There was going to be a Masquerade that evening, The Winners would be awarded prizes!
Neither Joyce nor I was prepared for it. We had no costumes! HELP!
So, we put our heads together, trying to borrow, buy, or maybe even steal something. Joyce found a Coolie hat she could wear and a Chinese jacket. I borrowed a Japanese kimono which our WAC had bought to use as a dressing gown, (though I was not keen on pretending to be a Japanese - Oh, what the heck), and a pair of Japanese shoes. We had ladies in saris and men in turbans. Someone dressed as a Chef, another a Spanish senora. We had Burmese man in sarong. We had Ceylon hawkers. Our WAC dressed as a Native American, (I am trying to be politically correct now - at the time, we would have said that she dressed as an American Indian. She had a feather on her head with a headband.)
A superb dinner, with dancing afterwards.
Anyway, everyone on board was 'game' and we had a great time.
Wait, where were the Priests? They were not at the party.
And, I won a prize - a bracelet with all the flags the S S Asia had flown on board! I still have the little bracelet. Guess I am a hoarder.
We have made friends, and we were kind of sad that the time had come to say good-bye.
Addresses were exchanged. Promises were made to be in touch.
A day later, we sailed into Genoa harbor.
We disembarked.
We did not see much of Genoa, because Joyce and I and some other students from HK had a train to catch.
Most of us were a bit apprehensive for leaving the safety of the ship where we had been pampered and into the chaotic land transportation.
We had our suitcases. Our trunks were to be forwarded to our destination. In my case, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Now, we had traveled first Class on the ship, and expected to have first class train tickets. Right?
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
For whatever reason, all of us had third class tickets on an Overnight Train from Genoa to Calais, France - NOT a sleeper, mind you. We fought the crowd and manged to secure seats for us. Seats were not assigned.
Have you ever traveled in Europe by train, Third Class? There was no Dinning Car either!
May be you should try it sometime.
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