And We're Back! What has happened since the last blog entry, Part 4
Airport security in Peking was tight. It was easy enough to collect our tickets to Harbin from China Eastern desk and to pass through passport control, but when we got to the "empty your pockets and put all your belongings in a bin and walk through this metal detection machine," some of us grew uncomfortable. Everyone who passed through the metal detector had to step onto a low platform and place their feet on the two feet painted there, have a wand detection device passed their bodies, and then had to be patted down. It was the pat down that had people squirming, because people don't like strangers touching their bodies. I saw people standing with their heads back, staring at the ceiling, trying to pretend they were somewhere else and this was not happening to them. It didn't bother me, perhaps because once you've been manhandled by 20 kindergartners all trying to hug you at the same time, an airport pat down is like a butterfly brushing up against you. Tain g...