<Begin Segment 14>

MN: Now while you were at Tanforan you joined a girls' club, and can you share with us some of the activities that this girls' club did?

KI: Well, in Tanforan I don't think there was a club but we went each section, there were several sections in Tanforan that had recreation halls and ours was Rec 2, we called it Rec 2, and that's where we had all our activities and they had activities according to your age and things like that. So that's where we did our, played ping pong or did crafts and sang songs and stuff like that.

MN: Is this a group also that put on the hula performance?

KI: Yeah.

MN: Can you share with us that experience?

KI: I don't remember much about it and I don't remember the dance at all, but we made our hula skirts out of newspapers, cut it up and then band across here at the top. And it was a talent... I guess every recreation hall had to present other talent show. And it was in the grandstand, everybody would sit up in the bleachers and then down in the walkway, in the grandstand would be the stage. So that's where we would perform, so it was very informal and... but I think it was fun. But I think in ours, the part that I remember in our section of course is before the dance was over, one of the girl's skirts split open where it was held together and I guess it sort of stole the show so to speak. But I don't think she was embarrassed by it, I think we all just sort of laughed and had a good time about it. Next time I see her I should I ask... remind her about it and see what she thinks about it. [Laughs] If she remembers at all, she probably does.

MN: Do you remember who the teacher was that taught you the hula?

KI: Uh-uh.

MN: Now you were also describing this garden and this lake that the Japanese Americans made in the middle of the track?

KI: Uh-huh.

MN: Where did they get all the material?

KI: I don't know. Well, they probably got it from... to make the bridge? They probably got it from scrap lumber just like leftovers from making the barracks. I mean, that's the only thing I can think of. I can't picture in my mind right now what it looked like, but I know it was there and I know I saw it but I just cannot vividly see it in my mind right now.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.