When we think of lobster in the U.S., we think of something with two large claws. This kind of lobster only comes from the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Lobsters live at the bottom of the sea, so fisherman put out lobster pots. These are net traps with a hole that lobsters can get into but cannot get out of. The lobsters in Portsmouth come straight from the fishing boats, so they are fresh and delicious! They are also cheaper here than in other places. I always have lobster when I come to Portsmouth, and this time, I had a medium-sized lobster. Almost everyone likes lobster except my sister’s grandsons. They would rather have hot dogs.    (114 words)

It‘s election day in the U.S., and we will know who the next president is soon. People in Portsmouth go to schools to vote. I went to vote at the local elementary school with my sister this morning. It was the first time I voted in person since 1984! When I am in Japan, I can vote in American elections, but I have to vote by mail. My sister and I waited in line for about 30 minutes, but the time passed quickly. Many families came with their children, and everyone was talking. The school was closed because of the election, but the parents were having a bake sale to make for the school. We bought some delicious-looking cookies and muffins. After we finished voting, we got stickers saying “I voted!” (133 words)

I’m visiting my sister in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Halloween is October 31, but some houses still had their Halloween decorations up when I arrived on November 1. She took me past the best-decorated house in town. It had big dragons and jack-o-lanterns in the yard. Other houses had human skeletons sitting on the porch and ghosts on the grass. My sister’s two grandsons went treat-or-treating dressed up as Darth Vader and a Power Ranger. They were a little scared by the decorations, but they were very happy because they got lots of candy! There was a Halloween parade in the downtown area on October 31. Everyone dressed up as brides and grooms, and when Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” started playing, they danced like zombies. (123 words)

Some of my students have problems with the word “here.” When they talk about Nagoya, they say “Here is Nagoya.” When they show me a picture of their hometown, they say “Here is my hometown.” However, it is more natural to say “This is…” in both cases. For example, ①“This is Nagoya. It is in Aichi Prefecture.” ②“This is my hometown. I have lived there since I was born.” We use “Here…” when we are giving someone something. When my children went to a local festival, I used to give them money and say, “Here is 100 yen. Go buy something.” We can also use it when we are showing someone something. “Have you ever seen an American passport? Here is my passport.” (125 words)

About one year ago, Nagoya made a new rule: You should not walk or run on the escalator. People used to stand on the left side of the escalator and let people pass on the right side, but now they stand on both sides. Yesterday, a volunteer for Nagoya got on the escalator and stood on the right side in front of me. She had a sign on her back that said, “In Nagoya, please stop.” The rule seems to be working. The number of people walking and running on the escalator has gone from 21% down to about 7% since it started.     (103 words)