Snowboarding On Sunday

- Never Stop Dreaming -

Last year I had a great season of snowboarding because my roommate was a 12 year veteran and some other enthusiasts around me. So anticipating the joy of snowboarding this season as well, I got myself a decent helmet. But never did I expect this winter turned out to be the worst one as compared to last year. To little snow and in fact, it had only snowed decently less than 5 times till now. THe temperature is quite bad because it's not cold enuff for snow but chilly enuff for rain. Like how I had dreaded in the previous post, rain is a huge no no in winter.

Snowfall in Feb is usually forcasted to be the most but now it seems almost like Spring, really really bad. Other reasons for not snowboarding much this season is the lack of decent snowboarders because most around me are pretty much on and off boarders. A little rain is enuff to put them off. So after skipping snowboarding for a scary 3 weeks, I finally got my boarding crave fulfilled on Sunday.

Hooking up with a few other amateur but really enthusiastic boarders, we headed to Koumi resort. Not huge as compared to Nozawa Onsen but the fairly acceptable snow and semi long runs allowed me to pull off some speed and minor jumps. Witnessed a skier launched off a ramp about 2 storeys high and landed tragically after a failed attempt to complete a 360 vertical flip. He basically landed on somewhere between his spine, collar bone or anywhere along his vertebrate. I was cruising down when I saw him launched before me and splated flat on almost concrete ice. He was lifeless and his gear was flung in various direction. Couple of minutes later, the siren of snow patrols were tearing up the slopes to his aid. I simply delisted huge stunts on my to-do list on that day.

After a day of rather pleasant snowboarding, we headed to an Onsen nearby perched on top of the mountain. The blend of soaking naked in a huge outdoor stone pit with chilly winter winds blowing thru and at the same time admiring the different peaks of the distant snow-capped ranges. Splendid indeed but I tend to avoid Onsens because I tend to go dizzy after soaking in hot water...a sign that my body is failing. Mos burger for dinner and some last minute for groceries before I reached home before 2000 hours. With the almost full moon up in the winter sky, I knew I had to dance in the moon light shadow with my KDX once again. Set it all up right outside my house, I orchestrated the play of me being the photographer, choreographer, performer, stage hand and director. Here is one untouched, straight off the RAW pre-proccessed pic.


Right now I am completely drained of any decent energy after that rejuvernating Onsen which sucked my juices dry so that my body can have the necessary recharging capabilities...

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Anxiety in Anticipation

- Never Stop Dreaming -

With just 1 day of awesome snow on Tuesday night, the capricious weather forecast seems to only bring more lies than snow. This year is really bad as compared to last year with regards to the amount of white fluffy cotton falling. By this time last year in late Jan, snow-capped mountains, white plains and excitement brought much joy into my otherwise peaceful life. Not quite the same this year, perhaps more people burning stuffs, perhaps more global warming issues, perhaps other matters like economic slump but whatever the cause, I am pretty annoyed that I am robbed of any decent snow. The worst that could happen in winter is rain like how it was reflected in November Rain by Guns 'n' Roses. Because in winter, rain are very much dreaded at least for me for the following reasons, -

1. It's FREAKING cold
2. It's noisy
3. Thunder and lightning are dangerous and rude
4. Troublesome because it wets everything
5. Dangerous when it becomes ice in the morning

Therefore in winter, snow is not only a sign to indicate IT'S FREAKING WINTER, here's my point, -

1. Totally silent
2. Brightens up days, nights and my soul
3. Superbly pleasing to see white white wonderland everywhere
4. Snowboarding is possible
5. Drifting is easily done without stressing out the tires
6. Food taste better when it is snowing
7. Keeps the temperature at a comfortable zone
8. Stays rather dry
9. Dances in the night lights
10. The ultimate elixir for happiness

Well sort of but you get my point...I am just not getting enuff snow so I am rather disturbed. The snow falls but due to high temperature, everything simply melts away. Snow 1 day, lapse for a week or more then uncertain forecasts...Man it's annoying especially when the weather report says 3 days of consecutive snow on Wednesday night and then comes Thursday, it simply changes to 1 day of snow, 1 day of rain and sunny days. I am outright jealous that my western counterparts are getting blizzard warnings, outrageous amount of snow and so much fun.

Snow aside somehow when I woke up this Friday morning, I was griped by a certain anxiety which seems lodged in an uncomfortable position between my throat and diaphragm. Totally impossible to correctly relate it with words. An anxiety that seems to cast a "Happy" aura around my head and angel wings on my back. I am rather happy to the extent that most will not notice that I might just be a little on the crazy side of the balance than happy. Part of the reason is because I am going to Osaka tonight to meet the other Singaporeans for a mini CNY party, an adventurous journey I presume and my conflicting thoughts whether I should get the Canon 580EX 2 flash on this trip. And then when I went to school this morning, yep it was still raining, overcast grey skies but by around 0850am, in the distance I saw what might just seem to be a re-collection of Nozawa Onsen snowboarding trips images. "Too late" I thought while curses and swears were filling my head. Just when I thought there will not be any shutter opportunities in such weather and leaving my camera back home, the view was simply beyond believe.

Try your best to imagine while I try my best to paint the image with words. The foreground of loosely clusttered Japanese houses against a backdrop of snowcapped mountains towering at 2000 odd metres. A sea of grey lucious clouds blanketed the sky with no sun visible. Then in the middle of this grey sea, just above the houses in the middle, there was an opening, a halo like circular opening with gentle golden rays peering thru like the arrival of God. Subtle and yet very brightly colored golden rays in long and dimishing straight lines. The numerous peaks and crevices of the mountains in the back could be seen basking in the golden rays while a low blanket of clouds shrouded the bottom 2/3 of the mountain like a cushion between the roofs of the houses and the mountains. The sides of this magnificent scenery simply faded into the horizon of grey clouds above and visible forests below. Only the circular section in what was described above received those golden rays which lit up the roofs and drew the outlines of various shapes in soft golden strokes. Like a town showered in a circular golden light from Heaven above against fantasy like nountains in the background, everything else outside this scene was simply an eye sore.

I really hope you can picture the image that I saw because it's almost like seeing a deity or celestial being decending from Heavens above.

So moving on to the anxiety, I am really excited over this Osaka trip both for reasons that I know and for reasons I have absolutely no idea. Contemplating whether I should get the new flash accesory for my camera was because since I am already going to a big city for this trip might as well get the flash since I am adamant to get it be it now or in the future. The only conflicting factors that I am considering are that I am already eating into the reserves so buying the accesory will deplete my reserves further and that if I get it in the future, I will need to fund another trip down to the big cities. Luckily for me, I am not at all affected by camera products that are made in Japan and in fact, I will be getting more accesory from U.S. taking advantage of the current strong yen. So looking at the pros and cons so far, my verdict would be that money can always be made but the current favorable exchange rates are pretty uncertain so I will bite the bait and help inject a bit of funds into the Japanese economy...Buy Buy Buy!

And so tonight I will take the bus at around 2000 hours and arrive in Osaka on Sat morning at around 0730 hours and God knows what's in store for me on this trip down to the Kansai region and meeting other crazy SGreans but the bottomline is that the anxiety in anticipation of the entire mental experience is really really healthy.

Happy Chinese "Niu" Year and let the ANG BAOs roll in (Lucky I am not married yet so still got a few more years to collect...Muhahahahahaha!). Wish my grandma and all the veterans (Mum and Dad, aunties and uncles) good health and all the young blood, riches from everywhere and my dear fellowship, God bless and a great Cow(wabunga) Year from Japan.

Dan "Miyagi" San aka Karate Kumpung Kid