It’s time to go skiing

【今回は、学生が書いたEnglish Blogです！来週卒業してしまうので、チャーリーさんの最後のブログになります。チャーリーさんの冬休みについて、是非読んでみてください。チャーリーさん、ご卒業おめでとうございます！】

Hi guys! It’s Charlie from the IC department.

How’s your school life?? I find many high school students still have more school days left.

This is might be the last article for me, so I’m writing in English!

Anyway, what do you do in winter??

I think “eating Japanese mandarin Oranges in kotatsu”  is the most representative activity of Japan’s winter season.

Today I want to introduce how I spend my winter days– especially when I’m on vacation! Ahaha.

In January, my instincts demand me to find a snowy mountain to go skiing on, but I have to do a lot of things for tests still in the middle of January. After finishing all of the tests, I’ll book my hotel and night bus on that day and get ready to go skiing.

My favorite place is Nozawa Onsen, which is in the north of Nagano Prefecture. When I was a high school student I went there with my family and I was enamored with the beautiful scenery. Also, the place is awesome for skiing because they have powder snow in winter season, but that is not the only reason.

Nozawa onsen is the one of the famous hot springs spots in Japan.

There are 13 free hot springs and you can use them with villagers in a similar way.

This is rare because in places like Kusatsu Onsen, there’re 19 hot springs but visitors can use only 3 of them.

Oyu(大湯) is the most popular hot spring in Nozawa Onsen. Also, it’s symbol of Nozawa Onsen.

Now I want to introduce one more of my favorite hot springs.

This is Matsuba no Yu. (松葉の湯)

I find the temperature of hot water is really  high but after taking a bath the body gets warm though the outdoor air temp is around minus 5 degrees.

If you want to eat soft boiled eggs you can cook with the Onsen (hot spring).

We call it ‘Onsen Tamago’. I think it’s little bit different from soft boiled eggs, but the taste is really good.

Some hot springs have boxes for cooking onsen tamago like this:

You put it in the box approximately 20-25 mins. The temperature changes every day, so your timing is really important.

If you cook it, don’t forget to bring a net for eggs! If you forget, you can buy one in the village.

When I go to Nozawa Onsen I have foods I definitely have to eat.

1. Nozawana pickles (野沢菜漬け)

This is a really popular veggie dish. The taste is fresh and a little sour but it’s good preserved food from a long time ago.

2. Onsen Manju (温泉まんじゅう)

The Fukiya’s Onsen Manju is the best I’ve eaten in my life. It’s might be an over-exaggeration but it’s so tasty!!

3, Gelato in Hous St. Anton’s

This sweets shop was opened a few years ago and this shop’s fruit jams are really good basically, there are many jams for sale.

I chose Milk flavor gelato when I ate last time, it was also fresh and good!

There are many Australians in Nozawa Onsen during the winter season. I think the visitors are 80% Australian lol.

5 years ago it was still like a Japanese village, but now I feel like there is a “little Australia.”

I can see English all around, like on a menu, adv or expression.

It means you can have many chances to speak with people from other countries.  I try to address in English in the hot spring when I take it with some foreigner. I like communication with other guys so this place good for practicing for me.

The last time when I cook the onsen tamago one of OZ lady talked to me and take photos with her owing to onsen tamago…

I’ve written a lot of things during this semester not only about travel, but also about tests or school life.

Thank you for your reading and if you will be university students, you can have many experiences more easily.

So don’t be afraid to step into the new world!

I know it is not easy but if you do it your attitude will be changed and be more colorful.

I hope you have a wonderful school life and  have a bright future!!!

From Charlie