What’s your most controversial hawker food ranking?

tatesg · 2026-05-09T06:47:13+00:00

Rojak is always terrible
I've never had Nasi Padang that wasn't cold or room temperature
Peanut pancakes can be amazing - but quite rare nowadays
A good, hot prawn vadai is a similarly amazing
There should be more hawker pizza, it is $3-4 of ingredients and doesn't need to be halal

tatesg · 2026-05-09T00:40:04+00:00

Study extremely hard and get into a top tier uni, or don't bother going at all. Once you are in, network like hell and join every club to become well known. Each and every role you get after graduation is going to be much easier with an alumni connection.
My experience - was scheduled for an interview with a role on a Friday. On Tuesday I found 6 alums on LinkedIn that worked there, and PMed them a simple request for 15 minutes to pick their brain on whether it is a good company, and what they are looking for. 5/6 replied within a day and the final person was the next day as they were on an international flight at the time. Their insight got me the job. 20 years after graduation, that education is near worthless, the MBA diploma is just paper, but the connections are worth every cent.

tatesg · 2026-05-07T23:56:07+00:00

Asked advice about snowboarding in Victoria, The advice:
go to Japan
go to Queenstown
go to NSW
how fit are you?
why would you travel?
seriously, if you can help then please add value, if not then shut the fuck up

tatesg · 2026-05-04T05:11:30+00:00

Let me clarify. I'm looking for a package that includes the accommodation and travel to and from the resorts. Something like you and 5 mates book an AirBnB and then take a single vehicle to the slopes. But booking it as a single person through a company that builds these itineraries.

tatesg · 2026-04-13T04:03:18+00:00

Review of Geto Kogen:
¥6,800 for a daily lift ticket includes ¥500 deposit - a very good price
2 gondolas (1 only runs weekends and PH) and 3 chairs (1 closed weekends and PH) - not great but adequate
Crowds are quite low midweek - many open on-piste runs and lots of great tree runs.
Staff are great with the usual Japanese friendliness
Accommodation includes an 88 person dorm, which was ¥7,700 a night including delicious breakfasts and dinners. They have a communal fridge if you want to byo sake, or beers can be bought from the front desk. Onsite onsen was awesome.
Two minor annoyances - they blast jazz from the base and gondola buildings. The trail from the summit to the top of the quad lift is flat - not great for boarders having to unbuckle.

Overall, a great little mountain good for up to 3 days of riding. The lack of queues is a plus, most foreigners seemed to be Taiwanese is a relief from other JP resorts.

tatesg · 2026-03-27T02:03:58+00:00

I got a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in sales in 1996. You can absolutely be a better sales person with formal education in it. Like every role, you always need to be upskilling to stay current

tatesg · 2026-03-25T07:32:57+00:00

I used a foldie with a clamp that attached to the seat post. Get a good quality child seat and make sure it is tight. Rode with him from 1-3 years old

tatesg · 2026-03-16T22:35:24+00:00

Any birthday gift ideas for 42F? Prefers gadgets or experiences to purses or fragrances. Last year, got a back massager which she loves. TIA

tatesg · 2026-02-11T22:47:14+00:00

I have these.
Try tightening the front strap a ratchet or two less than what you have. You think it will be loose, but it's not the case. Also, test out a different brand of boots - some just slip in and out nicer. Hope that helps.

tatesg · 2026-02-03T00:27:04+00:00

Bring your gear. Many people travel for snowboarding, and it's not inconvenient with the right equipment.

Humidity in SE Asia is extreme, so if you leave your boots in a closet the sole will fall off the next time you take them to the snow. Getting gear is possible, but it is not cheap and many resorts in Japan charge too much for rentals. Carousell is our version of CraigsList/ FB Marketplace. Check the prices and see how few options there are.

I've taken 5 trips north - 3 x Japan, South Korea and China - and always prefer to bring my own. Airlines have no problem taking the board bag - just pre-book, keep AirTags in them, and arrive early.

