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.
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