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gooooooooood morning Teacher!

love the taffy you sent me!:guitarist:guitarist:guitarist

Stopping by to wish everyone a lovely Sunday and leaving some seashells for all.....

ooooooooooooo so pretty!

Hi Kathy, Odie - from Japan!! Konichiwa! xxxxxx

Kathy, These pictures are sooo beautiful ! Thank you for sharing them with us !

AussiePam;1118520 wrote: Hi Kathy, Odie - from Japan!! Konichiwa! xxxxxx


OMG! how is your vacation Babe?:guitarist:guitarist



I miss you!:-4

Good morning KE! It was so nice to chat the other day on the phone. It's freezing today here and we are gonna get snow tomorrow night which means the kids can enjoy a day at the park on their snow boards, etc.

qsducks;1118655 wrote: Good morning KE! It was so nice to chat the other day on the phone. It's freezing today here and we are gonna get snow tomorrow night which means the kids can enjoy a day at the park on their snow boards, etc.


Hey Ducky:-6



We're just beyond the snow line...you get the snow...we get the rain/sleet. Tomorrow it's supposed to snow a wee bit and then ice up...lovely....:-5



We'll have 2 days of sliding in the ice. I hate taking my car out on weather like this...



Hope you get some nice snow.

AussiePam;1118520 wrote: Hi Kathy, Odie - from Japan!! Konichiwa! xxxxxx


(((Oh Pam)))...I so glad you got there safe and sound. You must tell us all about your trip. Hope you have loads of fun:-4



Hi Odie and Nok:-6

Pam, are you skiing in Japan?

KE - Yes, they are calling for a sloppy morning driving wise. Knowing their principal she may do a delay but I'm hoping the school district calls the shots and school is cancelled. She usually goes by their rules.

Hi Nok!

Hi Kathy and qsducks ! Good Morning to both of you and Have a Great Day ! :-6

We got about 1 1/2" last night. What a mess on the roads and no school today. Yeay:wah:

Hi Kathy, Duckie, Odie, Nok - yes, I:m now skiing and in Japan. Nice in the Alps here. Must be newish mountains, all jaggedly and spiky and scenic, with cedar trees. Everything is totally Japanese. I have a little, but can:t read Chinese characters - so hope the avalanche warning signs aren:t! Grin. Good snow and good skiing here. Mainly Japanese skiers with a few westerners - Americans, Australians, Brits and some Russians. Most of the foreigners are expats who live here or elsewhere in Asia. An intersting lot - but anything western is a very small minority. Food and everything totally Japanese.

One particularly nice thing is the onsen. You come in off the snow all crumpled up.. grin.. take a shower and don a kimono thing and Japanese slippers and head for the thermal baths. A short walk through snow and you:re there, shivering. You then decipher which way is the women:s bath - so as not to end up with a bunch of naked men :sneaky: - get yer gear off and in you go. It:s boiling hot - but fantastic.



They had winter Olympics here a few years ago - Nagano - and the signs are still up.

Trivia+



People drive on the left in Japan

There are three zillion types of sort of edible seaweed.

You can eat the heads of sardines　and live

Bowing is good

So is smiling

Japanese people really work WORK all the time

Tako is the really useful word for octopus

AussiePam;1120834 wrote: Hi Kathy, Duckie, Odie, Nok - yes, I:m now skiing and in Japan. Nice in the Alps here. Must be newish mountains, all jaggedly and spiky and scenic, with cedar trees. Everything is totally Japanese. I have a little, but can:t read Chinese characters - so hope the avalanche warning signs aren:t! Grin. Good snow and good skiing here. Mainly Japanese skiers with a few westerners - Americans, Australians, Brits and some Russians. Most of the foreigners are expats who live here or elsewhere in Asia. An intersting lot - but anything western is a very small minority. Food and everything totally Japanese.

One particularly nice thing is the onsen. You come in off the snow all crumpled up.. grin.. take a shower and don a kimono thing and Japanese slippers and head for the thermal baths. A short walk through snow and you:re there, shivering. You then decipher which way is the women:s bath - so as not to end up with a bunch of naked men :sneaky: - get yer gear off and in you go. It:s boiling hot - but fantastic.