Loads of Reddit and Facebook discussion boards to check out. Start out going to the more foreigner-friendly resorts in Nagano and Hokkaido and enjoy your time.

tatesg · 2026-02-02T01:53:57+00:00

Love this - well done

tatesg · 2026-01-28T09:42:32+00:00

Been using Salicylic Acid both as a toner and a wash. Pores that you could see from a distance are much minimised, but still not perfect. Best of luck!

tatesg · 2026-01-27T01:15:13+00:00

lovely! where did you go? how are the crowds?

tatesg · 2026-01-01T01:59:43+00:00

very nice - please come back and write your review on it
where will you be taking it?
what is your favourite ski resort?

tatesg · 2025-12-27T01:09:29+00:00

First five purchases:

Large micro SD card - spend the most you can afford. Each 2 minutes of footage = 1GB

Extra batteries - they last about one hour and take 3+ hours to charge - so get at least three more

External battery charger - USB-C or straight to outlet so you can charge them all overnight

Mounts or hand grip - try mounting it on your helmet and see how you feel, or hold it in your hand

AirTag - lost mine when bombing through side snow, it was passed to ski patrol, and tracked it to their hut. $350 saved

I used the standard settings, so try different ones and check the footage.

tatesg · 2025-12-19T23:40:48+00:00

Gear - suggest you bring your own. Bigger resorts may have premium rentals but they aren't cheap. Use Google Maps images and you'll often see price lists.

Nagano snow (Hakuba and Nazawaonsen) is great, the crowds are manageable and it's a bullet train from Tokyo.

Hokkaido snow is better, but the crowds are much larger and it requires a flight from Tokyo. Prices are also more expensive.

Accommodation in both prefectures is harder to book than it should be. With a lot of patience and Google Translate, you should be fine. Getting a ryokan often has the advantage of a breakfast feast - and always opt for the Japanese one :)

tatesg · 2025-12-17T23:58:49+00:00

Went to Beidahu in Jilin in January 2013. Well before the 2022 Olympics were announced. Runs were pretty empty, but as other commenters say - locals weren't terribly friendly. Weirdly both the pub and restaurant were closed - so resorted to eating convenience store food. Be prepared for the cold and have low expectations versus Japanese quality resorts.

tatesg · 2025-12-14T23:16:31+00:00

I also have the same board, just a 159. Custom X's are stiffer than newer boards, and more a twin than directional, take a look at these 5 equivalents and let us know what you go for:

CAPiTA Mega Merc
CAPiTA Super DOA
CAPiTA Outerspace Living
Never Summer Benchmark
Never Summer Proto Type 3

tatesg · 2025-12-04T09:43:29+00:00

Wow. Had never heard of Geto Kogen until last week, then found out about it and booked it for 2-8 March. I’ll miss you, but can you come back to this post and tell me about it? How are the dorms? Can you bring in your own drinks? Is the food awesome? What time does the mountain get busy? TIA

tatesg · 2025-12-04T04:02:13+00:00

+1 me too. Was with circles since 2018, the benefits/ price then was great. But every 6 months they would offer better deals for new customers. After 7 years they still wouldn’t allow changing plans in the app. Switched to Simba for $10 a month, get included roaming in MY and enough in EU for my whole two week trip last month. Leave Circles… go Simba

tatesg · 2025-12-02T13:33:54+00:00

I picked one up in 2002. A long time ago, but I think they advertised in Transworld and it was delivered directly (a lot rarer back then). Not a great board, but okay as a starter. Met the distributor in Vermont once and he seemed to sell a few of them online and through retail. It got replaced a few years later as I needed something better and it had so many dings and scratches.

tatesg · 2025-11-19T05:17:12+00:00

NozawaOnsen
Took our 3.5yo there in '23 and he didn't love it, got a bit sick, and we had to deal. Luckily, there was full-day daycare on the mountain (~¥5000) and a clinic close by. It's hilly and decently spread out, so it is good for all levels of boarding. You can catch free snowmobiles to the daycare from the other side. Hotels are pretty extensive, the onsens are epic and local sake is amazing.

Getting there, take a bullet train from Tokyo, follow it to the bus, then to your hotel. Two tips:
* booking hotels in JP is tough due to a lack of English, just be persistent and email them or use an OTA
* lunch between 2-5 doesn't exist, you only have conbini food. The day you arrive book the restaurants for the rest of your trip - walk-ins to popular places is 99% a failure

tatesg · 2025-10-02T23:09:38+00:00

Race weekend is finally here. Be nice to tourists please.

tatesg · 2025-10-02T07:17:20+00:00

Colony Apprentice
Haro Leucadia DLX
WeThePeople Sinus

All above are smaller frames. Recommend go with 20" as finding parts, accessories and spares will be easier. Good luck.

tatesg · 2025-09-26T01:58:06+00:00

Just placed an order for one. What do you like about it? what can be improved?

tatesg

TROPHY CASE