Dear Gay, That's the problem with leaving home for seven years --a few letters can never tell the family all that is going on. That's one of the reasons I'm typing them out now so everyone can see and feel what it was like to be where I was when I was. I'm doing it because there's an awful lot of power in writing things down. love Hughie
Not all areas of Indonesia were against alcohol. Borneo, from mid 1968 till late 1969. At a christian (Lutheran) village, we got Bintang Baru, in 26oz bottles. (New Star) We were living on houseboats so we did move around quite a bit. (Seismic oil exploration)
When I first arrived the outfit was tied up just below a muslim village. A couple of days later I borrowed a company canoe and paddled up river. The first store I came to was built on floating logs, with access from the river or the bank side. I picked out some fishing gear and placed it on the counter. The store owner had no English, and I had no Indonesian. He reached into the till and pulled out four pieces of colored paper, money, and laid them down side by side. I matched them. We both smiled.
Got back to the houseboats. "Fishing? You did notice that all the outhouses are out over the river." Never did fish.
If only Indonesians still held to the no-suit-and-tie rule! My husband teaches at a college in Manokwari and he only ever wears batik, but at ceremonies all the Indonesians go suit and tie now. Miserable in the heat!
Cannot believe the stories of what it was like in Jakarta at that point. I arrived there in the late 80’s as a child.
Manokwari! That's where I took the photo during the AOFC with a Papuan being punched in the jaw and hit with a baton over the head at the same time! I hope the Papuans are making good students and learning a lot 55 year later.
Such a rich and well told story Hugh! I really like your sub-title 'The Year of Living Soberly'. Quite appropriate when the strongest drinks available were a glass of cold water, or orange or durian juice! Fortunately Sergei kept the peace at the expat gathering by avoiding an escalation when Miss Norway suddenly exclaimed "Get your submarines out of our fjords!!!
Otherwise it might well have been heading towards becoming 'The Year of Living Dangerously'. Great also, to read of the Australian description of the Gold Coast goings-on at the 'Sufferers Paradise Beer Garden' etc, confusing those expats unfamiliar with Australian English!
Loved that Story - so much of your life in these stories, that we at home never knew about nor were a part of.
Hear you have had a hiccup in your health but gratefully ok . Vic never knew about you MGTF in Indo. Most impressed. He had a MGVA Roadster (an even rolder one ) when I first met him. He then sold it as I hated driving in it as everyone would look at you!
Well, that story bought back a lot of memories. In 1961 when I was in a Junior history class the Nun (who was a great teacher) told us that Australia with all our land and a very small population should be worried that Indonesia with a very big population and and a small land base attacking Australia. As a young girl of 15 years that worried me for quite awhile.
Also being born in 1946 i had a lot of empathy for the young men around my age being conscripted to go to Vietnam.
I loved the black and white photos of what happened in that era,
Yes, Sheryl I think black and white photos are more dramatic than coloured ones -- that's why I like b&w films. The lack of colour actually takes the mind back to another time when few pictures were taken -- not ike today when billions are taken every day! e.g. when George Orwell (1984 and Animal Farm) married his second wife in 1947 no one took a picture at the wedding. Yet George is the most famous author in the world!
That's so true Sheryl; it now seems ridiculous for us to fight the Vietnamese, cos we're now going there as tourists. Maybe there has always been a war somewhere on the planet every minute, and it's just that these days we hear about them. Like you, I adore the b&w photos. The outfits in the dancing picture are a scream.
Oh yes! The TDs had steel disc wheels and were not as sharp as the TF with its wire wheels with knock-off hubs. Not many of us could afford a TF, but a good mate had a Triumph TR3A. Not as classy as an MG of any description but many levels classier than a twin-spinner Ford Customline.
You've never seen such big eyes in such a small face as when cruising behind a station waggon with a tot in it. The sight of her tugging at and calling to the driver was so funny, I nearly stopped bouncing up and down (no seatbelts then) waving my arms around as the tears ran down the inside of my rubber gorilla mask! (I still have it but it's perished and gone all hard and sticky.)
You had a 1954 TF and you sold it? Well, I suppose you were quite young at the time. Actually, looking at the wheels it looks like a TD. Are you sure it was a TF, or are you just trying to big-note yourself? I had a 1964 Austin Healey Sprite Mk IIa a bit earlier than that, but had to change it when my newish wife became pregnant. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose!
It was definitely an MGTF Peter. I owned it for almost two years in Singapore and Djakarta but was leaving for London in 1970 and good knows where next so couldn't take it with me.: unfortunately. The engine was done up under to mango trees in Singapore and all the upholstery was replaced in Indonesia for almost nothing. I don't think owning a TF is any more worthy than a TD?
Ah, those were the days! When reporters had to "wing" it in foreign climes, and life was free-wheeling without today's bureaucracy & risk-averse behaviour that stultifies everything. Glad to see you are feeling better & writing again.
Thanks Chris. I've been in Hospital again for three days since you wrote that -- but got out yesty and ready to write more stories that you will never read anywhere else. Telling stories ... in both senses of the word "telling".
Yes thanks Chris I am feeling much better. All the better because Chuck and Helga Feeney sent a message about this story saying: "This is a lovely story, both educational and entertaining.
You really have a reservoir of fantastic stories. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Yes Jim -- well typing doesn't take too much out you. But I'm not allowed to do anything physical for 6 weeks. I hope to get back to playing tennis again after seeing the cardio.
I got back last time after my first heart attack so I can't see why not this time!
