Well, I’m back from Apex Mountain and we all had a great time there snowboarding for New Years!
I can’t believe it is 2009 already. 2008 was a year full of ups and downs, surprises, excitement, and many happy moments.
In 2008 I…
… rang in the New Year’s at Disneyland, finishing up an amazing one-month-long surfing, snowboarding, and scuba diving road trip throughout the States to Portland, San Francisco, Tahoe, Death Valley, Mammoth Mountain, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Catalina Island, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Snowbird Mountain, Idaho, Mission Ridge Mountain, and Washington…
… went snowboarding at Big White, Whistler, Cypress, Mt. Washington and Apex…
… parted ways with the first video game company I worked for… and moved to a new, dynamic video game company…
… took a three week trip to Costa Rica for some warm water surfing and travelling…
… went camping, partying, and surfing in Tofino dozens of times…
… caught some seriously large Halibut going deep ocean fishing…
… enjoyed grocery shopping at Granville Island every week…
I couldn’t be happier with how this past year has gone. I feel like I’ve learned a lot, tried new activities, grown as a person, realized how wonderful my friends are, made some new friends, and saw lots of new places.
Plans for 2009:
Take more photographs of people, improving my fashion and portrait photography
Grab better, more steady footage for HD snowboarding movie project
Travel somewhere warm
Travel somewhere cold
Keep apartment clean and tidy
Cook even more
Do something active at least once a day
Not worry about what anyone thinks of me!
Finally finish Gears of War 2 because I’ve been a complete slacker
Thank you to my friends, family, loved ones, and coworkers who have filled the past year with so many laughs, hugs, discussions, activities, and happy moments! I hope you all have an amazing 2009.
I’ve finally had a chance to post this up after many weeks… I hope you enjoy my little recap of my adventures trying to find surf in Japan. I only had time to do a day trip in Japan, so this isn’t a good guide for week long adventures in Japan… but if you happen to be out there and want to make a quick trip out to the ocean for some waves, then read on!
I’ve posted this picture before. This is Shonan, near Kamakura. The waves roll into this bay and clean up quite a bit. The downside is, it is super crowded and the waves are usually smaller here compared to the exposed side on the ocean. I do recommend you check it out if you have time though!
The first step is to plan out your route. Most people will be coming from Tokyo. Your goal is to get to the Kazusa-Ichinomiya station. In my case, I was coming from the Hamamatsu-cho station near the Tokyo Bay hotel (where I was staying for work). Your best bet is to go up to the information counter and purchase your one-way ticket to the Kazusa-Ichinomiya station. You will have to likely transfer at Tokyo station, and then catch the rapid train out to Ichinomiya. I paid around 2,000 yen ($25 or so) for the entirety of my one-way ticket out there (and the same coming back).
Once on the train, you’ll keep going east out of Tokyo, passing many cities, skyscrapers, housing developments, parks, and even cemeteries.
Eventually you’ll be further and further out of the city and you’ll see more rural landscapes, such as fields and forests and more traditional-looking houses.
You’ll pass through the Chiba prefecture and you’ll want to get off at the end of the line, which is the Kazusa-Ichinomiya station. If you want, you can connect here to the Torami station which is a bit closer to the surf schools. Unfortunately, I didn’t get off there but I probably should have.
Once you’re out of the station, orient yourself and make sure you’re travelling East towards the Ocean. There’s a long road that goes straight to the water. In my case, as soon as I got out of the station I turned left, crossed railroad tracks, and past a few businesses. You’ll also pass a Surf English language school on your right. If you hit this, you know you’re going the right direction.
I found myself on a beautiful palm-tree lined road with fields on either side. So serene.
I stooped down to take a photo of this little wooden structure… it caught my eye in the tall grass.
After about 30 minutes of walking, I re-assessed my sitation and decided it was best if I hitch-hiked. I knew it was going to be about an hour more of walking according to the GPS on my Blackberry, and I didn’t want to waste any time in my day since I had to catch my flight home the next day and didn’t want to get back too late. I stuck my hitch-hiking thumb out for about 15 minutes before a very cute older Japanese woman picked me up in her beaten-up white farm truck. She gestured at me in both a friendly and impatient way and so I ran over to her and got in the truck. In Japan, people drive sitting on the right side of the car, so sitting on the left sure felt weird! We weren’t able to communicate very well since I spoke no Japanese and she spoke no English. All I knew how to say was Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank You, and “Ocean”, “Surfboard”, and “Wetsuit”. That wasn’t enough.
