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Singapore
Singapore is an excellent port. It's a little smelly, like fish and stagnant water, but a better port anyway. There were so many different nationalities there. I believe it was an English Crown Colony when I was there, or at least making the transition from that to self rule. It was also known as a city-state. That means it was a huge city that was self-ruled and not a part of Malaysia. Me, Gino, and Petey hit Singapore like an invading army. No goofing off here, we were going straight for anything American. First the "American Club" for American food, then on to the "Country Club", which was the hang out for the American and Australian employees of the oil companies. Round eyes, something we had not seen in awhile. Bob Meecham got lost one night and when no one could find him we all knew it was time to look under the tables. There laid Bob. He had been crawling around under the tables looking for who knows what. It could have been women, money or his way back to standing up. I sang alot at the "Country Club" with the band. There was me and another guy from the ship. We sang all we wanted, and the club supplied the band, which was pretty good actually. We won over some hearts at the "Coutry Club", American and Australian alike, even if we couldn't see past the microphone. Money and liquor and beer, no food just round eyes and good times. I happen to become aquainted with an Australian girl who took a liking to me. As we starting walking to her apartment there on the grounds, she took off running. What the heck is going on here?... I finally caught up with her just as she slammed her apartment door so, I began to beat and bang and kick as she threaten to call the S.P. and so on. Finally I asked, "what's Wrong?" She began telling me to leave as she slowly opened the door because her husband was soon to come home. Yeah, I believe that... I sat down and we talked as she sat next to me on the steps so, finally I figured this is a waste of time. I got up and said some ugly things as I recall and walked away. As I turned the corner there was her husband and he could not rightfully make any connections. 'Never learn...I just got wiser. As I left the apartments I wandered down the road. Singapore is a relatively safe port. When I got to the entrance to the "Country Club" there stood a big hindu Indian, as in Punjab and New Delhi. He with his turban on and me being in the drunken sailor state I was accustomed to, I began remarking about his turban. "I'll give you five U.S. dollars for that rag on your head", ha, what an idiot, what an insult. "No, No, You go away!" "No, No, you give me that turban for five dollars!" "You are drunk! Go away, Now!" "Give me that d_ _ n turban..." "O.K., Twenty-five American dollar." "No Way...Five." I reached to get his turban and give him five dollars at the same time. Never do this. What we take as being trivial is not to other cultures, like these hindu heathern guards. If you didn't know, they carry very long, very sharp scimitars. A scimitar will cut you in half along with the tree you're standing next to. I've never asked for trouble often but, I wanted that turban and I wasn't taking no for an answer. I reached for that turban and he drew that danged sword and commenced to get ready to cut me smack in two, over a nasty old rag that was on his head. I was really close to falling over anyway and I did just as the action started. Fortunately Gino and Bob and Petey swooped down from nowhere and grabbed me under my arms and drug me down the road as we all called the dark skinned towel headed varmit everything we knew to call him. He could not have whipped Gino or Bob so he knew not to pursue. Sailors really have a language common to only them and we used it often. That jerk hadn't seen twenty-five American dollars in his whole life. ' Never could stand them after that.