Rag-Doll

Does Nagano airport take international flights? If it doesn't, the local resort towns should be pushing hard for it. It would open up a whole new market of weekend trips residents in China's coastal cities. In the right circumstances super cheap airline tickets subsidised by landing fee rebates from the Nagano airport would make it very appealing.

It will be interesting to see how the whole thing plays out and how the resorts change. Chinese NY is already crazy in Niseko, I bet the prices will double next year.

Even the HK Chinese have an issue with the way mainland Chinese carry on.

It wasn't so long ago that people were bitching about the invasion of previously peaceful (albiet backward) Japanese ski fields by crass cashed-up aussie tourists. That was nothing compared to what is coming down the line.... Are we going to see another property boom in the high profile resorts? Quote: NEW wave of Chinese visitors to Japan is expected after the Japanese government relaxes visa rules today. This will make a further 16 million households in China eligible for tourist visas. The change will allow middle-class Chinese to visit Japan, which will boost the count

Not sure - the rental guy was more concerned about explaining to me that even though it was mid afternoon I was going to have to pay for the full afternoon and that if the board was excessively damaged I would up for the cost of repairs/replacement! The guys in the demo store seemed pretty causal so, maybe they'd let you trial a few boards, though they might be a bit jack of acting as your pit crew. For those with the dosh the boards seem a good buy. I think Mamabear's husband did a gemtem demo and bought one - is that right Mamabear? A mate who lives in Niskeo has had one for a few yea

Y3,000 for the full day and Y1,500 - I think. Check out their website, the bamboo boards are great, the color schemes on the others are a bit blah but, who cares?

Muika - you walk in with your board, point to board that floats your boat and for a very modest fee they swap your bindings over and you're out the door with an awesome board. They have a lot of their range lined up ready to go. I had a go on the 189cm Impossible for an afternoon when the wax job on my board packed it in. Fantastic board - sonic boom fast and super stable. I didn't get to try it in the deep though but it would have been a dream ride. If a board like that wasn't a bitch to travel with (and a bit pricey - $2,000)) I would have bought it there and then.

After years of saying the ugly Aussie in Niseko is a beat-up (5 yrs and never a sign of trouble), last week I actually saw the after effects of an ugly Auggie get beaten up in Niseko. Lots of blood, one bloke with his arm in a sling and holding bandage to his face, a police car, gaijin police liasion in attendance - the whole box and dice...and hardly anyone turned their head, most stayed in the (rather smelly) beer tent drinking. I was told by a guy probably in the know that some girl glassed the bloke. Oi Oi Oi, indeed.......

Thanks guys. I'm up there in two weeks, no doubt by then there will be quite a crowd gathering for each session.

Realy interesting read Dyna, thanks. Were you required to demonstrate your ability level or did they just take you on face value? Also, why are the number of participants so low? I would thought people would be queing up for a go at something a bit different.

Originally Posted By: Mamabear Originally Posted By: thursday Originally Posted By: Creek Boy Id say CNY Ski - I had to cue for 10-20 mins for the gondola at Niseko and Rusutsu occasionally around Xmas/NYs, but typically once you get up you didnt have to wait more than a few chairs worth. New ywars. Lots of people crowded around the Ace quad. At least a 20 minute wait. Interesting. Previously we have stayed at the Gondola Chalets - so pretty darn close to the lifts and we could look at the queues and choose whether we wanted to wait for the Gondola, do a quick run or three whi

Originally Posted By: SKI Quote: The only people doing any attacking on SJ anymore are the ones attacking Hakuba, why I have no idea. This wasn't about Hakuba and I can't see anyone 'attacking Hakuba'. But apart from that, even if there were, they might feel justified considering the huge volume of ridiculous self-right⋅eous tiresome bullshit spewed out and 'Niseko attacks' in the past. Actually Ski, in my first post I had a go at the H-boys. The offline response I got was pretty savage.