Dear Gay, That's the problem with leaving home for seven years --a few letters can never tell the family all that is going on. That's one of the reasons I'm typing them out now so everyone can see and feel what it was like to be where I was when I was. I'm doing it because there's an awful lot of power in writing things down. love Hughie
Not all areas of Indonesia were against alcohol. Borneo, from mid 1968 till late 1969. At a christian (Lutheran) village, we got Bintang Baru, in 26oz bottles. (New Star) We were living on houseboats so we did move around quite a bit. (Seismic oil exploration)
When I first arrived the outfit was tied up just below a muslim village. A couple of days later I borrowed a company canoe and paddled up river. The first store I came to was built on floating logs, with access from the river or the bank side. I picked out some fishing gear and placed it on the counter. The store owner had no English, and I had no Indonesian. He reached into the till and pulled out four pieces of colored paper, money, and laid them down side by side. I matched them. We both smiled.
Got back to the houseboats. "Fishing? You did notice that all the outhouses are out over the river." Never did fish.
If only Indonesians still held to the no-suit-and-tie rule! My husband teaches at a college in Manokwari and he only ever wears batik, but at ceremonies all the Indonesians go suit and tie now. Miserable in the heat!
Cannot believe the stories of what it was like in Jakarta at that point. I arrived there in the late 80’s as a child.
Manokwari! That's where I took the photo during the AOFC with a Papuan being punched in the jaw and hit with a baton over the head at the same time! I hope the Papuans are making good students and learning a lot 55 year later.
Thanks for liking my story Kacie,
Hugh
Such a rich and well told story Hugh! I really like your sub-title 'The Year of Living Soberly'. Quite appropriate when the strongest drinks available were a glass of cold water, or orange or durian juice! Fortunately Sergei kept the peace at the expat gathering by avoiding an escalation when Miss Norway suddenly exclaimed "Get your submarines out of our fjords!!!
Otherwise it might well have been heading towards becoming 'The Year of Living Dangerously'. Great also, to read of the Australian description of the Gold Coast goings-on at the 'Sufferers Paradise Beer Garden' etc, confusing those expats unfamiliar with Australian English!
Loved that Story - so much of your life in these stories, that we at home never knew about nor were a part of.
Hear you have had a hiccup in your health but gratefully ok . Vic never knew about you MGTF in Indo. Most impressed. He had a MGVA Roadster (an even rolder one ) when I first met him. He then sold it as I hated driving in it as everyone would look at you!
HOW YOUNG AND SILLY I WAS! Cheers. Sis. Gay.
Well, that story bought back a lot of memories. In 1961 when I was in a Junior history class the Nun (who was a great teacher) told us that Australia with all our land and a very small population should be worried that Indonesia with a very big population and and a small land base attacking Australia. As a young girl of 15 years that worried me for quite awhile.
Also being born in 1946 i had a lot of empathy for the young men around my age being conscripted to go to Vietnam.
I loved the black and white photos of what happened in that era,
Yes, Sheryl I think black and white photos are more dramatic than coloured ones -- that's why I like b&w films. The lack of colour actually takes the mind back to another time when few pictures were taken -- not ike today when billions are taken every day! e.g. when George Orwell (1984 and Animal Farm) married his second wife in 1947 no one took a picture at the wedding. Yet George is the most famous author in the world!
That's so true Sheryl; it now seems ridiculous for us to fight the Vietnamese, cos we're now going there as tourists. Maybe there has always been a war somewhere on the planet every minute, and it's just that these days we hear about them. Like you, I adore the b&w photos. The outfits in the dancing picture are a scream.
Oh yes! The TDs had steel disc wheels and were not as sharp as the TF with its wire wheels with knock-off hubs. Not many of us could afford a TF, but a good mate had a Triumph TR3A. Not as classy as an MG of any description but many levels classier than a twin-spinner Ford Customline.
You've never seen such big eyes in such a small face as when cruising behind a station waggon with a tot in it. The sight of her tugging at and calling to the driver was so funny, I nearly stopped bouncing up and down (no seatbelts then) waving my arms around as the tears ran down the inside of my rubber gorilla mask! (I still have it but it's perished and gone all hard and sticky.)
You had a 1954 TF and you sold it? Well, I suppose you were quite young at the time. Actually, looking at the wheels it looks like a TD. Are you sure it was a TF, or are you just trying to big-note yourself? I had a 1964 Austin Healey Sprite Mk IIa a bit earlier than that, but had to change it when my newish wife became pregnant. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose!
It was definitely an MGTF Peter. I owned it for almost two years in Singapore and Djakarta but was leaving for London in 1970 and good knows where next so couldn't take it with me.: unfortunately. The engine was done up under to mango trees in Singapore and all the upholstery was replaced in Indonesia for almost nothing. I don't think owning a TF is any more worthy than a TD?
Ah, those were the days! When reporters had to "wing" it in foreign climes, and life was free-wheeling without today's bureaucracy & risk-averse behaviour that stultifies everything. Glad to see you are feeling better & writing again.
Thanks Chris. I've been in Hospital again for three days since you wrote that -- but got out yesty and ready to write more stories that you will never read anywhere else. Telling stories ... in both senses of the word "telling".
Yes thanks Chris I am feeling much better. All the better because Chuck and Helga Feeney sent a message about this story saying: "This is a lovely story, both educational and entertaining.
You really have a reservoir of fantastic stories. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Fond regards.
Chuck and Helga
Good to see you are back at work again. Does that mean you are feeling okay again.? Hope so. Jim B.
Yes Jim -- well typing doesn't take too much out you. But I'm not allowed to do anything physical for 6 weeks. I hope to get back to playing tennis again after seeing the cardio.
I got back last time after my first heart attack so I can't see why not this time!