Pyramids in Cairo

Letter transcription:

March 10 – 1964

Dear David – Yours of Mar. 4 received today. I was glad to get your letter (naturally) and have the explanation in full about the Ins. In the first place, we increased the insurance because we didn’t think we were carrying enough and at the time we increased it nothing was said about you. I don’t know who got that bright idea, but I have a good idea that Prairie Realty will lose some business when we get back home. We are not at all happy about the way Prairie R. handled things – We think you and Mark did the only thing you could do under the circumstances. When we talked about leasing a Cadillac we discovered our insurance was not as much as a leasing company carries and that was what caused us to increase ours. I hope you can be in Chicago to meet us because we will want to go home. I hope you can meet us if it won’t make you late getting back to Bloomington. According to our plane schedules we are to arrive in Chicago at 1:50 p.m. You will have to check on that. Since it will be the end of your vacation it would probably be some time before you would be home again. In my last letter I asked you to run the sweeper and dust for me. We won’t be bringing much home with us but Mark says there is so much mail for us to go thru it will probably take us a day or so. We came to Cairo yesterday afternoon. We had a tour this a.m. and one this afternoon. We visited museum this a.m. and saw things that were taken from King Tut’s tomb. We did take some pictures. We think we will go back to the museum before we leave. We visited the pyramids and Sphinx this afternoon. We have a very wonderful view of the river Nile and city from our room and porch. After returning from our trip this afternoon we stopped in the coffee shop and had a ginger ale then came to our room. I washed my hair and set it and we have been enjoying the view while my hair dries. We can see pyramids from where we are sitting. I was a party “pooper” this afternoon – I wouldn’t take a ride on a camel. We did take a ride on an elephant in India and that as far as I am concerned was enough. There was a parade just went by. We had read in a newspaper that the King of Jordan is coming here to visit so maybe he was in the car that just passed. We visited with Uncle Floyd’s friend in Jerusalem Monday morning. He lives and works in Amman but he had some business in Jerusalem so we had a chance to see him and his wife about 2 hours. They took us to “The Garden Tomb.” It is a tomb that was discovered by an Englishman in recent years. We bought a book telling all about it. Some people believe it is the real tomb instead of the place that has been claimed by Catholic, Greek & Russians for centuries. We have asked Mark to take the mail home and if he hasn’t – you see that it gets taken out to the house. About the time again as to when we arrive – (on second thought) we will have to go thru customs so it may be late in the afternoon before we will be able to leave the airport. I presume we will go thru customs in Chicago. Our plane ticket says Paris to Chicago. You will just have to use your judgment about what to do. There is a high tower across the river from this hotel. We asked our guide what it was for – (there s a large TV tower we could see form hotel room in Tokyo and the Japanese are very proud of it because it is the tallest TV tower in the world) but this tower serves only for sightseers to go up and look out over the city. There are at least 1,000 mosques in Cairo. I will see what I can do for you

[page 2] when we get to Athens about Wari [worry?] beads. It is getting too dark to write and we are enjoying “the show” too much to go inside.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/19/pyramids-in-cairo/

