Travel Letters: Japan, 1934

{Top centre: "6"} bundle is a sleeping bag to be protected from moths, and inside is a valuble box. all our films we have taken. The humidor might be the best place for them. They are all in their special [......] containers. In still another package are two books. one a present for you from me about Japan. The other Rockwell Kents book which we wanted to have in [Concord] when we get back. Its most interesting reading. In yet another package is the album of sketches in pencil of Petes and some of our tiny oil sketches. only a few are any good. In a large flat package is not Ebbs and France's Christmas present but a lot of miscellaneous experiments of ours. I think thats all. but why I forgot to write you about them I can't think.

Well to continue. There were a hundred and one things to be done besides packing. as there always are

{Top centre: "7"} and besides we did a lot. Tuesday night we went to a Luau, a Hawaiian feast. given at the Brays. for tourists 'nally?' everyone paying. but lots of Hawaiians were there to help entertain. The 3 Moores went too. and 'Hiram?' one of the Beach boys. The Brays are quite a family. Mr. Bray is Hawaiian and his wife mostly Irish and the family both! They make you feel right at home in their house by serving cocktails in the kitchen and being busy putting the last things on the tables which are laid on a large covered porch at the back of the house. The real kitchen being down in the cellar somewhere. The house being on a hill that slopes away at the back the porch is up in the trees really - or seems so. Its much larger than our porch at home and plants in pots and hanging baskets are around the walls so it is all rather nice. There were about forty other tourists there too and a good many Hawaiians making

{Top centre: "8"} quite a lot of us. The feast was very much like that we had at Joes. but no crab. Just before dinner we all went out - side and saw the pig packed in ti leaves being brought out of the ground well roasted. and really it was delicious. The {inserted above: 'word'} Luau comes from the dish of chicken with a spinach sauce. very nice but hard to eat with the fingers. Its funny how really messy it is eating with fingers when you aren't used to it. Its quite an art. There was Poi. [.....] Salmon. backed sweat potatoe. baked banana. coconut pudding and fresh pineapple. It was all delicious. and they started you off with small portions, giving you all you could manage later on. After dinner they played music in the tiny living room until the tables were cleared away and then we all went onto the porch again sitting in a circle while they gave a grand Hawaiian

{Top centre: "9"} entertainment. There were several girls or older women singing. two girls who danced and Mr + Mrs Bray + their son who did 'this show?'. Then there were two girls who used to be hula girls, one was very 'snakey' in a way and the other did the livliest hula I have ever seen. She was the largest girl or woman I ever saw outside a side show and was dressed in a ti leaf skirt and all. She was so 'shamed' at first that it was hard to get started. but once she started she was away. The surprising thing was that she was very light on her feet and did all sorts of old steps one doesn't see now. The Hawaiian boys loved it and some people weren't sure how to take it. but it really was a real hula. The Moores came with Mr & Mrs Stewart who are rather correct or try to be. sort of Y.M.C.A. type but very nice. They left soon after the entertainment, and, I'm sure took things too seriously. [E.....] was crazy to go and thought an Australian girl, Miss Clayton,

{Top centre: "10"} and somehow they didn't seem to enter in to things very much. We were sorry we hadn't come alone in a way. However [E...ie] brought us in their car and stayed quite a while after {strikethrough: 'we did'} which was something. It was all very informal and a good deal of piano playing and singing. A very attractive Chinese girl was there with her friend who danced the snaky hula, and I spoke to her quite a bit and sat next her during the entertainment. We were much amused when the girls danced alone and then would get {strikethrough: 'men'} tourists to dance with them, who loved trying to do hula's and were very amusing. After it was over the Chinese girl, Sally, introduced me to her friend, Harriet Robbins, the latter was terribly nice to me and we had quite a chat. She had just returned from Bali Java. China and Japan saying we'd like Japan best. the the dancing in Java was wonderful. She wanted to come down to the boat to see us off. They would do anything for one. She said her