They had winter Olympics here a few years ago - Nagano - and the signs are still up.

Trivia+



People drive on the left in Japan

There are three zillion types of sort of edible seaweed.

You can eat the heads of sardines　and live

Bowing is good

So is smiling

Japanese people really work WORK all the time

Tako is the really useful word for octopus




Hi Pam!

you sound like your having such a great time and being pampered!:-4

((((((((((Hello Pam))))))))))))))



Oh, it is so good to hear from you:-4



I can't even imagine the experience you're having in Japan...man oh man...how exciting. We're living vicariously through you.



Keep updating us...love all of your discoveries:p

Hello Odie, Ducky, Nok:-4

It:s just lovely to be able to come in off the slopes and grab the hotel computer before anyone else arrives and stands over me - and type in English.. ahhhh.. and read my friends:s comments. And see you all. Konnichiwa!!!

I got the bus to Goryu again today and it was almost summery. Unbelievable. My son should film here. I can see a fast paced action movie.. with the very steep slopes and jaggedy peaks and twisted cedars. I:m told the bears are still asleep, there:s all sorts of other critter tracks though.

More trivia

You don:t tip in Japan. A bit like in Australia, but there we:re just embarrassed. Here it:s an insult.

Gadgets

The Japanese love gadgets, and they are complicated, so there have to be fifteen million instructions for the use of (so even getting the top off a jar can be incomprehensible)

Toilets are big gadgets and so there are loads of extra buttons to press and instructions to read.

Girl toilets come only in hellokitty pink (I can:t comment on boy toilets)

Girl toilets have seats that heat (I pressed a random button)

Toilets also seem to come with some strange objects. Like a large pair of pink tongs (like we have in Oz for barbecues only not pink). I don:t want to go there.

-------

Reckon that:s enough for today.

I have probably just insulted the hotel cook by enquiring whether it is possible to have pizza for supper tonight instead of seaweed. He looked a little sad..

:sneaky:

AussiePam;1121154 wrote: It:s just lovely to be able to come in off the slopes and grab the hotel computer before anyone else arrives and stands over me - and type in English.. ahhhh.. and read my friends:s comments. And see you all. Konnichiwa!!!



I got the bus to Goryu again today and it was almost summery. Unbelievable. My son should film here. I can see a fast paced action movie.. with the very steep slopes and jaggedy peaks and twisted cedars. I:m told the bears are still asleep, there:s all sorts of other critter tracks though.



More trivia



You don:t tip in Japan. A bit like in Australia, but there we:re just embarrassed. Here it:s an insult.



Gadgets

The Japanese love gadgets, and they are complicated, so there have to be fifteen million instructions for the use of (so even getting the top off a jar can be incomprehensible)



Toilets are big gadgets and so there are loads of extra buttons to press and instructions to read.



Girl toilets come only in hellokitty pink (I can:t comment on boy toilets)

Girl toilets have seats that heat (I pressed a random button)



Toilets also seem to come with some strange objects. Like a large pair of pink tongs (like we have in Oz for barbecues only not pink). I don:t want to go there.



-------



Reckon that:s enough for today.



I have probably just insulted the hotel cook by enquiring whether it is possible to have pizza for supper tonight instead of seaweed. He looked a little sad..



:sneaky:


:yh_rotfl:yh_rotflOh Pam, those pink tongs scare me



hummmmmm....I like the pink toilet seats...are they heated toilet seats;)



Good thing the bears are asleep while you're skiing downhill:p

I must google Goryu....bet your son would love to film this area



Oh, I don't want to eat seaweed...pizza is better:D



Glad you're having fun:guitarist

Hi Kathy,, hope you have a great weekend and enjoy Klees:D

Pam! omg Japan sounds wonderful,, i like seaweed:D

Oh, Pam, this area is gorgeous, but I don't see you on those lovely hills....where are you????:wah:



Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort



Outdoor Japan - OJ - Resort Spotlight: Hakuba 47 / Goryu - Skiing, - Winter Sports - Winter Sports Resort Spotlight - Hakuba 47

Here's a picture of Pam in Japan.....She loves to walk in the snow....

