Korean Job Discussion Forums

[little mixed girl]

[Sue_in_Daegu]

Well, I am scared about replying to this post with a slightly 'not really answering the question' answer but it's the only time I have every been pulled over for anything:
I celebrated Christmas early one year with my sister in Ottawa since I was there for a conference. She had bought me a gorgeous spice set, the thing was HUGE, and of course made with glass. I couldn't figure out how the heck I was going to cart this thing back to TO with me since I didn't have a suitcase (only 2 day conference). I ended up having to wrap each bottle up individually, packed the spice holder in my garment bag and of course they took up my whole carry-on. I hung my head low as I walked through the metal detector and saw the three officers step closer to the monitor and tilt their heads to the side as if to say: " What the *beep*????". They made me unwrap each individually and set them on the counter, but in the end, they let me take them through! Of course my boss was right ahead of me, not pleased at the hold up!

[JacktheCat]

LMG, that's one of the great falicies of travel; that you need a lot of money to do it.

I did most of my travelling back ten years ago when I was your age and flat broke.

My only real cost was plane and train tickets. Found friends I could stay with or slept in the park or airport. Preformed odd jobs and traded whatnot for any pocket money I needed.

Sailed around the South Pacific once for exactly zero money. Just hired myself on as a deck hand to various sailboats that were cruising through the area.

[inkoreaforgood]

[Crois]

never been asked.

[Toby]

[JacktheCat]

[schwa]

I've crossed a lot of borders over the years & I've never undergone anything more serious than a superficial glance at the contents of my bag. Part of the trick might be not doing anything special to appear more 'presentable' -- customs guys notice that & get suspicious.

I did get frisked once on a bus in the Khyber Pass just inside Pakistan coming from Afghanistan. Well-armed soldier nails me with a big chunk of hash in my pocket & holds it up triumphantly. I complained that was all I had, he looked confused for a moment, then broke it in two & gave me half back.

I had another interesting experience crossing from Juarez into El Paso. I'd been a year travelling all the drug countries of South America & still had all the 'hash trail' stamps in the same passport, hair down to my shoulderblades, & I really expected some kind of 3rd-degree. The immigration office was empty! I had to hunt down a customs guy & ask can I go through? Sure no problem have a nice trip.

Upshot to that story -- I was hitchhiking with a girlfriend & the car that comes through after us stops to give us a lift. Mexican guy in an old chevy, says he'll take us a ways. Well, he heads down some obscure country roads & we're being tailed & then he turns off the road altogether across some farmfields & pulls up under some trees, the other car right behind us. Well this looks dodgy. His buddy approaches with a screwdriver.

Turns out he's got some 20 kilos stowed away inside his door panels. Fine party that night, welcome to America.

Re: money no obstacle to adventure, agreed! That incident was one of many on a 4-month journey from Argentina to BC that I managed on $35.

[mysteriousdeltarays]

I get it almost everyday what with the American satelites and the scintilometers. Not to mention the children have spilled some sort of glow in the dark stuff all over me. Well they can be sloppy.

I hope the water supply keeps up. The bathroom keeps getting warmer and warmer and oddly enough, who would guess this? Lead bricks aren't just so easy to buy.

The good news is that we plan or hope to hit several megawatts in a few days!

Also we now have high hopes for using the microwave oven to recycle old fuel "rods" as we call them.

Children shouldn't be given those glow in the dark necklaces etc. unless they have good use for them.

[Keepongoing]

and hav lived in Asia for 19 years. The only place I have ever been hassled has been in the US. They were very very rude and intimidating! This happenned on at least 4 occassions. I am American and all other countries I have traveled to were ok.

[Grotto]

Been to the US, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Iceland, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and of course Canada.

Was pulled aside in Thailand asked if my xbox was new....if it was new I would have to pay import tax for a 3 week visit.

A few times upon returning to Canada, they xrayed my trunk, went through everything I had and emptied out every bag. I wasnt worried as I had nothing illegal

No problems anywhere else. I found the Niagra Canadian border guards to be the biggest pricks of all.

[crazylemongirl]

In aussie I got pulled over for having some cookie crumbs (sydney) and a wooden mask (perth).

In new zealand I had a drug search, and on another occasion as I had more than 10k new zealand I declared it and they decided to give me a drug search as my name came up on the computer.

[little mixed girl]

[jjk]

I have only ever been searched twice- both times entering Fukuoka. Once through the airport, and once at the ferry ternimal.

Even when I have declared goods in both Inchon and Busan airports, I have only once been stopped by customs- that was in Busan airport. They took the customs declaration, which I wrote that we were over on our duty free goods- it is an $800 limit per couple, and we had about $2500 in goods, after 5 days in Shanghai.

They were gettting ready to look at the goods, and we were saved by a shifty looking ajumma, who in typical fashion, tried to push past, and rush out of the airport, with about 3 cases on her trolley. Customs were on to her in a flash, and they told us to go, so that they could all search her bags together! That pushy ajumma saved us tons in duty!

Other than that, nothing in Asia or at home in Australia.

[Dr.Caligari]