If you don’t understand the reference in my title, please go to I Can Has Cheezburger?! 

So, yesterday Chris and John came up to Wakkanai so that we could go snowboarding on the ski-jo (ski slope) here.  It was really fun, really painful, and probably exactly what I needed. Getting out and being active felt really good, and I definitely tired myself out pretty well.  I am borrowing a board and boots for this season from a co-worker, but I have all my own gear other than that.

     At first, I nearly died on the ski lift because no one explained to me how it works! Luckily, the attendant helped me out a bit. Then, I sat at the top of the slope for about 20 minutes with John while he explained the basics (this was his 3rd time to go boarding). I didn’t really realize how steep those slopes are, though, and looking down the “beginner slope”, I was pretty sure that there was just no way. I needed a little hill to practice on! As John tried to convince me to go down the hill, a curious, stout, loud Japanese woman began peering at us and immitating our English (this happens kind of frequently. A lot of times when I speak English out in public with my friends, some nosey stranger starts immitating it or yammering on in English to see if I notice them. Of course I don’t mind speaking English with interested people, but I am generally turned off by obnoxious people who butt in). Then, she came over and started trying to “help”, which made me REALLY angry. “OK, You, and Go!” she said that, among other various choppy instructions, and she kept touching me! She grabbed my arms and started pushing me down the hill and she kept trying to stand me in the proper position, but I wasn’t ready to go dwn yet! She wouldn’t leave me alone though and kept proding me, and I had zero interest at all in her help. I certainly didn’t need anyone shoving me and grabbing me. I slapped her hands off of me and said, “No!” and “Don’t touch me!” but she just kept saying “Yes! Yes!” I didn’t want her help and she was being really pushy and trying to showcase her (lacking) English ability. With the recent slump I was in and my disenchantment with Japan since returning from vacation, the last thing I needed was to be grabbed by some woman carrying on to me in Japanese and broken English. For whatever reason, I found it really terrifying.

     Finally, only in an attempt to get away from her, did I follow John down the hill. I avoided her the rest of the day there, and actually got pretty good at snowboarding. I can turn around both heel-side and toe-side now, and I can stop and control my speed! I still get scared when I get going really fast, so when that happens, I intentionally crash (which is one way I earned a lot of bruises). Both Chris and John seemed pretty surprised! Chris even said I did the best out of any beginner he had seen, adding “Even compared to the guys!”

     I also ran in to a few teachers from the local high school and some students out on the slope. At first, I was really intimidated by that because they are REALLY good, but they didn’t seem to mind at all that I was a beginner and crashed a lot. They just seemed really excited that I was out there doing it, despite all the bruises. Whenever we spotted someone we knew down on the hill, we usually yelled down to them fom the ski lift. John and Chris were doing some pretty cool jumps, so it was fun to be able to watch them and other snowboarders when I was on the lift. Once, they yelled down to me when I had just turned toe-side (which is pretty difficult at first!) and I [stupidly] looked up. Immediatly, I face-planted into the snow. They both had a pretty good laugh about that!

 Anyway, I felt so good after doing it, despite all the pain, that I think I want to start boarding regularly! It’s great exercise and a good adrenaline rush -so it’s a great way to de-stress. We are hoping to take a trip down to Nayoro in a few weeks because it, apparently, has the best slopes. It’s also a great way to pass the time in the winter and to learn not to hate the weather quite as much. It’s cold, and we have a LOT of snow, and it sucks, but snow means snowboarding! I guess it isn’t all bad.

 I didn’t take any pictures of it because I wasn’t sure how dry the inside of my ski suit would stay, and I didn’t want to ruin my camera, but it was fine, so next time I will definitely bring my camera and take pictures!