Recap of the last three months

I am returning to this blog since the last post in June last year. During this absence of TEN months, many things to post happened around me. I visited Leeds Dog Show in UK in July during my business trip to Germany and UK. I went to see Montgomery Weekend in Pennsylvania, USA in early October, and wrote an article on the shows in a monthly journal. "Leeds", my Westie, suddenly passed away on October 18th. Piacere completed Japan Kennel Club Championship on my birthday, November 21st. I made business trips to Australia in Septemer, to Korea in October.

These are all in 2010, and three months have already passed this year.

I have been too busy with my work to post on this blog, and too busy in posting on FACEBOOK as well.

So, today, I will try to recap what have been happening around me this year, giving up posting fancy photos and stories of last year's episodes.

First, just after the New Year's holidays, I went to Hawaii ON BUSINESS.I left Tokyo on January 5th, when most of the people were still enjoying the festive mood of the New Year, but I had to do business at a resort area.


It was my first visit to Hawaii, and I saw the headquarters of The Pacific Fleet of US Navy, the pink building up on the hillside, on my way from Honolulu Airport to my hotel.


The white dome beyond the rain tree forest is an X-band radar of US Military. While it was originally located in Alaska, it was moved to Hawaii after North Korea launched Taep'o-dong missile, and is now watching North Korean missiles. Since my business trip this time was related to a military facility company, I actually got very close to the radar, but photographing was prohibited around the area, and I only took photos in this distance.


A sunset on the beach in front of my hotel. I hate to admit it, but yeah, I regreted working in such a circumstances.


Now, I went to China in late January.

At first, I attended an inter-governmental meeting between construction ministries of Japan and China in Shanghai, which has been regularly held and business delegate joined it for the first time.


The lady in red is Deputy Head of a Bureau of Department of Houses, City and Agricultural Villeges.


I heard presentations on "Eco-cities", which are developed in many regions in China.



After the meeting in Shanghai, we moved to Tianjin, and visited the famous "Tianjin Eco City". I saw many construction cranes, which reminded me of Dubai before the global financial crisis.


An official meeting with a high-ranked officer of Tianjin Peoples Municipal Government was held. The officer sits by the Japanese counterpart in the front of the guest room.


After the meeting and the visit to Eco City, I took Beijing-Tianjin High Speed Train to Beijing South Station.


The interior of the high speed train.


Although it was claimed that the high speed train would run at 350 km per hour (219 MPH), the maximum speed I experienced was 327 km per hour (204MPH). The distance between Tianjin and Beijing is only 20-minute train ride, and it is thus presumed that there is no sufficient distance to reach the top speed.


I made a business trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in Februay.


The Twin Tower Building is the icon of Kuala Lumpur.


I had "Bak kuh teh" for breakfast at a casual restaurant 20-minute walk away from the hotel.


"Bak kuh teh" is traditional Malaysian cuisine. Pork back ribs and innards are stewed with TEA, and are splashed onto bowl of steamed rice. Very tasty and healthy!


Putrajaya is a new capital of Malaysia, built south of Kuala Lumpur. Ministry building of interesting design are lined up around man-made lakes. The mosque-like building at the far end of the boulvard in the center of the photo is Prime Minister's Office.


"KL Sentral" is the hub of Kuala Lumpur rail traffics. Railway linking the city to the airport, LRT and monorail come to this station.


The sign board carries Japanese description.


The train is called "LRT" in Malaysia. LRT means Light Rail Transit, and generally designates street cars. This train runs underground AND lifted, and, it is, therefore, hardly called "subway", but I feel like to call it "Metro", and I feel something wrong in calling it "LRT", when I rode it!


The inside of the "LRT" is like this.



Well, on March 3rd, Ryoma, a Scottie boy, which one of my Scottie friends bought in USA and I asked him to co-own, and finally convinced him to give me, came to my house after he completed AKC Championship.


Then some photos of Ryoma (Some of them have already been posted in FACEBOOK.）


At my second house in Yamanashi. Far right is Ryoma.


Same as above, at my second house. Near right on the floor is Ryoma.



Ryoma looks like this.


In front of the gate of my Tokyo house.


Ryoma (left) and Piacere are really good friends (couple?). They often lick around the mouth each other (kissing?), and almost always stay together.


Front: Pieta, back left: Ryoma, and back right: Piacere


Now the latest topic, I made a business trip to Montreux, Switzerland, last week.


On the flight from Narita to Frankfurt, my plane flew over Chuzenji Lake and Mount Nantai.


Swiss Alps are seen from the plane from Frankfurt to Geneva.


Montreux is lake-side resort of Lac Leman, and is famous for the jazz festival. "Lac Leman" derives from the French place name on the other side of the lake, and Swiss people call it "Lake Geneva".
This photo was taken from my hotel before the sunrise.


The same view of the above from the promnade outside of the hotel.