Morning Kaz:-6



Klees was great...had a lot of pub grub....

oh great! sorry i thought you were going there ,, not already been there:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

AussiePam;1121154 wrote: It:s just lovely to be able to come in off the slopes and grab the hotel computer before anyone else arrives and stands over me - and type in English.. ahhhh.. and read my friends:s comments. And see you all. Konnichiwa!!!

I got the bus to Goryu again today and it was almost summery. Unbelievable. My son should film here. I can see a fast paced action movie.. with the very steep slopes and jaggedy peaks and twisted cedars. I:m told the bears are still asleep, there:s all sorts of other critter tracks though.

More trivia

You don:t tip in Japan. A bit like in Australia, but there we:re just embarrassed. Here it:s an insult.

Gadgets

The Japanese love gadgets, and they are complicated, so there have to be fifteen million instructions for the use of (so even getting the top off a jar can be incomprehensible)

Toilets are big gadgets and so there are loads of extra buttons to press and instructions to read.

Girl toilets come only in hellokitty pink (I can:t comment on boy toilets)

Girl toilets have seats that heat (I pressed a random button)

Toilets also seem to come with some strange objects. Like a large pair of pink tongs (like we have in Oz for barbecues only not pink). I don:t want to go there.

-------

Reckon that:s enough for today.

I have probably just insulted the hotel cook by enquiring whether it is possible to have pizza for supper tonight instead of seaweed. He looked a little sad..

:sneaky:




The bears are hibernating, you won't see them, but fox's will be out!

pizza? :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



pink toilets.....oooooo that sounds pretty!

Hi KE, Pam, Nok & Odie....

Pam, your trip sounds awesome. Will we be getting postcards from you? My sister was in Japan last year and loved it. took tons of pics.

KE, I missed you yesterday. Were you off? The kids were off and the weather was not good snow weather as it started raining around 10am and lasted all day. Quin went out for about 20 min and came in soaked to the bone. We were all in bed around 8ish.

Nok, nice to see you here today and then Odie too. But Odie practically lives here 24/7:wah:

morning KE, after all the talk of Pam skiing, I need to borrow your fireplace again!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Odie;1121248 wrote: morning KE, after all the talk of Pam skiing, I need to borrow your fireplace again!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl


I wish I had a fireplace today. Cold again but sunny and this morning I had to turn the truck on and let the snow melt off the windowshield.

Big open fire here as I write.. Hi Kathy, Kaz, Duckie, Odie... And I really would send postcards but there:s nothing remotely touristy here. It:s a village in the country. The ski shop sells ski things - no postcards. So sorry. I:ll just have to send you all Japanese good wishes. I am bowing in your general direction!!

And yes - toilet seats can be heated. I did it by accident yesterday and nearly fried myself - but that may be too much information...

Thank you for the beautiful picture of me in the snow, Kathy. I do something a bit similar to that on my way to the thermal bath. Naked as the day I was born beneath a cotton kimono thing with leather indoor type slippers on me feet... trudging through snow, ice... etc.. into the steaming bath, and then back... It:s fun.

Seaweed -

I have found I like most seaweed. I mean we:re all used to the black nori that comes round sushi. But there are a trillion colours of small tree like seaweeds and they all taste nice. EXCEPT - the pot of breakfast seaweed I had two days ago which was mega yuk. Kind of glutinous and slimy. The only thing I know like it is when you:re fixing okra..

From the home front.

It:s new school year now in Australia and Dieter has started at his new school in Gouburn. The uniform is grey and yellow. He is having a ball. Unfortunately they don:t teach french there, but have loads of other good stuff, including taikwondo. He:ll be in second grade.

It:s not actually raining at the moment but looks kind of dark outside. Pas de probleme. The only weather I don:t ski in is when there is zero visibility. :sneaky:

Have a great day, everyone!!!

