Margaret tells of the day they left Phuket and their visit to Phangnga, where there was a cave with a temple inside. Kenneth recalls war stories associated with the area and tells of his visit to one particular island. It was eerie. He tells of his…
The Landon's went to Siam for the second time in 1932. Margaret wanted to make their new home attractive, and was told to look in Nagasaki for a tea set. They found a wonderful place and purchased a set, with the business man being trusted to send…
Kenneth accidentally met Mr. Lindsay Hadley on campus and invited him over for dinner without knowing who he was. They had a good conversation (though a bit discouraging as to the Landons missionary plans) at the dinner table. It turned out that…
Margaret tells the story of her Chinese pictures of Christian scenes. It began when the Landons were living in Siam. Margaret received a magazine for women that contained a picture of a Madonna done in the Chinese manner, and she wanted to have the…
Kenneth tells of the Landon's different career spurts. He describes them as quite fortuitous, as Margaret wrote her book, and the war spurred great interest in Southeast Asia. Kenneth was also fortunate in that he was the only one in the Foreign…
Upon being asked about Thailand in the modern day, Kenneth makes his assessment. He reports that they will always survive and be independent, as they really know how to get along.
Kenneth tells of the lak muang. This post was supposed to hold a spirit who would protect the city. Traditionally, someone was crushed or impaled by the lak muang, and their spirit would stay in the area. Kenneth recalls seeing many of these in his…
Kenneth recalls the Siamese wedding he attended. After blessing the hand of the couple, he sat down at the stairs. This caused quite some dilemma, as many of the bigwigs of the town were there. As to not be impolite and through confusion, they ended…
Margaret did not see the play until it had been playing for six weeks, she says. She went up with Kenneth and another couple. Peggy asked her mother what sort of cake she would like, and she answered she wanted a simple cake like the ones her mother…
Margaret tells of the reasons that led her and Kenneth to decide not to go back to the mission field. One reason was the children. The Landons had seen the havoc that mission work had on the children of some of their colleagues. There was also the…
One of the reasons Margaret and Kenneth resigned from mission work had to do with the role of the national church in Thailand vis-a-vis the missionaries. They both believed the mission was absolutely backward and without vision, that the mission…
When Kenneth tried to have Harvard take Prince Damrong's library he got on the telephone and called the heads of various departments, including Dr. Keyes DeWitt Metcalf, the head of the library and the most famous librarian in the U.S. at that time…
Margaret and Kenneth explain who Prince Damrong was. He was a very powerful and highly respected person, not only by the Thai but also by all the foreigners living in Bangkok. He was the premier prince. They tell of the coup d'etat that led the…
Margaret tells of the Landons' first Christmas in Thailand. It was Peggy's first Christmas, and presents came from the U.S. Even though Adelle and the girls had very little money, they always found ways of sending gifts. She tells of the customs and…
Kenneth and Margaret perform the Burmese Gospel chant they learned when they were young. They have no idea what it means. A group of young Siamese taught Kenneth one sentence in their language.
Kenneth inaugurated a system of smiles with the two children. One day, when Peggy was fussing and crying, with the tears running down her face, her eyes all red, Kenneth shouted at her to "Smile. Smile!" Peggy couldn't manage it, though she tried…
The Landons lived on the Tajin road, held a mile outside the town. The main Christian community lived about three miles away. The general pattern was that people lived in villages for safety reasons. Ku Pru was a teacher at the school and her brother…
Margaret recalls her first date in college, with Alexander Gale. It was very trying, because Alex didn't know how to talk. She tells of social times at Wheaton, when her mother would invite students over to her house, or they would go over to the…
Margaret tells of the day they left Phuket and their visit to Phangnga, where there was a cave with a temple inside. Kenneth recalls war stories associated with the area and tells of his visit to one particular island. It was eerie. He tells of his…
The Tin Dredge was a huge boat built on dry ground before being moved to the sea. Kenneth and Margaret describe the fascinating process of moving the boat to sea. It was used to carry the tin, and several people with different expertise were working…
Kenneth wrote to Margaret's mother about their vacation. He talks about Margaret and what a clean person she is. Margaret comments on her concern for the health of the children in a place where death was so quick. She remembers skin and instestinal…
Kenneth and Margaret describe the monsoon rain and its sudden, violent hits. Kenneth explains the rainy season process and the crop seasons it gave for different areas in the peninsula. Some regions had three crop seasons while others had two. A…
Kenneth and Margaret helped two men get an education to work in mission. The two turned out to be very fine men. One decided not to go into mission--he did not have the personality for it. Instead he worked in a bank.
Ma Pawm and Ah Sim came to the Landons very poor and not so nice looking. Margaret taught both of them many things and they greatly improved. Ma Pawm was fond of Kenneth and even more so of Carol when she was born. There was a lot of work to do, and…
The Thai servants would fill the children with all kinds of superstitions. Margaret and Kenneth remember the lasting influence of these supperstitions on two children, their own Peggy and another missionary child. Margaret hired a second generation…