I am writing this in Jinan, China where I’m visiting for just a few days to help prepare for a year of research in China next year and visiting Shandong University to meet a few professors. Since the blog here at Muninn.net has somehow angered the Chinese censors and is blocked, I’ll post this entry when I return to Korea.
Arriving at Jinan airport and standing in line to go through immigration the usual discomfort I feel in such a situation was significantly reduced when I saw how incredibly smiley and friendly the immigration officer was being to everyone in front of me. Even the super friendly immigration officers I have been fortunate enough to meet on occasion in other countries (especially in Taiwan and once in Japan) usually preserved their stern and gloomy look until after they opened my passport. This officer looked like she thought this was the best job ever. Perhaps this was her first day, I thought to myself.
When I reached the counter I couldn’t help noticing a machine there I have never had to use going through a country’s immigration proceedings. Was it the dreaded fingerprint reader or something similar? No, it was a control panel that looked like a little electronic calculator. It had four buttons, two in red and two in green: “Immigration was too slow” – “Unsatisfactory customer service” – “Satisfied” – “Greatly Satisfied”
My single trip to Taiwan was completely painless in customs, and all my trips to Japan have always been problem free. I even had an interesting conversation with the immigration officer when I went to Tateyama for the summer in 2000:
Officer: (Looking at my passport)I see you were here for two years on a religious visa, is that right?
Me: Yes, I was in Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi prefectures during that time.
Officer: This visa is good for three years, so you can still use it until December if you want, that way you don’t have to worry about the 90-day restriction for not having a visa.
Me: Really? OK, I’ll go ahead and use the religious visa then. Thanks!
And that was that. Very friendly and helpful, not condescending at all.
I wish I could say the same about US customs, but generally, you just adopt a neutral tone and facial expression, and hope they don’t ask you any questions at all.