AussiePam;1121923 wrote: Big open fire here as I write.. Hi Kathy, Kaz, Duckie, Odie... And I really would send postcards but there:s nothing remotely touristy here. It:s a village in the country. The ski shop sells ski things - no postcards. So sorry. I:ll just have to send you all Japanese good wishes. I am bowing in your general direction!!

And yes - toilet seats can be heated. I did it by accident yesterday and nearly fried myself - but that may be too much information...

Thank you for the beautiful picture of me in the snow, Kathy. I do something a bit similar to that on my way to the thermal bath. Naked as the day I was born beneath a cotton kimono thing with leather indoor type slippers on me feet... trudging through snow, ice... etc.. into the steaming bath, and then back... It:s fun.

Seaweed -

I have found I like most seaweed. I mean we:re all used to the black nori that comes round sushi. But there are a trillion colours of small tree like seaweeds and they all taste nice. EXCEPT - the pot of breakfast seaweed I had two days ago which was mega yuk. Kind of glutinous and slimy. The only thing I know like it is when you:re fixing okra..

From the home front.

It:s new school year now in Australia and Dieter has started at his new school in Gouburn. The uniform is grey and yellow. He is having a ball. Unfortunately they don:t teach french there, but have loads of other good stuff, including taikwondo. He:ll be in second grade.

It:s not actually raining at the moment but looks kind of dark outside. Pas de probleme. The only weather I don:t ski in is when there is zero visibility. :sneaky:

Have a great day, everyone!!!


oooooooooo you had a hot bum!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



seaweed cereal sounds yuccky!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



enjoy your last day hun!

Hi Kathy darlin'....just stopped in to say hello!:-4

AussiePam;1121923 wrote: Big open fire here as I write.. Hi Kathy, Kaz, Duckie, Odie... And I really would send postcards but there:s nothing remotely touristy here. It:s a village in the country. The ski shop sells ski things - no postcards. So sorry. I:ll just have to send you all Japanese good wishes. I am bowing in your general direction!!

And yes - toilet seats can be heated. I did it by accident yesterday and nearly fried myself - but that may be too much information...

Thank you for the beautiful picture of me in the snow, Kathy. I do something a bit similar to that on my way to the thermal bath. Naked as the day I was born beneath a cotton kimono thing with leather indoor type slippers on me feet... trudging through snow, ice... etc.. into the steaming bath, and then back... It:s fun.

Seaweed -

I have found I like most seaweed. I mean we:re all used to the black nori that comes round sushi. But there are a trillion colours of small tree like seaweeds and they all taste nice. EXCEPT - the pot of breakfast seaweed I had two days ago which was mega yuk. Kind of glutinous and slimy. The only thing I know like it is when you:re fixing okra..

From the home front.

It:s new school year now in Australia and Dieter has started at his new school in Gouburn. The uniform is grey and yellow. He is having a ball. Unfortunately they don:t teach french there, but have loads of other good stuff, including taikwondo. He:ll be in second grade.

It:s not actually raining at the moment but looks kind of dark outside. Pas de probleme. The only weather I don:t ski in is when there is zero visibility. :sneaky:

Have a great day, everyone!!!


Ah my Quin is currently in 2nd grade..having much fun. They don't teach french either:wah:. His fave day is Thursday as they do computers. the little techno geek.

Seaweed, um, no thanks not even for brekkie. Nice hot bowl of oatmeal will do me just fine, thank you.:-4

My daughter is going skiing sometime in February,probs Pressie day weekend. She does the black diamond hills...something I wouldn't be caught dead doing cuz of course I'd probably kill meself:wah:. I'm a wimp and stick to the bunny trail:wah:

Have a happy day Pam!

my Birthday card came today!:guitarist:guitarist:guitarist



Then penguin is so cute and it sings!



yeeaahhhhhhhhh so cool!

fanks also for the personalized stationary with 'Joan' on it, I love things like that!

The cards are so pretty in green!

fanks so much hun!:-4

Odie;1122568 wrote: my Birthday card came today!:guitarist:guitarist:guitarist



Then penguin is so cute and it sings!



yeeaahhhhhhhhh so cool!

fanks also for the personalized stationary with 'Joan' on it, I love things like that!