She drove me all the way to the ocean (Bless her heart!) and I understood that she was saying that there were 3 main surf spots in town. She showed me spot number one.
And then spot number two.
And then I was finally able to communicate to her that I didn’t have a wetsuit or a surfboard and I needed to rent one. So she dropped me off at some of the surf stores in town. I walked along the road going into every store, but no one really spoke English and I was able to discern that they didn’t do any rentals and didn’t know anyone that did.
I kept walking and finally came upon the Surf Garden complex. Up the stairs to the left (very hidden) is a gym… (yes, a fitness centre), and surfboard rentals. LOL! What a strange combination.
I had a strange conversation with the man running the shop since he also didn’t speak English, and was able to eventually rent a wetsuit and board for the day for 6,000 yen, about $70. Expensive, like everything else in Japan. But still worth it!
He called a girl downstairs to come help him, and she spoke more English. She was a complete angel, and made sure I had the right size wetsuit and was even able to find me a board I liked… a 7’8″ expoxy board in nice condition. They even lent me some flip flops.
I was stoked.
Then they led me across the street and pointed at the forest and told me to go through it. I asked them twice to make sure I was hearing them right, but they assured me there was ocean and surfing through there. Check out my video.
It was a leap of faith but I ran through the forest and over some bluffs and sure enough, I saw waves. And even a couple surfers, but not crowded at all.
So I grabbed my board, ran out, left my flip flops right on the beach like all the other guys there (no one steals ANYTHING in Japan, apparently… one guy even left his cellphone there)… and started surfing.
It was a little mushy, it wasn’t a huge day, or as epic as they say it is normally there, but it was a great vibe and I had a blast surfing in Japan.
After a few hours I came back to the shop and they even had a little indoors shower for me. Awesome!
I hung out with my new girl friend and we talked about Japan, about Canada, and about surfing. What a different life. So strange to see someone just like me, living the same dream as me but on the other side of the world.
We went down to the bar to have a drink, and only after I had ordered it did I realize that I had spent every single yen I had on the train and the rentals. I had nothing to my name, and they didn’t accept cards anywhere there. So my new friend talked to the manager and he was nice enough to comp my drink and even offer me food if I wanted. I took lots of pictures together with my new friends.
She even offered to give me a lift back to the station… and no matter how many times I declined, she insisted. So I got a ride all the way back to the station in town. What a sweetie. I can never thank her enough. I gave her my card and told her to call me when she visits Canada one day.
Back on the train, the sun is setting and I’m driving by all sorts of sights I didn’t notice on the way there. The tankers, the ships, the ports… even Disneyland!
We went right by a giant Ferris Wheel too.
Finally back in the city I’m craving some food, so I stop by the very busy Shibuya station to get some ice cream from the Stone Cold Creamery. I wait in line, listen to them sing old 50s tunes while sculpting and mixing toppings and ice cream on a ice cold stone slap. A delicious way to end the day.
I’m finally back in Vancouver and am trying to get over the jet lag and get back into the swing of things. More photos and stories from the trip still incoming.
Photo Credit: http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/
It’s that time again folks. I’m really excited about this year’s snowboard season. It’s almost the beginning of November, the snow is starting to fall on the mountains, several mountains are about a month from Opening Day, and Warren Miller Entertainment rolls into town for their annual film tour.
Warren Miller films, in my opinion, can’t really compete with the high budget Burton, Standard, Billabong, Red Bull etc action sports movies that are rolling out these days. Warren Miller films were traditionally ski movies, and as someone who has skied longer than I have snowboarded… I can relate. The films do include a lot more snowboarding in the current and latest iterations, but they are still more family-oriented films. Yet, every year, going to the Warren Miller movie, getting the 2-1 for, checking out the booths and tradeshows, and cheering with other fans excited about winter is still one of my favourite events before the season starts. It’s a great way to get stoked. I’m definitely going to try and be at Whistlerand Baker for their opening days. CAN’T. WAIT!
So pick up your tickets if you can — it’s showing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this Saturday (7:30 pm) and Sunday (4:00 PM). See you there!
Now, back to the Japan stories.
A few days ago, I finally made it to the Tokyo Burton store like I’ve been hoping to visit ever since I found out about my business trip out to Asia. I was excited to check out the Japan-only/Japan-exclusive Burton gear for the 08/09 season.
The store is located in downtown Tokyo, in the Harajuku area, in the back alleys by a bunch of funky other shops.
It’s really cool inside. I particularly liked the lounge, complete with foosball table (FOOSBALL! CHRISTINE!), Burton pillows, antlers, and cool couches.
