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Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Friday, February 27, 2009
Rots and rots of monkeys!
Went on a tour to see the 'snow monkeys' yesterday. The only problem at the moment is there is no snow, so they're just plain old monkeys!! They still hang out in the hot springs though so thats pretty cool.
We got there just in time for feeding and there were 3 or 4 hanging out in the hot spring. This bloke who looked as bored as hell came out and threw round a few seeds and about 100 of the buggers came out of nowhere for an easy meal. They are not scared of humans at all, and just ran around in between everyone, and let you get really close too.
The day trip also took us to one of the oldest and biggest temples in Japan. It contains the first image of buddha to arrive in Japan. They never show it though. And they only show a COPY of it once every 7 years WTF??!! The fact that they have it is enough to make the place a bloody national monument. How do we know they aren't just kidding :p
At last, the hell that is Hakuba is coming to a close. I get to go back to Tokyo tomorrow.
The snow has gone from bad to worse. I only went skiing 3 out of the 5 days i had tickets for and sold the other two. Very disappointed. Tokyo to end the trip will be sick, should end things on a good note.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Rain rain go away!
Well, now it is bucketing down in Hakuba. Big fat heavy rain. I swear, this has got to be the worst place in Japan right now. There is shit snow to start with, but this rain is just killing it. Absolutely no chance of anything good.
The problem now is, if it gets cold enough to snow, all this rain will just ice up. So the choices are slushy, or icy. Remind you of anywhere in particular.... Australia maybe??!
Sold my lift pass again today. It's not worth skiing at all - so may as well make a bit of coin!
The only problem is, there isn't much to do here other than go up the mountain. It is just a ski town, and a pretty crap one at that. The brochure looked so good! Everyone is saying this has been the worst season in 40 years here. Not happy.
Yesterday we explored the town a bit, such that it is. Not much around. I have no idea how they managed to get the winter olympics here. Then we went to an Onsen, one of the Japanese hot spring baths and chilled out there for a while. So good and relaxing. Afterwards felt like I could sleep for about 24 hours straight. Instead we went to the pub and had a decent feed. Western food. A burger, salad and home-made wedges. So so good. Getting slightly sick of all the salty, soupy, noodle things, with no fresh veggies etc.
2 days to go till I get to leave this hell hole. Tomorrow I've booked myself onto a tour to go and see the snow monkeys that live in the natural hot springs, that will be cool, so that just leaves friday to find something to do. Hopefully there will be some snow of some description. Might have to make a sacrifice to the snow gods, or do a snow dance or something, getting pretty damn desperate.
The problem now is, if it gets cold enough to snow, all this rain will just ice up. So the choices are slushy, or icy. Remind you of anywhere in particular.... Australia maybe??!
Sold my lift pass again today. It's not worth skiing at all - so may as well make a bit of coin!
The only problem is, there isn't much to do here other than go up the mountain. It is just a ski town, and a pretty crap one at that. The brochure looked so good! Everyone is saying this has been the worst season in 40 years here. Not happy.
Yesterday we explored the town a bit, such that it is. Not much around. I have no idea how they managed to get the winter olympics here. Then we went to an Onsen, one of the Japanese hot spring baths and chilled out there for a while. So good and relaxing. Afterwards felt like I could sleep for about 24 hours straight. Instead we went to the pub and had a decent feed. Western food. A burger, salad and home-made wedges. So so good. Getting slightly sick of all the salty, soupy, noodle things, with no fresh veggies etc.
2 days to go till I get to leave this hell hole. Tomorrow I've booked myself onto a tour to go and see the snow monkeys that live in the natural hot springs, that will be cool, so that just leaves friday to find something to do. Hopefully there will be some snow of some description. Might have to make a sacrifice to the snow gods, or do a snow dance or something, getting pretty damn desperate.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Mmm Slush!
We got some fresh snow and rain yesterday so we had fresh slush to ski on! It was fun for a while, then just got ridiculous.
Today, not much has improved. Our ski pass is such that at the start of each day we take this piece of paper to the ticket office and they give us a pass for the day. This works out particularly well cause today we got our passes and then sold them to some other people for more than we paid, but for less than they would have to pay to buy a day pass. Works well, its a good deal for everyone, and we get back about 4000¥. We'll use the money to go and visit an onsen, check out the local town and go to the pub tonight for a good feed.
The one good thing about the package deal we have, is that we got one included dinner. It was at a mexican restaurant last night and was delicious! Was great to have some 'western' food. Getting slightly sick of all the salty noodle/soup combinations. Was craving some fresh veggies etc. Apart from that, the company looking after us are still pretty shit. Just found out last night that they are primarily a surf tour company in Australia, so really have no idea whats going on over here.
Looking forward to getting back to Tokyo. This place has been a sour note on an otherwise fantastic trip!
Today, not much has improved. Our ski pass is such that at the start of each day we take this piece of paper to the ticket office and they give us a pass for the day. This works out particularly well cause today we got our passes and then sold them to some other people for more than we paid, but for less than they would have to pay to buy a day pass. Works well, its a good deal for everyone, and we get back about 4000¥. We'll use the money to go and visit an onsen, check out the local town and go to the pub tonight for a good feed.
The one good thing about the package deal we have, is that we got one included dinner. It was at a mexican restaurant last night and was delicious! Was great to have some 'western' food. Getting slightly sick of all the salty noodle/soup combinations. Was craving some fresh veggies etc. Apart from that, the company looking after us are still pretty shit. Just found out last night that they are primarily a surf tour company in Australia, so really have no idea whats going on over here.
Looking forward to getting back to Tokyo. This place has been a sour note on an otherwise fantastic trip!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
All good things come to an end...
I guess it had to happen, there is finally something to bitch and moan about.
Got to Hakuba last night at 3am, no less. The company which organised our package out here are an Australian company who really don't seem to give a damn about anything much at all except for the money. I tell you what, the Japanese way of doing things is sensational compared to this. Pretty poorly organised.
The hostel/lodge we are staying in (which is owned by the same company) is terrible. Most of it isn't heated, there are no kitchen facilities for preparing meals, they won't even let us use cups from the kitchen they use for breakfast (which is provided, cereal and toast) for a drink of water or a cup of tea. The only thing they provide outside of breakfast is a source of hot water and some disposable chopsticks. Also, the lodge managers don't really give a shit, and are less than helpful.
On top of that, the snow conditions are absolutely terrible! Up on the mountain today, it was a nice enough day, but there has obviously been no new snow for a while - the ungroomed runs have moguls the size of cars which are pretty much un-skiable. The groomed runs are either pure ice, or pure slush. Mmmmm lovely.... NOT.
I'm currently 'borrowing' the wireless internet from the hotel next door by sitting in the corner of the main lounge room of the lodge, really good set-up eh?! The up-side is I managed to get some good sashimi from the local supermarket (which is a 45 min walk away) and am quite enjoying that with a few beers. So all is good!
Fingers and toes and everything else crossed for some fresh snow!
Got to Hakuba last night at 3am, no less. The company which organised our package out here are an Australian company who really don't seem to give a damn about anything much at all except for the money. I tell you what, the Japanese way of doing things is sensational compared to this. Pretty poorly organised.
The hostel/lodge we are staying in (which is owned by the same company) is terrible. Most of it isn't heated, there are no kitchen facilities for preparing meals, they won't even let us use cups from the kitchen they use for breakfast (which is provided, cereal and toast) for a drink of water or a cup of tea. The only thing they provide outside of breakfast is a source of hot water and some disposable chopsticks. Also, the lodge managers don't really give a shit, and are less than helpful.
On top of that, the snow conditions are absolutely terrible! Up on the mountain today, it was a nice enough day, but there has obviously been no new snow for a while - the ungroomed runs have moguls the size of cars which are pretty much un-skiable. The groomed runs are either pure ice, or pure slush. Mmmmm lovely.... NOT.
I'm currently 'borrowing' the wireless internet from the hotel next door by sitting in the corner of the main lounge room of the lodge, really good set-up eh?! The up-side is I managed to get some good sashimi from the local supermarket (which is a 45 min walk away) and am quite enjoying that with a few beers. So all is good!
Fingers and toes and everything else crossed for some fresh snow!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Last day in Tokyo..
Heading to Hakuba tonight for another week of skiing.
Today; hung around Asakusa in the morning, then Shibuya again in the afternoon. Did a bit of shopping, ate a bit of sushi (which was delicious!), got lost wandering the streets which is all part of the fun. Found another apple store - this is becoming a habit so it seems.
