Saturday, July 13, 1929 [Six years from today is your wedding day, Hall.]
Had a cinema last night and among other things showed some views of Singapore and Penang. The feature was an English “cowboy” production White Gold. Wasn’t bad but the girl was too durned pretty to get such a rotten deal.
After my breakfast in bed as usual I commenced to read, but soon fell asleep to wake up at one. I missed some games this morning, for it was a gala day in second class. I got in on things this afternoon though.
The aft deck was all decorated with flags, etc. Tea, cakes, and sherbit (sic) were served, then followed an afternoon of all sorts of games, obstacle races, etc. with confetti, paper hats and flags and a few Japanese drums to add noise. The weather was the best yet while the sea was calm. Most the afternoon we sailed along the northern tip of Sumatra, quite close, so we could see the many forests of trees. From the coast rose hills, some bare, others tree-covered, that culminated in one or two good-sized mountain peaks several miles inland.
This evening has been spent in dancing, listening to the music, etc. Darned pretty moonlight night with occasional glimpses of a light on shore. Passed a boat this evening. We should be in Singapore tomorrow evening. Unfortunately the wind has shifted so our cabin is not so cool now. Singapore is now having its hot season—and only 80 miles north of the Equator. It is a sticky hot though and therefore worse than India. Being high-hat, it must be different, so has its monsoons in Nov., Dec., and Jan.