Shanghai, December 9^th, 1948

Dear Y'Mother;

Phil missed writing this week, so I will fill in for him. He had to go to Nanking on business, and I went with him to see more of China, and Hugo went because there was nothing else to do with him. He was of course very excited over the idea of sleeping in the train. We went on Friday night and returned Sunday night, so sleeping on the train was rather a major portion of the weekend. I was very much surprised at the comfort, and cleanliness of the trains. The bunks are wider than any I've been on, and though Hugo and I had to share one, and an upper at that, it wasn't too bad, especially when I turned around so we were feet to feet. I found I woke at each and every stop, and they seemed to be frequent, and most sudden, but returning I slept as well as I do at home. We took the entire of the four bunks on the homeward journey, only to find a young man in one of them when we boarded the train. He spoke good, but stilted English and kept saying "I am very sorry for you. The blame is not on me". We had been sold the same ticket, and all was righted, but when we offered to let him stay there, I was surprised to learn that the Chinese are very particular about not allowing men and women to share the same compartment.

I decided Nanking was definitely not worth a trip purely for the sake of seeing the city. The one and only interesting thing is the wall - very old, and astonishingly large in perimeter, twenty eight miles around. They apparently took in enough land to feed the city. Even now it looks more a country district than a city in many parts, though I did not see the shopping district. But I did go down the main roads, and it is amusing to see the wide streets, full of traffic, with large embassy houses, interspersed with plots of onions and cabbage, and cattle grazing on the pavements! The pavements being mostly mud, but evidently with some grass. You would think it was a brand new city started from scratch. Along one of these super wide streets, with a lane for heavy traffic, another for rickshaws, and wide walks for pedestrians, a law was made saying that only two-storied buildings could be erected. The consequence is absurd little buildings that suddenly get to be two-storied when they reach the street's edge. What a pity they didn't keep beautiful Peking for the capital.

There is one pretty part outside the walls - a large memorial park to Sun Yat Sen, and quite an impressive array of gates and steps to his tomb. It is blue tiled - the various buildings and gateways - but lacks something that similar things have in Peking. But the surroundings and trees are pretty, and it is surprising to see anything well tended, and I can't imagine how they keep the trees and bushes from being stolen. Phil says there aren't as many people up there in the North, but I notice the mountains are just as barren as the ones in the South, so they must have picked them clean at one point. There is a little reforestation going on. What I liked best of all was seeing the mountains - rather small, I think they are called hills, and if you live there you can get pleasant walking. The mountain just outside is called the Purple Mountain. Ours in Canton was White Cloud.

I have been trying out playing my gramophone while writing. My writing seems no better and no worse, but I don't really think I am appreciating the music, especially this Cesar Frank symphony which doesn't work on this machine in the correct order.

It is absolutely astonishing how warm it is today, and yesterday. This morning there is a drizzle, but yesterday was bright and beautiful - in fact ideal, comfortable with no coat and that sort of thing. I wish we had more of it, because I know well we are going to freeze later.

We stayed with the Shell man in Nanking - Bishop - whom I have known many years in Japan. Hugo was well entertained, with two boys to tea the first afternoon, a visit to one of the boys the following morning, then lunch with two small girls, and tea somewhere else with them. I think he hated to come back to Shanghai. We had a good Chinese dinner Saturday night, given Phil by Chinese who used to know him in Hong Kong. It was nice for Phil to be able to talk to them again, as it is hard for him at the dinners here to have everyone chatting away in Mandarin and he sits there like a dumb uks. Strange word.

I am just about ready for Christmas, though I must say I haven't done much. I put a pound of prunes in gin, bought an army tin of mincemeat to which I added a few ingredients, and we have some eggnog, and I bought some fruit cakes, very cheaply. It sounds all very nice, but I really mean there wasn't much effort to it. I have been collecting toys for several months, and tho' I haven't named any, I hope there will be something for the various kids in the compound, and last week I spent many hours getting tools for Hugo. Although they too are expensive, I don't mind getting something real whereas it is nonsense to pay for the junk toys. It won't make a very exciting stocking, and I can see that I shall be well occupied in carpentry in order to get him really interested. The tree decorations have been a problem but it is solved by a roll of silver paper, which Phil says was used in the war to mix up the radar screens of the enemy. He also says I paid about twenty times too much for it. It must have cost almost five shillings, and he says at home would be thruppence, but still, that sparkly tinsel that one puts around the tree is selling for thirty cents gold a yard! It's really quite amusing to see what things cost and to wonder who buys them. You will remember my bottle tops from the Christmas in Jersey. I feel sure I must have packed a few things from that Christmas - I know I had bought some of those silver paper icicles, but I have nothing. I suddenly remembered a large bottle of Marmite that didn't arrive either. I wonder how much else. We haven't a single pack of cards, and I don't know whether they could have been left in the cottage. You remember how many new packs you had given us. The bridge scores turned up. You see, they unpack everything in the customs house, and I know they don't get everything back.

We have had letters from Claudia and Pinkie and Mrs Aldrich-Blake, but nothing from Lee yet. Mrs A.-B. said he played the radio from the first moment in the morning to the last, and was having a great game with plasticine animals he had made with pins inside them and which he made move all around with a magnet. She said it was nice to see him smile, which he very seldom did. I suppose he got that from Phil - but it seems odd he doesn't because he is quick to see the humour in a situation.

I had my first Japanese luncheon last week, and it seemed very successful. It must have been funny to see us eating around the table, which was on the floor, but the cooking arrangement was high on the table, and we spent most of our time kneeling as in prayer, to reach our food. The only alternative is a table with a hole in it, which I haven't, because if you sit around the regular dining room table and try to reach into a high bowl, you would have to stand in the end. I must have all the other women I owe, now, as it's quite the easiest way to entertain them, and Phil will have to bear it some nights, for there are men from Japan who have begged to have it. There is a restaurant here, but very far away, and I think mine is better anyway, because they won't pay the prices for bamboo and mushrooms. Funny to think that bamboo shoots should be such a luxury in China. I haven't found out why, but my boy simply won't serve it to me at ordinary meals, saying it is too expensive, though I notice other households can afford it.

Thank goodness we now have our old boy back again. He seems very well, but went to work a week early because the third substitute boy got a job! I hope he is going slowly, because he is apparently very anaemic, and I certainly don't want him sick again. We have been having our dinner early on his account, but whereas normally we would be out about every other night, this week and last we have been home the whole time. It is indeed nice too. Tonight we go next door to a farewell cocktail party, but come back for dinner.

I reckon every one is worn out after the wedding and St. Andrews. They ought to be anyway. All the clubs have big plans for Christmas. The French Club has a fancy dress children's party on the 27^th. Hugo heard about it, and is bound to go, but actually we don't know any of the children there, so I don't reckon it will be much fun. We can take two children as guests, so I will do that - but I haven't yet heard what the mamas will say on the subject of the costume. There is no such thing as cheap cotton.

I have been writing for exactly an hour. It is not very quick, but I am sure I would never write so much without the machine.

Our dog is in a very sorry state, with her back shaved, and covered with a terrible mixture of tar and sulphur, because of an eczema. She has to be kept outside, and taken to the doctor several times, and is altogether a nuisance. She looks awful too as you can imagine, with a bare back, and long shaggy hair everywhere else.

Mr Powell is back, but no one has heard any news of their leave. It is unlikely that we will go within a year, as so many others are going this spring and summer. I do hope they won't send us home for a winter leave. Christmas presents have arrived from you, and have been put carefully away, though I am afraid Phil peeped.