Eve Hall at the Daily nation in 1965Darling Mom and Dad,
Sorry I've been neglecting you so much, but I've been putting all my energies and time into my job - and let me tell you the good news: I've been appointed! Friday last week the editor, George Githii told me, and my salary is £80 a month. Can you believe it? That was the salary Sally started on too, so they are not trying to get off cheaply or anything, they want me because of the work I am doing.
And Rene Benzara (the AFP man) told me yesterday that Micheal Curtis feels he has recruited wisely this time. I'm really thrilled and I enjoyed the job tremendously. I've met such interesting people through it too.
I think what really swung the balance was the fact that I interviewed the minister, Dr. Mungai (I've enclosed the cutting) and he phoned up to say that he liked the way I had done it; but he phoned the editor, not me, for which I am eternally grateful.
Since then I've interviewed all kinds of people, a wife of a UN official, and on Monday the wife of the French Secretary of State for foreign affairs, Mrs Habib-Deloncle, who was here for a few days, and most of these interviews, like Mungai and Mrs. Habib-Deloncle, were scoops (thanks to Tony and Rene). The French embassy phoned me yesterday morning to say they liked the article - it is important for them to get publicity in Africa, and they are always grateful.
So I'm taking to the job like a duck to water, and loving it. The pace is fast from Monday to Thursday lunchtime, which is our deadline Thursday afternoon and Friday I take it easy, and relax a bit. Apart from the Friday Magazine, we also contribute quite a lot to the Wednesday Magazine section - for example, on Wednesday I got a page of pictures showing how to dance the High Life, and also wrote a whole page on furniture and carpets, which was rather dull.
I go in with To in the morning, and go home at five o'clock - on this point I am firm, I want to see the kids and bath them and feed them and put them to bed myself. Then, as soon as they are asleep, I go to fetch To, we come home, have supper at about 8.30, and then I fall into bed, while To watches TV. Yes we succumbed, and I'm rather sorry, though I was keen to get one again. But now the problem of getting Phil to bed, and To for that matter is getting rather big. Oh well, we can't ignore civilisation, I suppose. I read in a UNESCO pamphlet that TV is actually educational for children under 12 - after that it has a bad effect, and they came to conclusion that this is possibly because many of the programmes for adults are at that age level! (The survey was done in US and Canada).
As I told you in my last letter, the job does require a certain amount of going out at night, and I'm getting a whole new approach to this problem - remember the big production jobs when I used to go out? bath, powder, clean underwear, etc. etc? Well, these days, when the kids are finally asleep, I whip on another dress, splash my face with cold water, put on my evening shoes, and I'm off - it usually takes me 10 minutes! (I don't look glamorous, but I get there!)
We went to a Chinese and Sudanese Party, and had supper with the Czech news agency correspondent (who is really nice), went to a press ball on Saturday night, and this evening we are going to the United Nations' Ball. We also went for a quick drink to Rene last night (though I was exhausted) as he is leaving and Felix is coming back from his holiday.
Today we are having a few South Africans for lunch, and tomorrow night we are going to our neighbour's for drinks; Monday night the Czech press attache has invited us for supper, and has promised us kneudles:
30/10/65
Darlings, it's disgraceful, I know, but I didn't finish the last letter last week, I was interrupted by something (I don't even remember what) and I just couldn't finish it until now. Now it's Saturday again, and this time I promise the letter will go off promptly. I'll post it when I fetch To tonight.
I have just been to the market to buy meat and groceries for the week - it's hell on Saturdays, especially the market, you can hardly move, and we have decided from now on to go to the shopping early om Friday morning before work, thought he stuff will have to stay in the car till lunch time.
Mom, before I forget, today I fetched the vitamins you sent. I got a notification just the day before the go slow, and during those ten days the parcel dept. was shut. Then I just couldn't get to the post office when it was open., so I only managed to fetch them today.
But the dress you sent such ages ago, still hasn't arrived - when did you send it off? Thanks very much for the vitamins, the kids love them and I always found that they work terrifically. The kids have got colds at the moment - like practically every one around here - as the short rains have just started, and as soon as the sky is cloudy it cold, but when they disappear it's steaming hot - very difficult to know what to dress the kids in.
Otherwise they are fine, though Andy is being a bit difficult again - he's a terrible Mommy's boy, and he is objecting to my working. But honestly, even apart from the fact that I enjoy it so very much, we need the money badly.
This month is going to be awful, as not only do we have to pay half our tax, but also the yearly insurance premium that we took out before we left Johannesburg. Why do all these things happen together! What a life. And I do make sure that I am home every day by 5 o'clock at the latest - that is one of the beauties of the job, I can come and go exactly as I like, I am responsible to no one at all . Except the big boss when my seven pages come out on Friday, of course. But he still seems satisfied with me.