The purpose of this trip was to attend an international meeting. The premise where the meeting was held is called "Montreux Music and Convention Center", and its abbreviation is "2M2C". The halls inside are named "Miles Davis Hall", which nicely reflects jazz festival.


In Switzerland you have to have "Fondue". The pan in the near is for dipping beef into oil, and the pan in back left is for cheese fondue.


After the meeting is over, on the day of homebound flight, I had some leisure time in the morning, and I took a mountain tram up to Rochers-de-Naye at 2042 meter elevation. The elevation of Montreux is surprisingly low, 370 meter above sea level.


A view from Rochers-de-Naye. Lake Geneva can be seen in far right.


Another view from Rochers-de-Naye into the opposite direction of the above. Mountains of Alps can be seen.


The gradient of the mountain train is very steep. You can see how steep the railway is from the inclination of the train window to the horizon.


"Château de Chillon" can be seen from the mountain tram.



Well, well, the dog world of Montreux starts.


A Tibetan Terrier (left) and a Tibetan Spaniel are given a walk on the promnade along the lake.


Some of the poles of street lights have this sign board. You can tie up you dog to this pole, or you can have your dog pas his/her urine at this post?

Moreover...


In front of the dust bins, which are placed every 50 meters along the lakeside promnade and main streets, a pocket is equipped, from which you can pull out plastic bags to discard you dog's waste.


THE plastic bag

OK, thank you for your patience to read this long post. I have fanally caught up to the current topic.

An expedition to Komatsu, & Piacere won

A week has passed since the dog shows described in today's blog. I made an expedition to two dog shows held in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on May 29th and 30th to show Piacere.

Since I started dog show rally last year, I have shown my Scotties in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki and Gunma Prefectures, but has not extended my journey further.

I left my home at about 10:00pm on Friday night and picked up Nakahara-san in Yotsuya, and then drove on Kanetsu, Joshin-etsu and Hokuriku Highway, and arrived at the show site at 5:00am on Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Itoya, the owner of "Dolce", which won Award Of Merit in this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, kindly assisted us with their tent, table and chairs. I owe my successful expedition very much to their kindness, and I would like to express my heatiest thanks to them.

The shows were Kanazawa Show Dog Club Show on May 29th and Joint Show of Ishikawa Prefecture Clubs on May 30th. Ms. Elaine Young, a world-famous judge and a specialist on Scottie, judged the both shows, which was the main reason of making such a long travel.


Ms. Elaine Young. She is an elegant lady with silver hair. She kept sweetly talking to the dogs during the examination, but she showed sharp eyes when she examined the gait and free stay.

I will show the results first.

The judge for the breed judgement on 30th was Ms. Young and the judge for the group
judgement of 3G (Terrier Group) was Mr. Akira Hayashida. Since Piacere was the only bitch in the championship class of Scotties, she automatically obtained Best Of Breed (BOB), and proceeded to group judgement.


A ceremonial photo with heart-throb Ms. Young. I have come to Komatsu to take this photo...

Piacere made an exploit of obtaining the third position in the group judgement. Since Pieta, Piacere's mother, never got into the third or upper in the group judgement, this was my first experience of being awarded in the group judgement. Pieta obtained Champion Challenge Certificate, and that it is a major certificate. Well done, Piacere!


The ceremonial photo with Judge Hayashida. He told me afterward that he owned a wheaten Scottie.

As I waited for these photos delivered, it took so long time to post this blog.

Now, I will show you more photos of the shows. There should be many photos today.

Photos from Kanazawa Show Dog Club Show on May 29 come first.


Breed judgement by Ms. Young.


Group judgement by Mr. Hayashida.

Piacere was not in the mood from the morning in the Joint Show of Ishikawa Prefecture Clubs on May 30. In the breed judgement in the morning, Piacere might not have waken up enough and was reluctant to walk actively. I needed to pull the lead to make her walk.


Breed judge on May 30 was Mr. Koji Wada. You can see the difference of the angles of the lead compared with the photos of the previous day shown above.

Piacere was also the only one bitch in the championship class of Scottie, and proceeded to the group judgement after obtaining BOB.


The judge for group judgement of 3G (Terrier Group) was Ms. Young.


The group judgement was matched by five terriers. Piacere lost her tension after waiting too long, and was not selected among the top three. This was a very good lesson for me to cosider when I should bring the dog to the ring from the padock.

In this expedition, Piacere experienced for the first time what other terriers of mine have never experienced.

It was...


Staying in a hotel.

I stayed in a hotel, which offered the show site, on May 29 night. I brought a cage into the guest room, and Piacere stayed in the cage while I was out and was sleeping.


When I was in the room, Piacere was given a freedom in the room. Piacere never made
clumsiness in the room, and the expedition ended successfully with MCC.

Among Piacere's comrade Scotties, Masamune took part in both May 29 and 30, Frank was shown in the puppy class on May 29, and Soleil appeared on May 30.