Unrestricted internet access to check all those emails, cool toys to play with, good music to listen to. The pick of the crop this time around is the Mac Book Air. A very impressive machine despite the lack of processing speed. If they bring out a new one with a faster processor I'll be very very tempted! I think more realistically a 3g iPhone is on the near horizon.
I'll drive the current powerbook g4 till it dies though. That will be a very sad day.
Listen to me talking about Mac hardware! Not much to talk about today.
Our time staying in Asakusa has been great. A cool little corner of Tokyo with about a billion little alleyways to explore and not as many bright lights as some of the other areas. We were literally just round the corner to the subway station and the hostel was really good. The beds and the doonas were long enough for us taller western people! In Niseko, the doona was way to small! You either covered your feet but not your shoulders, or vice versa. Quite frustrating.
When I get back to tokyo on the 28th, I'll be staying in Shinjuku which is (one of) the big business districts, and big flashy light districts. Should be a good time.
Not sure if the lodge where we are heading has internet, so this might be it for a while!
Today; hung around Asakusa in the morning, then Shibuya again in the afternoon. Did a bit of shopping, ate a bit of sushi (which was delicious!), got lost wandering the streets which is all part of the fun. Found another apple store - this is becoming a habit so it seems.
Unrestricted internet access to check all those emails, cool toys to play with, good music to listen to. The pick of the crop this time around is the Mac Book Air. A very impressive machine despite the lack of processing speed. If they bring out a new one with a faster processor I'll be very very tempted! I think more realistically a 3g iPhone is on the near horizon.
I'll drive the current powerbook g4 till it dies though. That will be a very sad day.
Listen to me talking about Mac hardware! Not much to talk about today.
Our time staying in Asakusa has been great. A cool little corner of Tokyo with about a billion little alleyways to explore and not as many bright lights as some of the other areas. We were literally just round the corner to the subway station and the hostel was really good. The beds and the doonas were long enough for us taller western people! In Niseko, the doona was way to small! You either covered your feet but not your shoulders, or vice versa. Quite frustrating.
When I get back to tokyo on the 28th, I'll be staying in Shinjuku which is (one of) the big business districts, and big flashy light districts. Should be a good time.
Not sure if the lodge where we are heading has internet, so this might be it for a while!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Clean As
For a big city, Tokyo is remarkably clean. The air is clean, the streets are clean, there are no cigarettes lining the streets. They have designated smoking areas and apart from them it is frowned upon if you smoke elsewhere. There are no bins on the street cause its considered bad form to walk and eat (except for ice cream!). The recycling system is so complicated that people mostly take home any rubbish so they do the right thing and recycle appropriately.
The inner city has way less cars, than even Melbourne I reckon. Everyone uses the metro cause its so good, and/or rides bikes. There is no industry anywhere near the inner city, and will minimal amounts of cars, the air stays clean. The culture is just so responsible. Go figure. How can a city of 35 million get it right, and Melbourne struggles with the most simple of things.
As you walk into a shopping centre, or museum or some indoor area they even have complimentary umbrella bags so you don't drip water on the floor!
Today; wandered round Roppongi, then a couple of smallish museums/art galleries. It was raining most of the day, so a good one to spend inside. Did a tad of shopping in Ginza, ate some delicious tempura and sushi, and also did a load of washing!
Fairly relaxed day all round.
We head to Hakuba tomorrow at around 6pm, so tomorrow morning is the last time we have in Tokyo, until I come back after this next lot of skiing! Not sure what to do in the morning - too many options not enough time!
The inner city has way less cars, than even Melbourne I reckon. Everyone uses the metro cause its so good, and/or rides bikes. There is no industry anywhere near the inner city, and will minimal amounts of cars, the air stays clean. The culture is just so responsible. Go figure. How can a city of 35 million get it right, and Melbourne struggles with the most simple of things.
As you walk into a shopping centre, or museum or some indoor area they even have complimentary umbrella bags so you don't drip water on the floor!
Today; wandered round Roppongi, then a couple of smallish museums/art galleries. It was raining most of the day, so a good one to spend inside. Did a tad of shopping in Ginza, ate some delicious tempura and sushi, and also did a load of washing!
Fairly relaxed day all round.
We head to Hakuba tomorrow at around 6pm, so tomorrow morning is the last time we have in Tokyo, until I come back after this next lot of skiing! Not sure what to do in the morning - too many options not enough time!
Like a moth to the flame...
It's hard not to get caught up in all the different street scenes in Tokyo especially at night. The next one always looks bigger and brighter and better. But I guess in the grand scheme of things they're all reasonably similar. I find it particularly disorientating. Its really hard to navigate around with all those lights. They are always in your face and its hard to know if you've seen a particular street before, or if its a new one!
Yesterday, checked out the biggest/busiest crossing in Tokyo (there are a few!) in Shibyua, which is a pretty cool shopping district.
Went to Ueno Park and wandered around amongst the shrines and temples, then visited the Tokyo National Museum.
This particular one has survived all the wars and destruction most of the other temples have seen over the last 100-200 years making it one of the few 17th century Edo era buildings still intact.
As the fires are still raging in Victoria, and the north of QLD is flooded, the cherry blossoms are beginning to emerge - about a month early no less. If thats not climate change, I don't know what is!
Japanese fire truck
And yet another street scene!
Yesterday, checked out the biggest/busiest crossing in Tokyo (there are a few!) in Shibyua, which is a pretty cool shopping district.
Went to Ueno Park and wandered around amongst the shrines and temples, then visited the Tokyo National Museum.
This particular one has survived all the wars and destruction most of the other temples have seen over the last 100-200 years making it one of the few 17th century Edo era buildings still intact.
As the fires are still raging in Victoria, and the north of QLD is flooded, the cherry blossoms are beginning to emerge - about a month early no less. If thats not climate change, I don't know what is!
Japanese fire truck
And yet another street scene!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wow!
Visited 3 different areas today.
Shinjuku, the busy sorta main business area of the city where we walked around the huge buildings and made use of the free observation decks to view the city! Also dropped in at the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art which happens to house Van Gogh's Sunflower painting! Played with more toys at the Epson and Canon show rooms!
Headed to Harajuku for lunch in this really cool artist/graffiti space. Had all you can eat Okonomiaki. This part of town is the 'young' scene with heaps of clothes/music etc shops and loads of Japanese teenagers shopping for just about anything you can think of. Shoes, clothes, trinket things, bling etc. Pretty cool - might have to head back and explore a bit more. Only had limited time here.
Next stop: Akihaba Electric Town. Lights, cameras and action! Every electrical good under the sun is available here and the stores often span 6 or 7 levels of just electrical goods. It also has a very big Manga scene (Japanese cartoon/comics). Quintessential Tokyo!
The subway system here is so easy to use. The passes we bought you just swipe past the machine as you go in and it deducts the minimum fare. As you leave at your destination, swipe again and the system will automatically calculate if it needs to charge anymore than the minimum, and if so deducts that amount. Simple and easy. When the pass runs out of cash, just top it up again.
The subway map looks confusing, but its super easy to navigate. Find out where you want to go, the station you want to get off at and then decide which line(s) to take from where you are. Trains pretty much come every 10-15 mins and so far have always been very very punctual. You snooze you lose. No re-opening the doors for late arrivers. Trains are classed as late if they are 30 seconds behind.
Tokyo, and Japan in general are pretty expensive. I'm burning through the Yen pretty quickly. 130 - 250¥ for a subway ride. A beer costs about 600¥ which at the moment is roughly $10, a cheap meal around 1000¥. It's amazing how fast i'm managing to spend it. My stash of cash which I brought with me is getting pretty low!
My biggest purchases so far have been lift tickets. Haven't really shopped for 'souvenirs' yet! After the next lot of skiing!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Where to start....
I really don't know what to say about Tokyo...
Its massive! So big, so varied, so much to do and so little time! We really are only going to scratch the surface.
This morning we got up at 5.15am to catch the action at the Tokyo fish market. Largest in the world - anything from the sea, they have, plus some!
For b'fast had the freshest and best sushi and sashimi I have ever had.
Wandered through Ginza the 'posh' part of town (Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton etc) to the Imperial Palace which was a bit of a let down cause they don't let people inside, let alone into the gardens. So you can hardly see the place due to the moats and walls and ancient fortifications.
Visited my mandatory stop in every city... The Apple Store. I love those places. Plus the free internet cannot be passed by.
Lunch was some noodle thing, and dumplings. There is so much to choose from, and so much variation, and its so delicious!