Beirut and Jerusalem

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Sunday March 8, 1964

Dear David: This morning we took a trip to see River Jordan and Dead Sea. We saw some bathers but were not tempted. We did put our fingers in and tasted. Dad said he thought it was safe because no germ could live in that water. We have had a tour of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. We didn’t try to make contact with Research School because we didn’t think it was necessary. We were well satisfied with our tours. The only thing we didn’t care for was the sales pressure. Our guide took us into some shops but we weren’t in the market for their high priced merchandise. Last night I went into a shop next to hotel and found prices much more reasonable. Our guide had told me he would take me to the shops where the prices were right. I think he gets a kick back so the prices were right as far as he was concerned. Buying a wood carving in Bali spoiled me. The prices there were so small and as far as I can see the carving is much better than what we have seen here. The big deal here is the carvings are made from olive wood. We had the same problem in Beirut. Our guide tried to influence us to buy – of all things – oriental rugs – just $170.00 for a small one. We just walked out of the place and said we were not in the market for a rug. We felt like we were not very welcome in Beirut – and they claim to be about 60% Christian. We were glad to leave there. We did enjoy seeing ancient Roman ruins at Baalbek and we did have a nice view from our hotel room – harbor and mountains. We have met a couple here who are from Rhode Island. They have been to Egypt and have given us a few tips, so we will know what to expect when we get there. We had a letter from Garnette Janssen and he said the house was getting pretty dusty – said he and Mark weren’t very good housekeepers. Are you still planning to meet us in Chicago Mar. 29? If you are I wish you would plan to stop at home and run the sweeper and dust cloth. I hate to think of going back home if it is covered with dust. That is something I should have thought about before we left, but if you are going that way I am sure you can take care of that for me. I am wondering if you have made any plans yet for the coming summer? I know you were wanting to find something to do. Also I am wondering if you have been successful in getting into Boston School. We didn’t go to church this a.m. but plan to go this evening. There are Baptist, Anglican, Catholic (Greek, Roman, etc.) and Nazerene but not any Methodist (in Middle East). We saw one notice which read service at 5:30 in Arabic. We will have to make some more inquiries. That might prove to be interesting. We attended church in Hong Kong & singing was in Chinese.

Love Mother

Uncle Floyd’s friend from Amman is coming to see us tomorrow.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/18/beirut-and-jerusalem/

Flying to Tehran

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

March 4, 1964

Dear David – As you can see I am using Bangkok stationary. The envelope is from New Delhi. I have learned to carry a supply with me. Our flight out of N. Delhi was scheduled for 5 a.m. – we were just half an hour late which isn’t bad. We are now flying to Tehran – a 4 hr flight – then on to our next stop Beirut. When we were in Djakarta I thought we were prepared for Indiana but not quite. All my reading on Indiana hadn’t quite given me the picture. They have had 17 years of independence and I suppose they have accomplished much in that time but by our standards they have far to go. We tried to buy film and couldn’t get any for our instamatic. We went to several shops in downtown N. Delhi but were told same story everywhere. They just aren’t importing anything that new. I asked one guide how many dams had been built since independence. He said 22. That is a pretty good record for 17 yrs. We were in New Delhi, old Delhi, Agra & Jaipur and conditions were much the same in every place. You couldn’t imagine the dirt and filth unless you see it. There are so many poor people who just eek out an existence. We went by car from Agra to Jaipur and saw how people live in villages. It was so filthy in all the places we passed we wondered what kept people from dying. People and cattle live together and sanitation as we know it is nonexistent there. We saw people using the roadside for toilets – They seem to think nothing of relieving nature any place they may be. We were walking in downtown N. Delhi yesterday trying to find film and a woman was holding a youngster so he could urinate. In many places children go without clothes and we saw more babies without diapers than with. One thing that is very bothersome is the beggars. It seemed they were everywhere. One guide told us in N. Delhi they try to keep them off the streets – there is a home for them but they would rather beg than work so they escape from the homes provided for them. We are getting so low on film we didn’t take many pictures while there. We are not sure we can buy more and we have a few places of interest to visit before coming home. One of the dirtiest things we saw was the use of cow dung for cooking fuel. The women go around and gather the droppings and make patties which are laid out to dry. We saw huge piles. One guide said those are stored for rainy season. Dad said he didn’t know what kept them from getting lockjaw – from the handling of dung. We had to take an early a.m. flight to Agra and it was a little after 7 a.m. when we arrived. Altho it was fair and not a cloud, there was a haze low. It was the smoke from the cow dung fires – cooking breakfast. We went out to see the Taj Mahal by moonlight. Our driver said we would have to go before the haze from the cooking smoke filled the air. We think they would be better off if they used some other kind of fuel and use the c.d. for fertilizer. The trip from Agra to Jaipur took 5 hrs. At about half way there was a rest house for people like us. At least we could use a toilet and our driver had soft drinks in a bucket of dry ice so we had a little refreshment on the way. I think the driver never suggest American or European travelers eat local food. When we were in Malacca we met an Indian Minister. His daughter is in school in Delhi University. We went out to see her yesterday. She hasn’t been home for two years but hopes to go this June. You just be thankful you are an American and that you are in a school like I.U. It is simply wonderful compared to the one in Delhi. With all the faults we can find with our own country there is no place quite like it. Yesterday morning when we went down to breakfast we discovered the

