Browse Items (105 total)
- Tags: Siam (Thailand) – General 1892 -1989
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Siam: Kenneth and Margaret Prepared to Move
After the vacation the Landons returned to Bangkok and began to prepare to move. Everybody started to entertain them, having in mind that they would soon be gone. There was quite a "confab" as to where they were going to go, but the Landons did not…
Siam: The Commencements in Siam
The Landons began to attend school commencements. Once they attended a commencement ceremony and were so exhausted that they had to leave before it was done. They were told later that the ceremony did not end until 1:30 a.m.
Siam: Funeral's and Cremation
Margaret and Kenneth witnessed a cremation ceremony. The actual cremation usually took place only after a couple of months or a year or several years. It was costly to afford the cremation, so many families could not get enough money for it until a…
Siam: Ah Chuan's Baby
Kenneth and Margaret tell about Ah Chuan, their houseworker's baby. Chuan and his wife had already lost a first baby, so the Landons recommended that they see Miss Christiansen. The wife thus received pre-natal care and delivered a healthy baby.
Siam: The Furniture
Margaret tells about the furniture they owned. Kenneth tells of the way the Chinese made the furniture beautiful by rubbing it and polishing the finish to a gloss.
Siam: Tennis, and the Misfortune
Margaret played in a singles tennis match and lost the game. In the doubles she played with Dr.Theobald and played well, but they didn't win. The Landons talk about their misfortune buying some furniture. It cost them everything they had because of…
Siam: The White Elephant and Festival
White elephants (as well as white cows and white monkeys) have always been venerated in Asia. Margaret describes the white elephant festival. Large crowds would go out in procession for this festival. The first time the Landons joined the crowd they…
Siam: Festivals, The King's Birthday, The Golden Mountain
The Thai loved festivals. The King's birthday, November 8, was a great celebration that lasted three days. They had built a 150 foot mountain that was believed to be the center of the world.
Siam: The Tennis Court, Theolbald Preached, James' Operation
The Landons tell about Albert and Kenneth laying out a tennis court behind the two houses. Margaret talks about Dr. Theobald preaching on Sunday. They also tell of the operation that James had to remove his arm.
Siam: Siamese Culture
The Landons adjusted to the Thai culture very quickly. The Seigles and the Landon's teacher were all very helpful in their adjustment. The language teacher gave a great deal of her time taking them on culture tours in the city, teaching them the…
Siam: The Language Exam
Kenneth and Margaret scored very high for their language exam. Their teacher said they were the best students she ever had. Mrs. Welsh wrote them saying that she had been praying for their language study (she was still a friend to them at the time). …
Siam: Language Progress
Kenneth tells again about their language training, his doing three years in one, and Margaret two years in one. She kept up with me, he says. Margaret remarks that it was agony.
Siam: Kenneth and Margaret's Progress With the Language
The Landons completed their first quarter of study, which they did in two months. As it turned out, Kenneth completed in one year a three year language program.
Siam: The American Minister Entertained Prince Damrong
Mr. McKenzie, the American minister, was entertained by Prince Damrong and wanted to reciprocate. He sent his number one "boy" to buy the best kind of Chinese tea for the prince's visit. It turned out that the tea cost much more he had thought, but…
Siam: The Buying and Selling of Women
Margaret and Kenneth talk about the buying and selling of Women in Siam. A young girl was bought for $10 in Hong Kong from her parents. Another was sold for 110 tekals. They were working as housemaids for wealthy people in the town.
Siam: Odds and Ends
Margaret tells about some odds and ends in the Siamese culture: cloth colors for each day of the week, pythons used for food or medicine, Mrs. Fuller and the rickshaw ride, the fire that wouldn't burn the mission compound, etc.
Siam: The House, the First Day and Language Training
Kenneth and Margaret talk about the Seigle family, their house, and the first day staying with them. The stayed there for some time, getting used to the city and beginning Siamese classes the very next day of their arrival. They tell about the…
The Trip to Siam: The Trip and Arrival at Bangkok
The Landons boarded an English ship for Bangkok. It was very clean and comfortable. They talk about the journey to Bangkok and the food they ate on the ship, and the people they met.
The Trip to Siam: Singapore
The Landons arrived in Singapore, where they met Mrs. Dorothy Richard Starling, from Meadville, PA. She had married a man who worked for an oil company in Singapore, and her mother had specially asked the Landons to look her up when they reached the…
The Trip to Siam: Shanghai
Kenneth talks about their encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, who were missionaries in Siam and were now serving in China. The Landons arrived in Shanghai, where they celebrated their first anniversary. They met the Thomases who had also gone to…
The Trip to Siam: Kobe, Japan
The ship arrived in Kobe, Japan, for one day, and the Landons spent the time with their usual group, visiting the town and the countryside. Everything looked small, and the area seemed overpopulated. Margaret talks about Japanese quarantine officers…
The Trip to Siam: Honolulu
Margaret and Kenneth tell about their time in Honolulu, where they had only one day break. A fellow traveler, Mr. Kennedy, rented a big Packard car and they all rode in it, touring the city and the countryside. The Landons recall Kenneth becoming the…
The Trip to Siam: The Ship to Honolulu
Kenneth and Margaret describe their sea trip to Honolulu. They read letters from that trip about their daily schedules, the food they ate, the activities they had, and the many people they met. Margaret remembers an elderly lady, the gayest person on…
The Trip to Siam: The Train
Kenneth and Margaret describe their train ride from Chicago to San Francisco. Many people came to the Wheaton train station to say goodbye, bringing flowers and other things that Margaret liked. They tell how they felt about leaving home, describe…
Margaret's Nicknames
Margaret was called by several names. Kenneth always called her Margaret, but Adelle called her Peggy of even Peggotty, which she tended to use in her letters to Margaret.