Young, Nice-looking Customs Agent: What are you bringing back?Thanks for the brief pleasant interlude in an otherwise long day, Mr. US Customs Agent!
Me: Decorative items, t-shirts, crap like that.
Agent: Any food items?
Me: Nope.*
Agent: You didn't bring back any coffee?
Me, a little startled by the direct question: ...nope?
Agent, smiling: You went to Costa Rica and didn't bring back any coffee?
Me, catching on to the game: Well, I did drink a lot while I was there** and besides, I'm going back to Seattle. Why would I need to bring back coffee?
Agent: Yeah, but it's Costa Rica!
He handed me my passport, I smiled back, shrugged, and went on my merry way.
* Kind of a fib. I had brought back a small bottle of Salsa Lizano for Ex. I forgot about it until I said nope, then decided it was too late to backpedal. Oh well.
** Also kind of a fib. What can I say? We generally didn't go out for breakfast, and finding decaf in Costa Rica ain't exactly easy. But I did have a couple cafe con leche. They were quite tasty.
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words over at my half marathon page. Good luck with your running! It is rough, but I feel so good when I complete each run.
Take care,
Gemma
Crossing into Canada at the Detroit-Windsor border (I'm Canadian, my wife isn't, we were visitin Toronto but flew into Detroit) we were pulled over by customs and our car was searched. My story was just too complicated for them (Canadian, American, living in the states...blah blah blah)
ReplyDeleteSo my wife asks the customs lady who is searching our car and personal belongings "So, did we win the customs' lottery or something?"
The customs lady responded: "We're customs, ma'am. We look through things. That's what we're aboot."
I swear, she said "aboot". I've been apologizing for the stereotypical Canadian customs agent ever since.
I'm a bigger fan of Indonesian coffees myself. But that's pretty funny.
ReplyDelete