From Rivers to Reinforcement

Asia » Japan
August 31st 2005

Published: August 30th 2005

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Sal Gav

First Tracks

That's our bedroom window on the bottom right.

Yep, we've traded in the lifejackets, helmets and paddles for a new pair of site boots, a scale ruler and a PC...

We've both started work as Development Managers with Hokkaido Tracks, a small but rapidly expanding development and property management company right here in sleepy little Hirafu village! We're on contract until the end of November before flying home for Jimmy & Isley's wedding in early December.

Who would have thought it were possible to negotiate terms and land a job like this when you're wearing boardshorts, bikinis and thongs! Omoshiroi! Currently, we're overseeing two projects under construction (18 apartments in total) and working on the sketch design & working drawing phase of another 32 apartment project. All apartments are western style (Australian sheek!), including the one we're living in, Hokkaido Tracks' first project, 'First Tracks'.

First Tracks has 4 apartments, all two bedders and about a gazillion times flasher than dear old Gipps Street, god bless her crumbling walls! Loving the latte coloured macro-suede chaise...Ha! We've been working pretty long hours since we started, with only one day off a week so haven't had much time for exciting adventures.

But we did enjoy the Kutchan

First Tracks Living Room

The full height windows on the left look straight onto a skirun.

Jazz Festival in early August and then backed it up with the Kutchan Potato Festival which was a doozie! Then we had a day in Sapporo where we tried to find clothes to fit Gav - success!, a day of cycling arond the Niseko area in the pouring rain and then last day off went for a luffley Sunday drive in the sunshine.

Checked out Cape Shakotan & Cape Kamui which are north-west of here - stunning coastal scenery and very different to anything we have seen in Japan. Hokkaido really is the last frontier in Nihon. It's been really hot for the past 6 or so weeks, with temperatures into the 30ies...perfect rafting weather...but a tad hot in the little shipping container office we are in! But no complaints as we are informed that it's all downhill into winter from here - expecting the first snow on October 21st - yes, it's reputedly THAT precise!!

Flabbergasted by the Japanese construction industry which sees fit to building new roads where there are already roads, tunnels where there are already tunnels, and bridges where there is virtually nothing to cross! We couldn't resist this shot of the tunnel to

First Tracks Living Room

nowhere!

So the newest adventure has begun...deadlines and meetings as opposed to river currents and rocks! No idea where we will be in 6 months from now...sorry mums & dads! But we are very happy, very healthy and turning very Japanese....

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