hail all!

thanks for the letter ma! it sounds rather pleasent and cool at home.  its monsoon season in singapore and malaysia at the moment and the air is wet, thick and sweaty. been having some nice food, there is so much variety here that its hard to choose.

 so far south east asia has been a breath of fresh air. people are so friendly here! i’ve been so unused to it, i am wondering around in a sort of daze thanking people prefusely for what to me is an unexpected kindness, but what is actually fairly normal behavior. its so nice to be smiled at in the street! our stay in singapore was really pleasant. out hostel was run by a young chinese couple who where so friendly and helpfull it practically brought a tear to the eye. singapore itself is crazy expensive so we only stayed for 4 nights or so and now we are in malaysia, whose people are so far is exhibiting a similer amount of cheery goodwill. for lucy’s birthday we went out in singapore with an vietnam war veteren, his two sons and five fabulous brazilian girls, who we met at our hostel. a goood time was had buy all. we had a bit of trouble getting into a club becouse one of the sons was wearing flip flops. we eventually got into a different club, though he had to hire a shoes for the evening. thus he strutted the measure on the dance foor in patent leather shoes with the socks pulled up and shorts a t-shirt. a striking figure!

 love julio