ローカルガールの華麗な生活2001-04-07　Spring Break in Colorado

April 3, 2001　Spring Break in Colorado

Time always passes so quickly when you’re having fun. I can’t believe Spring Break is over already. But if it’s any consolation, it was a wonderful vacation!

We had a really great trip to Colorado. It was good to spend some time with my brother, go shopping, and see a new place. However, skiing, snowboarding, and simply being in “snow country” was what we were waiting for.

It had been three years since I skied, and it felt a little strange to have a snowy winter again. It was a little too familiar to see a few inches of snow on the car in the morning, and to trudge through mud and slush in those stiff and uncomfortable ski boots. Those were things I hadn’t missed, and never thought I’d experience again. But it was fun.

My brother Kevin planned our skiing weekend at Copper Mountain, a ski resort in the Colorado mountains, between Breckenridge and Vail. Although it doesn’t command the name value a place like Aspen does, it was a beautiful place. And it didn’t seem any less cheap or unpopular. It was actually a treat for us.

We were used to Japan’s crowded, narrow slopes, so having a choice of 127 wide, spacious trails, and 23 different lifts was more than we expected. And although the parking lot was filled with hundreds of cars, the mountain didn’t seem so packed. In fact, there were times when Kyle and I were the only ones to be seen. It was almost like we had the entire mountain to ourselves.

For two Hawaii kids, playing in the snow is not something we grew up with, so we were just amazed at the little mainland children, who zoomed past us on their little skis. But we were having too much fun to worry about looking out of place on the bunny slopes. By the end of the second day, we had found the perfect route down the mountain for us.

We spent the rest of the trip going shopping, and just hanging out. It was a fun but relaxing trip, and we can’t wait for our next vacation!

Susan Sensei’s English Lesson #72（スーザン先生の英語講座）

For two years I taught English in Japan, and was “スーザン先生” to my students in Ikaho town, Gunma Prefecture. I will try and introduce new words and phrases for the Japanese visitor to Hawaii. Here is this week’s situation:

【今週のレッスン】
旅行先、レンタカーでドライブ。有料パーキングに車を止めたときには、いつも駐車券を持っておきましょう。そして買い物や食事の会計の際に、忘れずこう聞きます。

You have rented a car, and are trying to enter a parking garage. Of course you take the ticket to enter, but don’t forget to take that ticket with you. Just ask the cashier at a store, or your server at a restaurant,

“May I get my parking ticket validated?”
「駐車券に印をもらえますか。」

これをすれば駐車料金は無料になったり、安くなったりします。長時間の駐車の時は特に、お忘れなく。

In most places, you can validate your ticket so your parking fee will not be as costly.

Loco Girl’s Profile（ロコ・ガールのプロフィール） Born in Hilo, I grew up going fishing with Dad, shopping with Mom, and trying to be a good “big sister” to a younger sister and brother. A Waiakea High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa alumni, I taught English in Japan for two years on the JET Program. I love doing a lot of things-shopping, reading, lettering, making jewelry & crafts, watching Friends-and that’s just the start of my list! I like being busy, and am active with the JET Alumni Association (JETAA) and the Honolulu Junior Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJJCC.) My family and friends are, of course, very important to me, and are why I live a very typical, happy, local-style life in Hawaii and will never leave!