PEN-FRIENDS’ NEWS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22661, 16 March 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

PEN-FRIENDS’ NEWS

(Continued from page 5)

In this country the ' servants all have different castes and a man who is a sweeper is the lowest of them. He must not touch such things as glasses and plates or the other servants would not touch the things again as it would break their caste. So you see, things like living cost money in this country. My house rent is £ll 5s Od a month. On account of the heat we all wear very light clothing and have to change every stitch every day, so one has to have stacks of clothes. One blessing is that we do not have to buy overcoats or heavy suits. The light ones we wear cost on the average £2 10s Od or so each. When you reckon that we have anywhere from 16 to 20 suits you can see how costly this place is. Food on the other hand is fairly cheap. Butter is Is 2d lb, beef 3d lb, mutton 7d lb,.sugar 2d lb, bread lid lb, flour 2d lb. There is also a good supply of vegetables and fruit both in a good variety. We get apples from New Zealand and Australia; they arrive packed in barrels and have been in cold storage during the voyage out to India. Switzerland I love our alps especially In winter when they are a dazzling blue-white lying in the sun under a vivid sky. I had the opportunity during our excursion to be near the alps. We came through the most picturesque part of Switzerland —the Southern Canton Tessin (Ticino) called also the Italian Switzerland, but its inhabitants are Swiss patriots, as we others are. They are looked upon as a curiosity of Switzerland and are much spoilt by the others. St. Moritz and Grison were unforgettable also. It is just the opposite of the merry and gay Ticino. It has blue-green lakes, vineyards and old picturesque villages that look rather like small towns. The women wear zoccolis which are wooden soles with just a band of leather across the foot to keep them on. When they walk on the paved lanes the zoccolis clatter very gracefully. I have a pair of zoccs. which I like very much. Grison is the largest and proudest canton of our country, I have been invited to the Polyball where the students of our University meet those of the Swiss Federal School of Technology. The friend who has invited me studies chemistry. I am looking forward to the ball and my mother is making me a new frock for it. My Christmas plans are to take part in a camp consisting of 12 boys and girls in Arosa in the Canton of Grison. I spent my Christmas holidays there last winter and we were all so happy that we shall go therje .again this year.