Wandered round Sensoji, a massive Buddhist temple and shrine in the afternoon, watched the sun set from the Asahi Sky Room looking over Tokyo while enjoying an Asahi, ate another completely different meal for dinner and its now 9pm and I'm ready for bed!
This place is so cool. Each little area is completely different to the next one. There is so much to explore. It's going to be an action packed couple of days!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
No Snow Day
Today it reached the super warm temperature of 2 degrees here. Doesn't sound that bad, but in the grand scheme of things its pretty catastrophic here. Niseko is so low, the peak is only at 1156m, and the bottom of the mountain at 256m, so it needs to be very cold for the snow to stay as snow. The snow turns slushy and any precipitation is rain, and it belted down. Snow conditions were terrible and on top of that, most of the lifts were closed due to high winds. Perfect day eh!
After spending a morning in the lodge bored out of our brains, HB and I decided to switch gear so he used my skis, and I used his snowboard. Usually I would be completely against this - last time I tried it in NZ it was the worst day ever! Couldn't even stand up or go along or anything. But I needed to do something, so we went out there. Since then I've taken up surfing and what a difference that made. I could go down the hill (green runs), make turns, link them together all within about half an hour. Even made it down the hill one time without crashing. There were lots of other crashes though!!
Couldn't believe the improvement - I could actually do it! It was even kind of fun...but its snowboarding, so it was like going over to the dark side. I must say, it would be cool to be able to do both. But unless we get another shit day like today, it won't happen again!
Tomorrow is our last day here. We head to Tokyo on Monday for 4 or 5 days before heading out for some more skiing near Nagano for another week. Time is flying by, I'll be home in no time....unfortunately
It better snow tonight.
After spending a morning in the lodge bored out of our brains, HB and I decided to switch gear so he used my skis, and I used his snowboard. Usually I would be completely against this - last time I tried it in NZ it was the worst day ever! Couldn't even stand up or go along or anything. But I needed to do something, so we went out there. Since then I've taken up surfing and what a difference that made. I could go down the hill (green runs), make turns, link them together all within about half an hour. Even made it down the hill one time without crashing. There were lots of other crashes though!!
Couldn't believe the improvement - I could actually do it! It was even kind of fun...but its snowboarding, so it was like going over to the dark side. I must say, it would be cool to be able to do both. But unless we get another shit day like today, it won't happen again!
Tomorrow is our last day here. We head to Tokyo on Monday for 4 or 5 days before heading out for some more skiing near Nagano for another week. Time is flying by, I'll be home in no time....unfortunately
It better snow tonight.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sapporo
Went to Sapporo yesterday for the day to check out the ice festival and the Sapporo brewery. My first foray into the 'real' Japan.
Pretty cool place, despite being really cold. The ice festival is amazing. They have snow and ice sculptures that are 3 stories high, as well as hundreds of smaller ones. A food marketplace that had heaps of traditional Japanese and even traditional Hokkaido cuisine which is full of seafood thanks to all the fishing ports and towns around Sapporo. Absolutely delicious.
While we were cruising round all the ice sculptures we got approached by these Japanese people who wanted to interview us; where we were from, what we were up to in Sapporo, what we thought of the ice festival etc. Anyways it turned out to be an interview live on Japanese radio! One of the biggest stations in Sapporo.
They took us to their mobile radio studio and the presenter asked us questions in English and translated our answers to Japanese. Pretty random, but pretty cool!
The Sapporo Brewery was without doubt one of the best nights ever! All you can drink beer and sake, all you can eat asian style bbq lamb and vegies. We certainly got our moneys worth. So much so that my head was still pretty sore at lunch time today. Ask HB what he got up to after we left the brewery. Thats a story and a half!
While there we met these really cool Sapporo locals also enjoying the all you can eat/all you can drink extravaganza on the next table! We did our best to communicate with their limited english and our limited japanese, but with copious amounts of booze acting as the catalyst, we were best of friends by the end of the night. Nori and Shin.
Today, despite the sore head, I went up the mountain and had a really good day despite no new snow. Got lost today in waist deep snow off to the side of one of the lifts. Followed the wrong ridge line and ended up overshooting the lift. Spent about an hour walking out of the valley. But it was worth it. Got a sick line down the hill on untouched snow.
Only 3 more days left here. Don't want to go. Although we're moving on to Tokyo which will be Awesome!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Day of Days
Woke this morning to perfect blue skies and sunshine. With the snow that has been piling up over the past few days it was the most perfect of ski days that you could ever wish for. Insane amounts on powder, freshies till lunch and fantastic sunshine to enjoy it all in. Couldn't ask for anything more. If my holiday was to end today I'd be a very very happy man. Its days like today that you always wish for and never get - we got one today! Legendary.
However, from all available information, today was the last snow and last powder day in a while so there is a celebration of sorts occurring in the lodge tonight. No fresh stuff tomorrow so people don't mind getting drunk, staying up late and sleeping in. The coming days will be much more relaxed with no pressing need to get out there to make the most of the conditions.
We have pretty much a whole week left here in Niseko, with a day or two elsewhere, there is still a chance of another dump - fingers crossed.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
-15 degrees, blizzard conditions.
Its hard to imagine but it is pretty much a blizzard here at the moment. The snow is spewing down, wind is blowing a gale and its freezing cold.
We're basically stuck in the lodge today. Most of the lifts are closed on wind holds, and even if they were open its disgusting out there. We went up for a few runs this morning, but just gave up. Hopefully night skiing tonight will be a bit better. At least the snow tomorrow is going to be awesome. Last night 30cm fell overnight, and with today's snow and hopefully another dump tonight - tomorrow will be epic!
HB arrived the other day. Its good to finally have a ski buddy. Now with 2 people its safe enough to explore more areas. We also took the bus into Kutchan last night to go to the supermarket. For a couple of Aussie blokes who don't speak a word of Japanese it was quite an experience. Trying to decipher what it actually was we were looking at was an impossible task.
Talk about a visual market though. Everything is wrapped up in plastic or some form of wrapping with pictures and fancy labels, even vegies and fruit. What a waste of resources. Beer was still easy to find!! Thats the most important bit anyways.
So its a bit of a quiet day today. Everyone who is staying in the lodge is pretty much here. The Fins have started drinking already, and a group of young blokes from Sydney have just gone for a beer run. HB is asleep downstairs thanks to a pretty big night last night and I'm just chillin here watching the tv and writing a few emails. It might turn into a pretty fun afternoon!
I hope everyone back home is avoiding the heat, and the fires, and everyone is safe.
We're basically stuck in the lodge today. Most of the lifts are closed on wind holds, and even if they were open its disgusting out there. We went up for a few runs this morning, but just gave up. Hopefully night skiing tonight will be a bit better. At least the snow tomorrow is going to be awesome. Last night 30cm fell overnight, and with today's snow and hopefully another dump tonight - tomorrow will be epic!
HB arrived the other day. Its good to finally have a ski buddy. Now with 2 people its safe enough to explore more areas. We also took the bus into Kutchan last night to go to the supermarket. For a couple of Aussie blokes who don't speak a word of Japanese it was quite an experience. Trying to decipher what it actually was we were looking at was an impossible task.
Talk about a visual market though. Everything is wrapped up in plastic or some form of wrapping with pictures and fancy labels, even vegies and fruit. What a waste of resources. Beer was still easy to find!! Thats the most important bit anyways.
So its a bit of a quiet day today. Everyone who is staying in the lodge is pretty much here. The Fins have started drinking already, and a group of young blokes from Sydney have just gone for a beer run. HB is asleep downstairs thanks to a pretty big night last night and I'm just chillin here watching the tv and writing a few emails. It might turn into a pretty fun afternoon!
I hope everyone back home is avoiding the heat, and the fires, and everyone is safe.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Legendary!
The last few days have been insane. Heaps of snow, plenty of fresh tracks, generally awesome.
However i've caught the dreaded Niseko cold/flu which is going around - so having a rest day today which works out well cause there was no new snow overnight. Its snowing right now so tomorrow should be a good day and from all indications it's only going to get better.
Went out last night to a place that serves teppanyaki/okonomiyaki. There's a big grill on your table and you cook all the food you order on the grill yourself. Very cool - will have to go back to that one. It's was a kind of weird experience, cause all the staff at the place last night were Australian. Although we were eating authentic Japanese style food, it didn't feel like it. We still had to take our shoes off at the door though!
Well... I'm heading back to bed.
ttys.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Feb 2nd
There's nothing like fresh tracks in the morning!
