Davo

CB that's cool-I have another busy week next week and then things chill out for me.

Too bad mate-I did the killer circuit again on Sunday. Not all the way to the gorge and back, but fully round to the temple at the top of the Mtn. Busy as too-it's killing me

Yeah, it's the same in NZ, even if you just want to open a different type of account from the existing one you have. ANZ have a branch in Osaka too.

purenz.com has good info in many languages, including Japanese. It's run by the NZ government tourism promotion department. Unlicensed restaurants will usually charge a small fee for opening your bottles of wine, but they're good value anyway. We used to go with dozens of beers, spirits etc in my misspent youth. Have a cheap meal and get hammered for the same price as sitting at home. Good times Are you going to miss the season this year I'm Sexy?

Yeah found your TR Toque-nice write-up as usual. That tree sketchiness is a bit of a worry and cliffs too huh.

Sweet, especially the 2nd one. That's intelligent lift placement, one right to the top and one for beginners/kids etc. That lift is the same height as the top of Happone right?

Is it that bad? Looks like there are potentially good tree areas. Though probably a bit short and only if there's decent snow all the way doen the mountain. Also, may not be an option if you're working there... Anyway, Fattwins is right about Takasu which is the best of the bunch. Patrol are not too bothered about discrete tree riding either I think. Takasu mura will become a good daytrip option from Osaka once they finally open up the road. Do you know how that's going Fattwins?

This site will help you for any travel info in Japan. Just type in Takayama to Hokuno (the nearest sation listed on this site to Washigitake) I searched this and it's a cheap 3 or so hour train ride. Washigitake is a resort in an area surrounded by resorts. Never been there but it's within sight of Dynaland and Takasu Snow Park, both of which I rate pretty highly. The area gets a lot of snow and is the destination of choice for a lot of daytrippers from Kansai and Nagoya. Sweet spot for a working holiday I reckon. Have a search on the resorts page in Gifu prefecture for more info about the Ta

Nice one Cheese parents. Loads of fun, trials and learning ahead of you. It's all good ultimately. CB, you better watch out mate-could be you tied down to it next.

Too much hating going on here... The original topic is interesting and there are some good comments on that, which I find interesting. I'd love to start my own business one day but it'll be a slow burning long term project. Not enough time to do any of the due diligence required for this right now. Good luck Kintaro and anyone else going out and doing it for themselves.

Congrats mejane, to you and Tarzan. I'm happy it all went well for you three. It's great when you can all get home. I'm happy to have all my 3 girls home, despite the sibling jealousy issue the older girl is having-we'll work it through in time...

Fish farms tend to come with their own huge environmental costs, though of course this probably could be diminished depending on how it's done. Massive expansion of marine reserves and effective policing of these and sustainable fishing quotas is also a way forward. Ultimately it's a demand led thing, and me quaffing enough sushi to feed a walrus, when I went to a kaiten sushi place last month, doesn't do much to help solve the problem. It was however delicious. I was wondering at the time what they'd be putting on the little dishes in 20 years time. Probably jellyfish, which (acco

I know lots of current and former fake ministers who operate here in Kansai, including 3 guys I work with. To the Japanese it's just an abstraction and an amusement. In terms of true religious meaning it's much the same as Christmas for westerners who aren't religious. To such westerners, like me, Christmas symbolises a special time to get together with family. To the Japanese it just symbolises the romantic (I guess) notions of marrying. I also heard that the money ain't what it used to be, plus it's a bitchy cutthroat kind of "industry". My mate was all paranoid earlier in the year as c

She must have been a horrifying sight to traumatise the guy like that. Unless the Chinese tend to be a prudish, I have no idea...

That's a nice twist on the old falling dream Thunderbird2. I used to have that dream quite a bit minus the skiing part. CB I'll let you know for sure but at the moment it literally does seem to be a (day)dream for me this season-daytrips to Hachikita may be all I can get into.

my wife has now got me expecting to run into a bear whenever I go out for a trail run-not inconceivable I guess as bears were sighted in mountains close to here a few years ago-seems odd that they would come come so close to a huge metropolis like this.

2 damaged beyond further possible use, though one of these may have a few days left to go. 1 old board with old bindings for rock days. 1 new board with old yet fine bindings.

Yeah, I can't use forums at work either. Plus when I'm at home I usually don't have much time either or can't be bothered cos I've got other things I want to do. Time is a limited resource, particularly for the naturally lazy like myself.

OK, if you like Dry and Heavy you might like to check out Audio Active. These guys have been around for over a decade and are the godfathers of Jdub as far as I know. I like a lot of the rock and indie stuff I see on Space Shower TV. Hard to see or hear this music unless you search it out. Just because all you generally hear and see is rubbish doesn't mean there aren't good bands out there. Good music just generally stays below the radar and the s***storm of idol pop and hip-hop lite predominates. Lots of good Jelectronica out there too. From Yoji Biomehanika to Cornelius (though the

God that bloody Tarako song! My daughter is addicted to it, and the chicks at daycare were commenting how well she dances and sings to it. Stupidly I just lost half an hour by clicking onto that U tube link and she went off on all the Tarako links. Minomonta is a total knob. One of my students said she doesn't like him because he is, in her words "too hot". I taught her that what she means to say is "too over the top and fake" or something like that. My one for the the day is 'Jama' people. Just get out of the ****in way and stop blocking entrances/exits etc like confused stunned mul

Today it was pizza, cinamon roll and ebi tempura/egg/salad from the nice bakery near the hospital. Actually, I've had the same thing every time I've visited and wish it was in my neighbourhood or near my work. Normally I have a very average bento or nice salad and cheese bread from a bakery near work. Go to a restaurant about once a week or so-Thai/Malaysian/Italian and so on. If I had more time I'd make and take my own lunch so that I could have healthier food.

About 50 mins door-to-door if I time it right. Too long in other words. I want to stay being a househusband for a little longer.

Thanks db-the 10 year anniversary is 5 years away still, still a relative newcomer to the marriage/monogamy game. I was glad not to have to do any catharthing with a big wedding. For the Japanese side it wasn't an issue and same for my family with one divorced sister chalked up, not to mention a long flight for parents who'd already shelled out plenty on weddings for other siblings. I guess it is true that men are not wired up for monogamy, hence all the temptation. If you have found the right girl though you generally have to play by the rules. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to bein

That should read "relationships are a hard road sometimes" or maybe "a lot of the time". Anyway, if it's easy it probably isn't real, but everyone knows this in one way or another...

Some good advice and "cruel to be kind slaps in the face" coming through here. People in relationships will always face temptation and this is a serious case of that. As a stranger it's hard to judge it's a matter of the real need for change, or a lack of character in the face of inevitable challanges to relationships. That's for you to judge ultimately. I have a very good friend who had broken several relationships, including a marriage, before he was spurned as he had spurned others. The next chick he got together with, he married and has started a family with. Maybe his experiences br