This is like the good old days, back before SJ became a tourist advisory service. CB I think GN's response pretty well hit the mark, but if that isn't clear enough, didn't somebody else describe it as slack country with training wheels....I think that more than proves my point. You're being an old woman.

That's all good Mama but I reckon there is a tendancy to overplay the risk, compared to many other sports where the risk is equally present. We don't restrict poor swimmers from going into the ocean. Sure we have swim between the flags (which can be more dangerous due to crowding than not) but these guys who claim they always ride with avie gear and won't ride with anyone unless they too carry avie gear and know this and do, blah blah blah. How much shark repellant and emergency gear do they carry when surfing? Do they carry an EPIRB when doing a bit of body surfing at the local beach, you kno

Originally Posted By: Creek Boy I didnt ride the peak last year - not after the circus I saw. Skiers and snowboarders would hike 2/3 of the way up, see people dropping in from the peak, and start ski cutting all the way over from (I think its) 藤原ã®æ²¢ã€€Fujiwara no sawa - watching them youd think they were cutting all the way towards Jacksons Whether you are the 1st skier, or the 20th, you can trigger an avie, and watching all those clowns going down the way they did really made me question whether they know anything about snow safety; it kept me from wanting to ride there. If you

Just did a wiki search on Loose Change - There is a section which lists information that appeared in early versions and which is omitted from later versions of the show. It would seem that bascially LC is a melting pot of crank ideas and junk that they don't really test before offering it up as supporting the main argument.

6: Aust NZ England Japan Hong Kong Singapore no doubt there will be more - depends on how effective INTERPOL are.

Great photos. Some of them would have been taken around the time Yukiguni was being written - an altogether different world.

Originally Posted By: thursday Originally Posted By: Go Native Originally Posted By: ger Yeah, that truly ROCKS! Boy or Girl? Will find out when the little bugger makes an appearance! ooooh, diaper changing, milk bottle sterilizing, laundry,....... just look forward to it. Mate, What's a few nappies compared to the love, the cuddles, the laughter, the pure joy that comes with nurturing your children, the incredible wonder of birth and new life and eveything else that being a parent brings with it? Kids are a lot of work but being a dad is the best thing ever.

GN, That's good to hear, my 4th (and last!)is scheduled delivery for this Friday. This is the first time we've had a scheduled delivery so it is a little strange to be saying "only 3 more sleeps" etc. but still exciting nonetheless.

There must be though I like a bit o' sleeze as much as the next drunken bloke on a business trip there are nicer places to get down'n'dirty I reckon.

Originally Posted By: thursday A place in the far far east, southern coast of China where the sun shines on TV or elsewhere. The streets are picturesque Portugal with cathdral architecture and coastline. Cobbled streets are made by Portugese craftsmen on a mission to make the best cobbled streets in the world. A real holiday destination. But wait; there are casinos galore!! Gambling, flashing lights, fountains. Think Oceans 11 and then multiply. Lights a flashing, Vegas brashness, tackiness, multiply. And then the tracks, the horse tracks, the grehound tracks, the go-kart track

Tubbs it has a similar set up to HK. Though I recall the Chinese being not quite a keen to take back Macau as they were to get their hands on HK. The bright lights and bright people of HK obviously had more appeal than a pretty dodgy money laundrying place like Macau. I've only been a couple of times - it really didn't grab me.

There was an interesting article recently about the very high proportion of the mainland chinese high rollers in Macau who have ended up either being executed, jailed or are in the process of being prosecuted for fraud and embezzlment etc. Can't remember the exact number but 40-50-60% or something like that. Hot dirty money indeed but understandable too...imagine how good it would be if you were able to take your county's entire annual budget and spend it in weekend at Macau on hookers and champagne and if you played your cards right (literally!) you could be back at work on monday with no one

It isn't very big! that is what struck me when I managed a couple of days there a few years ago. The main drag where all the main casinos are is, I don't know, may 1.5-2 km long. I thought it would be bigger. renting a car is good advice, death valley is just down the road as well so lots of non-vegas stuff to see and do and of course the shows!