Sharon

dunno. I've only been in Hiroshima for a year and last year took trips to Hokkaido and Tohoku with friends from Osaka and Tokyo. Will look at going to Geihoku or Mizuho Highlands if the snow is promising. Nothing to write home about is what I've heard though, especially last year. But the pics in the snow mags (for the Chugoku area) always show quite a bit of snow for the resorts. Theres even little charts with how much snow they usually get in each month and some of them boast a fair bit. Not been though so I can't help, but there seem to be quite a few folk from Hiroshima on here who cou

I saw it b4 it got pulled, I'm just wondering why urs got pulled and klubheads didn't. Can't u lay the blame on the resort managers rather than the skiers though? I chose skiing coz I went with skiers the first time. It's still only my 3rd season and I will probably try snowboarding soon, but I don't think it's MY fault that some resorts are ski only. In fact it's probably only a matter of time b4 we see snowboarder only places. Or that they will just be fully integrated snow playgrounds...especially with all the hybrid snow boards, fun skis, snow scooter thingies etc. Just if u kee

ur so pc ocean. how many more insulting ways can u describe skiing b4 the season has even started? Give it up and get on!

This looks nothing compared to the snow in Shimane this weekend.....the houses were covered and it was all dry (no rain) and very picturesque as well as much deeper. Mt Daisen in Tottori pref was half covered in deep snow too! And thats well south of the Nagano Gap!

Just took a business trip to Shimane and Tottori and was amazed to see Daisen half covered in snow - not skimpy either as I was a fair distance away. But that was nothing to taking the bus from Izumo to Hiroshima and there was snow all over the place and falling heavily. The houses, trees and cars were covered and I was even worried about getting back! It felt like jan/feb....not the first part of November!!! Is this a good omen? Might the Hiroshima and Shimane resorts even have a reasonable season? (perhaps not,eh?)

Cheeseman, what happened to SPain in your poll choices? My fave cheese is Queso Manchego. ANd Spanish goat`s cheese is lovely too.

none of these r as good as the naughty smilies that r avaiable for yahoo messenger. anyone else seen/got them? theyre hilarious.

fugu no tessa (raw blowfish) and cani nabe (crab hotpot)

try Daiei....not sure about Tokyo but Osaka, Kobe and other ones stock fresh and frozen chickens. Also Trends. Andersons (the large stores) have ready cooked chickens.

We had the top down on the car today and wstill have the windows open every night. Still hot down here, but nice with it. Expect to use the heaters soon, but not as soon as u guys up north, it seems.

Griller, we've kind of decided to go for it and buy a house - hubbie won the to buy or not to buy debate. The loan we want to use is Tokyo Mitsubishi - one of only 2 companies that have a 30 yr fixed interest loan. 2.5% first 10 yrs then 4.2% the rest. Deadline for getting all paperwork etc sorted for the loan is end of year (strange system that, long term loans only on offer at certain times of year). WIth interest rates so low (u can pick up a 1 yr fixed for 1%) we chose the 30 yr fixed, coz the only way interest rates can go is up. Friends and family back home in UK are salivating

Yuki's Passion, do u live in Saijo?

Scouser, one of the best gigs I ever went to was the Bunnymen at the Glasgow Barrowlands. They played for 3 HOURS solid...it was like they didn't want to leave! That was a great night. Another memorable concert was when I went to see a fairly unsuccessful Scottish band called Love and Money and Texas were their support band. One of the only times I've ever seen the support band blow the main attraction away completely - that was way back when Texas were really good though, not all their ballady stuff like they do now.

Fucdane, I'm from Glasgow and so have a soft spot for the minds....especially live in Glasgow. How can u compare them to culture club? Or did I misunderstand ur post? The Smiths were great. Actually, dont't laugh, but I was listening to a Madness compilation the other night in a bar, and it was pretty good - or is that just nostalgia? What about The Jam? God, I'm really stuck in a time warp! That's what living abroad does to you!

My all time faves are all blasts from the past when i was a high school or uni student. Also, lots of Scottish picks. Echo and the Bunnymen Joy Division and then New Order The Blue Nile The Jesus and Mary Chain The Cure Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Simple Minds James The Stone Roses Actually, I could go on all night singing (well, perhaps not singing) the merits of UK bands. Will leave some room for others to answer.

Well, the gig was different from what I'm used to. - no bar!!! (no wonder the crowd doesn't get going - not exactly the Glasgow Barrowlands atmosphere either) - about 200 people waiting in line - for t-shirts!!! - no support band!! - they played a cd of champagne supernova just after the final song......with everyone standing there thinking they were going to come out again As to Oasis...they were alright but not that great. I like their music but it seemed pretty flat with some apparent flaws. What was perfect though was an acoustic solo of Noel singing Wonderwall. That was g

Thanks for that Scouser.

Going to see the boys play tonight in Hiroshima. Did anyone see them anywhere else....Osaka, Tokyo, Sendai etc? What were they like? What was on the play list? Anyone going to the Hiroshima gig? I'm a bit worried about the atmosphere - only having ever been to gigs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, various cities in England and Spain. Do the Japanese "get into it" and are there enough non-Japanese who brew up a storm? Or is is just all finger-clicking, toe tapping boredom, where the band can't wait to get outta there sans encore? I saw The Cardigans on tv and the lead singer was verbally

The Wicker Man, now there was a creepy film. Also that one where Anthony Hopkins is a ventriloquist being controlled by his doll was pretty freaky. I vaguely remember one that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.....probably wasnt that scary either, but it was for me - Harlequin (???) with Robert Powell (sorry, my memory for this stuff is terrible - the guy who played Jesus Christ with the unnaturally big blue eyes). It seemed to be a big house with black and white floors and one scene where a woman is in the bath and pours bleach on her head instead of shampoo by mistake

Lowenbrau is very good. Caffreys tastes lovely but is lethal and causes blackouts. Japanese happoshus are getting better, especially Goku Nama (not great but tastes almost as good as Suntory Malts from a can). Suntory Malts ice cold draft is very creamy (like Caffreys a bit).

I love goma ice cream! And matcha is great too - both took getting used to but the longer I'm here (now 7.5 yrs) the less I like sweet things. As to 31 or Haagen Daz - theyre the reason I gained so much weight in Japan. SHAME ON THEM!!! But I love strawberry cheesecake (31) and macadamia nut brittle (old Haagen Daz flavour)

As I said, my husband is Japanese so we don't have the prob of not getting a mortgage coz I'm a foreigner - and I do know a guy who is a Brit married to a Japanese and they got a mortgage ok........yes, he needed permanent residence. The main prob I have is that buying property here is like buying a car - it depreciates and isnt an investment. Whilst I'm fine about making that kind of commitment for a short term loan, the idea of being tied into a 30 yr loan for something thats probably going to end up almost worthless by the time ive paid it is very scary. The interest rates are low and r

Just wondered if anyone has bought an apartment or a house in Japan? Any thoughts on the subject? It is an annual discussion between my hubbie (Japanese) and I (Brit).....should we, shouldn't we? At the moment our rent is a crippling figure and the cost of land in Hiroshima isn't so expensive. Makes buying here seem to make more sense. But the deposit alone would buy me a nice little flat outright in Scotland (well, maybe not quite). Just a topic on my mind lately.......and wondered if any of you (especially the mixed families) had considered it?

So Ocean, should all non-earners be allowed to board/ski for free?

Shriek (or is it scream?) I know what u did last friday 13th...........major misshap there, thought it was Shrek (just read the first part of the katakana in a hurry). What a load of ****.