Blair
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Posts posted by Blair
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griller
Grass is always greener on the other side.
The work at the Guide Center is definitely different from English teacher work.
While both involve a service devoted tomaking kids happy, cold outdoor weather (& the responsibility it brings) involves many issues not normally found in a classroom.
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Hi rach
Yes, no interviews.
I do often end up speaking over the telephone with new employees prior to their arrival at the resort though.
Of course it would be ideal to conduct interviews and the like if time permitted.
The other thing is that the work is seasonal, so in some cases the employeee is at the resort for as little as two months (by choice).
Blair.
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Hi rach
Good to hear from you.
In my mind the process of getting a job at the resort is the interview. I still remember all the red tape I had to go through to get a working holiday visa for Japan.
If you look again at what the couple had to go through to get to the resort:
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22 October
Initial E-mail enquiring about work arrived at the resort
24 October
Reply forwarded requesting further details
26 October
Resume arrives & is circulated internally
29 October
Further details requested from the candidate
04 November
Further details arrive along with job request for partner
13 November
Work offered and intended arrival at resort set
07 December
Arrival postponed due to red tape related to travel documents
10 January
Red tape dealt with and follow-up enquiry for work forwarded
14 January
Work offered and intended arrival at resort set
25 January
Arrived at resort
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Only the most dedicated, determined and patient employees get through, on their own coin to boot!
Thanks very much
Blair.
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Hello 97
The lifts are to open an hour earlier April 10 - 16, so try to make the most of it.
brit-gob
Glad that you remember December 2005 too! I wonder for how many years it will be talked about. People in the area still talk about Winter of 1986...
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A few years back two boarders were reported missing on a Friday.
Given that there was new snow at the time, regular grooming could not be done that night to avoid risking running over a body. The next morning the entire mountain was closed while the search continued.
Fortunately the boarders were rescued via helicopter (out of bounds) early on the Saturday afternoon, but the day for everyone else was not what they had planned/worked for.
My question is:
How would you feel if you had come to the resort that day but could not ski/board (despite prime conditions) due to the actions of only two persons the day before?
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Thanks for all the posts, it always amazes me concerning the depth and width of the Snow Japan community.
I'm not the person with all the answers concerning this issue. I have however witnessed from start to finish the impact that somebody dying out of bounds has on both the staff at the resort as well as their families.
At Arai it is black and white in my mind as to where skiers and boarders can and cannot go. I realize that other resorts may have some grey areas.
Again, thank you very much for the words of encouragement/constructive criticism concerning this issue. Maybe these words will save some lives by a skier/boarder thinking twice before heading out of bounds?
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Hello
I've spoken with Snow Japan about the following & have received permission to go ahead.
I've been very quiet over the past several months & this has been in part because the season has been exceptionally busy. While I was not intending to post again until late March/early April, there have been some unfortunate incidents at the resort I want to tell people about.
Arai was a difficult mountain to bring to the public from a safety point of view, but in the end it became possible given that strict boundaries were established between safe areas and dangerous ones. Such boundaries are set every morning prior to the public hitting the slopes.
In past white seasons visitors have died by going out of bounds & the resort has gone to great lengths to avoid such being repeated.
This white season, despite proactive measures taken by patrol, some visitors still are going out of bounds.
While those going out of bounds (or attempting to go out of bounds) consist of both Japanese and Foreigners, a difference has clearly emerged concerning the two respective groups. When the patrol comes across a group of Japanese attempting to go out of bounds & tells them to stop, usually such a group does. Unfortunately, under the same circumstances with a group of foreign skiers or boarders, the patrols direct order to stop in some cases has been intentionally ignored & even mocked.
In my biased opinion Arai has gone to great lengths to accommodate foreigners on the slopes,
with the only condition being to abide by the rules & boundaries clearly set out by the park. Presently the behaviour of only a few described above jeopardizes future pleasure on the slopes for all. Further, all the positive things
accomplished to date are being dulled by this, which in my mind is such a waste.
I wrote about this subject several years ago & interviewed the Arai patrol. This can be read further about here:
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/setting-journals-3.html
Management have asked me to post the message found at the bottom of this post on the English site for the resort. The resort will also be handing out a similar bilingual notice to everyone that purchases a lift ticket for the remainder of the season.
I'll finish by saying that I've been a full-time employee at this resort for almost 7 years now, & because of it other foreigners have been able to obtain work here.
The international community has also responded positively to foreigners working at the resort, but to be clear when a few foreign guests intentionally go out of bounds, potentially everybody loses.
It is unfortunate that such a situation has come up. Please help me to lessen the heat I'm feeling presently by respecting the rules of the park when you visit.
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BEWARE!
AT ARAI MOUNTAIN & SPA,
ENTERING AREAS OUTSIDE ROPES & NETS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
You are entering this Park subject to the rules and conditions set out by Arai Mountain & Spa.
Going out of bounds risks the life of others who may follow your tracks. Violators also force the closure of courses & are subject to ticket confiscation/expulsion from the Park. Given such, should you ignore instructions of Park Officials & decide to endanger the lives of others, legal action may be taken against you.
Please ensure the safety of everyone by remaining within the clearly set boundaries.
Arai Resort Management Inc.
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Hi cal
Not sure if harvesting is the correct terminology or not. Essentially, the pisten bullys gather snow from areas no longer in use and take it to areas that are. Then staff gather to pat down the snow on th runs.
