Kathyrn arrived home (here in Canada) last night and told us of her experience with Canadian Customs.

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Picture this:   Young woman arriving from overseas with two pieces of and hand bag. Looks hesitantly at her completed landing card marked as nothing to declare. Customs official reviews the card and asks questions: 

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Do you have any foodstuff? answer "eerrrr yes I have a milkshake in my bag and some tins of beans in the suitcase. Official confiscates highly illegal dairy product and scribbles all over her landing card in red, marking it with XXXX.  and directs Katrhyn down the dreaded Something to Declare Channel

Two Customs offcials start to search her bags, finding 4 x tins of Heinz Baked Beans, 2 packets of Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps, 240 Tetley Tea Bags, 8 boxes of OXO Cubes, various other chocolate products (made from milk) and a set of three wrapped birthday gifts from Julie's Mum and Dad. (Julie's birthday is Feb 11th, Gemma's March 1st and Mine March 16th).

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• Question "What is in these parcels" answer "errr they are birthday presents"

• Question "Yes but what is in them" .... deep thought 'Oh damn if I admit I don't know they will have me on accepting gifts into my luggage without knowing whats in them'. Idea, lets make up some plausible answers..... "Book, Picture Frame and drawing set."  result Customs man relents.

• Question "What is this" answer OXO Cubes ... Question (Or perhaps statement) "It states on the side Beef Product". Do you know it is illegal to bring beef products into Canada.... Idea... lets switch to innocent young woman on her first trip alone mode.... answer "I'm sorry this is my first trip on my own and I didnt know"...

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Result Customs confiscate illegal contraband (Beef and Chicken OXO Cubes) and allow Number 1 child back into Canada.

PHEW !!! Of course she didn't tell them that the illegal OXO Cubes can be brought openly on the street in Saint John at Pete's Frootique (albeit as high prices, i.e Heinz Baked Beans 415g $2.29 a tin... thats about £1.10p whereas in the UK they are about 50p).

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Well I'm glad she is home and now a battlescarred (mentally) hardened traveller. She will be able to travel to the USA alone with another 2-3 months of training on how to handle REEALLLY snotty customs and immigration officials!