badmigraine

Ocean, you bring the beer or some of that 2003 shochu. We'll handle the congealing curry... Skemmy, I'd pay small money for something like that. Look, I spent $17.99 on a disgusting used brown snowsuit with filthy stained cream collor and elastic clasp-belt. I spend a few hundred yen per can of beer in the lodge... You have to be in touch with your onslope priorities

Two weeks ago I boarded at Mt. Brighton here in Michigan...it is a tiny row of hills covered with man-made snow (I call it "ice"). The back of one of the hills is about 45 degrees and maybe 30 meters long. It is usually closed, but the resort does put man-made snow on it and uses it for some kind of racing once or twice a month. I went down it 2-3 times, and was strapping in to go down again when two teenage skiers came up and peered over the edge. I could hear them talking: "I'll go down if you do!" "Uh...it looks really icy... Let's not do it, OK?" Just then a ski pa

Ocean, I observed the same obsessive mimicry in the Japanese company at which I worked. Within a short period after arrival, all new penguins ended up performing the same exhausting ritual as the others, then staggered out at the end of the day just like the birds in your story. And they have the same dark suit/white shirt style of dressing, too.

As the latter half of mogski's Kagura thread illustrates, it might be nice to have some kind of patch or sticker that identifies one as a Snow Japan maven on the slopes. For interested extroverts, spying a fellow SJ-head on the slopes might make for a more jolly sliding experience, entertaining lift conversations and apres-ski fun. How about something with the SJ logo and\or URL on it that resembles those "Hello, My Name Is" stickers, then each person can write in their own SJ screen name and proudly let the alpine world know who it is flowing down the steeps with such inimitable sty

Good point, miteyak. Often the Xtreme, pro, or wanna/gonnabe-pro people who most vociferously decline to wear helmets are the very ones who should be wearing them. It's not like there is any perplexing question about whether helmets actually work... I guess I missed indoctrination to the philosophy that it's cool to skip helmets or pads when doing dangerous things. Lucky me. Heard a good one at the Mt. Brighton pipe here in Michigan. Some teen was jeering at another teen for wearing a helmet. The helmet guy replied, "Yeah, I can see how it's a waste of helmet money t

There is an excellent, authentic Mexican restaurant called Salsita about 5 minutes' walk from Ebisu station. It faces the Yamanote Line tracks (left hand side as the train goes from Ebisu to Shibuya). Salsita's soft tacos are much like the ones you might get at King Taco in East L.A., or in some of the authentic Mexican places in south Texas, Southern Cal or Mexican border towns like Tijuana and Juarez. They make incredible thick delicious frozen margaritas by throwing raw fruit, tequila and ice into a blender. They have a homemade cappucino sherbet which brought a tear to my ey

That's easy, Mogs. "Tuke" is another word for hat! Don't they teach that one in Kiwiland? As for the cold van, 'nuff said!

Hey Mogs, did your girlfriend go on the trip?

...and if you go by Mogski's van, it is ABBA and Bee Gees and Neil Daimond all the way. A styling ride!

Quote: Originally posted by deebee: I do feel for you mogski. You are a normal sized western male... Er deebee sorry, but Mogs is by no means normal-sized. Some parts of him are rather larger than normal, and others much smaller than normal. I'll leave it to you to imagine which parts are which...we have some pics from a drunken surf camp trip that I can mail you privately. Now, back to my red wine and movie ("Eight-Legged Freaks").

Judging from Mogski's 1,000 line post, he has nothing to do at work. May I suggest that this is unexpected and bizarre? Of course my temporary relocation to Walled Lake, Michigan may have some incicental effect on the number of hours of Mogski drunkenness, but apart from that I think the problem is clear for all to see: Mogski has elected to spend more time fretting about skiing and ski gear, than he as to fretting about women and his own personal sexual gratification. I am in a position to remind the board that Mogski is quite comfortable with normal carnal relations. He does n

I can recommend an antique diving suit complete with glass globe headpiece, some brown streaking but perfectly functional. Could be good protective gear for someone who doesn't know the practical consequences of bathoscopic coprophilia.

