Meanwhile... a really true story.
About 50 years ago I was working out of
Hong Kong on ships owned by one of the noble houses.... up until Mao went postal they had traded with mainland
China and this had not endeared them to the
government in
Taiwan.
But
trade is
trade... and in the early 70s we were calling at Keelung a few days after sailing from Manila.
Now you could fly into
Taiwan from Manila and just go on your way... but we had to be humiliated..... on arrival all the ship's bogs were sealed for the port stay ... and the crew had to line up outside the 'hospital' - a
single cabin on the poop - nothing fancy .
I think the concern was typhoid or cholera ... don't remember... any way..
Three locals in hospital... drop your daks... glass rod with curly bit on the end up inside one... on your way... 'next!'
How you say "inscrutible expressions'?
So... two Australian engineers decided - in
Sydney - to have a pair of big eyes tattooed on their buttocks... the sort of eyes you see on the bows of Chinese junks.... big scary eyes.... that'll make them pay attention..
A few weeks later back in Keelung.... drop... bend ... how you say 'inscrutable'? .. they didn't even blink...
So if you ever meet a 70 something with eyes on his bum... tell him Ping says 'hello'....