[page 2] help had gone on strike and we had sort of a cafeteria breakfast. The tipping system is – 12½ % is added to bill and at the end of certain period the tips are divided. I have no idea how but we were told the strike was because the help wasn’t satisfied with the tip distribution. The room boys – called bearers had also taken the room keys with them so the skeleton staff trying to clean up the rooms couldn’t get into some. We had turned our key in at the desk so our room went uncleaned. The method of sweeping is with something resembling a broom which just moves dirt from one spot to another. I think they think if they rouse a cloud of dust they are accomplishing something. I could see ever so many places where the good old American know-how would have been a great help. We had a notice under our door when we got up at 3 a.m. that no more meals would be served in hotel until strike is settled. It didn’t bother us because we were leaving. Will tell you more when we come home.

Love Mother

Had a letter from Janssen and he said the car business was over the insurance. I am still not too happy about it. I thought your driving was covered. Do you still plan to meet us?

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/17/flying-to-tehran/

Taj Mahal

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Jaipur, India
Feb. 29 – 1964

Dear David: Your letter was here when we arrived at about 12:30 or a little later. This hotel used to be palace of a Maharajah. I haven’t heard the history of place, but it is fabulous. I have just washed and pin curled my hair and I am sitting in a breezeway however I don’t know what the proper name is for it. There is a courtyard to my left and our room opens from court yard. We came here by car – a tortuous journey lasting 5 hrs. In Agra yesterday when we started our tour to see Taj Mahal and after points of interest our guide wanted to know if we could understand him. In our conversation we discovered he belongs to Methodist Church. There is a Methodist school is Agra and although that wasn’t on our tour he took us to the school – it is Holman Institute. I had prayer calendar in my purse so knew there was an institution in Agra. I looked up the name – he had said Miss Schaffer was head of school. When we stopped – we were in a pretty good tour car – when you consider standard car here – and caused quite a flurry in the courtyard. There was an old man who evidently works for the school and he went in and told Miss Schaffer the Bishop had come. When Miss S. came to the door we told her who we are and then she explained what had happened. Dad assured her he wasn’t the Bishop. We didn’t stay very long but she seemed very pleased to have us stop. I asked her if she had may Methodists stop. She said she has a lot of tourists stop but not so many Methodists. There are 800 students enrolled in Holman. There is also a Baptist Church & school – an Episcopal – a Catholic & Seven Day Advent, so the missionaries have been here a long time and judging from observation there is much yet to be done. It is very dry here and much like Arizona. There is much marble in this palace, but it is gritty. The grounds here are kept watered so are very beautiful with green lawns and flower beds. We will be here yet tomorrow and then go back to N. Delhi Monday. Last night we went back to look at the Taj in the moonlight. It is lovely in either day light or moonlight. When we first looked up at the stars directly over the Taj saw one moving so we watched and it was a satellite – either U.S. or R. While we were looking at the Taj in the moonlight we saw a couple with two children who had come on same plane. The man was taking a time exposure. We were talking to them – something we have found is usually easy to do with other Americans. They are living in Pakistan and were on a little holiday and were going back to Delhi last night. The man is working on a huge dam project and they told us about their American city – walled that is – in Pakistan. It is completely modern with supermarket and frozen foods – something unheard of for people who live in this part of the world. Bonnie will know what I am writing about because her mother’s cook goes to market every day. The missionaries told us their cooks go to market twice a day. They think freezing good spoils the taste. It was hard for us to tell people how I buy groceries, that is make them understand it could be done by the week or two weeks. Incidentally I had read about that dam project in Pakistan in the book I read recently about the World Bank. I was very happy to learn about your good grades and hope you will make honor roll. I think that will be a good way for you to graduate. Mrs. McGraw said Bonnie had written that you tow were not going to graduation since she will be travelling half way around the world to see Bonnie graduate and since you are our last one too, I think it would be cheating us for you not to attend. Think it over. I hear a plane going over. There is an airport here and had I known what a drive we were in for, we would have come by plane.

