teaching instruments & voice! I’ve also performed a lot over many years, mostly on trumpet in various groups, & sometimes singing too. I don’t speak other languages fluently, but I’ve taught kids to sing in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French & various assorted African & Asian languages. I studied French for 4 years & Spanish for one year in school. I also love teaching Drumming & Percussion, & especially for Marimba & Xylophone groups!

I met my wife while playing 1st trumpet for the stage show “Hello Dolly,” back in 1987. My daughter played Baritone Horn & later Sousaphone for 8 years in school bands. She studied Piano for 12 years too! My wife acted, and played some Piano, Guitar, Uke & a little Violin. I play a bunch more instruments, but lately I haven’t been able to practice as much as I’d like to! But I still use them in teaching, & in a Jazz Big Band that I play in.

I feel more like an “International Citizen,” rather than an “American Citizen!” Every Country is important! That’s my life in a nutshell!

— Bud Jackson

[Ron Vickery]

I grew up in Minnetonka, MN (western suburb of Minneapolis, MN), and until recently I haven’t moved farther than 10 miles from there, going to Plymouth, Hopkins, and Eden Prairie, MN. In 2018, we purchased a place about an hour north of Minneapolis (by Cambridge, MN) and used it mainly for weekends. When the pandemic hit, we came up here permanently.

Happy New Year!

[Diana Geertsen]

Hi Tom,

I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the sixties we moved to Houston, Texas because my dad worked for the Space Program. He helped program the simulator for the Gemini astronauts. I’ve spent most of my life in the Salt Lake Valley. However, I’ve lived in Nevada and Hawaii.

I currently live in the Salt Lake Valley, but am thinking of moving to a warm tax friendly state when I retire in just over a year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[David Herrick]

I was born and raised in Lexington, KY. I spent a couple of years apiece in graduate schools in Los Angeles, Rhode Island, and Indiana, and five years apiece at teaching jobs in two small towns in Kentucky. For most of the rest of the time I’ve lived in High Point, NC, initially just because of a job, and now also because of a wife who doesn’t want to leave.

[Jacki Hopper]

Though I’ve already previously have stated where I’m from on Advent Calendar, and in the ” Introduce Yourself” area on here, I’m just going to say, Onrario, Canada ????????????????….Gidday Eh !?

[Chris Weber]

I was born in the city of Detroit, but never lived there.

Until age 6 I lived 4 miles outside of Detroit, near where Ford world headquarters is.

For the next 19 years, including 4 when I was at college, we lived just north of Detroit. The end of that time was when I worked in Pontiac, as I mentioned above.

I thought about moving out west. Packed everything in my car that would fit, which meant I left my Rhodes and amp behind, and drove out there. I used to play tournament chess back then, so I went to Phoenix to play in the US Open, then to California. I drove up highway 1 to SF, then decided to come back. While in SF, I was on that stretch of Lombard Street, that winds back and forth down that steep hill, like Mona and LIsa ran down when they were there. That’s the closest I’ve been to them, around 30 years away.

I’ve been west of Detroit ever since in a few places. Should have stayed at the lake.

[Dave Anderson]

OK, here goes:-

Born and raised in South London (UK). Mostly worked in central London (West End and City) but spent months at a time in Dublin, Frankfurt & Amsterdam plus short spells all over the UK and, later in Greece & Italy

Transferred to Canada in 1991 and lived/worked in Toronto for 16 years before moving to rural & coastal (about 40 minutes drive from Halifax) Nova Scotia where I still am and will probably be for as long as there IS a me 🙂

I’ve spent at least a day or two in about 40 countries, 15 US states and all but 3 Canadian provinces (that leaves 7)

[Thomas Randall]

I’m from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Born and raised here. About 65 miles north of NYC. About 1 1/2 miles east of the Hudson river. By the way, remember we have a members map here so you can SEE where everyone in the club lives on the map! Neat club feature!

[Mike Dresen]

Born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan. I now reside less than 3 mi (5km) from my childhood home. 6 miles (9.5km) from Lake Michigan. Love the outdoors, the wildlife and the change of seasons.