bettyx

wow. i don't think i'm much of a speedskater though (nor was that aussie guy who won the gold medal, though) but where do i rent my skates? & someone told me that skating on a frozen pond is actually really crappy as they can't level the ice. i've kinda always wanted to do it, though.. is that oval a level surface? i guess if it's an oval there's no risk of falling through thin ice. but still.. isn't that part of the thrill, risking yr life & all?

ok so i know iceskating isn't particularly cool but a heap of my elementary schools are currently constructing mini-rinks & it got me thinking -- does anyone know a nice place to iceskate in nagano-ken? i picked up some discount tickets for wel sunpia in matsumoto, but i think it is an indoor hockey rink? i'm wanting to do something a bit more scenic, preferably outdoors.

the kids in my famiily all hated pudding (i'd probably love it now), plus the crazy aussie summer christmas weather meant we preferred the xmas icecream pudd, rough recipe as follows: ingredients: good quality ice cream, preferably two or more flavours. chocolate (maltesers are great, also chocolate freckles, & pretty much any chocolate bar you like, as long as it's chopped up) some people like chopped nuts too. method: soften icecream by leaving out of the freezer for a little while, not too long as it the taste will change when you refreeze it. mix chopped choco

oh yeah, currently riding kandy-chan, a k2 kandy board. (original, i know, but you've gotta say it japanese-style, 'kyandi-chan') & lil' bibi, my Vivio, takes me to the snow & back.. if i have troubles with japanese i check with toshi-kun, my toshiba dictionary phone. but then, i'm a girl & like to name inanimate objects. (actually, i think all 3 were named by friends, not me)

changing humour? hell, i lost my sense of humour when i moved to japan, i swear. caught myself actually laughing at tamori on that kanji show he does on tuesday night. he kept pretending he knew the answers even when he didn't. not exactly comedy gold, but at 11pm on a school nite, it had me chuckling.

Quote: Originally posted by Fattwins: Tetsu is a rookie patroller but dont make him turn a blind eye he will get in crap. I already told him that if I go there then dont treat me any differently than the other customers. i think the trick is to get him to chase you, which enables you both to have a kickass ride? (but i'm not sure of the consequences at the bottom!)

ok this is highly secret but.. i know some people who don't tell their insurance company that they suffer from asthma. apparently adult-onset asthma is quite common so if they have problems, they are treated by their doctor & can claim it on insurance. not that i want to support such shady activities, but.. well.. i've heard it's been done. ps. watch out for theorum. my doctor prescribed it for my asthma & i nearly had a heart attack, my heart was being so fast & i couldn't sleep as i was all jittery & totally felt like i was on speed. checked on the

natto was on the menu for lunch today. a little boy took 7 packs of mustard from his buddies & mixed it all up, i swear he looked like he was going to puke. & he was still struggling with when the lunch gang were ready to return all the plates. is there a special mustard for kids? i'm guessing 8 packets would be quite hot. also, has anyone seen the special natto eating device, i saw it in my local eiden store, i think it was chopsticks or something that somehow mixed it up better.. not sure.

oh my god, i love it. no doubt i'll add it to my next architectural tour of kansai. that's the funniest waste of money ever. & yes, the trip to osaka airport is so depressing, i was almost glad to be leaving!

newcomic, nice work on scoring the job. my friend studied jap for 3 years at uni but didn't get anything! don't bother with timtams, you can buy them in supermarkets etc over here. aussie wine is also readily available. stuff like panadol or cold&flu tablets may come in handy - i know lots of guys who complain japanese medicine isn't strong enough.. whatever that means. vegemite..hmm.. can't say i've had any cravings though i would KILL for a packet of crumpets. yeah, get tetsu to hook you up with transport outta cortina, he may also turn a blind eye if you head off cours

ooh i'll gush all i want - & most probably, so will you when the project is done. i guess my excitement stems partly from the amount of friends/etc i've taken to visit matsumoto castle, only to have them comment on how small it is. i try to push the 'yeah it's small, but that's how it survived in semi-original form, unlike most of the other castles in japan'. machizukuri? maybe a town project/planning? & mr wiggles suggestion that the shopping center is bleeding red ink just made my afternoon.

i hate you both. my poor little minnie only fits 4GB, which is currently more than my vacant hard drive space. (does that make sense? my computer is having a heart attack any time i try to download anything) but i'm wondering, just how many of those 7000plus songs do you actually regularly listen to? (not the point, just trying to not get too jealous)

i don't get it. who am i supposed to be looking for? is that the scissor sisters don't the front? do you have a list of the 74 to get me started, or is that part of the fun?

i don't get it. who am i supposed to be looking for? is that the scissor sisters don't the front? do you have a list of the 74 to get me started, or is that part of the fun?

like moss on the bottom of a pond. soft, slimey green stuff. feels nice between your toes when you walk in the shallows. feels not so good when it's sliding down your throat in the middle of a bowl of miso soup!

i had my pants drycleaned after winter in oz & the lady gave them some kinda special waterproofing, i think it cost an extra 500yen? anyone know if this works? (i'm still recovering from the fact you guys machine wash yr wear. i bet you all put your wool sweaters in the dryer, and don't separate whites&darks?)

shovelling snow? ahahaahahahaha!!! your pm box is full! somebody's popular, huh?

okra is available in australia as well. it's not nearly as traumatic as tororo kombu, or pond slime, as i prefer to call it.

thank you! now gamera, you don't need any weekend staff, do you?

so i've finally decided to buy a happo/shigakogen pass (provided there's some left) but i can't for the life of me read the address to which you're supposed to send the application to. &it's not just that i can't read the kanji, i've asked about a million of my japanese friends & they can't either, i think the image scanned in is too blurry (maybe the resolution was too low or something?) so does anyone know where i send my 7man?! (*shakes head sadly*)

hakuba, apparently. now who's cooking the roast dinner? i had leftover sandwiches last year & refuse to do it again in 2005!

ooh balloon rides/sky diving sound like fun. spa vouchers - jurlique has a great range of day spas all over the place, maybe a bit expensive but all natural & rather classy - but still accessible. & how to choose a handbag? wish i knew! i still refuse to grow up & use one.

tadao ando is designing something for your city? that's not a waste of money, that's fantastic. thousands of people from around japan & the world go on pilgrimages just to visit as many of his structures as possible, so building something in matsuyama is definitely positive machi-zukuri.

if she has an ipod already, what about some accessories? japan has some good stuff. also: some of those waterproof speakers you put in the bathroom. you can stick yr ipod inside & listen to music as you have a shower/do yr makeup etc. definitely you need something else as well, but this is always an appreciated 'novelty' gift.

ps. the families also paid for my lunch, which was nice. HOWEVER one family were staying at la neige & if i'm not mistaken, my sandwich cost Y1700. (you may want to factor this into costs) .