"...tensioned out and flabby like an old man's..." I resent that remark mogski! I was tensioned out and flabby as a YOUNG man. None of this age discrimination please!! Nice review of Kandatsu by the way. In addition, I should warn everyone not to drop their locker key behind the bench back in the rotenburo. Otherwise, you have to go naked in search of someone with a polehook or very long thin arms. ----------- Asleep by day Drunkard by late afternoon Unemployed by choice

No worries Fattwins, Mogs prefers fat twin tips on both skis and women!

If Mogs has to choose between that jacket and snow tires, then look for a van gone nose-first into the ditch and a new green jacket flouncing down the slopes! Sure is a fine-looking jacket. Mogs, didn't you buy a new jacket last season? A green one? And new boots? And new bindings? And new skis? And a new backpack? And a wetsuit and Oakley surf glasses and some rash shirts and board shorts? And a DaKine surf cap? And an avalanche shovel? And expensive Burton gloves? Were those new ski socks I saw you putting on last season? And haven't you

Mogski-- blighter by day Bentover by night Drunkard by any standard!

"Untitled"

I've always liked the brand of tire here called "Donuts". Another favorite brand is "Captain Santa Sporting Goods", especially the ashtrays.

"Keeps me well warm in Niigata"?? All I can remember about temperature control in Niigata is unzipping whatever we had and dripping with sweat. That place hardly ever gets cold enough to justify technical gear. And you're never more than one quick run from the lodge where they sell espresso drinks. You're better off in Niigata in workout attire. Whatever you wear will be soaked in sweat and stinky! I recommend no underwear at all at Niigata!

I quit my job at Mogski's whingeing company, and I STILL have to go and work there today--a national holiday!! Even worse, my job is to try to handle and control a person who is like a bull in a china shop! Well if that's what they want to pay me for, then who am I to stop them. I'll try to run up the hours so I can get some new gear like Talisker!

Aw, shucks! If only you knew that Ian's talent as a writer is eclipsed by his talents as a cross-cultural observer. Many a time we hesitated to venture upstairs for fear of disturbing his delicate but thorough nocturnal observations. I expect he'll don a kilt as onslope/apres attire for next season in order to expedite his daring forays into unexplored territory. Haw haw haw haw haw!!!

Mogs, I don't quite know what you're signing me up for here. Fatty's not into S&M. Rumour has it that he spent last season as a cross-dressed, petticoated French Maid at a notorious Hirafu flophouse where it was said of the other staff that "the pistons are firing in all cylinders". Now pardon my while I get back to this last bottle of VB.

danz, I intentionally voted the wrong way in order to cancel out your involuntary vote. That should have equalled out the karma, though maybe not the actual votes. Now all we need is someone to involuntarily volunteer to incorrectly vote the correct way, and this should even out the odds.

I's could go if it war 2 Frydays from Now. The Hobgoblin Pub in Nogizaka (5 minutes walk from Roppongi Crossing, in the *other* direction) has a huge selection of delicious English and other imported beers that you can read all about at the Wychwood Brewery home page: http://www.wychwood.co.uk/ Had a Dog's Bollocks Ale and a Hellraiser the other night. And some French beer called "Jenlain". And two pints of Kilkenney (tap). Then a pint of bitter. And a Bass Pale Ale (tap). And then I had a hangover...

Thanks Ocean, I'm glad *somebody* is getting some work done tonight! I'm unable to stop wandering away from the task at hand. Why just a few minutes ago I was poring over a post from last year in which Nat lamented that there are no salt n vinegar chips here in Japan. Why this is simply not true!!! I see them all the time here in Tokyo. And as a matter of fact, I cannot stop salivating over the prospect!! I could cycle over to the Tokyu Food Show and pick up a bag. Do you think that might help me get some work done? OK then! Off I go!! Full report in half an