My name is Stanley Mataichi Sagara. My Christian name was given to me by my first grade teacher who was probably from the Midwest and had never had an experience with Orientals. Apparently my Japanese name was too hard to remember for roll call so all the Japanese children in my class were given Christian names which we carried through out our lives.

Having been born in August I have just turned 81. I have visited 66 countries, however some of these countries are no longer separate, such as Macau or Hong Kong. Likewise Taiwan may revert back to China in the near future.

Some of my foreign travels were while I was on military duty and some were when I was on eye care missions with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH), and the balance were when I took tours to these countries. Several trips have been repeats. I still consider Japan as my favourite country, the birthplace of my father and mother. I still have a number of third cousins in Japan as I have second cousins in Brazil. My second choice would be Austria, where I was when WWII ended.

I was in D Company, 506th Pcht Rgt, 10lst Airborne Division. When the war ended eight Japanese-American paratroopers were transferred to the 82nd AB Division because the l0lst was scheduled to go to the Pacific Theater to help defeat Japan. Due to our race we were assigned to Europe, hover about 6000 Japanese American GIs were assigned to various units in the Pacific War as Interpreters-Translators. Each was assigned two big Caucasian GIs as body guards who accompanied them everywhere (even to the latrine) so they would not be mistaken for an infiltrated Japanese soldier.

I would very much like to visit Scandinavia, I have only been to Denmark so far. I have been to Copenhagen and Helsinki on several occasions but only in transit.

My special travel equipment is a nylon bath cloth made in Japan. It is helpful to remove dead skin and helpful to scrub my back. ($6.00). In my travels I try to keep my carry on suitcase under 28 pounds which I send as checked baggage. In addition I carry a shoulder bag which can be converted to a small back pack where I carry my shaving kit and other items that I need at my first hotel, in case my checked bag goes astray. In this way I do not need to access my checked bag for three days if necessary. I actually weigh my packed bag and may remove some items if the bag is too heavy. I try not to take any item again if I did not use it on my trip, except clothing to suit the difference in expected weather conditions. I also live out of my packed suitcase for a week prior to leaving for the trip so that I do not forget some important item or if I think I can do without an item, it is left at home. If you cant carry your own bag, its too heavy, Better repack! I do not take whole tour books, only those pages that are pertinent. I like maps and take good ones which are helpful to help write my travel journals. A small compass is very helpful, especially at night or in such places as subways.

The longest travel trip I have taken was for 38 days, which is about the most I want to take. They say “When you start to look like your picture in your passport, its time to go home! Australia had many surprises for me. I knew it was a big country and that we would only see a portions of it but a lot of country is a desert. I did get cleaned out of my essential possessions while in Oaxaca, Mexico. As it usually is, I have to blame myself. I kept everything in my shoulder bag which I set down on the floor while I paid for my parking fee at a public garage. Less than a minute was all it took. No one saw anything, so they told me.

I have trapped pickpocket’s hands in my pockets, once in Sao Paulo, Brazil and again in San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico. I learned that its better to chalk it up to experience rather than involve the police. They can tie you up for hours taking statements, by someone who is not fluent in English and they may want the money or article involved as evidence, which you will probably never see again since you will be moving on in a day or so.

While visiting in Korea I purchased several bargain priced sneakers which were irregulars or factory over runs. They were about two or three dollars a pair. I gave the salesman a US ten dollar bill and waited for my change. He asked me how I was fixed for sport socks and placed a bundle (probably 10 pairs) on the counter. I said I’m OK and still waited for my change. He puts another bundle of sport socks on the counter, still no change. I hesitate, he places a third bundle on the counter. I think he is not going to let that US ten get away from him. It became amusing to me the way it was turning our, when I should have been angry at the salesman. I finally took the several bundle of sports socks, the salesman kept my US ten and I have still a good supply of Korean sport socks (one size fits all).

As an American of Japanese decent we were not permitted to enter the US military service. In fact the ones who were in the service were given early discharges, except the few that fell through the cracks.

