Let's Get There First
In 1953 my Dad was a pilot in the Air Force and that is how we got to go to Japan to live for two years and four days.
He was sent first and we followed six months later.
We had been staying with my Grandmother during that time and took the train from Tampa, Florida to Oakland, California. There we were to board an army ship to cross the Pacific.
We boarded the Sultan and were on our way. I remember little bits about the voyage.
I remember walking in the ship one day and being caught off gaurd by a wave and ending up running across a rather large room to keep from falling. It was not a controlled run.
In that same room, I won $2 playing Bingo. That was a lot of money then.
I remember I was the only one in our "state room" who did not get seasick. I suspect my brother heard about that from me a lot.
We got to Yokohama one day late.
We were one of four ships looking for the crew of a plane that went down. We were the ones who picked them up. They all walked across the deck after being lifted from the raft they were on.
That's about it as far as memories of the ship and voyage.
Oh, I remember standing on the deck in life vest as they lowered the life boats part way in a drill.
When we got to Yokohama Daddy met us and had corsages for both my Mother and me.
He took us to 2 Minami Sensiku which would be our home for the next six months.
I remember the house as being big. Mother says it was not that big. We had a living/dining room, a long hall leading to first the maid's room and then the kitchen on the first floor.
On the second floor were my bedroom, my brother's bedroom and two "tatami rooms". We called them that because the floors were covered with Tatami mats. We took off our shoes to go in them. They had a wooden balcony all the way around the outside of them. We were not allowed to get on that balcony.
There was a stone balcony off of one of the rooms. (I don't remember which room). My brother and I had our own private snow in the winter.
Our bathroom was not wood which was a good thing. There will be more about that later.
Imagine a 10 year old American girl with several Japanese girls of probably about the same age. I did not speak Japanese and they did not speak English. But, we had a good time. I will share my memories of them.
I am trying to find out if the house is still there or what is there now.
I will write part 2 in the next few days.
© Copyright 2006 Mary Ann Chidlow (UN: merian at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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posted by Mary Ann Chidlow at 12:21 PM
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