April 30, 1933
Canton

I received your good letters posted March 27th an April 4th yesterday. This is the first mail in a week and a half. Two boats arrived the same day in Hong Kong. Things seem to be worse than ever over there. Perhaps the beer will help. It seems funny to think you can't have anything you want to drink. I guess I am more accustomed to this country than I thought.

I have been extremely busy over here both at the field and after hours house hunting and servant hunting. At the field I have a class of seven Flight Commanders for flying instruction and flying from two to three hours each morning. Now we fly from 6 AM to 9 AM. It is pretty tough but will be over May 16th when we go into Gunnery. And of course lectures in the afternoon both to [a] class of 150 at the field and [a] class of 70 at Primary school. You can see that I have enough to do. After 5 PM for the last month I have been frantically house hunting and trying to arrange for Jeannette's arrival. This morning I got a house. It is a peach and just exactly what I have been looking for. I am lucky to be so fortunate. Also I have a No.1 cook boy engaged who seems to be a dandy. The bed I am having made will be finished tomorrow and the rest of the house is furnished. I am ready for the lady and just in time –she arrives in six days.

I found out what my nickname was two days ago. Everybody has a nickname but foreigners don't find out theirs for some time. I found out that everybody calls me Leong gi. Now this is good –it means “good looking or handsome boy”. I had to come clear to China to be called that. Terrill who is over six feet is nicknamed “the tall fellow”. Deeds nickname we do not know.

In three more days it will be Jean's birthday. I wish I could be with you to Jean paddle you even if you are a lady. All the best wishes in the world. Don't worry that presents will arrive. Perhaps I can “just call you up to say good night”.

Canton is a never ending source of interest. Last night I came home late after a party. The sidewalks were literally covered with sleeping people. Some had a dirty rag around them –others not even that, just their clothes. You have to pick your way around and over all those sleeping bodies. Is a queer experience.

I am getting to be quite an expert with chopsticks. We have been royally entertained ever since we arrived. Perhaps you would be interested in a description of a Chinese dinner. First, the men and women sit at different tables. The tables are always round. At each place there are chopsticks on thier rest, a rice bowl, a china spoon on a china butter plate, a small silver tray upon which is a folded damp wash cloth upon which to wipe fingers, then an ordinary tumbler for beer and a wine glass for sweet wine or whiskey. Before the meal starts servants bring around warm damp towels, one to each person, to wash the hands and face.

At each place is there is a pile of melon seeds. Everybody tears into them, cracking them with the teeth and eating the kernel. Quite an art too. All the husks go on the floor, in fact, anything like that that can be eaten is spit out onto the floor, fish bones etc.

Then the first course arrives –usually bamboo shoots. There is a toast all around the table before each course. The dish is placed in the center of the table and everybody grabs chop sticks and dives in. No holds are barred. Stand up to reach anything you want. And so the meal goes on, course after course, with countless toasts and “gombeys” which is “bottoms up”. The party gets better and better and the table cloth catches hell. Take off your coat, do anything you wish – food comes fiirst.

The dinners run from about eight to 150 courses. Bamboo shoots first, shark's fin soup, whole pig with cracklings on his back cut into small squares, mushroom soup, pigeon eggs, chicken and walnuts, pork, a whole fish head and all – head a prize, noodles almond soup, sweet breads, rice. Each course on a plate in the center of the table – everyone for himself. Of course there are many other dishes but that gives you an idea.

I have found that by “gombeying” about four whiskey sodas I can dig right in and eat everything. Over here food comes first – everything else in its place afterward. I wish you could have a dinner here. I am sure you will enjoy it.

In one of your letters you said you were sending me the Saturday Evening Post. Thank you for sending them, but I haven't received a single one. Somebody is pinching them before they arrive. You might as well not pay postage on them because the never reach me. Thank you for trying to get them to me.

I will be in Hong Kong next week end to meet Jeannette and will send a letter from there giving you all the dope on her arrival, etc. I hope the darn boat arrives on schedule. I will be glad to start really living again. Believe me it takes someone's whole time to run a house correctly in this country and she is elected.

Well dear people, I will sign off and give you a rest. The orange market may be rotten but your report on the grove's bloom points to a good year ahead. That should be a silver lining anyway.

All the best luck in the world.

All my love,
Stu