This photo is labeled: Hallowe'en, Kanko Hotel. What is that costume supposed to be? When the American forces moved into Japan after the war, the took over some of the buildings. The Kanko Hotel was converted to an Officers Club. We used to go there on Sundays. We would eat dinner and then all the kids would drag their chairs up to the front of the dance floor. They would show cartoons and a movie. This is where dad performed the rabbit-jumping-up-your-arm that he made from a cloth napkin. We played "Letter B," a game where you'd get a ight punch on the arm for saying words with the letter B in them. Patty got her arm stuck through the back of the chair and caused a huge commotion as many people assisted in trying to get it out. They almost sawed through the chair. Patty also had bubble gum thrown into her hair by some other kid. Dad gave Greg and me a dollar worth of nickels and set us up at the slot machines. We ate frog legs. He made us learn to use chopsticks on a bowl of salted peanuts. For money we used the Japanese currency, yen, when dealing with Japanese, but to shop at the American places there was a certain kind of script and you got it at the Kanko Hotel. Can't remember the exact name. Vendors would come and this is where mom got some of her pearls.
Sep, 1966 In the Air Force they say, "Don't shoot 'em, Chanute 'em." This was dad's last assignment, Chanute AFB, Illinois.
4 comments:
The Halloween costume (the Mexican looking one) looks to me like Cantinflas- the famous Mexican actor whose films must have been all the rage at this point. Can that be?
Maybe Digger's are pajamas are something?
No clue. I remember singing "Hernando's Hideaway" on the school bus, playing our record with "Rolito es Mexicano, si, si" and learning the Mexican hat dance, if that helps. All while we lived in Castle Heights. Maybe they were in his movies?
I bet his critical piece to understand the costume is no longer being worn. Hat? Mask? Wig?
I remember the Halloween/Fasching? in Germany when he wore that blond wig. That wig still exists in our dress-up bureau. Maybe some day his great grand kids will wear it.
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