So. Much. Gear. I think they have a better selection than even the Los Angeles Burton store. Sadly, they are also twice as expensive.
Awesome Burton logo pillow!
Tons of bindings.
Burton Serow boots, 2008-2009 model. The Serow boot was designed for Japanese powder surfers. They are wider than Burton’s boots. I believe that these colours are only sold in Japan. I’m sure you could find them in some online shops, or smaller shops, but this is the first time I’ve seen them in person.
The Burton Custom ICS Japan is pretty much the same as the North American versions, except the flex is a bit softer.
The Burton Aura 2008-2009 (front and back shown here in the middle) is also a Japan exclusive board. It’s a men’s board, designed for powder. It’s basically like the North American Burton Supermodel. It is tapered with soft flex, and has been made to float on powder. Wood core, Vaporskin, and comes in the 156 and 162 cm size. It’s also got The Channel mounting system and is rated a Feel of 2 (Burton rating).
The Burton Avenue 2008-2009 is similar to the Burton Lux, and comes in the 143 and 147 cm size and is also Japan only. It’s a women’s board, but I think it looks pretty cool. I love the design on it… why don’t they sell this in North America? If only I could get a Malolo or a Fish with that design… Unfortunately it doesn’t have The Channel, and it’s got a Feel rating of 1. It was designed for Japanese female riders, with soft flex and for free-riding and park.
Sooo.. uhh.. I purchased the Brown/Red Burton Serow boots for Allan, just because those are his riding colours, and I couldn’t resist getting him something Japan exclusive. They’re really nice, and have got a whole whack of features like the speed zone lacing, Aegis anti-microbial fungus/odor/sweat control, and an exterior shell build for powder and hiking. They’ve also got the independent sections (top and foot sections) for increased flexibility.
The sole is a Vibram sole, that was designed exclusively for Burton. For better grip, control, and of course if you ever need to hike it, it’s got what you need.
The Burton Serow logo is REALLY neat! It’s of a Japanese serow which is basically kind of like a goat-antelope. They put this logo on some of their Japanese only softgoods and boots. I haven’t seen it on any boards yet though.
I did end up buying a bunch of other loot there too, other than the boots. I picked up a bunch of gifts for friends, including a Burton Tokyo hoodie, Burton Tokyo t-shirt, Burton Rubix Cube (AWESOME!), candies, and kleenex. I can’t wait to give these out!
We’re finally on the last leg of our trip. On Thursday night we flew into Tokyo, Japan. It’s very different from Korea and definitely overwhelming.
The airport was awesome. Duty free electronics! Where do you see that anywhere else? Seriously discounted DSLRs, mini computers, MP3 players, harddrives, everything. And no tax. Gahhh what a deal. I decided not to buy anything since I wanted to save my money for actual Tokyo but now I kinda regret not picking something up after seeing how RIDICULOUSLY expensive everything is in Japan.
On our drive from the airport to our hotel, I was informed by my boss that 7-Eleven convenience stores were owned by this Japanese company. Weird. It’s strange seeing 7-11′s everywhere. Oh yeah, and the steering wheel is on the other side in Japan and cars drive on the left.
In Japan, it seems to be that there are a lot of celebrities doing B-list ads. I suppose they are getting paid a lot and figure that the general North American market won’t ever get to see this stuff. It’s hilarious. Tommy Lee Jones of all people advertising a canned coffee drink on the top of a building. These particular billboard is all over Tokyo. It’s strange.
George Clooney apparently doing an ad for Honda. Saw this one in the train station. WEIRD! They don’t really interact with any of the product, it’s usually just a picture of their face.
Our hotel is the Tokyo Bay Intercontinental. I actually liked our hotel in Korea a lot better, especially since this one doesn’t have as many amenities. And the buffet isn’t nearly as good. But it’s a pretty nice hotel, especially for Japan since rooms and hotels are normally pretty small (and expensive) here.
It’s nice to have a high tech toilet that has a heated seats and powers up (vroooooooom) whenever you sit on it, but it’s also weird. Also — don’t press the buttons. EVER.
The subway and train system in Tokyo is ridiculous. It’s huge. There’s so many different lines, some above ground, some below, and some high speed (bullet trains). It’s hard to know where to go, especially since it is almost always fully in Japanese. Good thing I have my boss with me, and he’s lived in Tokyo before so he knows where he is going.
Pretty much everyone takes the train in Tokyo, and people walk everywhere. I always can’t believe the women that are wearing 5 inch high heels and are walking everywhere, climbing stairs, and don’t look tired at all.
