As a musician playing an unknown instrument (relatively) in a country which doesn't respect musicians enough, I've had my fair share of run-ins with the Hand of the Law, primarily the Customs guys (sorry Agan). For example, I have to go all the way to the parcel office to collect my new Clark Fobes clarinet barrel, which like most useful places in Malaysia is in the middle of nowhere. I then have to produce my IC, double sign documents, and be led at gunpoint to the Customs office and open at gunpoint the package just to prove it's not an object that would disrupt national harmony and incite feelings of hatred and strife. If that wasn't enough I had to do it in front of a Customs officer and his parcel office friend who were sniggering away and having fun with my unease at the whole situation (and probably my lack of understanding of the Chinese language). I then had to answer a whole set of pointless questions from Mr sniggering-Customs-officer about how I play my instrument, how much it costs, how much I would get paid in an orchestra, and whether getting a music degree meant I get paid more. Thankfully in the end they let me go without me having to pay any import duty or rasuah. Well at least I made their day.

I am not spared at the airport either. I've been stopped many times at the x-ray scanner thingy and have a clarinet stand mistaken for a pair of scissors (after multiple scannings), my clarinet joints mistaken for dynamite sticks, and been asked if there are any secret compartments in my clarinet case (man I wish it did). But I've never had anything confiscated, until today, which ironically had nothing to do with my instruments. So this Customs lady picks out my Nivea for Men deodorant, points at the little 'inflammable' sign on it, and chucks it into the rubbish bin. Right, I can imagine the headlines: "MAS flight forced to make emergency landing after catastrophic fire onboard caused by deodorant can."