zwelgen

I have a vague feeling you can use foreign credit cards at some atms at some post offices. I could be wrong though and have never been to hokkaido so mabye different.

Maybe they sleep on their side, semi foetal position. I have to say though seeing them all inching along the road makes me buy a few extra tubs of yoghurt at the suupaa!

Quote: Originally posted by mogski: I am paid to chat I am paid to research the web Somehow though my web research just keeps rolling on back to this site. Gotta work out how to stop the window from popping up like that. When you find out how to do it let me know! I need some kind of time lock or something, can only access this page once a day or something

Yep Ill be there, probably with nekobi too. gotta work Fri dammit but will be there sat and sun. Maybe I could show you that italian place in kijimadaira if youre interested. what day you going?

Quote: Originally posted by kamoshika: so for all I know they could be sweet as your Nana. Hey where are you from Kamoshika? Sounds like you must be a kiwi? Havent heard that phrase for a long long time

It might just be my own personal peeve but I dont rate the shiga kogen area for the main reason that the access road is an icy nightmare. Going up is usually ok, but snaking down a windy road slick with ice, behiend a looooooooong line of cars doing 15 km/h when you are knackered from going hard all day and your buddies are snoring in the back and youre tired... well 'nuff said. Take the bus if youre going or find another sucker to drive. I dont think the resorts are all that either, shortish and average. Id way rather go to Hakuba, Nozawa or the ones in Nigata Im keen to try. Just m

Yes I definately think that alcohol will be your budget killer. You can eat cheaply, esp if your doing you cooking but vege and meat are waaaay more expensive than oz so dont think the vegetarian option will be cheap. Just make sure youve got a bit of a buffer in your budget too incase something happens, you get wasted and blow 10,000 etc... you should be right on 50 bucks a day though, just get tanked before you go out. Try and get some lunch deal too with your lift pass cos the slope food in Nagano can kill your budget.

Yep CIR and I cant believe I managed to get put where I am. I think the reference from a Japanese ski field made them think Id handle the snow here or something. When I got my placement letter I typed in "Iiyama" into a search engine to see what would come up etc and thats where I found this website ..."take the Iiyama line to Nozawa Onsen". What can I say, good days and bad days, definately more good, and the job can get you loads of cool stuff, like Im interpreting at the mogul world cup next month oh yeeah. But I think Im one of the luckier CIRs, small rural place means I ha

Someone told me that Madarao was THE place to hook up for young Japanese people. Thats why theres so many students looking stylee but not doing a hulluva lot of sliding there maybe. Freestyle mogul world cup there Feb 22nd, 23th if anyone likes that kind of thing.

My business card says Coordinator for International Relations but thats pretty airy fairy. I work for a "city" of 27,000 souls who see very very few foreigners so the work can be a blast sometimes and suck sometimes.

Quote: Originally posted by OUfreeski2: Zwelgen, did you end up getting those FATS skis? Much to my sadness no. I had a few soul crushing bills to pay so am completly and utterly broke till the 16th. Im pretty set on getting some rossi bandit XX, just midfats for me as I cant really justify getting fats for a few more months of Japanese powder. I agree with you about holding people up. Depends by how long really and obviously not everyone is the same level.

Yeah dancing is where its at. I saw Barok dancing and he knows how to shake his thang, at least thats what I remember...

And I think standing at the top of a run and peering over the edge and going sh!t or watching someone ski something and think "I couldnt do that" and then climbing up there and giving it a go anyway - even if you roll all the way down or get a few bruises at least trying it you get better. And riding with people better and maybe a bit more of an idiot than me has definatley upped my game. Some new gear has given me the incentive to push it a bit more. More mental rather than anything though I think! But yeah I think you do get those plateaus, maybe like any sports change something,

I think if you were going to make a comparison then ramen is the donner kebab of Japan.

Just read my last post - damn I am a sadsack! Ok no more negativity. The sun is shining, its cold so the snow is fantastic and the mates are coming on Fri for a roof shoveling party. Anyone going to Nozawa this weekend?

I dont know what the cost is but some gaijin friends go to Nozawa each year around the fire festival and stay in Daimaruya. I went up for some drinks (and spading ) last year and the place looked nice, the food good and the owners not antsy about drunken idiot behaviour if thats your thing. I dont think they speak English though. http://www.nozawa.or.jp/daimaruya/home in Japanese only but easy enough to translate with online software. I took a few runs with an Australian guy last week and he was staying at Haus St Anton and was quite happy with everything. Sorry dont know contact de

Yes definately excused. I was just wondering if maybe Id got the wrong idea.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no but definately need to stop for fluids, snickers and onigiri. Sometimes I find that if its an epic day its better for me to stop for half an hour or so and rehydrate and fuel up so I can enjoy the afternoon better without getting too tired and sucking on the slopes. cameltoe? - db you are gross

They have microwaves at konbinis. I can just picture it: "Ill have one nikuman and can you please heat up my wheat bag..."

I said that because Ive been feeling a bit down on the whole thing lately. Its just so damn cold and the snow makes everyday life difficult. For example I spent my lunchtime yesterday shoveling the snow on the road out the front of my house and to the front door and am going to have to get up on the roof one night this week and spend a good few hours getting some of that weight off so it doesnt crack the walls (again). And like this morning when its minus 16 outside, minus 3 in your bedroom and the bristles on your toothbrush are frozen solid you really begin to wonder is it really worth it.

wooo interesting article - nope dont want a scar like that on my head! So according to that article most pros dont like wearing helmets and that certianly seems to be true for the small number of vids Ive seen where except for the big mountain riders no one appears to have a lid on. Is it just uncool or what? That scar sure is not cool

When I eat sweets I chew them rather than sucking them like I used to

17 times but a few of them were pretty pathetic and wouldnt have gone up if I hadnt had the season pass and it wasnt a 15 mins drive! Yes I dont know how lucky I am

...and decent toothpaste too

Hey Slow, hows Oze? Now thats a name from the past! Whats the scene like there? I guess they allow snow boarders now?