Not much new snow overnight, but all the lifts that were closed yesterday were open today which meant there was a whole bunch of terrain untracked for us to enjoy! Lots of fun this morning. We even got some blue sky at various intervals in the day. So with a bit of a view from the top we were able to see that just across the valley there is a massive volcano! Mt Yotei.
Hopefully we get a day with no cloud so the whole thing is visible.
My lodge is a pretty sweet deal. In the mornings they provide breakfast and even cook a hot breakfast for us. So by loading up on food in the morning, its about 3pm before I have to stop skiing to eat something.
Hirafu - the town I'm staying in is from all accounts "not japan"! Despite the fact that there are Aussies everywhere, there are also Japanese everywhere. The lodges are packed in tightly, and there are heaps of little bars and eating places. Its a very cool place. The only problem is its really bloody expensive. A beer in a restaurant is 500-600yen which is about $10 aus. Spirits are surprisingly really cheap. A bottle of vodka from the shop is only about 600yen. WTF?!
On the way to the shop last night for dinner food and beer, there were these drummers playing in the street. Pretty cool.
Not much new snow overnight, but all the lifts that were closed yesterday were open today which meant there was a whole bunch of terrain untracked for us to enjoy! Lots of fun this morning. We even got some blue sky at various intervals in the day. So with a bit of a view from the top we were able to see that just across the valley there is a massive volcano! Mt Yotei.
Hopefully we get a day with no cloud so the whole thing is visible.
My lodge is a pretty sweet deal. In the mornings they provide breakfast and even cook a hot breakfast for us. So by loading up on food in the morning, its about 3pm before I have to stop skiing to eat something.
Hirafu - the town I'm staying in is from all accounts "not japan"! Despite the fact that there are Aussies everywhere, there are also Japanese everywhere. The lodges are packed in tightly, and there are heaps of little bars and eating places. Its a very cool place. The only problem is its really bloody expensive. A beer in a restaurant is 500-600yen which is about $10 aus. Spirits are surprisingly really cheap. A bottle of vodka from the shop is only about 600yen. WTF?!
On the way to the shop last night for dinner food and beer, there were these drummers playing in the street. Pretty cool.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
I'm back!
Yes, thats right after a 18 month hiatus, the on-again, off-again blogger (me) is back!
So I'm finally here in Niseko, Japan after 5 airports, 3 planes, 2 buses and a big delay. One particularly interesting part of the trip was that my flights from Melbourne to KL and KL to Tokyo were on Boeing 777's then from Tokyo to Sapporo on a Boeing 747. Quite an experience - I'd never been on a 747 before. Whats more I got bumped from economy to JAL's J class which is in between economy and business I gather. Its a bit hard to tell when everything is written in Japanese. Not upstairs, but right at the front of the main deck. Very nice. Better seats, legroom and food!
My lodge in Niseko (Base Lodge) is in a great spot right in the middle of town, walking distance to the lifts and just about everything else in town. So far just about everyone i've come across in this place has been Australian. They no doubt are chasing the powder as I am.
Day 1 of skiing...
After a great sleep the body took a bit of a hit this morning coming from 45 degree weather in melbourne, to minus 10 degree with an added 15 degree wind chill. The snow was excellent, not much fresh but still managed to find some clean lines in this one little section that was open today. The wind was a killer, keeping lifts closed and making things very uncomfortable. With all the lifts open the amount of terrain available is mind blowing! Can't wait.
It has been snowing on and off since this morning, so hopefully we wake up to a whole bunch of fresh stuff tomorrow.
Oh, before I forget... The lift ticket system here is very very cool. They give you a card which is your lift ticket, and you just put it in your pocket and leave it there. So when you come up to the lift there is a little turnstile that senses your card and lets you through onto the lift. Automatic. No people checking, no need to get it out of a pocket or flap every time you go past. The Japanese really have their heads screwed on. For those interested the technology used to do it is RFID. And thats my nerd quota for the day... Time for a beer!
So I'm finally here in Niseko, Japan after 5 airports, 3 planes, 2 buses and a big delay. One particularly interesting part of the trip was that my flights from Melbourne to KL and KL to Tokyo were on Boeing 777's then from Tokyo to Sapporo on a Boeing 747. Quite an experience - I'd never been on a 747 before. Whats more I got bumped from economy to JAL's J class which is in between economy and business I gather. Its a bit hard to tell when everything is written in Japanese. Not upstairs, but right at the front of the main deck. Very nice. Better seats, legroom and food!
My lodge in Niseko (Base Lodge) is in a great spot right in the middle of town, walking distance to the lifts and just about everything else in town. So far just about everyone i've come across in this place has been Australian. They no doubt are chasing the powder as I am.
Day 1 of skiing...
After a great sleep the body took a bit of a hit this morning coming from 45 degree weather in melbourne, to minus 10 degree with an added 15 degree wind chill. The snow was excellent, not much fresh but still managed to find some clean lines in this one little section that was open today. The wind was a killer, keeping lifts closed and making things very uncomfortable. With all the lifts open the amount of terrain available is mind blowing! Can't wait.
It has been snowing on and off since this morning, so hopefully we wake up to a whole bunch of fresh stuff tomorrow.
Oh, before I forget... The lift ticket system here is very very cool. They give you a card which is your lift ticket, and you just put it in your pocket and leave it there. So when you come up to the lift there is a little turnstile that senses your card and lets you through onto the lift. Automatic. No people checking, no need to get it out of a pocket or flap every time you go past. The Japanese really have their heads screwed on. For those interested the technology used to do it is RFID. And thats my nerd quota for the day... Time for a beer!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Brrrrrrr.
It snowed in Ballarat yesterday, and reached the super toasty temperature of 2 degrees. The snow settled enough to cover all the paddocks and the back garden in about 5cm's of the white stuff. Reminded me alot of the interior of BC covered in snow, and brought memories of Canada flooding back. This is not a one off, it seems to happen for just about anything i do, expecially driving, or sitting in the car when someone else is driving.
It took me about 6 months i think, to get used to cars driving on the right-hand side of the road, and by the time i left, it was second nature, i was completely used to it. It took me all of 6 hours to be used to cars on the left-hand side of the road again. However, every time i turn right, i feel like i should be pulling onto the right-hand side of the road, and it just makes me think for a split second, and then i realise i have to go to the left-hand side of the road.
I quite enjoy that small fraction of a second, makes me remember i was somewhere completely different for long enough for something totally foreign to become habit.
I'm sure in 6 weeks, i will be totally used to right hand turns to the left-hand side of the road again, and the thoughts and the smile i get each time i turn right wont even cross my mind. It's the simple things that amuse us the most.
It's good to be home though, i mean jeez, what is with driving on the wrong side of the road!!
It took me about 6 months i think, to get used to cars driving on the right-hand side of the road, and by the time i left, it was second nature, i was completely used to it. It took me all of 6 hours to be used to cars on the left-hand side of the road again. However, every time i turn right, i feel like i should be pulling onto the right-hand side of the road, and it just makes me think for a split second, and then i realise i have to go to the left-hand side of the road.
I quite enjoy that small fraction of a second, makes me remember i was somewhere completely different for long enough for something totally foreign to become habit.
I'm sure in 6 weeks, i will be totally used to right hand turns to the left-hand side of the road again, and the thoughts and the smile i get each time i turn right wont even cross my mind. It's the simple things that amuse us the most.
It's good to be home though, i mean jeez, what is with driving on the wrong side of the road!!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Moving again!
It seems the last few weeks of my life have been constant packing and moving. This time it's moving all my stuff from my parents place, into my place in North Melbourne. This move isn't quite as painful, i'm not leaving all my friends and my life half way round the world, quite exciting actually - to be getting back into the swing of things in Melbourne.
Uni starts again next monday, the 2nd last semester of uni (fingers crossed). Despite the fact that it is uni, and it will be shit, especially compared to my uni experience at UBC, i'm looking forward to be heading into the last part of it. Not long to go. The fact that the end is finally in sight makes it easier.
I'm hopefully going to have time to keep this blog up to scratch, keep in touch with everyone - even if noone reads it! I don't really care if they do or don't, i almost find it relaxing to vent and ramble away on here.
Still in Ballarat at the moment - will slowly make the shift to Melbourne during the week to be installed there by next weekend.
Uni starts again next monday, the 2nd last semester of uni (fingers crossed). Despite the fact that it is uni, and it will be shit, especially compared to my uni experience at UBC, i'm looking forward to be heading into the last part of it. Not long to go. The fact that the end is finally in sight makes it easier.
