Go Native 70 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 At least they actually told us they want to bring the nanny. Many just turn up with them! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Jeepers GN, If I were going to bring a Nanny to the snow I would have them staying with us, same standard, and pay for their lift pass also. Seem cheap to want to be finding a hole in the basement for the 'staff'! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Oh MB they don't bring the help so they can have a holiday as well. They bring the help to look after the kids and do the shopping, even clean the apartment whilst they're out enjoying themselves. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 That's what for you'd have a nanny, no? (Fact is I have no idea, never had one - just thought that was the whole idea - to do the bringing up of the brats while mummy and daddy have a fun time.) Link to post Share on other sites
PWL 0 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Originally Posted By: Mamabear PWL, I am sorry that your innocent, honest sharing was met with such a response - I sure hope it doesn't scare you off continuing to share with us. The more people, the more personal variance in discussion, the better. Ski, I reckon it takes a LOT for people to stop 'towing the party line' - I have JUST this week encountered dissension amongst the ranks at the kids school - previously a very strong party line, and I was made to feel stupid for my concerns - however this week I learned of at least two front line staff prepared to cross that line and share the same concerns with me. But for it to get to that point it needs to be an untenable situation for them. I can understand people standing steadfastly behind something they love and work hard on, but I don't think PWL meant any harm, and the reaction was rather OTT. Thanks Mamabear. Well, I sure didn't expect my comments to cause the fuss they did that's for sure. I'm on holiday, I'm not on here to get into some slinging match or whatever, so I'm going to disown this particular thread I think. It's sad that I can't say such a simple thing though and be shouted down like that. Balancing things out though, it is very rare that I have seen that sort of thing on these Forums which are usually very friendly. It seemed to hit some raw nerve there perhaps. So, no worries! I'm enjoying Shiga Kogen a lot. Tomorrow looks like it will be beautiful weather as well. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 feed me shiga kogen info! im there next week and have no idea at all what to expect. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Don't go saying that ippy, some people will be calling you an idiot! Have fun PWL. Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 but i am an idiot. ask kokodoko. Its almost the defining characteristic of me Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 It's always interesting to get a fresh perspective on a place, but some peoples' job and livelihood may depend on peoples' opinions on a place, and are unable to separate their personal and business opinions. Over the last 7yrs, I have noticed more foreigners venturing further afield to places like hakuba, and while I have no problem with it, I have noticed more and more comments year on year. As long as everyone sticks to the rules, then everyone will have a good time. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Originally Posted By: best skier in hakuba I know a few long-timers here in Hakuba who basically are considering selling up and moving out, so much is their dislike of the local politics and what the village is becoming. I keep out of it as I don't have to be part of it having nothing to do with the business, but of course hear about tons of stuff going on. Some of it ain't pretty! Being able to be out of all that though means I can still love living here. Almost 500 people out of 9500 have left Hakuba in the last five years anyway. Most of it is migration, not old folks dieing off. I know three families who left because they couldn't get their kids into mimanji hoiku because there aren't enough places. I guess most of it is for other economic reasons though. Lack of jobs, especially jobs for women at more than reji uchi rates is also mentioned by the parents of young kids I meet often. Its possibly sad if any "long termer" is leaving but they are simply joining what is already an exodus. Its no secret, but the town's big idea of raising money in recent years was to build a huge garbage incinerator right in the center of town. The plan was to import gomi into Hakuba from Omachi so the thing could be kept burning 24/7 as designed. With the inevitable cost overruns, it was a 50 million USD plus project. Many old families in town supported it, but it was stopped by organised opposition, mainly by Japanese who've moved to Hakuba in the last 30-40 years. Old families vs. Japanese incomers is the big political split in Hakuba. Some lodge owner not liking his new gaijin neighbours is frankly small fry by comparison. The reason I'm bringing this up is because Hakuba, like the other towns in the countryside, has major problems. A shrinking and rapidly aging population is probably the biggest and toughest to deal with. In terms of the economic effect and the local taxes and grants from the prefectural and national governments, one resident must equal dozens and dozens of visiting tourists. With the economic challenges it faces, Hakuba should be grateful for any money coming in at all. The vast majority of overseas visitors strike me as middle class and well to do, but a number of bogans and chavs or people who act like them are along for the ride. It's a shame but it can't be helped. It's still way better than a sixty foot chimney continuously pumping out dioxins and the unneeded big road through the valley that is already on the drawing board. There is no other plan even being remotely considered and the local and national demographics point at nothing but continued decline. fwiw, 99% of my income comes from translation, so that's how vested my interests are. And though you'd never know it from best skier's posts, it should be obvious that lots of Japanese are very grateful for the increase in trade from foreign visitors and the (so far limited) construction that has accompanied it. Such people will no doubt include folks who own or run the accommodation listed on Snow Japan. Some other individuals may consider themselves losers, but the town as a whole is a winner. Ultimately you have to have a sense of perspective. PS. Thanks to my neighbour, I have a book written in Japanese whose introduction laments the loss of the spirit of Hakuba due to over-development and money-hungry incomers on the cash-in. It was published in 1983. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 PWL I wouldnt take anything that was written as a personal affront even if it comes across that way. Please hang around and keep contributing. Mr Wiggles - great post, thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Originally Posted By: Mr Wiggles And though you'd never know it from best skier's posts, it should be obvious that lots of Japanese are very grateful for the increase in trade from foreign visitors and the (so far limited) construction that has accompanied it. Such people will no doubt include folks who own or run the accommodation listed on Snow Japan. Some other individuals may consider themselves losers, but the town as a whole is a winner. Ultimately you have to have a sense of perspective. Sorry, I didn't realise that I had to cover every aspect of everything in every post. I didn't in any way, at all, imply that some/many Japanese are not grateful for the increase in trade. Lots of them most certainly are. Until now, I'm pretty sure the theme of the post has been about the perception of Hakuba from the eyes of a foreigner thinking it's overrun with foreigners, not from a Japanese pension owner. Sadly, I'm not quite as good with words as you are. But you have an advantage there being in the words business. (Or '99%' so). Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Such a shame about that gomi station isn't happening hey. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Originally Posted By: best skier in hakuba Such a shame about that gomi station isn't happening hey. Indeed, with all the crap in this thread alone, it'd need to run 24/7 for a few weeks to burn it all off. Link to post Share on other sites
PWL 0 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 Never to return to this thrad. Link to post Share on other sites
PWL 0 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 I did return to have a re-read. Interesting! Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Did you get that report posted, PWL? Link to post Share on other sites
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