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.