We went to Shibuya, where there is a huge intersection. I think it is the largest intersection in the world? (Supposedly). Anyway, it’s huge and overwhelming and definitely a good place to start in Tokyo!
We wandered around. There’s a strange mix of Japanese and North American in downtown Tokyo. There’s also so many people. That combination makes it very surreal.
We went into Tokyo Hands, a big department store in downtown Tokyo. They have just about everything and anything you could possibly want. They carry both Japanese and foreign products. How about a Star Wars R2D2 USB hub, or a humping dog USB hub?
I came across this section in Tokyo Hands and couldn’t resist snapping a picture. Boot stands! Why haven’t I seen this anywhere in Vancouver? (I’m sure it exists, but not as cool as these!) I’m going to pick up one of these to baby my Michael Kors boots. The only question is, which one to get? So many to choose from.
The title says it all.
We did a brief visit to Akihabara, the technology/computer/geeky/roleplaying district. There’s all sorts of gadgets everywhere that you’ll never find anywhere else. You can also find bins of computer parts, and video games everywhere.
There’s a ton of manga and comic book stores, some “safe” and some very pornographic! (Hentai)
Need an extension cord?
We only spent a little bit of time there, so I’m absolutely going to be coming back to this area. I still need to win this maid doll from the arcade, that I failed in grabbing with the “crane machine style game”. I don’t know why I want this so bad. I feel like it is a good representation of Akihabara and therefore a good souvenir. The advertisement tells me that she has “realistic feeling” breasts. LOL. Creepy.
Probably the most cliché post title ever, but hey, it works.
Tomorrow morning I leave bright and early for a plane to Los Angeles, California. I’ll hop off the plane and go straight to a business presentation at one of the satellite offices for the video game company I work for, and then out to meet some friends from university for a drink. Then, it’s off to Seoul, South Korea Friday morning for an all-day flight. I arrive with my boss Saturday night in Korea and then it’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday for work and meetings at our other office in Korea. Fly to Tokyo, Japan on Thursday and then meetings on Friday and the following Monday at our Tokyo office. Finally, I’ll head back to Vancouver on the Tuesday. Phew! Two weeks of travel for work!
Table in a boardroom in one of our offices
It’ll be really neat to see how our studios operate in Asia. It’s a completely different way of doing business and completely different culture. Especially for video game companies — video games are so big in Asia. The gaming cafes are huge and omnipresent, and video game companies are large and plentiful. I’ve been working on learning Korean, but I can only read and write the basics, and speak a few phrases to get me by. Unfortunately I haven’t had time to pick up Japanese, but maybe that’s something for the future. I really enjoy learning new things. Hangugo-de chogum hasuisimnida! (“I can speak a little Korean”, in Korean)
I’m also excited for the opportunity to take photographs. I’ve never really been to Asia, so it’s going to be an inspiration. I’ll be bringing my laptop and Blackberry for work, but I’ll be writing some blog posts in my free time as well. I hope you don’t mind this Vancouver girl blogging a bit about different countries
Apologies for the bad photos, I didn’t have my cameras on me — only the Blackberry. Tonight I had my send-off dinner with Allan and we went to West Restaurant, one of my favourite restaurants in the South Granville area. It’s part of the Top Table group of restaurants, which owns/operates some of my other faves (Araxi in Whistler, Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown, Cin Cin on Robson, etc). Whenever I go to West, I always sit at the Chef’s Table, which is right beside the open kitchen. I love seeing the chefs prepare my food, especially being such a fan of the cooking shows. The Top Table group of restaurants prepare the most amazing sour apple martinis (my favourite of course), but I really love the one they have at West. The little cutout apple pieces are adorable and the martini is always cold, refreshing, strong, and flavourful.
To start I had the aged risotto with shaved truffle (check out Chef Warren Gerahgty shaving it in front of me), and Allan had the seared scallops. For mains I had the halibut with frog legs and chorizo (surprisingly good, and not pretentious), and Allan had the lamb. We shared the chocolate tart with saffron meringue. Mmmm so delicious!
Anyway, I haven’t even packed yet. It’s been so busy leading up to this trip so I better get to it. I’ll try and check it often with photos and stories from the trip.
This the blog of a 25 year-old Vancouver girl who loves and writes about everything “Vancouver” and West Coast. This is the blog of a girl who works in Vancouver's video game industry, it's also a surfing blog, snowboarding blog, Canucks blog, gadget blog, and photography blog.
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