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June 3rd.

Well it is Sunday here now. Stu and I are moving tomorrow to the house that I told you about. I wish you could see the way one moves in this place. Several coolies come with poles and ropes and carry your things off on their shoulders. They carry unbelievable amounts of stuff at one time. We will get our rent fifteen dollars H.K. cheaper and do without the coolie which will save us twelve dollars H.K. Our new house is an upstairs flat with a lovely porch off the living room where we will just about live in the hot weather.

Today I got the spoons that I had copied, and they are not so good. The silver percent is higher than in our country, but the workmanship is crude. So do not bother to send the pamphlet. Stu and I have decided to spend our money for silver service all ready made up which is beautiful. I would appreciate a recipe book though. The way I cook, I cannot tell the boy anything that sounds like sense.

The pictures you sent were fine. Gwen and I were tickled with them. I guess the second set will arrive also, and I will give those to Gwen.

We think of you all the time and wonder how things are at home. From all reports they are not so hot. So far Stu and I have saved 450 dollars gold and have it in the bank. We will not always be able to do that well because the Terrills sharing expenses helped, and then Stu had 300 of it saved when I got here. We live very comfortably and seem to be getting ahead, but we will only stay here until things pick up in the good old U.S.A. Tell Wallace not to feel bad if he cannot land his job out here. He would not want to stay here more than two years at the most. He could[n't] trail around in his bare feet here either. If you touch your bare feet to the floor you get hookworms in em. In this house we have a whole congregation of white ants. They are like termites. The new place we are moving to has never been lived in. It is brand new and all cement which will be nice. When we get moved in I will take some pictures of the inside and outside so you can look-see.

It is about five thirty here and the breeze is coming up. It so far is always pleasant in the evenings, but soon it will be hot all the time they tell us.

The Terrills have left, and Stu and I are enjoying our privacy. They are just as nice as any two people can be, but no two families can live together and use one bathroom. They have a nice little upstairs similar to the one we are moving into. The upstairs is the only livable part of the house, because it catches the breeze.

We had some lovely roast beef for tiffin today, and last night we had lobster newburg made to order, by the boy. If you could see the stoves they cook on, you would wonder how on earth they did it. The stove is about a foot in diameter and a foot tall. It is round and made of some type of metal, in it they burn wood or charcoal. The whole meal is prepared in this, and it is all served hot. The kitchens out here are really remnants of old China as are a good many other things. The only modern convenience at all in them is running water, and that runs only when pumped. To look at the houses one would think they are fairly up to date, but the Chinese workmanship is so crude, that nothing works. Across the street is a very nice apartment house in which no one has ever lived because of that reason. The houses are built strongly on the outside but inside they are just like movie sets. The other day Stu tried to fix the lights, he removed the wall plug and half the plaster came with it. By the way, you should see them mix plaster. Coolie women get in buckets of sand and water and tread on it with their feet. They mix about a handful at a time. When a house is built, the first thing to go up is a match shed for the workman to live in. That takes about a month. Next they bring the bricks in ox carts with women pulling them. These they unload three at a time. Then they start the house. It actually takes months to build the simplest kind of place, and when it is built it takes months to get the lights connected, and the water running, and then the water never does run, and they bring buckets of water to flush the toilet with. We are extremely lucky to get a house as nice as the one we are going to get, and one as nice as this one. Thank goodness, they are all spacious and cool. That's the one thing the Chinese think of.

As I have already told you we have some very nice friends here- The Malleys, the Anthonys, the Terrills, etc. It makes it very pleasant.

In this country your boy makes everything to eat. Potato chips, mayonnaise, and everything. There is no place to get things like that here. I miss my pickles. We can get them, but they are so expensive, that they are a luxury. In fact you can get most anything here if you have the money to pay for it. I guess money talks the world over.

June 6th

I am writing in the midst of chaos. We have moved and the house is swell except that it doesn't have any water. We will have to have that remedied. The box came today also, and Stu and I have just returned from town where we spent all morning trying to get it. Wot a job, but it was worth it. Believe me we are certainly glad to see some linen. The pictures you have sent are good I thought.

I do not go to town very often, but the car is waiting take me now, so I must close. More later.

Lots of Love,

Jeannette.