Markie

Don't be naughty, Ewok 2! Are you joining us in Hakuba this time?

Fattwins, do you remember the divorcee with the daugther? They didn't stay at you place but stayed in the Tokyu Hotel. You taught her daugther, as did BCS.

Good, Stemik, glad to have you on board. Creek Boy, officially, my last day of work will be 31st Aug., 2008. However, a big monkey-wrench has been thrown into my plans for a totally free and easy life. I am now entrenched with in a serious relationship with someone (in fact, I first met her in Hakuba in the Christmas of 2006 when you were also there with Bushpig and his gf/wife and Ewok 2) and we have already decided that marriage is the next step and just a question of setting a date. So when I'm done with this job I will be devoting my life to looking after all her needs and wishes.

OK, people, it's time to take a roll-call. I have finalized all my tickets and everything so I will be in Hakuba 18th to 25th March. I will first stay a couple of days with Fattwins and then move over to the log cabin next to the Pub at the Mominoki. Shall we fix Saturday 23rd to be "the meet up at the Pub" date? That is the date Mantas arrives. Anyone suggest a time? So far according to the previous posts Weegeoff, Mantas and Best-Skier-in-Hakuba said they would come. Are you guys still on? In addition, Creek Boy, Sunrise and Ewok2 also said maybe. Of course everyone else is wel

The rebate is also going to be good for me but unfortunately the tax cut will come too late. I won't be paying much in the way of taxes next year if anything at all.

I don't drink (alcohol) when I'm skiing in Japan. But in France they serve this Vin Chaud (hot wine) everywhere on the slopes. Tastes quite nice, kinda like a hot Ribena.

Yes, I agree. Me jane, you have to eat that very soon after YOU buy it....because you are so HOT!

Thanks sunrise but tell you the truth, I won't hold my breath.

Last year was the first time in my life I got anything from a girl on Valentine's Day. No such luck this year.

There used to be a really big ski/snowboard equipment shop in Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade in Sapporo. I think it was call ICL sports or something like that. However, when I went to check it out last month, they had moved.

Originally Posted By: malee_bull hi jyves, thinking of taking your advice about matsumoto and im just wondering how far the castle is from the station and how long you would suggest allowing to see it? also do you know any good cheap hotels in matsumoto? thankyou in advance Matsumoto castle is 15 minutes walking distance from the train station. If you are going to visit, make sure you prepare some thick warm socks cos you have to take off your shoes at the entrance and the cold wooden floors can be brutal on the feeties. Touring the castle only take about an hour so there is really no

Sorry about my typos. Thanks TB for the amendments.

Originally Posted By: thursday. yeah and people can all crash at your place Actually, Thursday, you can crash at my place anytime. I have a house on the Gold Coast (that's in HK not Aust) with a great seaview and I'm hardly ever there....till my actual retirement date that is coming soon. So you can use it with your family on weekends or holidays or whatever to get away from town.

Since the party is at TJ's White Horse Hotel, why don't you stay there? I bet he still has room.

Originally Posted By: Ezorisu .... you can probably catch an earlier bus to Sapporo, grab lunch in town and do some shopping, then catch the 14:50 to Niseko. There are snowboard/ski sized coin-lockers in the Sapporo station on the North side, and a bunch of shops and restaurants right there, including 2 big electronics/camera stores. Yeah, if you're into cameras and electronics, there's Bic Kamera at the Esta centre at the Sapporo station mall. Even if you're not buying anying, that place is great for just looking around. Personally, I would do the Chitose route because I love the resta

I believe the Whiteliner Bus can pick you up in Furano in the morning and get you to Chitose by lunch time. The same bus company also operates a line which goes form Chitose in the afternoon to Niseko. This method is relatively inexpensive and you only have to change buses once.

Not really answering your question, but just wanted to say "Hi, o-hisashiburi, welcome back"

That's good, best-skier-in-hakuba, has told me he will try to join us as well.

Fantastic, Weegeoff, cos I'm gonna be in a log cabin opposite the Pub right next to the Mominoki.

Me jane, are you being naughty and trying to stir up something! This would be much more fun in a bar, with the beer running and the voices getting gradually louder till the fists fly. So I suggest we save this debate till Sat. 22nd Mar. at The Pub in Hakuba (opposite the Mominoki) when I will be there and we can invite the Evengreen people and all to join in.

That will be great. Where will you be staying?

Mantas, I think Fattwins had the dates I was mentioning mixed up. He was thinking about mid-April because we were taking about Easter, forgetting that we have an early Easter this year.

What for? Everyone was so happy laughing their heads off at me.

Originally Posted By: thursday. yeah, wear your ski pants, ski boots on the plane. Haha, been there, done that! Well, not the boots, but the ski pants, yes! And not only on the plane, but also during club crawling in Roppongi a few years back with db, enderzero, mogski and dan "the red-beard". They couldn't stop laughing at me about it, but it was the only pair of trouser/pants I brought along on that trip and the day time Tokyo temperature was sometimes above 30C!

TB. The 3 Valleys trip last year was fantastic for me. Though the snow quality was so poor that when I tried skiing to the gondola station at the lowest altitude skiable according to the map, I had to hike with my skis and boots for more than 1 km of the last part even though it was a designated ski trail on the map, but there was just no snow there! Nevertheless, the terrain was awesome at the higher levels but with no fresh snow during the whole period I was there and more than a week before that, the snow conditions were a bit hard and icy. That didn't stop me from having a good time though