I'm hopefully going to have time to keep this blog up to scratch, keep in touch with everyone - even if noone reads it! I don't really care if they do or don't, i almost find it relaxing to vent and ramble away on here.
Still in Ballarat at the moment - will slowly make the shift to Melbourne during the week to be installed there by next weekend.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Home
I'm home. Still jet lagged and freezing. It is so cold here compared to a Vancouver summer!
I'm missing Canada already. Always thinking what time it is over there, what my friends would be up to, how much i'd love to be doing something, skim-boarding, sitting on a patio drinking etc.
The plane flight was horrible, i couldn't sleep and the whole time I didn't want to be coming home. So sad to leave my home that was so fantastic for 12 months. I managed somehow to take 60kg of checked luggage, and a guitar when you're only allowed about 40kg and no more that 2 bags, and another nearly 20kg in hand luggage. I must have really sweet talked them at Vancouver airport, it's all a blur, and again at Sydney where i cleared customs.
In some ways, it is great to be home again. To see my family waiting for me at the airport, who i haven't seen for so long was fantastic. I think they were far more excited than I about my homecoming! I'm yet to see my friends again, so when the novelty of seeing the family goes away, there will be another whole bunch of people to catch up with.
I guess now that i'm no longer in Canada, i'll have to change the name of my blog to something relevant and witty. I'm going to keep it going so my friends all over the world can see what i'm up to if they desire. There's always facebook too!
Talk soon.
I'm missing Canada already. Always thinking what time it is over there, what my friends would be up to, how much i'd love to be doing something, skim-boarding, sitting on a patio drinking etc.
The plane flight was horrible, i couldn't sleep and the whole time I didn't want to be coming home. So sad to leave my home that was so fantastic for 12 months. I managed somehow to take 60kg of checked luggage, and a guitar when you're only allowed about 40kg and no more that 2 bags, and another nearly 20kg in hand luggage. I must have really sweet talked them at Vancouver airport, it's all a blur, and again at Sydney where i cleared customs.
In some ways, it is great to be home again. To see my family waiting for me at the airport, who i haven't seen for so long was fantastic. I think they were far more excited than I about my homecoming! I'm yet to see my friends again, so when the novelty of seeing the family goes away, there will be another whole bunch of people to catch up with.
I guess now that i'm no longer in Canada, i'll have to change the name of my blog to something relevant and witty. I'm going to keep it going so my friends all over the world can see what i'm up to if they desire. There's always facebook too!
Talk soon.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Running out of time...
My time in Canada draws rapidly to a close. The last few days have been a blur of packing, partying, hanging out with friends, going to the beach etc etc. I'm finding it quite stressfull, particularly to try and see everyone, or manage the people wanting to hang out with me, some of which want to hang out constantly which isn't possible.
So today, my last full day in Canada will probably be spent searching for a few final gifts (yes very last minute), its sunny out so i'd like to make it to the beach too, and then one final party at the pub tonight, with all my friends hopefully
So today, my last full day in Canada will probably be spent searching for a few final gifts (yes very last minute), its sunny out so i'd like to make it to the beach too, and then one final party at the pub tonight, with all my friends hopefully
Monday, July 02, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
"Nice parks, but no health care"
As Alick and I were walking through Capitol Hill in Seattle, a funky part of town, kinda like brunswick st in Melbourne, we were discussing and comparing the general state of things, Seattle, how we like it, other places in the US, New York City, Vancouver, Canada, Melbourne and Australia - it was a very in-depth and complicated discussion ;) , and Al said to me "Nice parks, but no health care" and that summed up the US quite well. Some things are fantastic while others are really bad.
The last few days in Seattle we went to a Baseball Game, Mariners won 8-7 in the 9th, saw John Butler Trio at the Moore theatre, which, in the past, has played host to well knowns such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains et al., who pioneered 90's music and grunge in the Seattle area. We also visited EMP; a music museum kinda thing which had a history of the guitar gallery, with real guitars from each era and maker which was really cool, a Jimi Hendrix museum, with some of Jimi's guitars, fragments of guitars, clothes, original song notes etc.
It also had a timeline of music progression and history in the pacific north west, which, come the late 80's to 90's was the place to be. All in all a really interesting place.
It also had a sound booth where you can go into sound-proof rooms and play instruments and jam with friends and stuff. I played a real fender strat, and pinched an emp guitar pick. Good momento!
The last few days in Seattle we went to a Baseball Game, Mariners won 8-7 in the 9th, saw John Butler Trio at the Moore theatre, which, in the past, has played host to well knowns such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains et al., who pioneered 90's music and grunge in the Seattle area. We also visited EMP; a music museum kinda thing which had a history of the guitar gallery, with real guitars from each era and maker which was really cool, a Jimi Hendrix museum, with some of Jimi's guitars, fragments of guitars, clothes, original song notes etc.
It also had a timeline of music progression and history in the pacific north west, which, come the late 80's to 90's was the place to be. All in all a really interesting place.
It also had a sound booth where you can go into sound-proof rooms and play instruments and jam with friends and stuff. I played a real fender strat, and pinched an emp guitar pick. Good momento!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Seattle, Starbucks.
I've never seen so many Starbucks in one place. There is almost one on every block, one on every street corner. Granted, it is where it all started for Starbucks, but really for a small city, do that many people drink that much coffee?!
Apart from that Seattle is really cool. Quite a small central downtown, on the water, boats and ferries going all over, a very cruisy city. Lots of seafood, the Pike place market is quite a fun place, especially the fish store with their unique selling style.
Tonight, Baseball. Seattle Mariners Vs Boston Red Socks. Beer, Hot Dogs and Baseball - how much more American can you get!
Apart from that Seattle is really cool. Quite a small central downtown, on the water, boats and ferries going all over, a very cruisy city. Lots of seafood, the Pike place market is quite a fun place, especially the fish store with their unique selling style.
Tonight, Baseball. Seattle Mariners Vs Boston Red Socks. Beer, Hot Dogs and Baseball - how much more American can you get!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
1700+
I just realised that on my little trip through Calgary, the Rockies, Montreal and New York City i took somewhere around 1700 photos! Bit trigger happy perhaps! I'll try put a few up for you all to see when i get some time, but right now i need to sleep. It's 6pm and i've been up for 18 hours already today. I hate early mornings and timezone changes - it really screws you up.
Home to Vancouver
I'm back in Vancouver now, and absolutely buggered from all that travelling. As expected it was raining when we landed.
My last day in NYC i went up the Empire State, however the views weren't all that good cause there was alot of smog and pollution, but it has to be done. And then i spent the remainder of the day wandering around SOHO, which is a very very cool part of town.
I had to get up at 3.30am new york time to get to the airport, and through customs and all that for my flight at 7am out of JFK. Damn that is one big airport. 9 or 10 terminals! So i've showered, my mountains of clothes are washing, and now i'm hungry. Time to go get some food!
My last day in NYC i went up the Empire State, however the views weren't all that good cause there was alot of smog and pollution, but it has to be done. And then i spent the remainder of the day wandering around SOHO, which is a very very cool part of town.
I had to get up at 3.30am new york time to get to the airport, and through customs and all that for my flight at 7am out of JFK. Damn that is one big airport. 9 or 10 terminals! So i've showered, my mountains of clothes are washing, and now i'm hungry. Time to go get some food!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
NYC Day 4
Started the day at the Central Park Zoo. Not a bad little (very little) zoo. From there, headed down to the lower east side for a bit of wandering around. Lunch at Katz's Deli - Pastrami sandwich was delicious.
Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge after lunch, wandered around Brooklyn for a bit, then back across the bridge to Manhatten. Chilled out in a park and read some of my book in the late afternoon.
Went back up to the top of the Rockefeller this evening to watch the sunset and take some night pics of the city. Apparently, they want you to buy all their photos - i wasn't allowed to use my mini tripod to take night shots, but got a couple in before getting in trouble!
Last day in NYC tomorrow - back to Vancity early sunday morning.
Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge after lunch, wandered around Brooklyn for a bit, then back across the bridge to Manhatten. Chilled out in a park and read some of my book in the late afternoon.
Went back up to the top of the Rockefeller this evening to watch the sunset and take some night pics of the city. Apparently, they want you to buy all their photos - i wasn't allowed to use my mini tripod to take night shots, but got a couple in before getting in trouble!
Last day in NYC tomorrow - back to Vancity early sunday morning.
