Vancouver | Customs

Upon arriving in Canada, I was detained at customs because I was a wedding photographer. After going through the customs line that everyone else goes through, they corralled me to a room off to the side.  They searched through all my clothes and belongings and found nothing special. I was lucky to have had a very nice agent who exchanged a conversation about makeup, cameras and babies with me.  The other customs agents were literally yelling at the other people.  Also, I noted that everyone who was detained was Asian.  The agents also do not have names on their uniforms--just numbers.

She continued to the rooms behind the two-way mirrors where she examined my computer. She came out later and asked for my cell phone. She had found "possible wedding" marked in my calendar and was searching through my phone, email and computer for proof that I was shooting a wedding in Vancouver. (During this process I wasn't scared at all because I had done nothing wrong. I spent my time knitting and reading and playing sudoku.) She finally came and asked if anyone could corroborate my story. I didn't really how I could prove that I wasn't going to shoot a wedding, but still I gave her two numbers. She returned and evidently that was enough. When she released me, three hours after I was detained, she gave me some tips as to how avoid this again, but basically she said as long as I was a photographer the Canadian government would be suspicious of me. (I had had similar interrogations on my past two trips, but they didn't detain me or search me like this time.)  She also told me that finding "possible wedding" in my calendar was enough to send me back to the states.  A bit ridiculous, I think.

Anyway, it was an interesting experience and I finally got my Canadian stamp in my passport. YAY. :) (They don't stamp your passport if you're on a plane whose final destination is canada or us) So. I'm fine.

(the above picture is the view harbor from my room.) It's beautiful here.