TFiJ32: Shredding Cow Mountain
Here’s a video clip that shows a family doing something they really love- carving tracks in pure powder snow! Known in snowboarding lingo as “shredding”, this clip features rock and roll highlights of Luke, Mama, and me tearing it up. I hope you can get a sense of the thrill this sport can provide!
We live only 25 minutes from Ushidake ski area. “Ushi” means cow, and “dake” means mountain in Japanese, hence the title of this video. I think it used to be an old cow pasture… Anyway, it’s a great place for snowboarding because of the very wide slopes. They leave lots of un-groomed snow on the sides, which makes it great for snowboarding.
This video is dedicated to an old colleague of mine at TCFL, Stephen Davies, who passed away recently. Stephen and I really bonded over snowboarding. He was the person who taught me how to ride on the soft powder. I really got hooked and have been crazy about it ever since. I’ll miss Steve, but I’ll always think and be grateful for meeting him when I’m on my board riding down a mountain.
Hello! My name is Gerald Talandis Jr, and I'm the webmaster of this blog. I'm using it as a tool for staying in touch with family in friends around the world. I've been in Japan since 1993 and currently teach English at 
This is my wife, Shinobu. She's originally from 
Luke was born on July 29th, 2001. He is now an elementary school student and loves sports, like his mama. Each week, Luke swims, plays soccer, and goes to a gymnastics class. He is also studying English and dreams of visiting the USA someday and becoming an Olympic swimmer, like his hero Michael Phelps.
Our daughter Max was born on March 7th, 2007. She is currently attending nursery school and is learning to walk, talk, and eat by herself without making a mess. She is growing by leaps and bounds, and loves Micky Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Anpanman.