spring2006

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My hometown is on the map--just barely (see bottom). If you look very carefully at a map of New York state, you'll see it there, around the middle, on the New York state thruway, halfway between Albany (the capital) and Syracuse (where I went to university). Herkimer. It's a small town of 6,000 people, surrounded by many other small towns. To the north are the Adirondak mountains, protected by the largest state park in the United States. To the east in my favorite state, Vermont, where I lived for several years, and far to the west is Buffalo, the ciy on Lake Erie.

Herkimer was a pleasant town to grow up in, generally quiet and safe. Although we have no festivals in Herkimer, there was a large week-long fair in the summer in the nearby town of Frankfort. There are rides, games, and lots of junk food at a fair. There were also parades, especially around July 4th, Independence Day, when America became a country. The name of the town in fact comes from a general, a revolutionary war hero. I mention that only because people often wonder where the name "Herkimer" came from. I don't much care for wars, even revolutionary ones, so I'm not so excited by the grand statue of General Herkimer in the park (although I do talk about it during my shadow talks!).

It's cold in winter. Probably just 15 minutes from my hometown is a ski slope--yet I've never, not even once, gone downhill skiing! It just wasn't so popular when I was young, and the ski slope was, apparently, nothing special. I did enjoy ice skating in the winter however, and have very fond memories of skating. The town would flood a field, which would then freeze from January until March. Summers, as I've mentioned before, were hot and humid, but could vary a lot from year to year.

It's nice when I hear Japanese talk fondly about their hometowns. Although I'm satisfied to have grown up in Herkimer, I definitely would never want to live there again. It's not at all international or cultural. For example, I'd never find somebody to play go with!

You might wonder about Herkimer's restaurants. What kind is most common do you think? Wrong! Not hamburger restaurants. There are 4 or 5 pizza restaurants! They are not fancy Italian restuarants like in Japan, but places to get cheap pizza (yeah, I generally like it).

I'll go back to Herkimer in August, but all my friends have moved away. Still, I feel a little nostalgic walking the streets. Besides my parents my sister lives not too far away.

If someone is interested in history they can check this out (but I warn you, it's boring to most people! http://village.herkimer.ny.us/content/History)