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May 15th to Sept 1st, 1942

During this period we suffered much from hunger, sold some clothes and some furniture and bought rice and sugar, Charlie and I go to the market and buy some fish and meant but hard to get. Boys also catch fish, Charlie planted some bean and squash and the vines cover the guava trees, we get some vegetables from the garden and even sell some of the squash. All of us internees are short of food and would go back to Camp if we could take our families, but there is a bunch of so called Americans there who are trying to keep out Mestizo children, only a very few get in. The Japs don’t care but the Parents association will keep most of our children out.

We are really very hungry. Have enough rice and sugar; For breakfast we have rice lugao, and coffee of burnt rice; for dinner we have boiled rice, with some meat bones cooked with green vegetables or Mongo beans; some times fish the boys catch; supper boiled or fried rice, bagung [bagoong] or little dried dillis [dilis] fish; Mr. Garcia credited me for some native ham and we use it sparely; Altogether we will not starve but are all getting very thin.

After the surrender we had a christening, Nene being the godmother and the “chow” was on our table so that we had all we could eat. The parents were head gangsters and looters of this street. As the dance was going strong news came that the American prisoners from Corregidor were marching down Mabini St. We could see them by the thousand as they staggered along, many with only a pair of shorts, no hat, shirt or shoes, in hot sun without food or water. Filipinos gave cookies, water, fruit and cigarettes with only slight objection from the Japs; but they had so little to give — Oh it was terrible, and nothing could be done about it. It however, was not the horror of the Bataan Death March.

The Neighborhood association is getting started, we can buy rice, sugar, and lard at reasonable prices and limited quantities, but if have money can buy surplus left because some have no money on their day to buy.

I have a six months pass this time. Wilson was out for one week only. I ate a meal at the camp and it was much better thanany I have at home. Wish I had the whole family in there.