Signed a new customer in Kazakhstan.
LA office of my then company screwed up the first delivery, sending it to Sydney not Almaty. This in the days before digital so delivery contains video tapes.
I scramble and jump on a flight to Bangkok then on to Almaty. Two suitcases, 1.5 with the delivery contents, the rest some clothes. Arrive in Almaty shattered but the delivery would get there. Customer agreed to meet me in the arrival hall as she didn’t want to have to answer to her boss either, so I collect the two suitcases from the belt and I’m heading out when I get stopped by Customs who wanted to check my bags. They find video tapes, wanted to know the contents - I say ‘movies’ - pretty sure they thought porn. Two Russian only speaking military types turn up and are speaking to Customs. I’m picturing a bleak future in the Almaty Hilton (prison) and the blood is draining from my face given I knew the video tapes were scrambled for special players and if the tapes were played on a regular VCR’s I couldn’t prove otherwise. I’d also discovered my then mobile carrier had no roaming agreement in Kazakhstan so no phone signal.
I’m escorted to an office. They want to verify my claims. Their English is as bad as my Russian and it’s 11pm so who’s going to pick up their phones. Luckily the office door is open and suddenly a young woman walks in speaking Russian. She had an airside pass for her work and came looking for me, seeing me sitting in the office trying to explain it’s all legit. She turned to me and asked my name in English and I confirmed it was me. She shows some paperwork along with her ID and gives the Customs guys a gobful in Russian before saying ‘Let’s go’. We grab the suitcases and leave, she’d arranged a car to drop the delivery at the 24/7 warehouse then head to my hotel. I sleep for 4 hours, then leave and fly back to Sydney via Seoul. All up I was gone under 48 hours and for a short time thought I was Gulag bound, never be heard from again.
There’s a PS to the story but that’s for another time. Maybe
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