Moving to Maine - Advice/Good-to-know Please (Orono, Brewer: power lines, rental)

[deerislesmile]

DO NOT try to pronounce words in the same way that (some of us) do- it never works, you'll never quite get it right and there's a good chance you will appear to be making fun of the accent (or the person!). Just pronounce things as you normally do in your normal life.

[deerislesmile]

I wear t-shirts in the winter. I don't own any long underwear. If i am going outdoors for an extended time in low temperatures, I do put on a decent pair of water-proof snowpants, a jacket that covers my bum, and boots with a good tread for snow (a lot of nicer looking boots are actually quite slippery when you try to walk on snowy or icy terrain!).

[meo92953]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

I wear t-shirts in the winter. I don't own any long underwear. If i am going outdoors for an extended time in low temperatures, I do put on a decent pair of water-proof snowpants, a jacket that covers my bum, and boots with a good tread for snow (a lot of nicer looking boots are actually quite slippery when you try to walk on snowy or icy terrain!).

Hmmm. Now I'll definitely have to visit. I've needed all these things in Minnesota. Could be because I try to keep the temp at 65. It would be so nice not to need these things!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

I wear t-shirts in the winter. I don't own any long underwear. If i am going outdoors for an extended time in low temperatures, I do put on a decent pair of water-proof snowpants, a jacket that covers my bum, and boots with a good tread for snow (a lot of nicer looking boots are actually quite slippery when you try to walk on snowy or icy terrain!).

A lot of people around here wear Carhartt bib overalls, but the OP is an accountant and keeps talking about office workers. So I made the assumption that she is not going to be outdoors too much

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

DO NOT try to pronounce words in the same way that (some of us) do- it never works, you'll never quite get it right and there's a good chance you will appear to be making fun of the accent (or the person!). Just pronounce things as you normally do in your normal life.

good advice,,,

don't try to imitate the stereotypes,,,locals will think you are mocking them...

I don't know anyone that says ayuh.....well maybe a few
but they say it the way its meant to be said

[LarryLogger]

>mainebrokerman: Coming from New Jersey,I earned a degree from Univ. Maine and spent 4 years in Orono with a great bunch of guys. They never referred to me as "being from away"; I was always a "^%%$#$ outtastater" Other generic names, not applied to me, included 'darlin', and 'sport'

I had one friend who used 'ayuh' fairly regularly but he was from a family of potato farmers who had farmed in Maine for several hundred years; I figure, if you're a potato farmer from Palermo, Maine you can say "ayuh". If you're from New Jersey, it's ok to say "yuse guys"

Upon retirement in a year or so, I will return to Maine. I won't be trying to be a Mainer because I know that I'll once again be a "^%%$#$ outtastater" but I'm also not at all worried about fitting in, meaning that I don't need to come up and see my first winter or mud season:

I've helped taken the docks out of camps in October and that lake water was cold!

I've cruised timber in thigh-deep snow at -23 degrees in western Maine.

I've even appeared on Dick Stacey's Country Jamboree (on tv out of Brewer a long time ago)

I know that the real Maine isn't the tourist or person who's "always wanted to live in Maine" with a view of living in an LL Bean catalog

I have friends in Maine who have two regular jobs and are always looking for a little extra job just in order to pay their biills; fortunately, being retired with a great benefits package (in a year) I won't be looking for a job. Need to be mindful of my budget but I've always done so.

The one thing that I won't miss about 30+ years in the South (two additional degrees and several tenured college faculty positions) is running the air conditioner continuously and full blast from April until October. My min/max thermometer was reset in June when I put a new battery in. Max temp was 105 degrees and min temperature was 73 degrees, fairly normal for summer in South Carolina

[Jenny9504]

I brilliantly managed to lock myself out of my account and it was too big of a pain in the *** to reset it so I redid it.

Thanks Mainebrokerman!

I’m in agreement with you about the “don’t have to live where I you work” part; I’m very used to commuting, comfortable with it even, so that’s normal (no one actually wants to live in the city when the ‘burbs are so much nicer anywho – at least where I am). The worry that I have with commuting is, and I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, the winter commute part. I’m imagining 50’ snow banks and broken down vehicles being pummeled by the Abominable Snow Man. Yes I over worry things 

After these posts which have been more helpful than weeks of Google-age, I’m less apprehensive about meat/finding a butcher now.

I find it interesting that you say “we despise arrogance and fast talkers” when I found it part of the culture in New York (no offense to any New Yorkers) so close to you. Another reason it seems Maine is its own cultural haven, I guess (??).

The “if you’re in your 20’s and love night life…old port” let me know that Old Port is not where I want to go. I doubt I’d want that even when I was in my 20’s  But that’s very good to know – knowing where I don’t want to be just as much as where I do is invaluable.

