This is an old story, literally so last year (2012). But this is going to be my second blog post on February, because lately I became too lazy to write, I don't know why.

Osaka (A) to Nagano (N)

Nagano is more than 400km north from Osaka, so my Indonesian students group (plus one Chinese) took a night bus from Namba. The bus was full of young people, also some couples, and families. We arrived in the morning, around 7 am, somewhere I didn't know, at a small village near the ski resort. Fortunately, the place where we spent the nights was close enough to the ski resort, about 10 min walk (more than 10 min if you wear the ski shoes). On the first day, we put our things in a spare room, because the check in time was afternoon. Then, we ate our breakfast (some food we had prepared before), and then got ready for the first day.

I was troubled by the idea that I would be the only one who chose snowboard, while the others chose ski. But I braced myself, and then, yes, I picked snowboarding, without instructor. Deasty, who chose ski, was taught by the other members, but I got no one. Well, I had watched some snowboard tutorial videos from youtube, but as you know, the real experience was definitely different than watching some videos and imagining yourself trying to do the same.

the view on the chairlift

Me and Deasty, who never gone ski and snowboard before, were pushed to take the chairlift and dropped at the first level: the beginner course. I couldn't get off the chairlift properly with the snowboard strapped on my foot, so I kept falling down to get off. The beginner tracks were so frightening at first. Even the other experienced members said that the beginner tracks were supposed to be more like the intermediate tracks. Well, that made me more brave, after I landed safely at the bottom, after countless falls and rolls, without knowing the basic technique and knowledge (excluding the fact that I only had watched youtube videos). In the bottom, in front of the restaurants, there was a super beginner track, for kids, and also for the skiing and snowboarding school students practiced for the first time. Secretly, I watched a small snowboarding class, and since my Japanese was not good enough, I barely understood the directions, so I just tried the moves when they practice. There was also a sort of instructor there, so he could help a bit and I learnt how to go forward.

In summary, first day was the worst. I learnt the feeling of falling down and rolling down, and felt some jealousy to watch the other snowboard player did smoothly and moved like a dancer for me. By the way, Deasty lost her 3-day lift token.

Second day, my body started to ached in the morning, and I would feel hurt every time I tried to get up after falling down, especially the butt and abdomen part. I wondered how many times I fell the day before. Oh yeah, in the morning, me and Deasty decided to exchange our tools, so she tried snowboarding and I tried ski. Oh God, the ski shoes were so tight, and I should walk like a penguin or a diver. So slow and couldn't even bend your feet to walk normally. So, Eric taught me the ski basics, and I thought ski was so much easier than snowboarding. It was easier to turn right and left than snowboarding. Meanwhile, Deasty practiced snowboarding at the bottom, since she couldn't go up without the lift token. After lunch, we met again, and she said that snowboarding was so much fun. Then she went to the ski equipment rental to exchange her ski equipment to snowboarding one. Then, we practiced snowboarding together, after she did some tricks so she could go on the lift. In the afternoon, right before dark, I could feel the fun of snowboarding, and tried to move left and right without so many falls.

Summary: second day was much better. I could master some super basic skills, not to mention overcome  the ache from all over the body. I was also able to get off the chairlift and sliding properly.

The third day was not so good. My entire body was aching more than before. I was not as energetic as the day before, but I know that I wanted to try to practice more. I spent the third day to explore the resort, went to the other tracks, such as the intermediate and expert courses. Well, using a snowboard was easier to brake, so I didn't feel so scared to try the expert tracks. I felt bad about Deasty, she waited and practiced at the bottom because the old trick to fool the lift staffs was not working. Then, I gave my lift token to her, and I took a rest and ate my lunch. Actually, I thought it was gonna be great if she hadn't lost her lift token, so we could practice together.

Deasty took this photo

Summary: third day was fun, but sadly it was raining (not even snowing) in the afternoon (until night), so it was not so comfortable to explore and play.

Grand summary: three days of snowboarding is more than enough. I was getting sick of snowboarding on the very last time. The pain was also more than enough for us, the beginners. If I have another chance, I won't miss another snowboarding trip. It's really fun!

Winter this year is my first experience ever. Well, I've been living in a tropical country since I born, so winter in Osaka is kind of surprising. May be I watched too much movies and dramas, and I think there will be snow every winter. Actually, Osaka not always has a snowfall. It's sad too feel the cold without snow. "Long time ago, on the north part of Osaka, there was lot of snow, you know," told Honjou-san, my volunteer partner to practice Japanese. One of my friend, Tamago, also showed me a picture of last year snow. It was so little, but it was there, at least.

in the train: snow!

My first encounter of snow was in the end of December. Me and Deasty were on the way back from Tokyo to Osaka. In the train, we could see the snow scenery around Gifu, I think. We also stopped somewhere, to transfer train, and we experienced the first snowfall. It was one of the cold days, and snowing a lot. We took  some pictures with the first snow. And I kept taking picture from inside the train. When we arrived at Osaka, my other friend told me, it was snowing a bit in the afternoon at the dorm. "Ah, that's why it's really cold," I thought.

Then, me and my Indonesian friends went to Nagano for skiing and snowboarding (only me at first). Nagano was full of snow, here and there. The road was slippery because there was a thin ice layer. Walking on the snow was also tricky, because you had to keep the balance and walk slowly. I like Nagano better at that time, because I thought it was not as cold as Osaka. More over, there were lot of snow! 嬉しかった!
I didn't even feel the cold when I was playing snowboard because I did a lot of physical movements and activities.

Mostly, in Osaka, there is snowfall actually. A kind of snow shower, but it won't last long since it's not cold enough. The temperature is varied around -2°C to 10°C. But yesterday and today it'll go up to 17°C. Yay! Several days ago, it was snowing at night, and it lasted a bit in the morning. In Minoh area, there was a thin layer of snow even on the road. But it was not happening here, in the dorm area, as I saw through the window.

see, the white thing on the ground over there?

Many people here said that February is the coldest time in winter. I hope there will be snowing at that time. And by the way, it's already February!