The cards are so pretty in green!

fanks so much hun!:-4


When ws your birthday?

qsducks;1122599 wrote: When ws your birthday?


Jan. 19th..there was thread posted.

Odie;1122608 wrote: Jan. 19th..there was thread posted.


Probs wasn't here that day. So Happy Birthday!!:)

qsducks;1122612 wrote: Probs wasn't here that day. So Happy Birthday!!:)


fanks babe!:-4

Happy birthday, Odie - I must have missed that too!!!! Hope you had a good one. Thanks for all the sweet notes. I don:t need to leave Hakuba for a couple of hours yet. It:s about a 10k drive to the bus stop, then an hour and a half to Nagano train station, bullet train to Tokyo, then express to Narita and night flight back to Sydney. All part of the adventure.

Duckie - black diamonds are a girl:s best friend!!! Grin. Hope your daughter has a fantastic time. I:ll work out some way to keep Dieter:s French going. His mum is working on hers, and Dieter was quite good. Of course at his age it,s easier to learn another language.

Well - brekkie calls - and fergit seaweed. They have very good bananas here.. and cereal too.

On the subject of bananas, if I:d been able to drag myself off the ski slopes (it won:t ever happen) it:s possible from here to go and see the snow monkeys. This is a thermal area of the Japanese Alps and the monkeys - not being stupid - spend most of their time bathing happily in the hot springs.

AussiePam;1122693 wrote: Happy birthday, Odie - I must have missed that too!!!! Hope you had a good one. Thanks for all the sweet notes. I don:t need to leave Hakuba for a couple of hours yet. It:s about a 10k drive to the bus stop, then an hour and a half to Nagano train station, bullet train to Tokyo, then express to Narita and night flight back to Sydney. All part of the adventure.

Duckie - black diamonds are a girl:s best friend!!! Grin. Hope your daughter has a fantastic time. I:ll work out some way to keep Dieter:s French going. His mum is working on hers, and Dieter was quite good. Of course at his age it,s easier to learn another language.

Well - brekkie calls - and fergit seaweed. They have very good bananas here.. and cereal too.

On the subject of bananas, if I:d been able to drag myself off the ski slopes (it won:t ever happen) it:s possible from here to go and see the snow monkeys. This is a thermal area of the Japanese Alps and the monkeys - not being stupid - spend most of their time bathing happily in the hot springs.


Dieter & Quin sound about the same age...7? Yes, they are sponges at that age.:wah: Laura skis down the most scariest slopes...I'd probs go right off the mountain:wah:

Black diamonds are fine.. but I do keep away from the extreme off piste spots with skull and crossbones labels.

And yes, Duckie, Dieter is 7 years old!!

AussiePam;1122699 wrote: Black diamonds are fine.. but I do keep away from the extreme off piste spots with skull and crossbones labels.

And yes, Duckie, Dieter is 7 years old!!


Has he lost his front teefy's yet? :wah:

AussiePam;1122693 wrote: Happy birthday, Odie - I must have missed that too!!!! Hope you had a good one. Thanks for all the sweet notes. I don:t need to leave Hakuba for a couple of hours yet. It:s about a 10k drive to the bus stop, then an hour and a half to Nagano train station, bullet train to Tokyo, then express to Narita and night flight back to Sydney. All part of the adventure.

Duckie - black diamonds are a girl:s best friend!!! Grin. Hope your daughter has a fantastic time. I:ll work out some way to keep Dieter:s French going. His mum is working on hers, and Dieter was quite good. Of course at his age it,s easier to learn another language.

Well - brekkie calls - and fergit seaweed. They have very good bananas here.. and cereal too.

On the subject of bananas, if I:d been able to drag myself off the ski slopes (it won:t ever happen) it:s possible from here to go and see the snow monkeys. This is a thermal area of the Japanese Alps and the monkeys - not being stupid - spend most of their time bathing happily in the hot springs.


seaweed again?:wah::wah:

would love to see the snow monkeys!

see you back home soon, yeahhhhhhhhhhh!

Yeah, the monkeys are meant to be way cool, well way warm - but weighed against the chance of ploughing a slope .. the monkeys lose out.