Friday, June 15, 2007
NYC Day 3
Took the subway downtown to the financial district. The World Trade Centre Site, Wall St, NY Stock Exchange (although the public is not allowed inside), the Bull on Broadway, South St Seaport, picked up a cheap ticket for the Tarzan show on Broadway at TKTS the cheap ticket place. Took the Staten Island ferry to Staten Island for some great views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhatten Island.
The WTC is a hive of activity at the moment, you can't really get the gist of what happened at the moment, it will be better when it is finished i think. Still kinda brings you down to earth, to see this massive hole in the ground where something should be. I walked right round the edge of it - they are still pulling down buildings around the edge that were damaged by the falling towers too.
Tarzan was a great show, the usual disney crap, but had great sets and fantastic aerobatics, all the gorillas swung all over the stage - and i had one of the best seats in the house!
The WTC is a hive of activity at the moment, you can't really get the gist of what happened at the moment, it will be better when it is finished i think. Still kinda brings you down to earth, to see this massive hole in the ground where something should be. I walked right round the edge of it - they are still pulling down buildings around the edge that were damaged by the falling towers too.
Tarzan was a great show, the usual disney crap, but had great sets and fantastic aerobatics, all the gorillas swung all over the stage - and i had one of the best seats in the house!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
NYC Day 2
Today I rode the Subway!
Shitty weather forced me inside for a fantastic day. Metropolitan Museum of Art in the morning - Egyptian artifacts, knights armour, greek and roman statues etc.
Lunch was New York City Pizza, covered in cheeze, minimal toppings, plenty of oil!
American Museum of Natural History in the afternoon. Very cool, informative, covers nearly everything on this earth, animal and otherwise. Plenty of dinosaur fossils.
They've actually been very smart and organised all the fossils into animal types, ie. Vertebrates, those with 4 limbs, those with, rear facing pelvic bones, those with ear openingts etc etc. AND into evolutionalry progression by era. Very well done!
Spamalot, the Monty Python Musical at night. What a great show! Very very funny. Picked up cheap tickets for $US 49 plus tax, normally $US 110!! Not bad eh!
Shitty weather forced me inside for a fantastic day. Metropolitan Museum of Art in the morning - Egyptian artifacts, knights armour, greek and roman statues etc.
Lunch was New York City Pizza, covered in cheeze, minimal toppings, plenty of oil!
American Museum of Natural History in the afternoon. Very cool, informative, covers nearly everything on this earth, animal and otherwise. Plenty of dinosaur fossils.
They've actually been very smart and organised all the fossils into animal types, ie. Vertebrates, those with 4 limbs, those with, rear facing pelvic bones, those with ear openingts etc etc. AND into evolutionalry progression by era. Very well done!
Spamalot, the Monty Python Musical at night. What a great show! Very very funny. Picked up cheap tickets for $US 49 plus tax, normally $US 110!! Not bad eh!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
New York City Day 1
So after being delayed for over 2 hours last night, today was amazing.
Starting at the Rockefeller, and a trip to the top of the Rock for some insane views, I walked to Times Square, Grand Central Station, The New York Public Library, down 5th Ave past the Empire State (which i will ascend later), down to Madison Square Park for lunch. Then from there all the way up broadway, past Macy's (which had a huge sale), through Times Square again, all the way up to the Columbus Circle and the south west corner of Central Park. Across the bottom of Central Park to the 5th Ave Apple Store. I love that place - coolest store in the world!
Then it rained cats and dogs, so back to the hotel for some dry clothes, and on to a tour of the UN.
Over 250 photos later!
Dinner at the Comfort Diner on 45th St, a stroll through Times Square again - with all the lights and stuff it looks like Vegas!
Tomorrow is going to be bad weather apparently, so i'm thinking about going to some museums and indoorsy type things.
At the hotel i'm staying at they have these alarm clocks/stereo type things that you dock your ipod in which is really cool, so you can listen to your music on speakers, but also wake up to it when the alarm goes off. This morning i woke to #36 - Dave Matthews Band Live at Red Rocks 15/08/1995. A great start to the day!
Starting at the Rockefeller, and a trip to the top of the Rock for some insane views, I walked to Times Square, Grand Central Station, The New York Public Library, down 5th Ave past the Empire State (which i will ascend later), down to Madison Square Park for lunch. Then from there all the way up broadway, past Macy's (which had a huge sale), through Times Square again, all the way up to the Columbus Circle and the south west corner of Central Park. Across the bottom of Central Park to the 5th Ave Apple Store. I love that place - coolest store in the world!
Then it rained cats and dogs, so back to the hotel for some dry clothes, and on to a tour of the UN.
Over 250 photos later!
Dinner at the Comfort Diner on 45th St, a stroll through Times Square again - with all the lights and stuff it looks like Vegas!
Tomorrow is going to be bad weather apparently, so i'm thinking about going to some museums and indoorsy type things.
At the hotel i'm staying at they have these alarm clocks/stereo type things that you dock your ipod in which is really cool, so you can listen to your music on speakers, but also wake up to it when the alarm goes off. This morning i woke to #36 - Dave Matthews Band Live at Red Rocks 15/08/1995. A great start to the day!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Grand Prix du Canada était fantastique!
Yes, thats right - the Grand Prix was awesome! I only had a general admission ticket, but nabbed myself a posse that allowed me to see pretty much all of the hairpin turn. So the cars would fly past at around 300km/h and then break hard and slow right down, go around the corner and fly off. I also saw the first half of that sickening crash that happened at the hairpin turn.
Last night i flew to NYC, however my plane was delayed by over 2 hours - fun fun! So i arrived around 10.30pm and pretty much crashed straight away. Today it might rain, not happy! I've had great weather so far for this trip, why can't it just hold out a little longer!
Song of the day, how could it not be: New York, New York!
Last night i flew to NYC, however my plane was delayed by over 2 hours - fun fun! So i arrived around 10.30pm and pretty much crashed straight away. Today it might rain, not happy! I've had great weather so far for this trip, why can't it just hold out a little longer!
Song of the day, how could it not be: New York, New York!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Back in town!
Sorry for the absence folks, while in the Rockies there was no internet. What a fantastic place it is though.
I was staying with friends in the Kananaskis park, just near Banff, and the scenery was amazing. Over the weekend we went hiking, rock-climbing, fishing, drinking, I saw all the sights, did some drives etc etc. In 4 days however, i couldn't see everything, so i'll just have to go back!
Montreal is great. Been here 2 days now. Yesterday I wandered around old Montreal and downtown. It's surreal to be walking around a Canadian city and everyone is speaking French! The place is absolutely packed as it is GP weekend here. I went to the track today, it's in an island in the middle of the river made out of the dirt that they dug up to create the metro.
Not as good as the Melbourne GP, not as many support races etc, and there is less space for general admission people to stand, so it will be packed on sunday. I think i have scoped out a couple of good places to watch the race from. Should be a good day!
Tomorrow: More Montreal, a friend is visiting from Ottowa.
Song of the Day: Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles.
I was staying with friends in the Kananaskis park, just near Banff, and the scenery was amazing. Over the weekend we went hiking, rock-climbing, fishing, drinking, I saw all the sights, did some drives etc etc. In 4 days however, i couldn't see everything, so i'll just have to go back!
Montreal is great. Been here 2 days now. Yesterday I wandered around old Montreal and downtown. It's surreal to be walking around a Canadian city and everyone is speaking French! The place is absolutely packed as it is GP weekend here. I went to the track today, it's in an island in the middle of the river made out of the dirt that they dug up to create the metro.
Not as good as the Melbourne GP, not as many support races etc, and there is less space for general admission people to stand, so it will be packed on sunday. I think i have scoped out a couple of good places to watch the race from. Should be a good day!
Tomorrow: More Montreal, a friend is visiting from Ottowa.
Song of the Day: Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Wow!
So i'm unexpectedly very impressed by Calgary. Granted, i'm seeing it in the summer and it has been 28 degrees and absolutely beautiful. In winter when it is covered in snow and -30 i'm sure it would suck a bit, but right now - Amazing!
Today i walked everywhere. All around downtown, the park, the river, the cool neighbourhoods where all the young people hang out. It really is a boom town. There are people my age absolutely everywhere, there is alot of money to be made here.
Me and my mate James cooked a BBQ for dinner, had some beers out on his patio at his house - which is so nice by the way. A perfect way to end a great day.
Tomorrow: off to Banff.
