Big White is AWESOME!!! Thinking of coming to Big White for a season...? And you're nervous...? Part Duh!

See what I did there with the 'Duh'? Well... "Duh! Of course we did... dumbass."

So, I have a little confession. That was really the first two days. I spent two nights in Switzerland - hitchhiking back and forth over the border... at midnight or 1am on the second night. You see, instead of being 'related to someone semi-smart' and getting my act together on day two... nope, I didn't. On the first day after arriving, I went skiing instead and then went to the bar... and then hitchhiked home at 1am... instead, instead of getting my act together - that is a true story. Actually, it's all true.

The previous story really happened over two days... but I have more details for that story... it is a little R rated... unfortunately not as R rated as I wanted it to be, but you know.

So... Michel says to me "Tonight you will stay with me and my wife." Obviously it was in a heavy French accent, a gravely French accent... he had, and still did, smoke Gauloises cigarettes... probably since he was 15, and by this time he was in his early 60's... Gauloises - who needs filters?

So, we get back and I meet Nicole, his wife. Obviously she is really pleased to see Michel, two hours late from work, drunk, with a dumb, none French speaking, English, homeless person... also drunk... who had also obviously led her completely innocent husband astray.

What is the problem?

We ate, I'm sure it was delish... no, I've no idea what it was - it was 31 years ago, and I was drunk. There wasn't much conversation as I recall, Nicole didn't speak any English... or, I believe, in the mood to speak French...

We finished dinner and it was getting late so obviously I had to get back to the bar - job hunting of course. "Au revoir..." I said, completing my total repertoire of French words. Leaving Michel to er... I'm guessing, to try and explain himself.

I did, I promise I did... well I had every intention... but you see Sam had just arrived and she needed a slobering wreck to bother her - that was where I came in. To be honest, I don't think she was bothered at all... I was pretty cute back then, fit (just out of the army, and a veteran) and I was also gonna say an ex-model... but that was before I did some modelling - true story... another.

But, like I said it was only kinda R rated cos not much happened.

But also what didn't happen was I didn't go back to Michel and Nicole's... not until 7am... and Michel had already left for work... and Nicole was just leaving...

Do you know how to apologize profusely in French? Nope, me neither. I know how to look embarrassed and shrug my shoulders and do that funny toothy grin... and say Au revoir... but it didn't seem to fit, not for me anyway.

Nicole, let me in, and she left... I'm thinking Michel was in even more trouble.

But, I didn't care, I was off to meet Sam to go skiing... Yay!!! Sam did not turn up... Boo!!!

Maybe I skied, maybe not. What I did do was go and find some gifts for Nicole and Michel; just to say thank you, sorry and probably,
good bye.

When I get to their place they are just getting ready to go out for a celebration dinner. To celebrate their very first, ever, brand new car. Nobody was in a bad mood... But I didn't realize Michel was in that much trouble...? Good job I wasn't a blonde, Swedish girl (I'm gonna add) model, (here, cos you know) who stayed out all night... with
Michel...

Anyway they were enthralled with my crappy gifts. Yep crappy. Not because I chose crappy gifts but because I was a dumbass... in reality the gift were very thoughtful - a cuddly toy for Nicole (who doesn't need a cuddly toy... eh?) and Michel had been using this crappy knife at work, so a new knife for Michel... it was pretty crappy too, but new.

Enthralled!!! I tell you, so much so that they invited me to their, no-longer, romantic French dinner. No, wait... it was still French, and Yum.

And me? Where did I sleep? I didn't ditch them that night, I didn't go to the bar to find a job, I didn't 'lose' my way home... I stayed with them... and slept. It had been a while.

Christmas Eve in France is the next dumb story.

Solido Properties has been renting seasonal properties from owners at Big White since forever!!! Well, I lie, since 2013... but, same thing. 

If you are looking for a place to stay... here are a couple of tips.

1. Staff accommodation - Big White have a number of beds, if this is your first season, and you work for the resort, you have a chance of resort accommodation.
2. Local businesses - a number of my properties go to local businesses for their staff. Ask if anything is available.
3. Coming late? February there is sometimes change over - life happens, people go home, move, split up... you may find something in Jan/Feb... maybe.
4. Keep looking and posting on Facebook - keep trying. After a day your post is long gone... keep posting. I'll say it again - keep trying.

Good luck.

Do you know, I written over a hundred of these posts? If I was smart I would have added, to all of them... please like and share... well, only if you did like, and wanted to share.

If you want to visit the website - it's rubbish, then you can do that here - www.solido-rentals.com our Instagram (also below par) is here ObsessedandEnthusiastic

Big White is AWESOME!!! Thinking of coming to Big White for a season...? And you're nervous...?

Who wouldn't be...? 

