20 January 2011
Skiing with Australians on powder snow
Last week I went to Niseko Ski resort in Hokkaido, Northernmost island of Japan.
The ski slopes there is famous for powder snow, which skiers can ski very smoothly even in deep new snow. I could ski like this.
The Niseko town also has good hot spring bath (Onsen). Very healthy hot bath water that warms you up after you become cold by skiing or snowboarding.
But the most notable thing for me was that the town was almost occupied by foreigners mainly by Australians. The town has recently become very famous among Australians where the season is opposite, which they want to get away from the heat. It is like Hawaii or Gold Coast for Japanese.
I felt like staying in foreign ski resort like Switzerland or Canada. Thanks! Great experience.
By the way, if you are Australian who plans to visit Niseko, please see the following video which shows my experience in the trip including the scenes from Tokyo and other cities in Hokkaido. You can enjoy great snow views.
21:59 Posted in Australia, Leisure, Sports, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: ski, hot spring
05 January 2011
America's Nazisation
I watched documentary program on America's new movement in relation to 10th anniversary of 911 attack. In New York, there is a big controversy over opening of new Islamic Center located 2 blocks away from Ground Zero. People overlap image of Al Quaida with Islam.
Anti-Islam activist, Pamela Geller was interviewed by a Japanese journalist. She said "It is not a matter of freedom of faith, it is a matter of emotion. Why should we figure them out? It should be defeated."
Sounds scary! After I watched the program on TV, I accessed her blog and emailed her the below question.
"Your response and comments sound like what Nazi people said to Jews.
Aren’t you using the same propaganda as Nazis did? Aren’t you creating another holocaust like Israel is doing on Palestineans?"
Her response as follows,
"The Jews weren't blowing people up, slaughtering thousands in countries across the world, and killing their own if not devout enough.
25 December 2010
Skiing and remembering ski scenes in the films
Ski season started. I am crazy about skiing. The below picture is taken at Kagura Ski resort in Niigata Prefecture.
Why I started skiing, it is simple. Some film made me want to ski and enjoy ski resort.
The first one I saw was "Take me out to snowland (1987)"
It was shown when I was in high school. The story took place in Shiga Kogen, one of Japan's biggest ski resort.
But strangely where I first skied was not in Japan, it was in Colorado, US.
Well, I suppose I skied like that film. Ski episode in my most favourite American TV show.
I will ski more later but only in Japan. My passport already expired. But some day I will come back to the U.S. to ski again and also visit Austria to ski. The greatest skiing place in Europe, actually this country exported skiing to Japan. Next year will be a century anniversary of introduction of skiing to Japan.
15 December 2010
Assange was arrested, next is me?
I guess not, but I did kind of similar thing to what he did. But much more minor scale.
An Australian whistle blower site manager, a former hacker was arrested for alleged sexual offense filed by Swedish police. Since US government information he leaked in collaboration with US military serviceman caused turmoil worldwide, this arrest is considered politically motivated. I think it is.
I secretly interviewed with US miliatary serviceman in order to get sensitive information of his organization.
If you are interested, please read the below article.
Interview with CVN 73 Nuclear Reactor Crew
What Mr. Assage has done is controversial, can it be part of free speech or promotion for transparency government, or threatening national security?
It is interesting to know there are people in the U.S., who support Assange. That is great thing about the U.S. Micheal Moore is one of them.
As Moore describes, what if some necessary information was open in public, we could have avoided tragedy or change the course of the country. History tells that is true.
Last Sunday I attended the speech event of Nanjing massacre survivor. The massacre was committed by former Japanese imperial army in former capital of China, Nanjing, December 1937. Her parents were shot to death by Japanese army men when her family evacuated to the air-raid shelter. They found the evacuees and shot bullets to them from the shelter entrance by machine gun. Later they poured gasoline into the shelter and burned the dead bodies in it.
Something like that has been happening on and on in recent Iraq and Afghanistan but has been never publicised until Wikileaks released.
"Leaking war crimes is not crime" is right!
21:13 Posted in Australia, Media, Politics, USA issues | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: military, history, war, china