From this computer I have a fantastic Japanese type view. The hotel lobby is a garden of blooming cyclamen and wax plants and ferns, and beyond that, in the snow outside under a cedar tree there is a small stone cherub playing a flute#.

Trivia

People here really look after their trees in winter. They tie them up and put coats on them. Some bigger trees have tents of poles built round them like a tepee and the walls stuffed with straw. Impressive.

#reminds me a bit of the wonderful creepy angel in the beginning of the movie :Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: - where they play Skylark

AussiePam;1122709 wrote: Yeah, the monkeys are meant to be way cool, well way warm - but weighed against the chance of ploughing a slope .. the monkeys lose out.

From this computer I have a fantastic Japanese type view. The hotel lobby is a garden of blooming cyclamen and wax plants and ferns, and beyond that, in the snow outside under a cedar tree there is a small stone cherub playing a flute#.

Trivia

People here really look after their trees in winter. They tie them up and put coats on them. Some bigger trees have tents of poles built round them like a tepee and the walls stuffed with straw. Impressive.

#reminds me a bit of the wonderful creepy angel in the beginning of the movie :Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: - where they play Skylark


Well I guess it's a good thing my neighbor didn't do that to his ash tree. Ever step on one of those spiky balls that fall off in the fall? Ouch!!:mad: The thing is dead and a relief to all.:wah:

AussiePam;1122709 wrote: Yeah, the monkeys are meant to be way cool, well way warm - but weighed against the chance of ploughing a slope .. the monkeys lose out.

From this computer I have a fantastic Japanese type view. The hotel lobby is a garden of blooming cyclamen and wax plants and ferns, and beyond that, in the snow outside under a cedar tree there is a small stone cherub playing a flute.

Trivia

People here really look after their trees in winter. They tie them up and put coats on them. Some bigger trees have tents of poles built round them like a tepee and the walls stuffed with straw. Impressive.


you should have taken an extra week and seen all the sites!

next time, bring me and we will see the monkeys!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

ooooooooooo cyclamen are beautiful flowers, we only see them in hanging baskets here and indoor plants and that is if they bloom again, it sounds so relaxing there.

cool how they winter their trees over there!

Odie;1122713 wrote: you should have taken an extra week and seen all the sites!

next time, bring me and we will see the monkeys!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

ooooooooooo cyclamen are beautiful flowers, we only see them in hanging baskets here and indoor plants and that is if they bloom again, it sounds so relaxing there.

cool how they winter their trees over there!


Odie, if you ever make it down to PA, come to Longwood Gardens...omg...beautiful would be an understatement.

qsducks;1122715 wrote: Odie, if you ever make it down to PA, come to Longwood Gardens...omg...beautiful would be an understatement.


love gardens, especially from around the world, so many spectular different ones we don't have here...........would love to see the tulips in Holland!:guitarist:guitarist

I will google that, fanks!

Odie;1122718 wrote: love gardens, especially from around the world, so many spectular different ones we don't have here...........would love to see the tulips in Holland!:guitarist:guitarist

I will google that, fanks!


Yes, google longwoodsgardens.com....they have 4th of July & Christmas light shows...beautiful.

I:d have taken more time if I could have. More playtime anyway, but I am very glad to have managed to squeeze in six days skiing. Couldn:t leave earlier. Have to be back by Monday and won:t get another chance to ski till July at least. Usually I manage a couple of weeks in the States but hey, this has been good too. And Japan and Sydney are almost in the same time zone, so no jetlag.

xxxxxxxxxx

Pam, the only skiing you'll do in New Jersey is on your surfboard:wah: in July.

AussiePam;1122847 wrote: I:d have taken more time if I could have. More playtime anyway, but I am very glad to have managed to squeeze in six days skiing. Couldn:t leave earlier. Have to be back by Monday and won:t get another chance to ski till July at least. Usually I manage a couple of weeks in the States but hey, this has been good too. And Japan and Sydney are almost in the same time zone, so no jetlag.

xxxxxxxxxx


back to work on Monday sucks after vacation.

great to see its the same time zone!