Yesterday i forgot to add a song of the day, so for yesterday anything Tom Cochrane or John Cougar Mellencamp would probably be appropriate for Calgary. I'm going to go with 'Small Town', or 'Life is a Highway'.
Today, hmm.... How about 'River Town' by Live.
Cya!
Today i walked everywhere. All around downtown, the park, the river, the cool neighbourhoods where all the young people hang out. It really is a boom town. There are people my age absolutely everywhere, there is alot of money to be made here.
Me and my mate James cooked a BBQ for dinner, had some beers out on his patio at his house - which is so nice by the way. A perfect way to end a great day.
Tomorrow: off to Banff.
Yesterday i forgot to add a song of the day, so for yesterday anything Tom Cochrane or John Cougar Mellencamp would probably be appropriate for Calgary. I'm going to go with 'Small Town', or 'Life is a Highway'.
Today, hmm.... How about 'River Town' by Live.
Cya!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The land of opportunity
Oil, Oil, Oil...Did someone say oil.
Calgary is oozing oil money, its actually quite a cool place. I'm suitably impressed.
Classy downtown, meets country and western...can you picture it. You see men in suits and women in dresses wearing cowboy boots. It is a super cool town though, lots of young people.
Touristy stuff tomorrow.
Calgary is oozing oil money, its actually quite a cool place. I'm suitably impressed.
Classy downtown, meets country and western...can you picture it. You see men in suits and women in dresses wearing cowboy boots. It is a super cool town though, lots of young people.
Touristy stuff tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Back on the road again...
Tomorrow i'm off on my almost 3 weeks of travels. Calgary, Banff, Montreal and New York City.
I never know what to pack, it's not a huge trip, but long enough to require enough, and a varying amount of gear. One thing is certain, i'll have my computer with me so i can keep in touch with you all through this blog, facebook, email etc etc.
It seems this time of year is the time everyone leaves Vancouver for other persuits. The last few days have been hectic trying to catch up with friends leaving, local Vancouverites and exchangies alike. Drinks here and there have been plentiful, golf, lunches, bbq's, breakfasts - But, now it's my turn... At last!
Even though On the road again is very relevant to this post, i couldn't justify having Willie Nelson as the only song reference. So...
Song of the day: Angel - Dave Matthews Band - Live At Folson Field, Boulder, CO, 11/07/2001.
I never know what to pack, it's not a huge trip, but long enough to require enough, and a varying amount of gear. One thing is certain, i'll have my computer with me so i can keep in touch with you all through this blog, facebook, email etc etc.
It seems this time of year is the time everyone leaves Vancouver for other persuits. The last few days have been hectic trying to catch up with friends leaving, local Vancouverites and exchangies alike. Drinks here and there have been plentiful, golf, lunches, bbq's, breakfasts - But, now it's my turn... At last!
Even though On the road again is very relevant to this post, i couldn't justify having Willie Nelson as the only song reference. So...
Song of the day: Angel - Dave Matthews Band - Live At Folson Field, Boulder, CO, 11/07/2001.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
So Much To Say...
When not much is happening, there is not much to talk about. Which is why my posts have been few and far between over the last week or two. Vancouver has been sunny and warm and i've spent my days hanging out with friends, going to the beach, having bbq's and just enjoying being on holiday!
The other night I went to a concert, Ozomatli. One of the coolest shows i've seen. At the end of the set, the whole band grabbed percussion instruments or their trumpets/trombones and came down into the crowd and walked around and jammed for about 20 mins down with the crowd. So good!
I leave on my trip next week, and while i'm away the ski season at Whistler closes, so skiing for me is over which is sad. I lost track of the total amount of days I was on the snow this season, but i'm pretty sure i got to 50 days. They say the ski season in Australia is going to be a good one this year... But it will never compare. This season Whistler had a total snowfall of over 15 metres!! There is no comparison to that!
I was trying to think of ways to make my blog more interesting and more insightful to what i'm up to, incorporating song names for post titles (like todays), or including a 'what i'm listening to' in each post or something like that, perhaps a favourite meal (more relevant while i'm travelling) - Any thoughts/suggestions??
PS. Saw Shrek 3 the other day. It was pissing down with rain, so a few of us went to the cinema. Not a bad 3rd iteration, compared to some others that have been terrible.... *Cough* Spiderman 3!
The other night I went to a concert, Ozomatli. One of the coolest shows i've seen. At the end of the set, the whole band grabbed percussion instruments or their trumpets/trombones and came down into the crowd and walked around and jammed for about 20 mins down with the crowd. So good!
I leave on my trip next week, and while i'm away the ski season at Whistler closes, so skiing for me is over which is sad. I lost track of the total amount of days I was on the snow this season, but i'm pretty sure i got to 50 days. They say the ski season in Australia is going to be a good one this year... But it will never compare. This season Whistler had a total snowfall of over 15 metres!! There is no comparison to that!
I was trying to think of ways to make my blog more interesting and more insightful to what i'm up to, incorporating song names for post titles (like todays), or including a 'what i'm listening to' in each post or something like that, perhaps a favourite meal (more relevant while i'm travelling) - Any thoughts/suggestions??
PS. Saw Shrek 3 the other day. It was pissing down with rain, so a few of us went to the cinema. Not a bad 3rd iteration, compared to some others that have been terrible.... *Cough* Spiderman 3!
Monday, May 21, 2007
When It Rains...
It seems every time I get back to Vancouver from a trip away, it is raining.
Me and a bunch of friends went to Victoria on Vancouver Island this last week for 3 days to see the sights and relax a little. Considering Victoria is the capital of BC some parts of it are very 'Touristy', but our keen awareness of this, and some recommendations from some locals we know made the 3 days very enjoyable. We had fantastic weather, warm, sunny, which prompted us to park ourselves at some of the local eateries and drinkeries, on the patio, in the sun, and eat some great west coast food (amazing seafood), and drink some (lots) of beer. We saw the sights too!
And, low and behold, it was raining when we got back to Van!
Me and a bunch of friends went to Victoria on Vancouver Island this last week for 3 days to see the sights and relax a little. Considering Victoria is the capital of BC some parts of it are very 'Touristy', but our keen awareness of this, and some recommendations from some locals we know made the 3 days very enjoyable. We had fantastic weather, warm, sunny, which prompted us to park ourselves at some of the local eateries and drinkeries, on the patio, in the sun, and eat some great west coast food (amazing seafood), and drink some (lots) of beer. We saw the sights too!
And, low and behold, it was raining when we got back to Van!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
2 posts in one day...Worth it though.
I watched the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" this afternoon, and thought it warranted a mention, and i couldn't be bothered editing my last post so just made a new one (which is easier to do of course).
I found it particularly relevent/good for a number of reasons...
-I took an Earth and Ocean Science subject at UBC last sememster and we covered alot of the material, the same graphs, same facts, same trends etc that he talks about, so i've seen it all from a scientific standpoint. He talks about 'the scientists' alot, so i've been 'the scientist'. It's pretty interesting stuff.
-It's a good movie, very biased toward America, but considering that Australia is the only other country apart from the US to not have ratified the Kyoto agreement, very applicable to us too. Not to mention that the issue is a global issue and therefore pertinent to everyone and every country.
-I also found it relevant because for the last year while I have been here in Canada, everyone at home has been keeping me updated with the water situation in Australia. It was just announced that last year to date was the driest year on record, and on top of that water supplies are at insanely critical levels ie 11%. Surely we are beginning to see the effects of our CO2 emissions.
If you haven't seen it - Watch It.
I found it particularly relevent/good for a number of reasons...
-I took an Earth and Ocean Science subject at UBC last sememster and we covered alot of the material, the same graphs, same facts, same trends etc that he talks about, so i've seen it all from a scientific standpoint. He talks about 'the scientists' alot, so i've been 'the scientist'. It's pretty interesting stuff.
-It's a good movie, very biased toward America, but considering that Australia is the only other country apart from the US to not have ratified the Kyoto agreement, very applicable to us too. Not to mention that the issue is a global issue and therefore pertinent to everyone and every country.
-I also found it relevant because for the last year while I have been here in Canada, everyone at home has been keeping me updated with the water situation in Australia. It was just announced that last year to date was the driest year on record, and on top of that water supplies are at insanely critical levels ie 11%. Surely we are beginning to see the effects of our CO2 emissions.
If you haven't seen it - Watch It.
What happens in Vegas....
Doesn't necessarily stay in vegas!
So i thought i should mention to you all that in march i went down to Vegas for an extended weekend. Me and a mate of mine, Alick (See Alick's Blog), both huge Dave Matthews Band fans, went to see DMB at the MGM Grand on both friday and saturday nights. Amazing shows, so good to finally see them live!
