> I just got back from a week long training in Minneapolis.
> The Yemen bomb situation happened to go down while
>  I was away. The portable projector ...

I travelled into Qingdao in China during the Olympics. (Almost directly
across the gulf from Seoul in Korea)(Gives its name to world famous Tsing
Tao beer.) Qingdao was the yachting venue. My bag was last off the conveyor
with some delay - I (stupidly) didn't note the implications at the time. On
that trip I was carrying a very very large amount of equipment - I wanted a
complete basic workshop and components suited to the probable tasks at hand=
..
I did not want to rely on having to source anything in China.

At customs they politely  asked me to "come this way" , took me to a privat=
e
room and went through every item in all my baggage in detail, asking me wha=
t
it was and what it was for. I was somewhat amused and in no great hurry and
not worried or even overly annoyed as I recall. Just as well probably :-). =
I
thought that eg asking for a detailed explanation re  the unopened, $2 shop
package of Chinese made O-rings was going a bit too far. They took away all
my DVDs & CDs including numerous blank ones away "to read". Good luck to
them on that :-). I think the aim in much customs procedure of this sort  i=
s
to intimidate and see what happens. Mild amusement is probably not a desire=
d
outcome.

In due course all returned, repacked and on my way. I'd be more worried
about having that experience in the US than in China.

I'm writing this from a Ningbo hotel room  - across the bay from Shanghai
via the world's longest cross ocean bridge). My bag was at maximum 23 kg
limit. My backpack at max 7 kg and my belt bag (what belt bag, officer
....?). I had two cameras many batteries (NimH and LiIon, DVD writer, netpad=
,
anemometer, multimeter, Maha battery charger/tester (buy one!), About 10
pneumatic cylinders and air motors and a pneumatic solenoid block, 6 or so
flashlights (funny that),various plug packs, cords, USB hub, several smalle=
r
chargers, a few tools ... and then some. The second equal (with quite  few
others)*  most painless customs entry experience I've ever had. NZ is more
hassle as they queue you for an agricultural incoming XRAY and  a second
customs like grilling. Definitely easier to get into China that the US :-).
* Top easiest is catching the Hong Kong - Shenzhen ferry (an international
"flight" (transit at HK asirport - never enter HK officially) and arriving
on the last boat of the day when they all want to go home :-).


             Russell




           Russell
--=20
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