I was one of the WWII americans invited to Lady Ezra's home. It was probably Feb. or March of 1943, & we were waiting for transit to Upper Assam from where we flew over the "hump" to China. We had dinner and then --I'm not certain,but perhaps tea or drinks on an expansive patio where an extremely large tortoise roamed about. We were encouraged by Lady Ezra to stand (one at a time) on the back of the tortoise and scratch a small stone in one of the cracks on it's back and then it would slowly move around carrying us along. After a while she took us around to see her garden, and then the zoo, which had quite a variety of animals, but she was proudest of the Bird of Paradise which we viewed in a large cage, I have a faint recollection of a large bird with lots of bright colors,mostly yellow, with graceful feathers seemingly arching out from everywhere. I have no memory of her appearance other than a gracious,elderly woman,to my youthful eyes.
I was one of the WWII americans invited to Lady Ezra's home. It was probably Feb. or March of 1943, & we were waiting for transit to Upper Assam from where we flew over the "hump" to China. We had dinner and then --I'm not certain,but perhaps tea or drinks on an expansive patio where an extremely large tortoise roamed about. We were encouraged by Lady Ezra to stand (one at a time) on the back of the tortoise and scratch a small stone in one of the cracks on it's back and then it would slowly move around carrying us along. After a while she took us around to see her garden, and then the zoo, which had quite a variety of animals, but she was proudest of the Bird of Paradise which we viewed in a large cage, I have a faint recollection of a large bird with lots of bright colors,mostly yellow, with graceful feathers seemingly arching out from everywhere. I have no memory of her appearance other than a gracious,elderly woman,to my youthful eyes.