Later when the all Japanese-American Regimental Combat Team was formed we were permitted to volunteer to join. I was attending college at the time and was later drafted at Ft Leavenworth, KS. I was given the Japanese language test (we all took the test) but I did not pass so I went to Infantry basic training in CampShelby, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. On my first pass to Hattiesburg I got off the bus and had to use the restroom. I only saw signs for BLACKS ONLY and WHITES ONLY but nothing in between. My first experience in the segregated south. I used the toilet in the local USO which had no colour bar.

Upon finishing basic training I volunteered for the Paratroopers, mainly because I could double my pay (Jump Pay was $50.00) My parents and younger siblings were in a government operated concentration camp near Cody, Wyoming with any income so I was sending them part of my pay check each month. They could purchase some items in the camp canteen or order from the catalogue sales or ask their friends to do the shopping for them outside the camp.

After the war I transferred over to the newly formed US Air force and completed my 20 years of military service. I joined the Lions Club soon after I retired and one of the projects we had was collecting donated eye glasses. No one could tell me what happened to the eye glasses after we collected them.

I later discovered that the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) a group of eye doctors and lay personnel actually go on eye care missions to third world countries to examine patients and give out recycled eye glasses, at no cost. I have been on some 16 eye care missions to some very interesting places, such as India, Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and many other countries.

I must point out that we do pay our own way but sometimes we get reduced air fare or our sponsoring organization may take care of food and lodging. On each trip we have the option of taking a side trip to visit some interesting places.

I also joined Friendship Force International, an organization started by Pres Jimmy Carter. There are clubs all over the world. We visit other club members as a group and they in turn visit other clubs around the world by mutual agreement. Usually a week of hosted family visits. I went with the club to Russia for three weeks and on another trip I went to Freiberg, Germany in the Black Forest and to Oltzysn, Poland where we met some very nice people who really like Americans.

Apparently I do not have a face that people think of as typical American. Although I tell them I’m from America they still question my origin so to make it uncomplicated I just tell them “Mongolia” which satisfies their curiosity. There is more to this story, but this will have to do for now. Maybe later I’ll think up some more things about my travels. Stanley Mataichi Sagara (the Mongolian).

Footnote by Mac: The ‘Arab’ in the picture is Stanley Sagara. He brought the Arab outfit in Tangiers and it is genuine although I think it is Palestine rather than Moroccan garb Another friend William “Mike” Westfall took the picture and put in the caption. It was taken at our small AFRH-W Halloween Party. We do not dress like that every day (I do but not the others!)

If you would like to contact Stanley, he is happy to answer e-mails on: smsagara2@aol.com

In a forest. In a bee suit. In the middle of Tanzania. 100 miles away from Mikindani. With Tony Herbert’s reputation. Most contrapuntal by anyone’s standards but after spending five days with our beekeeping mentor we knew better than to be surprised by such a situation. Our quest to obtain two stocks of bees had started on Tony’s arrival on the Saturday but this particular episode had begun at 5am that very morning.

The objective of our trip to Masasi, a settlement known for its history of beekeeping, was to purchase two hives and colonies of bees to get the apiary up and flying. With six of us packed tightly into the Land Rover we set off West with the sun on our backs basking in the ever more magnificent African sunrise. After breakfast at Mnazi Mmoja (literally translates as “coconut one” but why, no one seems to know) we reached the Regional Resources Office in Masasi at about half past ten following another particularly bruising journey on the roads of Tanzania. After being promised a meeting with the regional beekeeping liaison you can imagine our surprise to find out he had left the office not more than half an hour prior to our arrival. Needless to say, his phone was either turned off or more likely, out of signal. Had our quest for the holy pair of hives been scuppered by the absence of one man?!

Despite this set back, we were offered a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel by a man named Rodney, the temporary liaison for Natural Sciences in the Masasi district. He knew of a small village called Lipupu, around 50 miles beyond Masasi that was notorious for its beekeeping activities. It was a long shot but with Tony on board we knew that anything was possible and so the decision was made to press on.