The political aspects I bring up as a somewhat secondary worry. I’ve visited California many many times and, while not personally as left as most there, I have a very live-and-let-live mentality. As long as the views, whatever they are, aren’t either shoved down my throat or held against me (where my concern stems from) if they differ, I’m perfectly content to keep my opinions to myself if they’re offensive or unpopular.

Your post was incredibly helpful and enlightening and I feel much more confident in much of it. Thank you!

[Jenny9504]

Originally Posted by River Runner

It is not expected that if you are a homeowner you will have a garden or small farm. It's more that many Mainers are into being self sufficient. Additionally, there is a frugal-ness (is that a word?) that prevails and investing in a garden or having a few farm animals is very sensible money wise - you get more in the long run for a bit of effort. But no one will so much as bat an eyelash if you don't have a garden or heck even a single plant. As others have said, most Mainers tend to go about their business and not mind others so much. They figure they want to live the way they want to live and believe in letting others do the same.

Do not worry about venomous creatures here. I have lived where there were rattlesnakes, blue racers and water moccasins and spiders of concern as well and since I was born in and grew up in Maine when I first moved to these places I actually had to adjust to being mindful of watching out for such things. You don't have to do that here. We have snakes and spiders but you don't see them as much as other places and they are nothing to be concerned about.

As for the accent and terminology just talk how you always talk. The Maine accent, unfortunately, is waning a bit even since I was a kid. Even my father who was born and raised on a Maine island only has a bit of his still. You notice it on certain words. For example, when he says the word calm it sounds like carm. It's all about the "r"s and "h"s. I, myself, have a pretty wicked sounding A-yuh and "You betcha ya" and when I've been other places people only notice a faint difference on how I say certain words but it's not obvious I am a native Mainuh.

Others have covered the standoff-ish thing but I wanted to toss my two cents in. It is very much what I said above about people want to be left to do their own thing their own way and, therefore, respect the privacy/boundaries of others in return. My mother's side of the family is from Kentucky and the first couple times I went down there to visit family it was odd to me how strangers we met (not relatives) almost immediately offered up details about their life that seemed way too much information for our first meeting and they seemed to expect that I delve right into these private details and start asking questions about these things and to offer up private details about myself in return. My relatives assured me that the open-ness was not uncommon for the area they lived in. Having come from Maine where first interactions are polite enough but not so open to sharing one's life story it took a few visits to get used to. I can understand how those coming to Maine could interpret this as being rude or standoff-ish. It's really more a I'll respect your boundaries - You respect mine thing. After a few interactions the boundaries begin to soften a little. Also the degree of it will vary depending on what region of the state you are in.

River Runner,
This was incredibly succinct and educational: “Having come from Maine where first interactions are polite enough but not so open to sharing one's life story it took a few visits to get used to. I can understand how those coming to Maine could interpret this as being rude or standoff-ish.”

I think I’ll get along well with that mentality. I’ve met plenty of people who, on first meeting, want to know everything down to your favorite color, I prefer the let’s get to know each other gradually approach.

Having an independent streak a mile wide, I think I’ll love most of the Mainers.

The garden thing is something I want to improve on. I miss the Midwest soil – it was black and beautiful and anything could grow. The soil is very good for acidic things here in Florida (grapes, tomatoes, etc) but I killed those as well. I’m hoping once I get settled, someone can explain how not to epically fail in the garden department.

Thanks again!

[Jenny9504]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Fall? If you can make it 23-25 September you could attend the Common Ground Fair in Unity/Thorndike
The Common Ground Country Fair

It is lots of fun, if you like hippies

I go every year.





I have had alligator, I thought it's taste and texture was a cross between snake and frog. Nothing like chicken.

Bear? hard to describe, the closest is pork. But if my pigs tasted like bear I would change the breed of pig quick.

Bear can have a lot of lard to it, like pork, but it is a much stronger flavor.





I think so.





Where I live, yes. But they are all non-lethal. I get startled everytime I step over one, but I grew-up around rattlesnakes and I have spent enough time around cotton mouths that the instinct to is still there.





As cold-blooded creatures they need the ground to be warm before they can be mobile.





The ground here freezes and thaws. This action causes rocks in the ground to migrate upward. Thus farm fields have a fresh crop of rocks every year. Also it causes the pavement to heave. The DOT buries a culvert pipe under the road but the frost makes it heave upward a foot, so one day you have a speed bump that did not exist the day before.

When the ground warms up, logging trucks zip along and 'pound' the heaves back down.

Submariner,
I think I missed the boat on the 23-25

This may be an odd question but do people eat moose (mooses? Moosi? Meese?)? I ask because I’m a very big fan of elk and wondered how similar/dissimilar they are.

You mentioned logging trucks – is logging big in Maine? This may sound like a super obvious question, I truly don’t know though.

[Jenny9504]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

DO NOT try to pronounce words in the same way that (some of us) do- it never works, you'll never quite get it right and there's a good chance you will appear to be making fun of the accent (or the person!). Just pronounce things as you normally do in your normal life.

I had guessed at this and this confirms it. Thank you!!