A Cultural Sucker Punch to the Face

I came to Japan in search of awesome snow, but also for the ever so sought after "cultural experience". It seems us young people (HA!) all feel this urge to mingle with cultures different to our own. I remember a certain university class where we were called upon to present ourselves by sharing our passions. Without fail, every fellow classmate listed traveling among their passions. So, here I am, living out that passion. I wonder if all those past classmates can say the same.

Language is a definite biggie. The translations are an infinite source of entertainment. My friend Chelsea has a t-shirt that proclaims her to be "Most Hootest of the Year." Bonnie and I went for the more subtle matching set of "Forest Protection" sweatshirts. The best part of these mint green wonders is the oxymoron: "Blaze the Trail." AH-mazing. How about the fact that the gondola is referred to as the "Gondorra"? The photo below is also a gem; one of our staff transport buses. Read carefully as it is very pale.

So this is what the company really thinks of us...

Though I've already dedicated a post to getting naked, it is worthy of a second mention at the very least. In japan, it is completely banal to get naked and share showers and hot spring baths with members of the same sex. How's that for a first impression: "Hello, nice to meet you and your bits."

The ladies onsen at our staff accommodation with Mt. Yotei through the window.

Never in my life has a wire transfer been so tedious as here, and I used to be a banker! It took several tellers and about an hour an a half to fill out all the necessary paper work to send money back to our Canadian accounts. Needless to say that not understanding each other was the biggest issue. It's funny how we still managed to turn something so boring into an adventure anyway. We laughed and messed around the whole time.

Killing time with Erin and Sarah (or Ellen & Sallah)

The food here has also been a big adjustment. This has been one of the more difficult places in my travels to find recognizable food, so I've pretty much just thrown my hands up. Everyday I have a "mystery" bite of something and wait to be either amazed or disgusted. Surprise! What you thought was chicken is fish. Surprise! That's not crunchy, it's chewy.

Delicious Hot Pot! Tofu, salmon, mushroom, corn, cabbage, miso and butter in a cast iron pot.

Put it over a burner, covered for 10 min and voila! Oishi (delicious)!

Okonomiyaki with Bonnie.

Basically, savoury japanese pancakes. Mine had cabbage, tempura and shrimp.

Topped off with japanese BBQ sauce and mayo. So good.

Taiko (japanese drums) at the Hilton.

Otaru

We finally made an escape from our remote, rural area last week. Otaru, on the west coast of Hokkaido, is about an hour away from Niseko. Being a coastal city, we were told to expect great seafood and sushi. I certainly was not disappointed.

Though the city itself with it's artisanal shops and canals was entertaining, it was the sushi train that stole the show. I had been explained the concept before getting there, but I was still totally blown away. The idea is simple: sushi of all types goes round a conveyor belt. The chefs keep pumping out more pieces from behind the belt. You take what you want, when you want and eat 'til you can't no more. Each plate is colour coded, with their respective price and RFID chip. When you're done, a waitress comes by and scans your pile of plates, handing you an electronic bill. Needless to say, us Gaijin (foreigners) had the most plates by far. Boom.

Cheers to Tama for providing the photographs, as I had foolishly left my camera in my uniform jacket.

The train ride in with the lovely Erin.

Taking the new sunnies out for a ride.

Spot the real Colonel S.

One of my personal favourite highlights of the trip.

Otaru in Japanese.

SUSHI TRAIN! Choo-choo.

With our piles of plates.

The gorgeous Tama, our photographer and friend.

Seriously... hamburger sushi.

Even looking at this makes me happily relive the moment.

The canals.

Full moon

One of many japanese characters that seem to pop up everywhere.

One of the most "almost-crapped-my-pants" moments of my life.

Until we meet again sushi train...

The Kutchan Pilgrimage & NYE

The holidays have been rather devastating to personal time, but we've managed to have a kick ass time nonetheless. What with night skiing and New Year's celebrations, there's not been a dull moment.

That being said, it has made grocery shopping even more challenging. There are very few staff busses that allow us to get anywhere near a proper market, leaving you stranded in one place or another for several hours. Between the lack of transport and my minimal japanese, the whole affair is a mission. A "Kutchan" mission, to be exact. The town of Kutchan is rather small but about as close to urban as our area gets. It houses a few grocery stores, some gift shops, some restaurants and many electronics shops. It seems everyone must have their gadgets here.

New Year's Eve celebrations were pretty entertaining. A few drinks in, we performed a very improvised torch light descent. I believe the instructions went as follows:

"So... we go down and stop in a line."

"Shall we make turns? "

"No," laughs, "that no fun."

And it was fast...

It turns out that not only was it my birthday on the 1st, but it was Todd's on the 31st. So as work colleagues and new friends, we celebrated like the best of them. There was, after all, much to toast: two birthday's, a new year and butt loads more snow to come. Cheers to that.

Oh and, by the way, I'm now famous in Niseko. Yup, check it out on page 15:

http://www.powderlife.com/magazine/archive/powderlife-magazine-issue-no36

Night skiing in Hirafu with Teddy (fellow Remarks instructor)

On one of four buses to get from home to Kutchan and back.

Arriving in Kutchan

Ski fence outside Takiguchi Sports

Main street Kutchan

The hundred Yen Shop! Sadly, one of the only places we can currently afford to go for broke.

A bag of cheese worth... wait for it... 12 freiken CDN$!

New Year's decoration

On the chair bound for the torch light run.

Torches down Banzai

Lovely Bday sign made by the oh-so-lovely Erin, aka the sweetest lady in the world.

Bonnie being taken out by Brandon during the sled racing evento.