[page 2] The roads are very narrow and not too smooth and there is everything besides cars on the road. We saw a truck that had lost a wheel and had turned over this morning. Our driver is a Sikh – pronounced Seek. He wears a turban and has long hair – however his hair is braided and wound around his head under the turban. He also has a beard all over his face except above and below his eyes. He is a very good driver and is very well informed. He has been working for tourist bureau since 1956. He speaks very good English. He calls me Madam and Dad Sir. He wants to take us for a drive around the city at 4:30. We are to have our tour tomorrow. I am still looking for a letter from you about why you aren’t driving the Chevrolet. Mark just wrote and said the Ins. Co. had run an investigation on us and that you weren’t driving the car. Mark has had trouble with the Cadillac. I wrote to him to take it to Tub in Kentland. I had a letter from Mary K. Anslett and she said she thought sure she had seen Chuck Tuberty driving our Cadillac down the street. We checked with Mark’s letter and when she wrote would be the date the Cadillac would be in Kentland for repairs. I hope Tub was able to get it in order. I wrote Mark we didn’t intend to leave a dud for them. We receive letters at every stop. We have written to the hospital all along and groups and individuals keep writing to us and tell us how much they enjoy getting our cards and letters. The Ansletts have adopted a little girl and her letter had the announcement. We knew they were trying to adopt a child but didn’t think it would take so long. M.K. said Marge Janssen is working temporarily at Sears since the girl to replace M.K. wasn’t satisfactory.

Love Mother.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/16/taj-mahal/

Reclining Buddha

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Postmark – 25 February 1964]

Dear David – We are on our way to Singapore via Quantuas. Announces time is 1 hr. 45 min. We have had three flights today. Had a tour at Siem Reap – ate lunch – took plant to Phnom Penh then on to Bangkok. That sightseeing at Siem Reap was worth all the effort. Just hope all the pictures are good. Took several rolls. I took a picture of two toes of the statue on this card – all my little camera could take in. We are going to have dinner in a few minutes but have had food on two previous flights and I am not hungry. Our travel agent in Bangkok took very good care of us and helped us get from one flight to other without much bother.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/15/reclining-buddha/

Something Uncle Floyd Would Say

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

2-20-64

Dear David: I just reread Mark’s letter and still wonder what this car thing is all about. Why don’t you write me in detail just what the scare is on the whole thing. We took a tour this a.m. and saw the Royal Palace and Temple of Emerald Buddha. Those two places are the show places of Bangkok. Dad attended Rotary at noon. We took another tour this afternoon and saw the great reclining Buddha which is covered with gold and looks like it is a block long. I took a picture of the bottom of two toes – couldn’t get the whole figure in our camera. We also viewed the Marble Temple and Temple of solid gold Buddha. At one time of he[?] the figure was covered with plaster to disguise it from enemy then people forgot about it. Only in recent years did the plaster begin to peal off and was discovered they had a Ft. Knox here in Bangkok. We also visited UNICEF office and received some literature on their work here. Drove thru Chinatown section. We have tickets to attend Thai dance performance tonight at 9 p.m. We are just loafing around before going to eat dinner. We had some nuts and a drink about 5 o’clock and I am not too hungry. There is a swimming pool with a terrace for watching and that was where we loafed and had our refreshments. There are no Methodists here – or at least couldn’t find any listed in Prayer Calendar. There are some Catholics. Dad said the Rotary Club was quite international and there is a Masonic Lodge here. Fri. a.m. – Had breakfast with a couple from Philadelphia – they have left now on a tour we are waiting for. We are going to pack this afternoon for our departure tomorrow a.m. It is 18 miles to airport and we had to be there an hour or two before flight since we have to go thru customs, I will be glad when we get to Malacca. We will be there about 1 ½ days. It is so hot here it has a tendency to make one a little lazy. However the hotel where we are staying has air conditioning and I have to wear a light wrap when we dine. Our room is too cold for me but Dad likes it. We sleep under wool blankets – real crazy isn’t it. – Fri. a.m. – later almost noon. We have had another tour in a motor boat. Yesterday Dad said if he saw another Temple he thought he would throw-up – however he wasn’t quite that nice – just translate into something Uncle Floyd would say and you will have his words. We went to one today but it didn’t seem to have an ill effect upon him. The one we saw – or one of the ones we saw had a stairway on outside with 59 steps – and steep too. We didn’t go to the last step – just about 1/3 of the way, and took some pictures. We keep snapping and we are to run out of film today but can get all we want here at their price which is much more than in Singapore Hong Kong. We should have bought more while we were there. Everything but food is very expensive here. We are thru sightseeing and just intend to loaf around the rest of today. I called U.S.I.S. Mon. – Mr. Robert Lasker about going into Cambodia. He said it was safe for us to go. Woman at Travel Agency said the hotels there are booked full until April, so people keep going to see the sights. We have been told the accommodations aren’t so good but I think we can put up with it one night. We saw water people again today – something akin to what we saw in Hong Kong. Floating markets. We were on a river this morning and saw how the people live on edge of river and canals. They use the river for everything but drinking. They have large jars rain water is kept in for drinking but they wash their dishes in the river. We saw so many children in their birthday suits. When we were in Bali we saw something and