Ocean11
The mountainboard park was a late development at the resort this summer, so I imagine that it will be promoted more fully next season - sorry to disappoint you!
No photos, but I did see some wicked spills with riders getting up very slowly after them! Only for the hard skinned that sport I say!
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Hey Fattwins
Been awhile - good to hear from you.
No, snow is not made at the resort.
What is done during the latter part of the season however is to "harvest snow" from unused areas for use on runs that are still open.
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Hi montoya
That is about 12 days earlier than last year (when the resort opened late due to lack of snow at the start of the season).
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Hello
I've just been told that opening day is to be Friday, 9th of December!
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Hello xxx
Thanks for the comment, it's the first time I've heard something like it.
In my mind if I was to take up your suggestion, it would take several years to get to the point I'm at now in my present work; That is, from my experience working in Japan to date it takes a long time to first establish yourself and even longer to get colleagues to give you the time of day.
Wow, this is the first time I have posted on the new site - I'm very impressed with the improvements.
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Hello V
Yeah, it is tough not having "Nays" around.
He was always good for a laugh, and made many people happy through his music.
I understand however that this is not the end of Trio Latino. The two other members along with their production company are holding auditioning presently for a new singer.
Although one never knows for sure, my guess is that this is what Nays would have wanted.
Let the music play...
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Relatively no - given that the resort is not situated close to a bullet train line, the crowds of such resorts are not present here.
Despite the above, the priority pass is handy for the weekend mornings when guests queue to board the Gondola in the village prior to opening. It also lets staff of the resort know that holders of these passes are staying at The Club.
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Priority Boarding on the lifts are linked to "priority passes" issued to all fully registered guests staying at The Club when they check-in. These passes are included within the accommodation rates paid by Club guests.
A priority pass is good for the entire stay at the resort (Yes, it is possible to use this passes for two full days, if you sandwich one night of accommodation between them). They enable guests to bypass any line ups for either the Gondola or chairlifts.
Other services linked to these passes include complimentary access to the Aqua Park Pool & Yu, as well as the Ski Cloak within The Club.
The Ski Cloak is a small reception area which is dedicated to serving the guest skiers (and boarders). This service begins from the time the guest arrives at the resort through until departure. Your gear will be waiting for you in this area, all unpacked and ready to go. The Ski Cloak also has a drying area, so when you're done for the day, the attendants will take your skis and gear and have everything dried, warm and ready for you the next morning.
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The policy changed for the season just finishing.
Inn guests received passes for the Japanese baths & could enter the pool at a discount.
Lodge guests received passes for both the baths & pool.
Club guests receive a prioriy pass good for the pool, baths as well as priority boarding on the lifts.
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frannyo
There are a couple of small lounges where guests can enjoy an intimate drink. If dinner is early, then it is also possible to go on a snowmobile night tour.
The indoor/all season Pool and Japanese baths are also open.
On the weekends, one can also visit the Spa for a massage...
Spending time within a guest room is also attractive to some following a day out on the slopes and the like...
Yes, I do hope to cover this more in the next volume of the setting journals.
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Hello
Apres Ski is always a tough one in my mind at a seasonal village like Arai.
Given that there are only 250 guest rooms at the resort, night services to date have been difficult to provide.
With tough drinking and driving laws also now in place in Japan, liability concerns also come into the picture.
The Micro Brewery at the resort has not closed, but is presently not actively brewing. While there is a chance that brewing will resume for the summer, this has yet to be confirmed.
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Looking forward to chatting with all on the afternoon of January 26 from 1 - 2 PM Japan time.
Cheers
Blair.
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Hi joshnii
Thanks for posting.
Only senior members of patrol that have been trained in avalanche control can make such decisions.
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The people in the photo are all staff members of ARAI.
Every year in the run-up to the season, emergency response drills are practised.
The hotels also practise emergency response drills with all staff not directly involved in evacuation procedures playing the role of guests.
I participated in this particular emergency response drill on a cold day a few years back.
Presently the resort is focussing more on carrying out such drills in both English and Japanese.
Blair.
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And there have been some cancellations.
In my mind the guests that cancelled are those who have never visited the resort before.
While the repeaters appear to have few qualms about returning, new guests - especially those from overses - sometimes fail to understand that Chuetsu and Joetsu are different areas.
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Hello
Fattwins - Yes, the resort has been getting calls, e-mails etc. and the like concerning the Chuetsu quakes.
sanjo - preparations for the coming season are proceeding as planned. To be clear, with every successive day that Chuetsu does not experience aftershocks the situation improves. Also for guests that have visited the resort before, their local knowledge of the resorts geography/access points has helped to dissipate concerns.
Concerning bookings, both the Japanese and English websites post updated availability online.
Presently - despite some cancellations - it is looking more like the three hotels will be almost full over the Christmas period(before the Japanese New Year Break begins), which if so will be the first time this has ever happened.
DrMabuse - Yes, a ripped ticket is considered to be void by the resort.
Arai Mountain & Spa - closed!
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Hello everyone
Thanks for all of your posts - I'm looking forward to reading them at a more leisurely pace (joke intended)!
Presently the English Web is being taken down, & ads and the like pulled.
Work finished for everyone yesterday. From today a skeleton staff is shutting things down.
I have until 17 July to wrap things up, so am presently contacting guests and the like with reservations as well as seasonal part-time workers.
Although I will do my best to get in touch with everyone that has reservations etc, if you know of anybody that has plans to visit the resort kindly pass along the word.
Thank you and regards
Blair.