Sure enough, faith has its rewards. We found it without any problems and were pointed straight towards the village beekeeper’s house, signified by the array of unused bee hives and interesting looking logs suspended outside his house. One problem… occupant was nowhere to be seen. We were ushered in to the woods by a group of locals keen to show us the hives kept by the owner of the intriguing house and were promised that he was not too far away and that he only left about half an hour ago. Despite being sure that we had heard those words before that day we set off in to the middle of nowhere to investigate the bees that we had been promised. We could not believe our luck when the owner of the hives appeared from within the bush and after many furrowed brows, tense looks and careful negotiation we purchased our two colonies of Apis Mellifera Scutellata, the African honey bee, to be complemented by a further two log hives worth of sting less bees. After all the setbacks of the day we felt we has earned our luck in finding this beecon (sic.) of beekeeping in an otherwise uninhabited part of Tanzania. So, as we set of widdershins, driving in to the rain, spirits were through the roof. The smile on Tony’s face produced by this accomplishment never disappeared for the rest his stay and it really was the culmination of a tiring but wonderfully productive and enjoyable week. For this we will be eternally grateful for the hard work and never ending enthusiasm of one man. Thank you Tony.

Which countries are represented by these flags? For the answers, see at the end of the eNews.

Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in Portugal. She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese children and adults. This is an account of Sintra.

Sintra was poetically described by Lord Byron as “this glorious Eden”. It was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is easy to get to Sintra by train from the Estação do Rossio station, opening onto Praça de Dom Pedro IV, or the Rossio, where frequent connections can be made. The one-way fare from Lisbon to Cascais, Estoril, or Sintra is 1.25€ to 2.50€ ($1.45-$2.90) per person. There is also a bus from Lisbon. You can drive, as Sally did, but it’s a difficult and tortuous road, as she found out!

The original Sintra is not large to visit but it now includes two outlying areas named Estefânia and São Pedro. As the older part sits on granite slope it is best seen on foot or by a horse-drawn carriage. The town is dominated by the two conical chimneys of the Palácio Nacional da Vila that was the summer home of the royal family since the 15th Century. Scattered on the hillside are several historical buildings, including the Palácio da Pena, a 19th Century recreation of different styles admired by Dom Fernando II, the German husband of the young Portuguese Queen Maria II, and this example often regarded as a failed attempt to create his own romantic revival.

The castle stands high on the southeast side of the mountain range whilst overlooking the village are the ruined ramparts of the Castelo dos Mouros, a fort dating from the 8th Century. Within it is an ancient Moorish cistern and the panoramic view from its walls is impressive. There are several churches in the town and the most interesting is the 12th Century Igreja de Santa Maria rebuilt in 1755 after the earthquake. Several private palaces are open to the public amongst which are the Palácio de Seteais, a magnificent 18th Century home built for the fifth Marquês de Marialva, and later converted into a five star Hotel; Casa dos Ribafrias, a 16th Century building once belonging to the Marquês de Pombal; Quinta de Pena Verde, another 16th Century palace; and the Palácio de Monserrate built in the 19th Century by Francis Cook and influenced by the architectural work of Nash. Another interesting place is the Convento dos Capuchos, an unusual hermitage founded in 1560 with tiny dwarf cells cut from the rock. Within the old town there are several museums, Museu de Brinquedo showing only toys from the past and present, the Museu Regional retelling the history of the area with items and artefacts and sometimes also holding art exhibitions, Casa Museu Leal de Câmara devoted the works of the artist, Casa Museu Dorita Castel Branco also devoted to works of the sculptress, Museu de Arte Moderna, Galeria de Arte Municipal de Sintra, Centro International de Escultura, Museu de Arqueologia São Miguel de Odrinhas, Museu Renato L. Garcia, Atelier Museu de Anjos Teixeira and Museu Ferreira de Castro.

Here is Sally’s account of her recent trip to Sintra.