We had a terribly rushed week-end last eek-end. On Sunday, apart from all the other things I told you we had to do, we had to go to Felix's for a drink. He said that he had phoned you, incidentally,but that an automatic answering system had said that you were away on holiday, and he tried again just before he left - and again when you were away. (Must have been when you went to Germany).
Monday night nearly killed me. To didn't get away from the office till after eight, so we only got to those Czechs late. They were very sweet; and we listened to music, and had a nice time, but the food! They had gone out of their way to prepare really Czech food, and so much of it!
We started off with hard boiled eggs and caviar - lovely. Then soup with liver dumplings, and then goulash with kneudle. I was nearly bursting, when she brought on pork schnitzels and potato with cucumber salad. I thought my last hour had come! Then strawberries and grapes, and I could have wept because grapes here are 6/- a pound, and we never buy them, and I love them, but I had no room whatsoever. My ulcer gave me hell (yes, with all the work I'm being careful at home.) It took me three days of agony to recover from that fantastic meal.
So we decided not to go out the whole week, we were so tired and I felt so messed up inside. Just as well, as this week I got my section finished fairly early on Wednesday, and the Sunday Nation asked me to do half their supplement on the new parliament buildings. So Friday and Thursday, usually my quiet days, were very busy too.
Now let me answer a few of your questions and suggestions. From December, we will be saving all the money I am earning, so we should have a fair amount when we come. But if we have enough for a car is doubtful. To says that there is a plan where you get a free car in Europe if you buy one here just before you leave, and you collect the new one when you come back - sounds fantastic.
But this is for a Taunus and Opels - neither of those cars are very good in East Africa apparently, because of spares. And the monthly payments are terribly high, apparently, because of the spares, so far we have avoided buying anything on hire purchase, and I'm not keen to start now. But we will see the state of the family finances before we finally decide. If we don't get a car, I think your suggestion is a very good one indeed and I'm sure that we could get a flight to Spain - in fact I think that East African Airways have a flight there.
I'd love to send Phil there earlier Mom, but first of all he is at school next year, and I don't know when term breaks up and I really do feel that he is too young to travel on his own still. Later, when he is a little older, I promise you can have him. And also kids on their own pay full fares an, which the firm would not be prepared to pay.
Our holiday lasts 2 months, and of those two months, we will be with you for all except two weeks, so don't you think we should have enough time to go to Germany, Mom? We are so very keen to get away, just the two of us, for a while, we have never had a proper holiday except for that one week in the Drakensberg when you looked after Phil - my god, that was five years ago now! I was only twenty-three!
We want to go to Prague because we are quiet keen to see a socialist country, and because we have a few friends there and the offer of free accommodation. Also, well, To and I looked at a book on Prague at Uncle's and it looks beautiful and, altogether we like the idea of seeing for ourselves.
So after the week in Prague we will go to London, to see friends and because To loves it and thinks it is his idea of heaven. I have the feeling we might land up there for a few years, but not until our children are well into their schooling, and I can work, as life there is a bit harder than here!
We will be with you for almost seven weeks, so we should have lots of time to do all the things we want to. And I am saving up money too for clothes for the whole family. I was told that kids clothes are very good and cheap in Spain (they are ridiculously priced here) and for us, we should buy in London where the clothes are much cheaper than in Paris. God I am looking forward to it, I just can't wait, but the time will fly, I am sure. It is only ten months now. Yippee.
Thank you for your articles Mom. I loved the one about the singing potty, and used the story for my weekly column! I don't mean the story itself, that would be piracy, but I wrote about it, and about what a crazy idea it was. Felix says that Madame Express is very good, it's a supplement to the Express every week. Could you send me a copy of it. He wants to sell me their women's service, but I think it is much too expensive, I am only allowed £30 a month for outside articles, of which we have quite a few already - a children's serial story, a series on first aid, modelling fees, etc. etc.
With this letter I am also sending you one or two of my own articles. But I am also sending you a few different copies of the magazine to show you what my work entails, apart from writing - because it does entail quite a lot of different things, and I don't write them all, but arrange them and plan them.
Not the least of my job is having to cope with charitable organisations - they keep on coming in, usually when I am doing three things at once, and ask me to write a story on a wheelchair they need, or a mannequin parade they are holding, and what I really want is to say "For God's sake, I'm busy", but i have to be very sweet, of course, and fit in a picture at the last minute. And I have come across the big problem for all editors The running battle between advertising and the editor as to who has the most space.
It's heartbreaking to get a marvellous story and to be told that advertising has taken up 1/2 the space, so the whole thing will have to be cut!
This letter is going to cost me a fortune! Forgive my shocking typing, it seems to have gone really terrible. Keep well and write soon, forgive me for having neglected you for three weeks.
All my love,
Eve
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