It came as no surprise

that the large box concealed inside my suitcase attracted the attention of the TSA (Transport Security Administration).

One of the many things I hate about the place where I work is the 'hand carry'. Someone fails to plan ahead and thus I get sent on a day or twos notice halfway around the world. And someone else also fails to plan ahead and I find myself being required to hand carry the parts needed to complete the task; parts which should have been dispatched the day they arrived rather than languishing in limbo for six weeks. Or alternately, they weren't ordered early enough though we've known for months we were going to need them. You get the drift...

Annoyingly, in this case I knew four weeks ago that I'd be coming here to the Philippines this week. I knew that the parts would be needed before I could finish my task. And I tried, honestly I tried, to ensure that they had been delivered and installed before I embarked.

Naturally I found myself handed a heavy unwieldy box with the request that I take it with me. Fortunately, this time, the box was small enough that it would fit inside my suitcase (though it was a tight fit). I have no idea what's inside the box, which fact would, if I didn't know the people involved, cause me to refuse to have anything to do with the transaction.

The problem with this is multifold; I already have to cope with my suitcase and a 10 kilogram laptop (by the time you factor in the power supply, the leather case and my novel of the week). The last thing I need is an awkward cardboard carton added to the mix.

And then there's getting it past customs! I don't know the value of what's in the box and I'm certainly not carrying enough cash to pay the duty if it's demanded. Lest you be wondering why I don't know the value - if I were in a position to know the value that would imply a certain amount of organisation around here; certainly enough to ensure that I wouldn't have to hand carry it in the first place! And of course, merely knowing the value isn't enough; one has to have documentation to support that value.

This of course places me in the invidious position of filing an, at best, dubious customs declaration form!

So it was with relief that I discovered that the 'hand carry' was small enough to fit in my suitcase. Arrived here in The Philippines I opened my suitcase and there the box was, opened and resealed in TSA tape! Which doesn't surprise me at all. As far as I'm aware it contains a couple of large metal bars and some small machined parts; I can imagine the start of alarm when the suitcase went through x-ray!