Went up to the Pena Palace in Sintra – this is the one that you often see on the rare bit of publicity for Portugal. It looks that something that the mad King of Bavaria might have built. All different shapes and designs in yellow and various other colours. I drove up the Sintra mountains – not a very nice drive as the road is a cobbled three quarter width one with drops at one side, pot holes and because the weather was atrocious, and the road is heavily wooded, it was a bit like something out of Lord of the Rings in atmosphere. There is now a very unusual bus that takes you up to the palace (thank goodness). It is obviously a vintage one as it has lovely wall lights and wooden seats and makes slightly heavy weather of climbing up the incline.

The palace is pretty much the same – quite a fascinating place as it is exactly like it was when the Royal Family used to stay there in the summers before they left for exile. There is only about four staff looking after all the rooms – very different to visiting a National Trust property in the UK. Unfortunately because the weather was so dire, the views were not visible – when I went last time the views were incredible – but it’s still worth going. In fact when I drive to work in Cacem on Tuesdays and Thursdays I can just see the Palace in certain places on the drive. The whole of the Sintra area is very magical anyway.

Another great place to visit is Cabo da Roca – the furthest western point of Europe. Always guaranteed to be a tad breezy and again great views out to sea. Gives you an idea of how brave those explorers were in the olden days and why they thought they would fall off the edge of the world.

Just nearby is a lovely restaurant/bar in a converted Windmill. It is quite unusual as there are so many different places and corners to sit when the weather is fine. It has the odd waterfall here and there and some ponds with frogs and goldfish. Inside it has a conservatory type front and then two rooms. All beautifully decorated in wood with lots of lamps. Equally nice on a wet and cold day as on a hot and sunny one. It’s one of those places you have to be taken to by a local to know about it. A friend’s mother and father took me years ago and I always wondered where it was and then found it by accident a few months ago and really enjoy taking people to it.

If you would like to contact sally, her e-mail address is: pethybs@hotmail.com

What is it: decompression sickness, also called the bends, is related to great changes in environmental pressure. It is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream and tissues of the body. The bubbles occur if you move from deep water towards the surface (where the surrounding pressure is lower) too quickly . It is most usually associated with divers, but can also occur in fliers in a non pressurised cabin when there is a major change in altitude. In the most serious cases decompression sickness can lead to unconsciousness or death.

What are the symptoms: the symptoms generally appear in a relatively short period after completing the dive. Almost 50 per cent of divers develop symptoms within the first hour after the dive, 90 per cent within six hours and 98 per cent within the first 24 hours. In practice this means symptoms that appear more than 24 hours after the dive are probably not decompression sickness. An exception is if the diver has travelled in an aircraft or has been travelling in the mountains. Under these circumstances, low pressure can still trigger decompression sickness more than 24 hours after the last dive. As a result, it is wise not to fly within 24 hours of a deep dive. Mild forms of decompression sickness can resolve themselves without treatment or by breathing 100 per cent oxygen at the site of the accident. The symptoms of decompression sickness vary because the nitrogen bubbles can form in different parts of the body. These can include pain in the joints “bends”. a headache or vertigo, unusual tiredness or fatigue, confusion, a rash, shortness of breath, tingling in the arms or legs, muscular weakness or paralysis, a burning chest pain with a deep breath, a cough or ear or sinus pain.

What happens if I get it: if you suspect decompression sickness, stop the dive, initiate first aid, and summon assistance from a specialist in divers' medicine. Treatment is oxygen on site and during transportation, followed by treatment in a decompression chamber.

How can I avoid decompression sickness?

· Dive within the limits set out in the diving tables.

· Keep your rate of ascent to a maximum 10m/min.

· Don't plan any dives that need a decompression stop in the water.

· Make a three-minute safety stop at a depth of 5m.

· Don't dive more than three times in one day.

· If you plan more than one dive in one day, start by making the deepest dive first.

· If you are diving for several days in a row, have a dive-free day after two to three days.

· Don't do any hard work before or after diving.

· Drink lots of liquid before diving. Lack of fluid due to heat or excess alcohol is dangerous.

· Make sure you are in good physical condition and well rested. Have regular medical checkups.

· Make sure there is an interval of at least 24 hours between diving and travel by air or climbing up mountains. If you have had decompression treatment, the recommended interval before the next dive is at least 48 hours.