31st Jan 65

The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank
Central PO Box 227
Osaka

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Thank you for your letter, I have not written before because things have been as busy as I expected.  A great deal is new and one cannot relax until reasonably confident that all is understood.  It is anyway a busy time as January includes all the end of the year work and we are also printing invitation cards and great lists for the centenary in March.  I went out to a Chinese meal at lunch time last week to test the setting for a local staff party of 80 for the same purpose also in March.  It all cuts into the time available.  But as you say one thing at a time.  Documentation takes ages here and one has to visit the offices personally although a Japanese clerk has to come along to do  all the talking.  We have finally got our Alien registration cards and driving licences which must be carried at all times and never lost.  This all took three working mornings and various luncheons took odd hours out from the office.  One also has to get used to leaving fairly promptly to catch the train - you have never seen such crowds.  Luckily one can use the bank car if leaving at the proper time otherwise the underground provides the entertainment of complete crush.  One stands outside a full carriage and waits for the crowd behind to push one in.  There are no seats and its just bad luck if you go down because you would never get up again.  I have done this only once.

These are some of the tedious aspects of the place which are the first to become apparent in a new setting.  It will take time to discover the better side.  Meanwhile, Margo is doing much better and has found shopping in Kobe to be fairly easy and has contacted a doctor for Elisabeth.  She is to see an Orthopaedic surgeon this week.

Cheerio for now and love

Peter
PS   The girls are getting rosy cheeks from the cold weather