Wade

I wanted to work in Hakuba, but am now shopping around to other areas. I am a former 1 year AFS high school exchange student, and 2 year JET. I speak Japanese fluently and have references in Hakuba (snowbeds) whom I know well. They aren't opening the bar this year and I'm looking into this late so if anybody in Hokaido is out there or,Nigata, Gunma or anywhere else with powder that needs someone. let me know. I'm in the States now. Wade

The JET program is not an overall bad and its ridiculus to present it as such. It is not the most rewarding of jobs and does underwork people while overpaying. These are well known facts. It is also well known that JET's take a lot of heat for being the type of person that they may or may not be. They get good graduates from highly touted schools (I know this is a sore spot) to do easy work. They are not stupid for accepting this, nor can they be expected to be the most culturally enriched foreigners of the community in Japan. Ocean11 is often hostile, but he is not the only one. Would

testing to see if old names work on this new format.

Saporo, Osaka, Hiroshima are the best big cities I have enjoyed. I do think that Nagoya here is underrated, but it doesnt make the best-cities list. It seems that territorial gaijins do seem to lurk in some of the 'cooler' cities cities, ie. Kyoto, Osaka... As for smaller cities and towns, the list is full of chill places. I guess it depends on what you want.

I'm still a JET.@@But I'm not sure how popular we are here.

Top of Happo was in the clouds a lot but the the top had nothing really fall. A bit of a sleet fell. Heard hopes for snow this weekend, colder weather needs to come as well.

I like 47/goryu also. Unfortunately the 47 has become quite popular with many of us searching for many of the same trees. I admit most of it is off the same lift, but not too shabby. Hit same great runs at Tsugaike yesterday even though only the north face was still powdery.

I too love the Olympics. Sure they are ultra-commericalized. Quick poll, which is not overly commercialized? NHL, MLB, World Cup Football, Formula 1, or even international level table tennis? Come on. Thats big time sports these days. We can all hate it as a fact of nature, not a newly created entity. After all, will you say they were all amateur players before NHL/NBA players were allowed? Just not so. Anyhow, its a fun event (I believe most Americans enjoy the Olympics), that should not be taken too seriously. When else do you watch luge, ski jumping or figure skating (a sport?) on

Someone else suggested this and I am curious. Be honest, do you pay full price? I usually don't. I pay when I want a full day and trying our new resorts usually. You?

Work.

Any legal experts out there? I've heard that the resorts only lease their land (heard this i Hakuba). If this is true would they be legally permitted to only the on-piste terrain. If so it might make them liable to lawsuits or whatever else if they were friendly to any out-of-bounds ski/boarding. Also, I've wondered if they might be liable for not making accessable terrain safe, but Mogski's original example of beginners allowed on huge kickers makes the possibility moot. Anyone know if laws, as well as economics, do not come into play somewhere here. Keep off-piste suggestions comin

Assuming it was merely a rule violation and nothing particularly dangerous ("Yes sir, of course I realize that all out-of-bounds is 'dangerous'"), I bet Mr. Patrol said, "Wheee... this powder is great."

I stay there quite a lot. I haven't tried they're site, but I know last year I had a lot of problems with it. You should just call them I think the number is on this site. If not I can give it to you. They are pretty booked up for the weekends through Feb and the first of March they said yesterday. They're cool people, nice accomodations and right in between Happone and 47/goyru.

Happo had the same story as 47/goryu. The day would have been salvagable if not for the gale-force winds. kinda like baording with your face on fire and your eyes closed

Arkansas, US. Not much snow there.