Back in the water!

[MarkShot]

00:55 Evasion successful.  Reloads complete.  Heading North into Strait.

I am going to have some complaints about these bum fish when I get back to Pearl.  Stand down from battle stations.

[MarkShot]

Well, time to pack it in.  Nice to be back out on the water.  Who knows maybe my next report will be filed from the Taiwan Strait (literally).

[MarkShot]

My manual says the early fish ran too deep. I think next time I shoot I'll set them to run as shallow as possible.

[Nefaro]

My manual says the early fish ran too deep. I think next time I shoot I'll set them to run as shallow as possible.

The early war torpedoes tended to run deeper than they were set, historically, and that's what sub commanders did back then IIRC.  Set them to as shallow as possible. 

Between the poor depth-keeping and the faulty triggers, there will be lots of frustration.  At least you'll have more targets to shoot at now.  :P  The real test is evading destroyers in one of the many shallow water areas.  :D

[MarkShot]

I haven't sank anything of consequence, but I did manage one night surface evasion and one submerged evasion. It got the andrenaline going!

I am wheels up in 24hrs. Just think ... The next time I patrol the Taiwan Strait, I WILL BE IN TAIWAN!

[Staggerwing]

It must be quite a feeling, knowing you will be living in another country within a day (plus travel time). I know you are no cultural wallflower but the 'differentness' of your new host country must still present a bit of a nervous thrill. We expect a running commentary of what happens! "The New Adventures of Mark in the Orient" could make for a nice blog title.  ;)

[MarkShot]

I think I have more amusing stories from my first time overseas in 1980. I'll share a few.

So, I got a motorcycle which for me was really cool. Growing up in the 60's in the USA, bikes were way cool. Of course, in Taiwan, everyone had one. In Taiwan to have the means to own a car was cool.

Now, in the USA, we honk a pedestrian meaning, "don't cross, you'll get hit". In Taiwan, a honk meant, "don't dawdle, move your butt and get across". I could never understand why these people kept charging out in front of my bike!

Do you remember the Good Humor Truck and the music when we were kids? In Taiwan wives didn't work. They brought the garbage out when the truck came by. Quite a few times I went out looking for the ice cream truck and could not find it! The signal music for trash pick up was the Good Humor Truck!

At that time dish detergent in the USA all came in the same shape container. I lived for two months with a guy and his girl friend. I couldn't read. Sometimes I would try to wash my own dishes instead of leaving them. As I grew up in the feminist USA. Now, I couldn't read, but dish soap was easy to spot from the shape. I could never figure why Taiwanese dish soap was so poor! It turns out that I was washing the dishes with cooking oil.

I got hundreds of stories like this about cross cultural dating and many other things.

[Staggerwing]

No pressure- take a week off to get to know your new neighborhood. Then start the blog. We'll be waiting to vicariously live it with you.  ;)

[MarkShot]

Dating has probably changed a lot ...

First, there wasn't that much dating, since relationships were supposed to have a point. So, extended casual dating was not easy.

Unlike the USA, dating was very cheap. The ideal place was some place highly public like a park.

American women tended to distinguish themselves as individuals. This was not the Chinese way. You could go out a few times and all they did was smile and giggle. You had no idea of the difference between Girl A and Girl B after a few dates.

You never had to ask, "Can I see you again?". The opinion of you as a person was formed before the first date. You would have had to be an idiot to be turned down for a second date.

You never asked a woman to pay. Unlike the USA, there were well defined sex stereotypes. Women were not looking for liberation, but men who fulfill the responsibilities of being a man.

I am sure much has changed from 30 years ago. Getting dates was much easier than the USA was much easier, but knowing who to go out with was mush harder. In any cross cultural relationships there are huge potentials for misunderstandings. It was common knowledge that many Taiwanese women wanted a ticket to the USA and the big PX. BTW, my wife is not Taiwanese, but Cantonese from Macau. I was very concerned about being suckered.

When you grow up in the same culture you can figure a woman in a few hours. When you grow up 13,000 milies apart it can take years!

[MarkShot]

06/18/42   18:26 Surfaced after a successful evasion of two escorts.  Will patrol the deeper areas of Strait.  Charging batteries and ventilating the boat.

[MarkShot]

Course laid in for a night surface patrol ...

[MarkShot]

23:38 PD – four stern fish fired at what looked like two troop ships.  Duds and misses!  400' evading.  Appears to be no escorts.

I had these shots at 800 yards!!!  Aargh!!!

[MarkShot]

The only thing that works is the deck gun!

[MarkShot]

As there did not appear to be any escorts.  I surfaced and tried for 30 minutes to restablish contact for a bow on attack.  But with no luck.  I am once again navigating out to deeper water.

[MarkShot]

It's a very clear day.  We are heading towards a busy section of the Strait.  If we see any activity, we'll make a submerged attack.