[page 2] although government has decreed the women must wear something above waists we saw many – of all ages – with just sarong. John said only filthy minded foreigners stared at Bali women who go bare breasted. I took one picture of a group of children in Bali in their birthday clothes but we were in a shady spot so it may not be any good. I think most of the Bali pictures should be good. We sent a box of Dad’s things back home today – his overcoat and a jacket and pr. of pants. We decided we didn’t need the radio so put it in and the large collection of literature we have gathered as we have traveled. It certainly gets heavy, but there is so much I want to show you when we get home. We collected quite a load of Methodist literature in Hong Kong. We were up early this a.m. for our motor trip and since we ate light breakfast are ready for something substantial. Let us have details of why you can’t drive the car.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/14/something-uncle-floyd-would-say/

One Night in Bangkok

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Feb. 19, 1964

Dear David –

We had a letter from Mark waiting for us here in Bangkok. He told us about car and we don’t know quite what to think about the situation. Of course there isn’t much we can do about it from here, but I rather think our agent in Kentland will hear about this when we get home. I can’t understand why you couldn’t you our car if all the other students from our town such as Julie and others drive cars to school. I hope that won’t alter your plans to meet us when we get home. I am enclosing a photo copy of bill for you to use to get your suit. I didn’t quite know all I should have known about regulations before we mailed packages amounting to more than $10.00. I had to have a photo copy made of bill for pearls I purchased and sent home. Customs office in Chicago is holding Mark informed me in letter I received today. Since it was the middle of morning when we arrived we didn’t do much but loaf around. We had a very smooth fast flight from Djakarta and were we glad to shake the dust of that place off our feet. I am glad John is coming home. Everyone we talked to was pretty much of same opinion. We haven’t planned anything for this evening but will have a tour tomorrow and one Friday. Will go to see performance of Thai dancing tomorrow evening. This is the hotel where John stayed and we had a coke & ginger ale by the swimming pool we have pictures of. I am not sure where your suit will be sent but I think there is a customs office in Indianapolis. It shouldn’t take more than 6 weeks for it to reach you. There is a Rotary meeting at this hotel tomorrow noon. I don’t know whether Dad will be back in time from our tour. We have our flight to Cambodia confirmed so will go there Sat. as far as we know now.

Love Mother

Bali

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Feb. 19 – 7:30 a.m.

