Antonio

Folks....just a quick warning to be careful on the Nozawa gondola if your heading that way, I nearly fell out on Sunday!!!!! As i bent down to undo my boot buckles i lent on the door and it swung open. Luckily i grabbed onto the other door and pulled myself back in but it scared the crap out of me. The doors are supposed to lock when you leave the station, so don't know what went wrong. I reported it to the lift attendant at the top but don't know if he took much notice. Be careful guys and gals.

Not in my case. Paid 100% in Oz with a set monthly amount transfered to a Japanese bank account at a guaranteed FEX rate. Company pays all tax liabilities in Japan.

yaaaaaaaakkkkiiiii moooooooooooo

That's a tad personal isn't it?

Oh and pet hate... people who, when getting on or off the rush hour trains, take it as a free opportunity to drop the elbow/shoulder into an unsuspecting victim.

Ocean, i was led to believe that you had to ride on the pavement here as a matter of law. Have i been misled?

Mogski....you should start a consultancy....i could definitely use some help...

So zwelgen, can you explain to me what is all this gumph i'm hearing recently about the "alpha male"....you know...the kind of guy who eats with his hands and wipes his mouth on his sleeve shirt....pats woman on the behind etc....i thought he was the man of the moment???? i'm confused??????

Ocean, if you find it offensive, that's fine. Many of us here however don't and are just as comfortable talking about growing spinach as we are talking and joking about our sexuality. Time to quit for now and bugger off for a swim By the way, you didn't go to a boarding school did you Ocean?

I think recent responses should tell you something powwwers....its you who aint gettin it mate. If you don't want to talk about it or consider it a non-issue, fine. But don't suppose to tell me or the rest of us what is and isn't a reasonable issue for discussion. Is that simple enough for you?

Come now powwwers, your starting to contradict yourself a little. You say ALL topics are fair ground including this one, then in the next sentence you state it's not an appropriate issue for this site. Also, why aren't racial (black/white i think you called it) issues worthy of discussion....do they make you squeamish? Yes, we could all stick to talking about our favourite Thai Green Chicken curry recipes but where would the fun be in that.....especially since mine is the best.

I know what you mean Indosnm. I had the boys in blue get me out of bed at 2:30am one morning to tell me the hire car i had parked out the front for one night would have to be moved.....they suggested i just put it round the corner out of sight of whoever it was in the opposite apartment who had rung the police and complained. What the????

powwwers, your little piece was very well written and actually quite amusing. Thank you....i enjoyed reading it. That said, what's the problem with having a gay discussion. So far on the "Not Skiing Board" i believe we've covered topics ranging from the Yakuza to favourite birds, to anecdotes of Japanese life to the study in minute detail of the differences of the X-box and other entertainment machines. So why has a very general, good humoured discussion of things gay got you so worked up..... There are gross generalisations in many of these threads (see Echineko's thread about peopl

I occasionally make it to the gym, i can cook a decent spag bol like 99.9% of the male pop of Oz and i am yet to break a mirror thorugh direct eye contact.............do i qualify?

I am very conscious of not appearing anti-Japan as i love the place, but i do find the police rather amusing.... The little Koban box near work is a case in point. Most morning's when i walk past the lads have their feet up with the TV on, laughing along to the morning's shows however this morning was a real treat. Two of them, obviously on duty, were tossing bread crumbs out the door trying to get pidgeons to come right into the station. It was like watching an old Benny Hill skit.... Just thought i'd mention it as someone was quoting a news article to me the other day suggesting Ja

Can't be positive but the over-the-top bowing led me to believe it was probably Yakuza.....oh, and the haircuts...

Mogski....you reckon we don't tease the old man about his 50% strike rate!

Zwelgen, you'd like my brothers then.....haven't had a girlfriend yet who hasn't said..."ooooh, they're gorgeous"....quickly followed by accusatory glance my way. Intelligent, very well built, love cooking etc......very bad example for the rest of us.

Starting the barbie...????

Raury, i'd have to disagree with you a bit there and say from what i've seen of Japan, the Japanese (and asia generally)are much more at ease with the gay issue than most western cultures. Just look at the number of gay/trannie celebs on TV here! 2 of my 3 brothers recently announced they were playing for the AWAY team which has the old man putting a lot of pressure on me to produce the grandkiddies!!!!! Not to mention my girlfriend has been asking some rather prickly questions!

Amusing Yakuza experience..... Was getting off the Shinkansen in Sendai on a business trip when lots of guys with black suits and ear pieces started running round the platform madly talking into their collars, all trying to look desperately important. All of a sudden they start forming a tunnel of people around me and all started bowing profusely...i'm thinking to myself "i'm only a salesman...no really guys, i'm not that important"...when i look behind me and here's this midget of a man who'd obviously watched the Godfather one too many times mincing along behind me barking orders to hi

Have to say i've been lucky with lift queues at resorts i've visited so far this year...but when i was at Niseko, i was usually riding the gondola and didn't have any hesitation in walking round people and getting in a gondola that was less than full. Never met any hostility from the people in the queue as they were waiting for the next one and met some cool people in the gondola.....i can see how this practice might be a bit harder though in a chair lift line...

Takamatsu....northern side of Shikoku island. Don't think you'll find much ridable white stuff in the area. I visited the GF's family in Shikoku at New Year and managed to sneak off to Ishizuchi for a day. Apparently this place is one of the biggest in the Shikoku area (Ehime Pref) and it had two runs going down the same side of a mountain with one double chair. After just returning from 4 days at Niseko for Christmas it was what you may call a tad disappointing.

Gee, you guys have been busy today. Thanks! A lot of what you said rings true for me, particularly the advanced skiers going at supersonic speeds down intermediate and beginner slopes. Must be quite scary for beginners. One thing i have noticed though is that on-mountain food seems to be priced at the same as what i'm used to in Tokyo. I guess its more than what those living in country areas are used to but it seems quite reasonably priced to soemone coming from Tokyo.

Interesting analogy Oceans11. There aren't too many business class only planes flying are there? As for economy class only - that seems to be a growth sector! Problem is that the nomads don't even qualify as economy class - these are the guys who would take an accompanied parcel delivery job or hop on a container ship to get OS - not buy an economy ticket. Its the same with hotels. Money spent on a room is money wasted that could have contributed to a lift ticket - regardless of how small the amount.