Japan Part 10 - Ant's Last Day (...of Snowboarding...)

We woke up earlish - again because of Ant's snowboarding lessons. (Damn that schedule!). Another day - another I-Pod war with Sacha... Except he seems to be losing interest with his I-Pod and gaining interest in playing the japanese golf game I bought in Tokyo for my PSP.... I've tried to get Taeko to translate the game manual - but she says she can't read "Game Nerd" stuff.... U take that back! I wouldn't pi$$ on a Star Trek fan if they were on fire!

There was drama and excitement - when my dorky Rip Curl ski-jacket's (of 10 years vintage) zipper broke. I had acquired the jacket after I decided to part ways with my once-trendy "fluro" jacket (10 years ago). I couldn't zip the jacket up - rendering it useless in the minus 20 degrees weather that is Niseko.

I quickly phoned around the hire shops and got a extra large jacket (larger than the one Ant had borrowed) from SAS (Ant's shop) for about $50AUD for three days which, at the time, I didn't think it was such bad value. Now Ant and I could look like brothers as we were wearing the same jackets.... wait... flashbacks coming back.... flashbacks of my mum dressing my brother and me in the same clothes - agggghh!

I set off with my Mum and we headed (again) to the Grand Hirafu area. We only had time for a couple of runs (including catching the "No Name Pair Lift" - which you can name on the Niseko website - www.niseko.ne.jp )before we all met up for lunch down at the noodle shack near the chained husky. Taeko and Dad joined us (travelling from the apartment). Taeko hadn't bought a 5 day pass like the rest of us - rather she was just getting half day passes, etc as she didn't want to put pressure on her "busted" knee. My Dad, on the other hand, wasn't skiing because of a previous "skiing" injury (he fell of a bunk bed in a drunken rampage at a ski lodge in Australia onto a heater and busted his ankle).

After a quick lunch (where I mixed it up by ordering my chinese/miso soup with CORN!!!), I went with Sacha and Taeko to go skiing, my Mum went with my Dad to go snow-shoeing around a lake and Ant went back to the same beginner "mountain" and did his thang...

We went up to the King Hooder Triple Lift #3 and did a quick run before Sacha and I departed ways with Taeko (who was contempt with sticking with Hirafu on her borrowed "Julie" 5 day pass).

Sacha and I traversed our way over to Higashiyama (eg: ski resort next to Hirafu) for a run before making our way to Niseko An'nupuri (aka the resort to the far left of the ski map of Niseko). Sacha had boasted at lunch that he had gone to all four resorts in the morning - but I discovered that he only visited three out of the four (he forgot that Hanazono is a part of "The Niseko United"). An'nupuri is very similar to Higashiyama - it is sort of narrow with a big "f### off" gondola which services the whole resort (with a couple of crappy chairlifts to boot). The visibility and weather was shocking - and I could only handle a couple of runs before complaining and wanting to go home.

My brother has undergone a skiing "make-over" - since being with Taeko - he has become super patient with others. He is the best skier in my family - who can handle any run in a very fast and furious fashion.... and he could have been an excellent ski-instructor - if it wasn't for his short temper and fuse.... But since Taeko - he doesn't mind pottering around and not going "hell-for-leather" on every run.

As Sacha and I made our way back home via the beginner run (where Ant stuck to for his holiday here), we caught up with Taeko... We were sort of surprised - as we thought she would have given up ages ago - but she stuck it out till 4pm.

Ant had progressed even further today - as he only crashed 6 times today down the beginner run (a new record for him). After snowboarding - he wanting to show me up on the shopping and bought a snowboard parker (half price). This is a great sign - as Ant has enjoyed the snowboarding and wants to keep it up in the future. (Yay!).

As Ant had bought a jacket and was leaving tomorrow - I had a new jacket I could use for the couple of extra days I was spending at Niseko. I called up SAS (the place where I hired my jacket) and after getting on the phone to "Mr Cranky" (aka the guy that seems pi##ed off every time you go down to SAS and want service) - he told me that they don't accept early returns or give refunds - and that I need to read the "conditions" on the back of the deposit slip. After reading the conditions - it didn't mention anything about early returns and refunds - but Taeko, who had read the japanese conditions on the front, said that they don't give refunds (which was sort of at odds to the engrish conditions).... I dub SAS - "Sewer Adventure Sprots".... (as it was right next to the sewer - or it smelt that way).

After downing a couple of ritual Sapporo beers at the apartments and watching a bit of a "Will Smith" marathon on TV with "Bad Boys" (I couldn't remember so many MF references!!) and I, Robot and Bad Boys II - we headed off for Ant's last dinner at Niseko. Being impressed with the Izakaya style restaurant the previous night - we went to another Izakaya restaurant - this one seemed more geared at the western tourists than the other one (well - the clientele was mostly white!). The food was great - and who said that Japanese food is lean and light??? We ordered deep fried camembert cheese dammit!