Dear David – We are on Garuda flight from Djakarta to Bangkok and it left pretty well on schedule. After the flight to Bali on the small planes this jet seems rather smooth. We were supposed to leave here yesterday but due to circumstances beyond our control we were delayed. We arrived here on schedule and had Nitour agent meet us and thru customs OK. Our flight to Bali the next day was scheduled for 8:30 so we were at airport at 7:30 – told we must be there an hour early – we waited until nearly 10 o’clock before we could board. We were just half an hour out on way to Bali when suddenly plane turned around. Stewardess said one engine wasn’t doing right and that we had to return to Djakarta – so when we arrived back at airport were told to wait. After a while we were served some lemonade, then we sat again. Finally we were told no flight – we began to complain about flight being cancelled – they said not cancelled just postponed until tomorrow. We had to return to hotel and get a room. Couldn’t seem to get much information about anything. We were told to be at airport by 5 or 5:30 next a.m. We got up at about 4:30 and were at airport with the other tourists who had shared same fate. We saw our bags being loaded then taken off and we were told plane had to be used for military, and supplies. We went back to Garuda office and began to give them a bad time. We were given hotel accommodations by airline for our second night. We with the other tourists were at airport next a.m. and finally and at last were allowed to board a plane. It made two stops before going to Denpasar, John was waiting for us and his friend from Bali. The airline office had said they would send a message to John. We told them he would be waiting for us at airport. He didn’t get any message and had waited all day Tues. & Wed. to meet us. That cut our visit short but we got to see a lot in the four full days we were there. You can believe me we are glad to be on our way to Bangkok. We will tell you all about our Bali tour when we get home. John will be home at the end of June. He isn’t going to sign another contract. He doesn’t know yet what he is going to do but if he doesn’t work for a year he says he will have time to get caught up with things. He feels he can take a leave on his own. We really enjoyed our visit with him and I hated to leave him but since he plans to be home in a few months I can look forward to that. We were thinking about the suit we sent you. You will probably have to pay duty on it so if you do write us if you get it in time so we can pick up your letter in Paris. We will need that information when we go thru customs in Chicago, so be sure to let us know how much duty you have to pay. I haven’t written any letters since we left Hong Kong. I mailed one at airport in Bangkok so I mailed a letter there. I hope we have some letters when we get to hotel in Bangkok. Where we stayed in Bali was really out of touch with the outside world. I think they had a telephone or two but none where we were staying. No electricity. Our cottage had a wonderful view but not much in the way of accommodations. However, we were out sightseeing so much while we were there it didn’t make too much difference. We were glad to get back to hot shower in Djakarta. Hotel Indonesia is very modern. We used to think traffic around home and in Chicago area is bad but you haven’t lived dangerously until you have traveled around in taxis in this part of the world. I think a car is a challenge to any driver and he is not about to miss a challenge to frighten a passenger. We have met a number of fellow Americans going our way or crossing paths with us and it is easy to spot Americans. Most of them are friendly. It is like a large fraternal order. We never hesitate to speak to another American and have found most of them ready to converse. We were at airport this a.m. by 5 and there was an American couple and a woman from Switzerland – who lives in Kyoto Japan and is studying art and flower arranging – who we had seen on flight from Bali yesterday, so we stayed together until our plan took off. We were assigned seats at the front so they are back of us. I am trying to catch up on my letter writing so haven’t tried to talk to them since we boarded plane. We are cruising at 32,000 at 600 per hr. We are due to arrive in Bangkok at 10:15 – so our free day won’t be entirely lost by having to change flight plans one day. We lost our free day or part of it.

[page 2] I don’t know how long it will take us to go thru customs. We have a number of films we want to mail back to States when we get to Bangkok. We thought we could get processing done in Australia Hong Kong, but everything for our Kodak has [to] be sent to Australia. The film we bought in H.K. can be sent directly to N.Y. in a little sack, so that is what we are going to do with what we have taken since leaving there. We sent a box of several roles back to Art from H.K. I hope we can remember all the places we have taken pictures of. We left so early this a.m. we haven’t had any food – they did serve some pieces of candy when flight started. I think I could use a little breakfast about now. I thought I could smell food and hear silverware rattling, but since we are at front end we will be last to be served. We have traveled an hour since I started to write this – have a little less than 2 hours yet to Bangkok. So far flight has been smooth. It was very hot in Djakarta – warm even when we left the hotel at 5 a.m. but now I am wearing my silk raincoat and I am not too warm but at 32,000 ft. it does get a little chilly. Just a little incident that happened yesterday – on way to airport John had to scold his driver. He kept telling us he is going to get rid of him. Dad said he didn’t blame him. When driving thru country roads in Bali there are cars, bicycles, dogs, people, ducks, geese and it really looks like one land but two cars can pass. Driver wouldn’t regulate his driving according to conditions so finally John gave him a lecture – not a world we could understand because it was in Indonesian. After that, I asked John what he had said and he translated for me. You know John speaks Indonesian, Japanese, and Balinese. He could converse with anyone we met and as easily as a native. One day driver didn’t slow car when we were in a congested area and he killed a goose. John was very unhappy with him that day. Oh yes, I forgot to mention pigs on roads – the pigs and cows are all over the place. I can’t say much for sanitary conditions there. People are always washing and bathing but also use same stream for other purposes. You would have to see it to believe it.

