Looking back at my 2011 blog posts, I’m drawn to a handful of old scanned photos I came across this year. Scanning my mother’s and her family’s old slides was like opening a jewelry box full of sparkling diamond necklaces. These photos were all taken in Asia in 1965.
Angkor Wat in all its beauty. In this photo, my mother’s friend approaches the old temple. (I’d visit 26 years later.)
I love old flight boards. From the various scheduled flights here, I deduced that my mom was in the Phnom Penh airport when she snapped this photo. Tres magnifique, n’est-ce pas? As shown on the top, this photo was taken on June 25, 1965.
No photo collection would be complete without one from Hong Kong. My grandparents shot this one in Central, complete with the traffic police pagoda.
Back in 1965, Taiwan was referred to as “Free China” by people whose country didn’t have relations with the PRC. Here’s my mom and her father.
I also loved this Macau shot for its architecture.
And finally, here’s one my mom took in Japan on New Year’s Day, 1965. She lived in Nagoya from 1964 to 1965, thus the fabulous travel opportunities around Asia back then.
Happy New Year!
Dear Ms.Susan Blumberg-Kason
I am a Cambodian student.I am collecting Cambodian historical images, music,films and other things and sharing them to everyone domestically and internationally.
I am very interested in your photos of Cambodia in 1965 which are available here. Could you share me these photos or other photos of Cambodia in 1965? I plan to set up an exhibition about the historical photos of Cambodia. The purpose of that exhibition is to let Cambodian young people and foreigners know about Cambodia’s past. All your sharing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I am looking forwards to seeing your reply soon.
Yours sincerely
Sokmean Srin
Thank you so much for your e-mail! Yes, I would be delighted to email you my mom’s photos from 1965 Cambodia. I have your e-mail address and will send them shortly. Thank you again!!
Happy New Year Susan! Thank you so much—Ali Swanson and I have reconnected through your help and your amazing blog! I sent her a scanned old photo of 16 years ago and it brought back all her old memories!
By the way, I’m looking forward to reading your book “Good Chinese wife.” We read a lot of stories about foreigners marrying Chinese women here in China, but it’s uncommon for us to read stories about Chinese men marring westerners. I’m sure your book will sell well in China and abroad, just like Peter Hessler’s books.
Thanks so much, Suping. I heard from Ali about your correspondence. That’s so exciting!!
Thank you also for your very supportive words about my memoir. I hope to get it published in the next year or two. The publishing industry in the US is in bad shape, so your words are very encouraging. It would be a dream come true for my memoir to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Peter Hessler. Happy New Year to you and your wife. All the best in 2012!!
These are some great photos. I particularly like the shot from Taiwan. My grandparents lived in Hong Kong from 1956-1962, and I love to read their old letters about what it was like. They had a Chinese junk back when junks still had the big, beautiful sails.
Happy New Year Susan!
Wow, Shannon, that is so wonderful about your grandparents! Is that how you became interested in HK? It was certainly the case for me, although mine never lived there. They did visit 7 or 8 times from 1965 to 1982. (My mom first went there in ’62, the year your grandparents left.) Anthony Bourdain rode on one of those old junks on his new show. I think I only saw those junks maybe two or three times in five years. I wish people still used them.
Happy New Year to you, too!!
Amazing stuff – thanks for sharing it with us.
What was your Mum doing in Nagoya?
Thanks for the kind words! She taught that year at the Nagoya International School. She still keeps in touch with her friends from back then.