Vegas, well, it was good and bad. It's one of those things you have to do at some stage in your life, it's tacky and kitch, but it's Vegas, so it is appealing.....i guess!
Generally, Vegas is pretty dirty and sleazy, but once you are in the big hotels it is just complete luxury! Free drinks when you gamble, no expense spared - crazy!
I'll have to tell you more in person, i don't really want to publish some of my thoughts on Vegas for all to see!
Fantastic weekend though. Had a blast!
So, today in Vancouver it was 26 degrees, bright sunshine. I slept in, did some grocery shopping, lounged around on my patio in the sun, read a little, slept a little, ate a little. All in all it was a really relaxed day. I'm very much in holiday mode now!
Tomorrow, i'm off to Victoria on Vancouver Island for a few days with some friends, see the sights, eat some good food, hang out in a new place, see some friends on the island. Should be a good time.
That's all for now!
So i thought i should mention to you all that in march i went down to Vegas for an extended weekend. Me and a mate of mine, Alick (See Alick's Blog), both huge Dave Matthews Band fans, went to see DMB at the MGM Grand on both friday and saturday nights. Amazing shows, so good to finally see them live!
Vegas, well, it was good and bad. It's one of those things you have to do at some stage in your life, it's tacky and kitch, but it's Vegas, so it is appealing.....i guess!
Generally, Vegas is pretty dirty and sleazy, but once you are in the big hotels it is just complete luxury! Free drinks when you gamble, no expense spared - crazy!
I'll have to tell you more in person, i don't really want to publish some of my thoughts on Vegas for all to see!
Fantastic weekend though. Had a blast!
So, today in Vancouver it was 26 degrees, bright sunshine. I slept in, did some grocery shopping, lounged around on my patio in the sun, read a little, slept a little, ate a little. All in all it was a really relaxed day. I'm very much in holiday mode now!
Tomorrow, i'm off to Victoria on Vancouver Island for a few days with some friends, see the sights, eat some good food, hang out in a new place, see some friends on the island. Should be a good time.
That's all for now!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Its been a while...
Sorry for the lack of postings lately, ie the last 4 months! I've been incredibly busy spending all my spare time either studying or skiing.
Now that my association with UBC is over, and i've moved off campus i finally have time to do these tasks again.
To sum up my life over the last 4 months in one word - hectic. Finals were rather intense considering we got no swotvac at all, my first exam was 3 days after the last class. It all worked out ok though, i ended up with an 85% average for this semester, and overall for my year here. I hope Melbourne Uni is suitably impressed!
The last week or so since i've moved off campus into my new place i've just been hanging out in the great city that is Vancouver. Enjoying the sun, which finally has returned to us after all those cold and wet months away, catching up with friends, eating out a bit, going out a lot, longboarding, going to the beach - generally just having a good time.
The next few weeks will probably be more of the same, however later this week a bunch of us are going to go to Victoria on Vancouver island, and early next week possibly a trip to Whistler for what may be my last skiing in Canada......For now!!
In 2 weeks and 2 days, i leave on my travels to Calgary - Banff - Calgary - Montreal - New York City and back home to Van.
The Canadian GP is on in Montreal while i'm there, i hope everyone is jealous, and i'm super excited to get to NYC.
Enough for now, my housemates, the XBOX, and multiplayer Halo2 is calling!
Now that my association with UBC is over, and i've moved off campus i finally have time to do these tasks again.
To sum up my life over the last 4 months in one word - hectic. Finals were rather intense considering we got no swotvac at all, my first exam was 3 days after the last class. It all worked out ok though, i ended up with an 85% average for this semester, and overall for my year here. I hope Melbourne Uni is suitably impressed!
The last week or so since i've moved off campus into my new place i've just been hanging out in the great city that is Vancouver. Enjoying the sun, which finally has returned to us after all those cold and wet months away, catching up with friends, eating out a bit, going out a lot, longboarding, going to the beach - generally just having a good time.
The next few weeks will probably be more of the same, however later this week a bunch of us are going to go to Victoria on Vancouver island, and early next week possibly a trip to Whistler for what may be my last skiing in Canada......For now!!
In 2 weeks and 2 days, i leave on my travels to Calgary - Banff - Calgary - Montreal - New York City and back home to Van.
The Canadian GP is on in Montreal while i'm there, i hope everyone is jealous, and i'm super excited to get to NYC.
Enough for now, my housemates, the XBOX, and multiplayer Halo2 is calling!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Quick Update...
Class: Going ok - lots of work.
Vancouver: Still quite cold, snow has melted due to inordinate amounts of rain.
Big White: Very White, not as Big as expected.
New skis: Friggin Fantastic!
Basketball: Heaps of fun despite not winning!
Game 1 - Loss - 2pts, 0 Fouls, 2 Rebounds.
Game 2 - Loss - 4pts, 0 Fouls, 5 Rebounds, elbow to the guts, very sore legs.
Game 3 - Loss - 9pts, 2 Fouls, 3 Steals, 5 Rebounds, elbow to side of the head. We're sure to win one soon!
Plans: This weekend - Australia day celebrations at Ski & Board Club Beer Garden, Whistler Saturday, Homework Sunday.
Next weekend - Apex, near Penticton in the Okanagan, another Ski & Board Club trip.
Vancouver: Still quite cold, snow has melted due to inordinate amounts of rain.
Big White: Very White, not as Big as expected.
New skis: Friggin Fantastic!
Basketball: Heaps of fun despite not winning!
Game 1 - Loss - 2pts, 0 Fouls, 2 Rebounds.
Game 2 - Loss - 4pts, 0 Fouls, 5 Rebounds, elbow to the guts, very sore legs.
Game 3 - Loss - 9pts, 2 Fouls, 3 Steals, 5 Rebounds, elbow to side of the head. We're sure to win one soon!
Plans: This weekend - Australia day celebrations at Ski & Board Club Beer Garden, Whistler Saturday, Homework Sunday.
Next weekend - Apex, near Penticton in the Okanagan, another Ski & Board Club trip.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Classes again....bugger!
Classes started again on the 8th, which abruptly ended my endless skiing holiday ;) Not too happy about that. However, i'm heading to Whistler again this weekend, and then Big White the following.
Vancouver has been extra cold recently, with more snow falling in the city, and on campus, and it's cold enough that it is hanging around.
This semester looks like it will be quite interesting, although lots of work which is not ideal. I'm taking E-business, Telecommunications, Systems Analysis and Design, and IT Risks Security and Audit. They're all devised around real world situations, cases, projects etc so that at the end of it I should have a few ideas about what people with an IS degree actually do in the real would, which will be good. So far it has all been theory stuff, but now it is getting alot more practical.
Lots of my exchange friends have left (those staying only for one semester), or are leaving (those that hung around for xmas and NY). Last night we went out to dinner to 'say goodbye' to another person heading off back home this weekend, and we had Ethiopian food. I am constantly suprised at the types of food / cultural experiences you can find in Vancity. It was amazing! If you look hard enough you're sure to find something new/exciting/different, but you have to take some time to look.
Anyways, time to get to bed. Early (5am) start tomorrow, to catch the first bus up to Whistler in time to ski all day - Woohoo!.
Cya.
Vancouver has been extra cold recently, with more snow falling in the city, and on campus, and it's cold enough that it is hanging around.
This semester looks like it will be quite interesting, although lots of work which is not ideal. I'm taking E-business, Telecommunications, Systems Analysis and Design, and IT Risks Security and Audit. They're all devised around real world situations, cases, projects etc so that at the end of it I should have a few ideas about what people with an IS degree actually do in the real would, which will be good. So far it has all been theory stuff, but now it is getting alot more practical.
Lots of my exchange friends have left (those staying only for one semester), or are leaving (those that hung around for xmas and NY). Last night we went out to dinner to 'say goodbye' to another person heading off back home this weekend, and we had Ethiopian food. I am constantly suprised at the types of food / cultural experiences you can find in Vancity. It was amazing! If you look hard enough you're sure to find something new/exciting/different, but you have to take some time to look.
Anyways, time to get to bed. Early (5am) start tomorrow, to catch the first bus up to Whistler in time to ski all day - Woohoo!.
Cya.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Some photos from the Nelson trip...
Tree Skiing @ Whitewater
Swedish Christmas Dinner
Whitehouse Hostel
Dinner one night
Aussie Christmas Dinner
Me @ Red Mountain
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