Travel Letters: Japan, 1934

R.M.S. "Empress of Japan" and the Pacific. Thursday, March 22, 1934,

Dearest Mother, Its hard to know where to begin as everything happened in the last few days before leaving Honolulu, and ever since boarding the boat we have been industriously reading "Japan Day by Day". We have found it intensely interesting and it will mean so much to us to have read it before going there. I have made notes of all the people mentioned and places to refer to if necessary - Anyway we can talk more intelligently of what grandpa did when he was there and will be able to appreciate things more. [Knowing] some thing of what to look for and expect.

I guess I'd better tell you first of some of the things that happened in our last week in Honolulu.

{Top centre: "2"} I think I told you about the picnic of Canadians at the beach on the other side of the island, and the same day going to dinner at Joe 'Eckana's?' As we were waiting to go to the 'Potty?' Commander [of] Mrs Nichols called. Aunt Nela's friends and of course were terribly nice, wanting us to come out for meals etc. We asked them to dinner on Sunday night at the hotel when Joe Kamakana would sing and they seemed to enjoy the Hawaiian music as much as we did. Sunday afternoon we went to a cocktail party at the [F......], and we back in time to meet them and the Moores joined us for another cocktail and then we six sat together for dinner which was fun. [E......] eating with other friends. After dinner the Nichols came over to our room to see some photographs and we got out books and all sort of things. [had] a grand time and they went back about eleven 'or?' later. {The .. is crossed out} Insisting we come to their house for Japanese Sukyaki some time before leaving. {on crossed out}

{Top centre: "3"} Monday we took the car back and were much relieved to have that affair settled, for when we bought it, one of the inducements for buying it was the good resale value it would have, and then when we went back the salesman promptly forgot what he had said before. Pete + I felt like swindlers but decided to 'stick' to our facts though it ruined two days for us [di.......}. We knew we were in the right, but it was merely the fact of the salesman over talking & making rash promises. However, Mr Campbell the head man was very nice and straightened it all out for us. When we went down Monday who should we run into but Jeremy 'Wilder.' he works there and we never knew it. he was great and wanted us to go to his house for cocktails Wednesday. which we did. Most of Monday and Tuesday we packed. I did up inummerable packages of books and a few old clothes, pasted Pete's sketches in a book etc. We had lots of paper but no string, so in

{Top centre: "4"} order to hold the bundles together until we could get some. I used that 'leikum?' paper" they put on packages in stores. Its most convenient, but I regreted it later for on Thursday afternoon when I dashed to the window in the post office with my arms full of bundles, the man told me I had to take every bit of 'leikum?' stuff off or pay letter postage. I noticed {word crossed out} through the window all the packages the man before me had mailed, were being carefully openend for 'fruit?' I guess. I thought of the pains I had taken to do my things up. Before I forget it I better tell you about the various bundles. In the rush at the last minute I forgot everything. You see I am breaking up. In one box coming by express is a present for you from Pete, with directions inside of how to erect the object. In another package with green paper (I think) is the same thing object also with directions inside which we intended sending to 'Margee?' {Paper stamp 'Printed in England"}

{Top centre: "5"} Watkins but we couldn't find a suitable wooden box and so sent it with yours to you . and could you do it up together with the box of five Japanese dolls and send it to her marked from Pete? She's a great favorite of his as you know. I think there is a Lau hala hat in the box too which maybe you could use in the garden and inside this are two paper leis given to us by Mabel as a parting gift. We'd like to keep them and sent them to [Concord] to give you an idea what a lei is like. The toy {striked through 'Pete'} for you Pete saw and decided you should have it. We had such fun playing with it we began thinking of what little girl would like one and thought of Margee. Thats why we got the two. One for you and one for her. The one for you we had on our bureau for several weeks. In another