And you're on your own...? In a strange country...? Without a job...? Or friends...? And you can't ski...? (which is important) Or snowboard - which, you know, who cares...?

Will you even survive?

Shall I tell you my story...?

It all started whilst I was still in the army, driving back to my base from Wigan (UK) to Andover (again UK). I picked up a hitchhiker who told me he'd lost his driver's license (drink driving), and was heading to tell his (new) boss (in London) that he couldn't do the job anymore - delivery truck driver... "What'll you do?" I asked... he told me he would head back and work in a ski resort in France.

You can imagine a cartoon image of me putting on brakes... "What??!" I didn't know that was a thing. No, I  didn't slam the brakes on, but, you know, I was definitely distracted...

So, I drop him off somewhere, get back to camp and the next day, I went in and signed my PVR (Premature Voluntary Release) papers... it was probably a six month release/wait period... I didn't care as it was still summer. I was 24 at the time... kinda risky eh? 

Prep.

Six months, and you know I didn't do much. I had some distant family relations who were big into skiing - they had an equipment shop and they organized ski vacations... I bet I had only ever met them three times in my whole life. But, they were a start, so I went to see them. 

They arranged some stuff for me in Switzerland... flight, meeting at and airport shuttle to the resort, accommodation, and ski tech job at a hotel... or so I thought... and they sold me some great 90's ski gear... which was great cos it was the 90's.

Flight.

There was a little confusion at the airport... they didn't know who I was but I had proof I'd paid for my flight so I was allowed to board (this was pre 9/11) just a short 40 minutes 'after' the plane was scheduled to depart... yes, I was the guy everyone gives those 'if looks could kill' daggers to.

Pre-flight...

But I barely noticed... cos let me add something here... I was leaving Wigan, to go to live in a ski resort in Switzerland, so the night before my buddies and I all went out and partied... coming home at 5am I figured I'd best start packing, (it's amazing the packing decisions you make whilst drunk) shortly after which my brother drove a very hungover 'me' to the airport.

Geneva...

I landed around noon... well, everyone did actually, I wasn't special. To be greeted by no-one. Which was inconvenient, I and my hangover decided... I then spent the next six hours walking up and down Geneva airport trying to figure out my life. Eventually I figure out a shuttle to the resort (Morgins) and to the hotel where I was supposed to be doing my thing - I had a hotel name. It was pretty close, maybe 90 minutes drive.

The job...

Did not exist.

The accommodation...

Came with the job... that didn't exist... ergo... 

What to do?

I have too much stuff, no job, no place to sleep, it's now 10pm... over 40 hours without sleep... and my hangover seemed to be the only thing I still had with me.

Bar...

Seemed the obvious solution. It was dead. But there was a waitress. Long story short - she could probably let me have a bed for a night. But we had to wait for her boyfriend to come back, and for her to finish work at 2am... not the best but a bed. I think they charged me 5 Swiss Francs per night.

Advice...

They were great, they advised me to hitchhike 5kms to Chatel in France. "It will be easy" they said, and it was, "and there will be more jobs..." and there were. So I did.

Job #1.

I went to the local tourism office and not speaking and French I said "Je suis cherche pour travais." I'd learned that phrase. But of course it didn't help because they (inconsiderately) responded in French... But, they sent me up to the hotel to find Michel, who needed a labourer.

Things were going great, all morning that is... all morning until the French, labourer/builder, with maintenance experience turned up.

End of Job#1.

Of course Michel paid me, but you know... French, builder, experience... he could even speak fluent French! Batard! Which is French for, you know, what it kinda sounds like.

So, no job and er... still no place to stay...

'Best go to the bar then...' I decided, all by myself.* Twenty minutes later Michel walks in - "Let me buy you a beer" I say. A couple hours later a drunk Michel says to me "Where are you staying tonight?"

A drunk me responds "ah... I'll just go to the hotel down the road..."

"Nope!" exclaims Michel.

"Nope! Tonight you will stay with me and my family..." And I did.

*Going to the bar was not a bad idea, more than one person had told me, that's where all the seasonal staff go and they would know of any jobs available.

The point of my story...?

You will figure it out... and you will have great stories to tell about how you figured it out. Did I meet people...? Did I find another Job...? A place to live...? Did I ski lots... did I (soto voce) snowboard too... did I have one of the best seasons of my life...?

Maybe I'll tell you more stories from that season one day, and you can decide.

Sólido Properties have been managing properties at Big White since 2003 (commercially since 2013). And we specialize in er... seasonal staff places. Our goal is to find the best places for the best staff. If you are the best staff (yes yes, everyone says "We" are the best) send me a message via that link or to solidorentals@gmail.com

And if you're an owner looking for stable, steady, honest income... you can do the same thing. True story.

PS If you're looking at the website today... you'll notice it is not quite finished. There is a good reason behind that - yep, I'm rubbish... another true story.