April 22, 1945

I am starting a new, very long term project. Scanning old family letters then transcribing them into something readable and sharable. Maybe a book with a collection of letters? For now I will put some of them into blog posts as I type them. There are hundreds of letters my granddad wrote my grandmother when he was stationed in China after WW2. I am concentrating on scanning them now, but will try to type one a day. Maybe I will type them all in 2 years. New label for these posts is China letters.

Here is the first one.

Darling Ginger, 

Two letters from you, one from mother, and one from Bill. Quite a nice lot. Not enjoying some more foggy and cloudy weather. Using the office portable now that I'm Staff Duty Officer this unpleasant Sunday. 

After one of our joint conferences,s the other night, a group of professional Chinese tumblers put on a very impressive shoe. One spineless girl balanced herself on three legs of a tilted four legged stool and without anything holding down her feet bent backwards until she was upright drinking a glass of water while doing it. Wouldn't believe it possible. Defies all the laws of gravity. 

Trouble is, we are so used to and sick of China and her misery that we don't see the interesting things anymore. Here in this large city an aquaduct runs under the sidewalk on main street, At every street corner there is an opening thru which the water carriers let down buckets to get water. For us who are not immune to the amoeba causing dysentery, that water must be boiled some time. No other purification method will suffice. Of course all waste matter is saved. In the morning the bucket brigades go by with their fragrant loads headed for the rice paddies where this rich fertilizer is used. As for transportation, Shank's mare, litters, ricksha, pony carts and sedan chairs are the only means available to the ordinary civilian. 

Well, that's all.

Love, hugs, and kisses.

George