Love Mother

A Stray Postcard from Japan

1 Reply

Postcard transcription:

Dear David: We went walking in garden in hotel grounds this a.m. – rained all day yesterday so we had to stay in. While we were walking we met an English woman & daughter. They were very friendly and we conversed a while. They are on a long tour, so we gave them some tips on Hawaii. They were very glad to have information. They are going on to Canada, then down to Calif. and on a bus to New Orleans. I wasn’t very enthused about that part of their trip so they wanted to know about bus travel. I told them they may like it but I wouldn’t travel as far as Chicago from home by bus unless I had to. We exchanged addresses and we are invited to visit them in London if we ever visit there. No one here in Japan can comprehend how cold it gets in our area. It is cold here now and I go wrapped with several layers of clothing, but nothing freezes here in the valley except tourists. We hope to reach a little warmer climate in Hong Kong tomorrow. Tomorrow is our last day of sight seeing here.

Love Mother

Postmark: 2-11-64; likely written 2-1-64

Bishop Amstutz

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Feb. 9, 1964

Dear David: We were invited to North Point Church today to hear Bishop Amstutz speak. After the service there was a dinner in honor of the Bishop and Bishop Ward’s widow. After the church service we were introduced to Bishop A. Since he was from Singapore I was sure he would be Bonnie’s Dad’s “Boss.” I told him we were going to Malacca to see McGraws. He said he knew about the engagement and that Bonnie’s mother had been granted permission to return for wedding. Since he had no way of knowing about us he was quite surprised when we told him who we are and where we were going. Bishop A. was in Indiana area in 1962 and I remember going to Attica to hear him speak. Since he has met thousands of people since then he would have no way of remembering me but seemed quite pleased when I told him about attending meeting. After the meeting and dinner (in a Chinese restaurant and pure Chinese dishes – nothing just for tourists) one of the men here – laison officer – drove us to Ferry dock and we came back to hotel. We have both been sleeping and just getting ready for trip to Djakarta tomorrow. Recently Bishop A. had been in Djakarta. The Methodist church has some mission work on Sumatra. The weather has been foggy the past two days so we are glad our sightseeing was done earlier. We still have a show every time we look out at harbor, so we have sightseeing whether we are out or in our room. Since Bishop A. doesn’t speak Chinese but Malayan he had to have the local Chinese minister translate for him. We could understand all Bishop A. said but not anything interpreter said as he translated. At one point Bishop A. said some flowery words about his interpreter – the Chinese congregation all chuckled. At the dinner liaison officer said translator said “more polite talk.” We entertained liaison officer Delmar Byler and his wife last night. One of the hotels here has a floor show which is a sampling of Chinese Opera. This is not season for Opera so we couldn’t see the real thing. The Bylers came to our room after dinner and we showed them some slides we brought from home of the family and a few of flowers & Mormon Temple on Hawaii. They visited until after midnight. Since we didn’t have to start for church until 10 o’clock this morning we weren’t in any hurry to get to bed. I may not be writing so much when we get to Bali, all depending on how much John has for us to see. Your new suit is finished and mailed home. It may be 6 weeks before you get it. We also mailed home several things we thought we wouldn’t need. We will know next time not to pack so much. Also I have a new suit and coat so won’t need ones I wore from home. I was so tired of those brown tones. I have a bright red suit and coat as bright as Bonnie’s velvet formal.

Have to leave our room every evening so the floor boy can come in and fix our beds. We had such a large noon meal decided we didn’t need much so ate very little. When we returned to room our beds were ready. All this service may spoil me. I think I could use an Amah or house boy and as many as live here I am sure one of two wouldn’t be missed. Tomorrow we fly Japanese Air and when you board one of their planes food starts flowing. We will have a 7 or 8 hr. flight so will probably be well fed by the time we reach Djakarta.

Love Mother