s3phis

Mmm, you're mentioning things I've already discussed in previous posts. The grading and technical aspects of ski/boarding greatly appeal to the Japanese psyche which is why Demo/Technical skiing is big in Japan. I also mentioned that skiers look down on freestyle and snowboarding but I also said that this perspective is what's stifling the sport as the generational shift changes this perspective. When your senpai tells you something, there's not much you can do other than to go through with it or leave. Most Japanese will opt to shut up and follow through. As you said, money talks but it

I just get amazed when I see people with 9000 posts!

Him

Mattaus: it's okay, I've got a folder of old train tickets I think the coolest coins I've seen so far are from Dubai/Emirates... only I can't read arabic so I have no idea how much they're worth

100x 1yen coins isn't as fun when you take it to a bank as they just measure its weight . How about a 100 yen shop?

We're currently boiling water on top of a oil heater

Thursday: Yeah I know city folk do drink a lot... but I'm finding the villagers tend to be even more keen on their drink >_< I also honestly don't know why the 1yen coins still exist. They're such an inconvenience... even donating like a bunch of 1 yen coins leaves me feeling bad >_<

The real way to go is Nihon-shu or Sho-chu! With prices... I think the average for tap beer is 450yen, cocktails are at 500-650yen. Canned beer is at like 220? We have a vending machine in the dorm so... that's pretty dangerous. We also seem to have an infinite supply of Nihonshu and Shochu. Is it just me or do people that live in cold areas/ski resorts able to drink more than city folk?

I'm going with insane >_>; I remember this 66 year old gentleman coming in for a lesson. As you'd expect, I thought he'd do skiing but he just grinned at me and said he wanted a shot at snowboarding (his first time ever). He perservered for 3 days of lessons and actually got quite good... If I get to 66 and can still remember my own name, I'd be impressed!

Let's look on the bright side, at least you don't have to pay dowries

mmm, I found the Bible itself to be nothing spectacular but I have found myself liking specific verses and books that I think make profound statements. I also find the gnostic readings of the Bible quite interesting. Alternatively, I also like the Jewish readings and interpretations of the inconsistencies within the Old Testament. At school, you get taught in two ways: there's either one correct reading of a text or that a piece of literature/art has no meaning until it is read. Depending on what school you went to the emphasis shifts between the two. That said, Shakespeare be

The one thing that amuses me every time I come back here is: despite how far we've gone digitally, we're still stuck in the infrastructure of the 80s. The kitchen... my office... the buildings are still quite inefficient and old . I yearn for an electric kettle!!!

JA: No problem, I can understand how posts can be misinterpretted. Japan's obsession with the technical aspect of skiing is a bit hard to explain without actually living here, I think. Most people in Japan get a sense of comfort or enjoyment out of having everything organised, doing things neatly and being able to improve their skiing technique gives a sense of achievement and that's fun. The degree of this comes down to the examinations, Level 1 is the highest normal level (with L10 being the lowest). Most Japanese people I know that ski do so to try and get their next levels (to the point wh

Most ticket passes should be card coated in a polymer or a wax by now :S

The advertisement is for the Japanese customer base so it's not a problem. The signs are there for more a liability clause... on the other hand people rarely get hurt in back-country. It's just a legal complication that people would rather just avoid to begin with so it's pretty hard finding a guide etc. - Ski patrol don't want to deal with cases of things going badly - School doesn't want the responsibility of it It's relatively safe but rather than dealing with cases where things turn out for the worst, people would rather just ban it.

I think Uenotaira, Paradise and Rinkan courses people generally give way (except for boarders, I find beginner boarders have a harder time avoiding people). When it gets to Utopia, Challenge, Yamabiko etc... it gets a bit harder. I think most people tend to go fairly quickly down those runs and there's a sense of superiority (i.e. if you can't keep up you shouldn't be on the run) that's been there since the resort started operating. I'm not going to comment on whether it's a good mentality or not, it's just the way it is and has always been (and Japan's not very fond of change). Kandahar

I never said it was tiny, the runs etc are quite developed but the school, resort facilities etc aren't. The village itself is never going to be a large business establishment. The main reason for this is that most of the resort is run by the Nozawa Onsen Ski Club and it's a club, not a company. In Japanese, you'll probably hear that the people are quite 'mame' about things or particular. The emphasis on technical finesse is basically the main point in Japan's ski culture. From magazines, dvds to lessons and 'gashokus', everything emphasises this over every other aspect of skiing. With r

Yeah, I also send my milk via surface mail! Nah, you just gotta pack them properly .

on the way back from Japan, check: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-charge/index.php?lang=_en Send the stuff you don't need ASAP via surface mail (it takes between 1 month to 4 months) and it's a lot cheaper so you can have space in your luggage for your souveniers. Unfortunately takkyubin doesn't do surface mail so it's not as cheap . I normally send my clothes back via surface mail as I figure I won't be needing them for a bit.

Japan's big on the giving of gifts; if you receive a gift, people usually feel that it's required to return something of equal value. With weddings, the groom and bride will always be at a loss. Wedding receptions are usually a lot more expensive than in Australia (which is why a lot of people had a wedding in Australia... it was cheaper to pay for everyone's airfares + wedding reception than to host it in Japan). Funerals, on the other hand, tend to break even. Monetary gifts are also quite frequent. The difference between Australia and Japan is: a) It must be given in a ceremonial en

The negatives are really a point of view. If you come to Nozawa thinking it's a huge resort then you're in for a disappointment. The ski resort is big but the facilities aren't; it's literally just a tiny mountain village. The main customer base is the serious/semi-pro from Japan's bubble period. The fundamental difference between Japanese and Western skiiers is technique and the emphasis on technical finesse. With that motivation, there's a lot of opportunity to improve. There's also the pedigree of the village; the saying goes: "If you want a proper (SAJ) examination, you go to Nozawa

Originally Posted By: phool oh and must have the takoyaki(octopus balls) - often takeaway at the bigger supermarkets Only takoyaki worth getting is from Osaka!! The tap beer is called "nama" and is more expensive due to the hops/barley content. A lot of the canned beer has corn, potato etc (the ingredients are written on the side).

Bank TT rates are better than the note rates, that doesn't necessarily make them good rates. You can find a lot of independent exchanges that do better rates than both. If you have large figures, then it's best to go by bank and you can negotiate at the branch.

Just a note: while there's "no fees" the difference between the BUY rate and the SELL rate is the bank/company's profits. The profit can come from the buy rate, sell rate or both. A number of converters will have good rates for BUY but bad for SELL... and vice versa. It's really up to research and knowing before-hand as to where has the best exchange rates. When you exchange at a bank, you're immediately using the rates that they set. The ATMs at convenience stores would most likely have worse rates. By Australian law, you're allowed to take out $10,000 (or equal value) of cash without a

Grazza's pretty much on point. The customs and mannerisms from Japan stem from the belief in connections from Buddhism. The point is, when you inconvenience someone, you lose something yourself and so respecting someone elses space is a crucial point. To understand the taboo behind tattoos, you need to understand two major principles. A Japanese style tattoo is quite painful, the reason being is that when you are inducted into a family, you are to be reminded of where you are and to pay for your karma before hand. Secondly, it's the concept of keeping your body clean in order to be spiri