<Begin Segment 31>

AI: Well, were you... you weren't in Germany the entire time in the service, were you?

AS: No. I was in Germany nine months and then seven months in France. Here in Germany the first three-day pass I went to, I went to Paris, three of us. And here seven months, nine months later we ended up only sixty miles from Paris. Stationed. [Laughs]

AI: Is that right? What was your impression of Paris?

AS: It's, Paris is big, spread out and it's a nice town, lot of things to do. Yeah.

AI: Well, and while you were in Europe, in Germany and France and then when you were near Paris, did you ever come across any Spanish-speaking people?

AS: No, except when I went to, I went to Spain.

AI: Oh, when was this?

AS: Oh, you know, like when I was in, stationed in Europe, I figured those days, we didn't travel too much. So I thought I better, I better see as much as I can. So I used to take off all the time. And so, then, one of those times I went to, I took, I think I took ten-day leave and I went to Spain and down to Barcelona and Madrid. And in those days, in Spain, they didn't speak much English. In fact, when we were in Barcelona we had to go for, I mean, we needed directions to take to get. And so they had a big TWA office. So this friend of mine that went with me, he said, oh, he said, "I'll take care of this one." So he went in the office and he came right back out and he says, "I think you better go in there, they don't speak English." [Laughs]

AI: Oh, so what was that like for you, going, being in Spain and speaking Spanish?

AS: Oh, first couple days I had a hard time because I, I hadn't been using Spanish. But then after about three or four days, it came back, so I didn't have any problem.

AI: And was there some difference between the Spanish you spoke and the Spanish there?

AS: No, because in Peru we spoke Castilian which is same as the one in Spain. Yeah.

AI: And so what were some of your impressions of Spain, the places you went to?

AS: Well, it's, it's kinda similar to Lima except that they stay up late, later than us. You know, they don't eat dinner 'til around nine o'clock, and then you go to, like you go to a nightclub. They don't open 'til midnight. But then at seven o'clock in the morning everything is just dead, nobody on the street.

AI: So there's a lot of nightlife?

AS: Yeah.

AI: Well, of the things that you saw there in Spain, was there anything surprising to you? Or anything that you, the things you saw kind of stand out in your mind?

AS: No, except like I went to Palma, Palma De Mayoca, which is like Capri to Italy. It's an island outside of, outside of Spain. And there, everything's so inexpensive that when you come back to the mainland, you have to go through customs. And, and so we were there three days, I think. We were only paying dollar and a quarter for three meals and board.

AI: That's hard to believe.

AS: And, I'm sure it's not like that now, but, and we weren't allowed to drink water, right, outside of camp so then we ordered wine for each meal and I thought there were fifty cents a bottle, they were only a nickel.

AI: Oh, my goodness. Those are incredible prices. [Laughs]

AS: Yes. And they gave you plenty to eat, too, each meal.

AI: Well, so what did some, how did the Spanish people see you? Did they, here you were, you have a Japanese face, you're speaking Spanish, you're with other Americans GIs. How did they, what did they think you were?

AS: You know, surprising that, well, in those days, we had to wear our uniform, even outside. So, not so much the looks, but, see, I went with an Italian guy. And whatever we go, wherever we went, they all look at him, and they don't look at me. So then, when, they, on purpose I don't say anything right away. And then I start talking and they look at me like, "What is the guy?" He's... they couldn't believe I was speaking Spanish. [Laughs]

AI: That must have been really strange reaction.

AS: Yeah.

AI: So, because if your friend was, so he was Italian American, or --

AS: Yeah, Italian American, so...

AI: But speaking English.

AS: Right, so he, they expect him to speak, right? Because it's hard to tell between Italian American and Spanish people.

AI: So they, they thought that he would possibly speak Spanish.

AS: Speak, yeah. So on purpose I don't say anything for a while. And they're looking at him and looking at him. And then I start talking and they say, like they can't believe it. [Laughs]

AI: That's funny. Oh, my.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.