JEZx 0 Posted June 20, 2002 Share Posted June 20, 2002 I read this with interest, as myself and family have always been struck at how talkative and friendly people are when we take a gondola or lift here in Japan. Maybe it's coz of our child, but we almost always get to talk with friendly Japanese people on the rides. Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 We have always had the same experience JEZx, always friendly and fun on the lifts. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted June 29, 2002 Share Posted June 29, 2002 Opposite here. I am often on a quad lift with my friend along with 2 silent Japanese, thats if they dare to ride the lift with us gaijin. We often find we are just the two of us though. Link to post Share on other sites
kobet 0 Posted July 5, 2002 Share Posted July 5, 2002 I've made a few good buddies on the lifts at resorts actually. It must be you! Link to post Share on other sites
guzzlers-baps 0 Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 That made us laff. What's up then?> Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 Dwight, Naeba wasn`t crowded for you because it`s not even Dec yet. If you were to go there during "regular season" the place would be quite different. I was there on a weekday last season and it was pretty packed(well, my standard anyway). The pow was all gone by 1 or 2pm! Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 It`s not that Japanese aren`t friendly, it`s just that they`ve got this "group oriented" thing going(and the fact that in general they`re a bit shy). When I went to Goryu/47 a couple weekends ago lo and behold for the first time a Japanese boarder tried to chat with me while sharing a lift! Obviously I was too taken aback to blur out more than a few words(what a shame). I`ll try to speak more nihongo next time..if there`s a next time? Link to post Share on other sites
cheeseman 1 Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 I find that a nice nutritious chunk of cheese or some fun cheesy nibbles get the conversation flowing. Cheese comes to the rescue in all those awkward situations one finds oneself in. Delicious, fun, nutritious - and a great tool to use to make friends with! Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 Top tip - stike up a smiley conversation yaself. Often works. Link to post Share on other sites
oblivion 5 Posted December 2, 2002 Share Posted December 2, 2002 Always a good policy. Link to post Share on other sites
rajeem 0 Posted December 2, 2002 Share Posted December 2, 2002 Some people seem to find that difficult Link to post Share on other sites
phat 0 Posted December 3, 2002 Share Posted December 3, 2002 yeah, so true. Some Japanese look at you like your an alien ( ) if you start talking to them on the lifts. Gotta pick the right ones. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 i don't mean to bag the boarder (of which I am a beginner), but so far I have found that it is the skiers that chat and the boarders that are busy wiping the saliva from there slack jawed expression. I am yet to share a lift with a local boarder that doesn't look like the kind of guy that would be breaking into my car any other time. I have only been a handful of times so my sample is not very big plus I have also had a lot of skiers that seem just as unable to communicate like an civilised person. I did once share the gondola with a boarder who chatted heaps. He seemed a nice guy and I was tempted to ask if he would take a run with me to help me with technique. I had seen him earlier in the day and he was standing out big time in terms of skill. Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I have had pretty good luck with Japanese folks. There are plenty that one share a lift one and one with me, but those that do are pretty happy to talk. Good for practicing my Japanese. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Ive found that weekdays are way better for striking up conversations than weekends. Maybe people are more relaxed and maybe the people that are there are for the love of it more than the ski-a-run-and-drink-coffee-for-2-hrs types that are often there at the weekend so they can tell their mates "I went skiing". You can always be a bit proactive too and jump on the lift with the guy infront of you. I think most people are willing to talk and curious but youve usually got to start the conv. Link to post Share on other sites
IceEiji 0 Posted December 5, 2002 Share Posted December 5, 2002 Yes, I think you should try and make friends with the Japanese skier and boarder. I am sure most will be friendly if you try. Link to post Share on other sites
viv&kev 0 Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 There you go then! Link to post Share on other sites
Oddbod 0 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I find the Japanese people I share lifts with to be generally really friendly. Some can be quiet, but if you are friendly you'll often get friendly back. Link to post Share on other sites
fruitysue 0 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Just found this old thread. So true!! Link to post Share on other sites
I'm Sexy 0 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I like talk to stranger on ski lift - its fun to meet new people. Link to post Share on other sites
cayote 0 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Are you up for it? (maybe?) OK - there's another throw away, senseless line that's used to oblivion, though, that's part of the point, isn't it. Given that humans are not like baboons and don't go around sporting swollen red arses when they are in season, perhaps some subtle way of announcing that one would perhaps not be disagreeable to the company of a like-minded stranger on a lift ride is required. Suggestions??? I don't know? Perhaps, people could loiter around a bit before getting on their next lift. My uni students who have keitai with IR ports for exchanging contacts 'keitai kissing' know the game. A Swedish party song expresses it well, "If you can't get laid (in a backpackers) on a Saturday night, you're never going to get laid at all. Swing the ba**s to the left, Swing the ba**s to the right." Link to post Share on other sites
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