foreversnow

Another perfect day in paradise. Kicking back with a beer watching the Indy Race!!

Mr Snowhunter's new Lib Tech snowboard. He's counting down the days till he gets to use it.

Lets hope he took our advise and is out exploring the countryside or getting to know the locals. Or maybe he has been eaten by a stray bear or attacked by a naughty monkey!!!! ONLY KIDDING Hope he has settled in now.

I am going to make everyone very jealous. Friends of mine just came back from Singapore and flew 1st class on the new Airbus A340 - had their on sleeper and hostess and as much Moet as they could drink. I went into shock when they told me the price so don't quote me but I believe she said it was $10,000 each. I will be thinking of them as I squish into my JAL economy seat Wonder if they need a butt monkey!!

OH yeah WHOOPS I would be laughing if it was 41 pounds = $1 AUD. Sorry 41pence =$1 AUD 65yen = $1 AUD (which they are predicting will be at 50c by Feb 2009)

HERE HERE JA Thank you !!! I work really hard to get over to Japan. I am not talking about new suits or looking good I am talking about everyday spending money for while I am there Food - Beverages - a couple of souveniors (must buy a moss man this year). I am even giving up my Melbourne Cup Day celebrations to put the money towards my trip now!!! I am not complaining a ski trip in Japan is the ultimate thirll but some of us are going to be hurting this time.

Just sitting here reading through the forums how everyone is hurting with the economical turmoil at the moment and how some people are being charged more for their trips. My question is - How is this going to affect the resorts, bars local trade??? Yep sure we are all booked ready to come but with the dropping yen will we have money to spend once we get there?? I was hoping to get some lessons while I was there, shopping in Sapporo and of course eating out every night. THAT WON'T BE HAPPENING NOW. So I just wonder how other people are feeling??

That is SO FUNNY I wasn't sure if I should be unhappy with the poor chimp being dressed up and put on a segway but I couldn't stop watching or laughing. He actually seems to be enjoying it. I hope he has a happy life and is not sad about not living in the trees with his friends!

I am going to sleep at the airport and be the first one in line to get one of these so called good seats. Does Japan Airlines have any secret seats I should know about.

I am not big on replacement shakes - I don't think they teach you how to eat correctly and when you come off them sometimes you put the weight straight back on. A few years ago I lost 30kgs simply through watching everything I ate and everytime I was hungry I would go and have a glass of water and then wait 10 minutes to see if I really was hungry thus I also cut out snacking. I have put on 5 kgs recently but it was my fault, I started eating STUPID things again. Have been dieting for 3 weeks and even though I have only lost 2kgs the slower it comes off the more likely it is to stay off

I THINK IT IS A GREAT IDEA!!! Now if we can just get the tourism minister in Japan to agree we are laughing

Keba - Please tell me more about the 40% discount for Aussie Tourists. We are cancelling at lot of our planned activites but if there is a discount we may still do them??

Okay I am not the smartest person on the block so I need to now about this buying different currencies works. If I buy Pounds with AUS dollar I am only getting 41pound to our dollar. What is the point of buying it and then coverting it to Yen??

I hope you are right GN we definately need some excitement again in these tough times. I remember the first snow fall on Youtei - World Recession What Recession THERE IS SNOW ON YOUTEI!! I have a website that I follow for the weather until SJ is up and going with daily reports but I don't think I am allowed to post it. They so far seem to be pretty accurate.

LMHO I had visions of cars we saw in Kutchan and on the bus trip from Chitose of cars totally buried in the snow. Imagine sleeping in your car (can't even) and then having a huge dump of snow over night and being buried. Keba get some accomodation before you leave!!

Hi talked all my friends into coming to Niseko with us next year and now the yen has plummeted I am not the most popular person. They are talking that in February next year the dollar will be $1 = 52Yen. I may be bringing my own vegemite and crackers to eat while I am there!!! I hope it will be a good season to make up for everything else.

SEEDY - I am sorry go tell them to jump if you have paid in full they have no right to ask for more money. They have had your money since April?? NO WAY!! SAM - That is EXACTLY what happened to us some of our group wanted to wait and pay in December but we wanted to pay by August. To get the discount we ALL had to pay in August. LUCKY we did though because it would be costing us a WHOLE LOT more now. We have rung to confirm that we are all paid up and booked in with no extra hidden costs and thankfully we are. Now we just have to hold our breaths and hope the travel agent or air

Seedy had you paid in full for the room or only a deposit???

I usually do my work outs in the morning as it gets me going for the day. When I started had to think of my skiing trip as motivation but now am quite enjoying it (VERY SAD!!) Jog 5km then weights Mountain Biking Gym and weight training I try to do all the above at least 4 days a week with a jog in the am and gym in the arvo (if I have the energy). Have tried to give up the glass of wine at night BUT CAN'T

RD - Yeah now you put it like that I don't think i will enjoy watching it as much anymore. I know that whenever they were off loading their catch I would always go make a cuppa as I didn't like how they man handled the crabs Thats why I live on salads!!!!!!

GN I am not a total prude and love a drink with the rest of them but I don't feel I have to yell at the top of my voice and use bad language and become intimidating. I always said thank you to the lifties and at the end of the day in my broken japanese see you tomorrow (but then again I do that where ever I am because I certainly wouldn't want to be standing out in the cold all day!!! I think I did very well with what little language I learnt. I managed to ask where the bus station was when I got lost in Otaru and eye drops at the chemist. I did find that a few people I tried my Japane

I wore my hiking boots with the slip on spikes and they were great. I did see those gumboots in all the stores and noticed all the locals were wearing, them may try them next year!!!

I can only speak from my experience in Niseko where a lot of Aussies put me to shame. They were like kids that had never been away from there parents and never had alcohol. No respect was shown to anything. We made sure we followed all local customs and rules e.g not eating or drinking in the supermarkets, streets, playing with our chopsticks, double dipping etc. I also learnt some very basic Japanese to get us by and always tried to use it (although it may not have been said properly). This year I am learning more and even putting sentences together. I truly believe if you

Beautiful Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia Been to Japan twice but will be 3 times next February!

Early February for 14 days