WATCH
AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF OUR PAST BOOBOOSTAFF!
Disclaimer: This is by no means a professional video
(sorry!), but hopefully our short interview with John
will give you an idea of what to expect, if you decide
to make a boobooSKI
program part of your working holiday this year!
Accommodation - You'll
be staying in large dormitories, with rooms for 2-4 Japanese
and Foreign staff. It is highly unusual to have a dorm
room to yourself. Resorts often try to place foreign and
Japanese staff together in rooms, as it's a great way
to make friends and learn the language.
All
dormitories are single-sex, and some have a curfew.
Male and female dormitories are strictly separated.
Entering dorm rooms of the opposite sex can be grounds
for dismissal. However, most dorms have common rooms
where everyone can socialize. In cases where no commmon
rooms are available, staff usually hang out in the dining
room / nearby bars / restaurants etc.
Dorm accommodation is simple but adequate.
Some rooms are western-style, while others are fitted
with Tatami (Japanese-style straw mats). All laundry,
bathing, and dining facilities are communal. Dorms are
equipped with beds, futons, sheets, blankets, 'Rice Pillows' (like
a bean-bag), washing machines, microwave ovens, toasters,
hot pots (to boil water) and telephones (to receive
calls only). Ski Resort dorms also have central heating
(or room heaters), so there's no need to bring extra sleeping-bags / blankets with you. Refrigerators are not essential
because there are plenty of cool places to store food.
On the other hand, Beach/Golf Resort dorms are equipped
with refrigerators and air-conditioning. In most Resorts,
dormitory common rooms (used by all staff to chat and
relax) are equipped with a TV, however TV's in individual
rooms is a rarity. Of course, drying rooms for gear
are standard. Irons are not available - bring clothes
that don't need ironing.
Meals - Breakfast and dinner are served
in the dorm or hotel cafeteria, while lunch is eaten
at your work post. Usually, you’ll be eating breakfast
at 7-7.30am, lunch at 1-2pm, and dinner after work at
6-7pm. In busy periods, you may find yourself eating
hastily from a lunch-box at your post - but after the
busy period, your lunch-break will be long enough to
enjoy your meal.
Meals are simple, healthy Japanese-style
dishes - nothing fancy, but nutritious and satisfying.
During your working holiday at Resorts, you may grow tired of Japanese food
every day, and decide to eat out with your friends,
or buy some food from the supermarket/convenience store
instead. Unfortunately, resorts cannot cater to specific
dietary needs (vegetarian, diabetic etc). If you are
particular about your diet, you'll need to prepare your
own food.
Free Time -
Choosing to spend some of your Japanese working holiday working in a Resort, you'll be surrounded by beautiful
scenery, and lots of fun activities! Carving fresh tracks
in champagne powder, lazing on tropical beaches in the
sun, or hiking through pristine wilderness will all
become routine activities. On your days off, before,
and after work, you'll be free to do as you please (within
resort guidelines). In some Ski resorts, you'll also
have the opportunity to do night-skiing / boarding after
work.
Due to the busiest times of the year
for Resorts (Xmas/New Year break, Jul-Aug Summer Vacation),
your first few weeks on the job will be hectic, and
you will be asked to work overtime. During this period,
please accept that you may not have much free time (in
some cases, staff are required to work around 10 days
in a row!). After the busy period though, things quieten
down a lot, and you’ll have about 6-7 days off
a month. Rest assured - by the end of your contract,
you’ll have enough great memories to last a lifetime!
Onsens
- Thanks to Japan's volcanic activity, Hot
Springs are scattered throughout the country. 'Onsens'
are extremely popular weekend getaway destinations,
and provide millions of Japanese with ultimate relaxation
through the Winter. Once you overcome the initial embarrassment
of communal bathing, you can soak up the mineral-rich
waters at your nearest Onsen, soothe your ski-induced
aching-muscles, and stare at the stars.
Expenses
- As Accommodation, Meals, and Ski-passes are all completely
FREE, your only expenses will be for leisure / daily
activities (ie. ski equipment, eating out, toiletries
etc).
Paydays generally fall on the 15th of
each following month, so please keep in mind that you
won't receive your first paycheck until about 6 weeks
after you arrive. Please remember to bring enough cash
to see you through until your first payday - we recommend
approx. USD$700.
*IMPORTANT* RURAL LIVING
Please bear in mind that spending some of your working holiday at a Resort will mean you’ll
be in a rural area of Japan – thus,
the luxuries of the city are not as easily accessible.
On your days-off, you may have to travel on a train/bus
for internet access, international phones, supermarkets,
etc. Your Resort may be located quite far from the nearest
village, so there may not be many bars / restaurants
/ shops like you're used to back home. In the quiet
season, most of the bars etc. will be empty, so you
may find there's not much more to do than ski/board,
or hang out with your friends after work. It's quite
common for staff to feel a little lonely/bored in the
1st month, until they settle in and make friends with
all the locals! Please try to remember this is all part
of the fun, and heightens the sense of immersion into
Japanese society. It's important that you come with
an open mind about your working holiday experience, and embrace the fact that you are far
away from the "big smoke". In Resort areas,
the natural beauty, the outdoor activities, and the
friends you make, become the biggest source of enjoyment!
In the beginning, you may feel a little
isolated if you're unable to contact friends / family
as much as you'd like - this is completely natural.
We hope you can accept that contact will be less frequent,
and try to immerse yourself in the Japanese culture
as much as possible during your working holiday. Making new (Japanese!)
friends at your resort will make your transition much
more comfortable. It's natural for boobooSTAFF
to become close, because they are all English speakers,
and can communicate freely. However, it's very important
that you challenge yourself, and make local Japanese
friends too - that way, you'll learn so much more about
the culture, have much more fun, and your Japanese will
skyrocket! After
a few weeks, boobooSTAFF
are usually having so much fun on and off the job, they
forget to contact their parents at all!
If you really can't live without daily
contact, you may like to bring a laptop with a wireless
LAN card (if you have one), as there are often wireless
access points around. Some of you may also wish to purchase
mobile phones (which have internet connections).
Taking Trips - Many of you may wish to travel to the big cities on
the weekends. However, they’re the busiest time
for resorts, so your days-off will always fall on weekdays.
In addition, you may not always have two consecutive
days-off at a time, so it’s best to explore Japan
at your own leisure before or after your contracts.
HOME
