MN: a day in the life: skiing in the shiz

The weather in Northern Japan has been the source of my frustrations and negative thoughts this winter. Maybe its the uninsulated houses and schools or the icy, slippery roads that have forced my bike into hibernation and forced me to find alternate rides everywhere. Maybe I'm just upset because I came home last nite to frozen pipes again (what a shocker...) and after 3 hours of the plumber trying to jumpstart my pipes (no lie, he used cables) and then dealing with the outrageous bill that i was expected to dish out in cash, on the spot, with out an English explanation for the charges. Yep, it's official....I despise winter in Japan. I've really enjoyed Japan up until this point, so just dealing with the fact that I'm sometimes miserable here is strange and a bit of a bummer. OK, enough of the sob story... I bummed a ride off of Damian this wkd. We headed to Shizukuishi. Destination(s): 1. Ciara's house. 2. Koiwai Farm for some cross-country skiing. 3. Homestay with my friend Chikako and her family.

I'm pretty exhausted and just haven't had time to post thoroughly so I'm going to this wkd in bits and pieces. First up was a stay @ Ciara's igloo. I have no idea how your town can justify your house as liveable in the winter time. There were many sources of potential hypothermic conditions in her house, but being able to scrape ice off the interior walls was enough to give me permachills the entire nite. It was great company/conversation and quite nice of her/you(if you're reading this!) to put us up for the nite! DOMO! Ciara's pad also marked my first time watching American Idol and I think I have finally found one show worth watching on TV. So thanks for making me envious of all of you with cable! ;)

Damian, me and Ciara getting ready to hit the prairies.

BUT before we start, we must not neglect the infamous Japanese stretches. Most people do stretches BEFORE putting on their gear and equipment. Always opting for the difficult way, all of us were ready to begin when we were stopped in our tracks to start doing these pilates/yoga exercises with our skiis on. It's amazing none of us suffered any injuries while trying to maneuver our bodies into Gumbi. Alas, we are granted clearance to continue on our way...

I've managed to avoid injury thus far and was a bit hesistant to hit the supposedly decent slopes up here in the Arctic. But I weened out and opted for cross country skiing, ensuring I would remain off the injury list this winter. In summary, the skiing was more like snow-shoeing. The path was semi-groomed, semi-10 inches of powder to plow through. Many beginners combined with a one-route-one-way track definitely decreased the potential cardiovascular benefits, BUT the beautiful brite blue skies, an exhilarating windchill well below zero more than made up for any gripes. As usual, here are a few pics from the park:

Sledding hill offered several terrains ranging from pre-bunny hill to black diamond moguls. But what was most memorable were all of the ultra trendy flourescent garb and gadgets they came flying down the hill on. Must they make a fashion statement everywhere they go?!? Sure puts our traditional red sleds to shame back in the MN.