# Manitoba Orchid Society



## Ernie (Mar 28, 2009)

Judged the Manitoba OS show this evening. Many nice slippers. Two AOS awards - a Lepanthes quadricornis and a big pink Catt, exBlc Laurie 'Winnie'- CCM's both. The Lths belongs to our very own Kyle. Didn't take many pix though. 

Also had a VERY exciting time visiting with the Canadian customs/immigration officials!!! Will tell more later, but I have to be out of Canada by Monday, WITHOUT FAIL!!! 

Ernie


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## Kyle (Mar 28, 2009)

The nicest thing Ernie could say about it is that if it was growing in the lawn, he would mow around it. Thanks Ernie!

I'll post a picture when I get the plant back.

Kyle


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## snow (Mar 28, 2009)

it was a wonderfull show; and i got to talk to real people from slipper talk.
also got some nice slippers from jason and paramount orchids


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## Ernie (Mar 28, 2009)

Snow, did I meet you?????? Who else is here that I haven't met yet??? Will be at the banquet this evening, please say hi! 

-Ernie


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## Ernie (Mar 28, 2009)

Kyle said:


> The nicest thing Ernie could say about it is that if it was growing in the lawn, he would mow around it. Thanks Ernie!
> 
> I'll post a picture when I get the plant back.
> 
> Kyle



Hey, I like it. Was just trying to be enertaining. Creger and I really got to enjoy your lepanthes this afternoon while describing it. The three of us spent a good 45 minutes together in the palm room.  Amazing what natural light and a 10x loupe can do for a dinky flower! 

-Ernie


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## rdlsreno (Mar 28, 2009)

Pictures!!!! Congrats Kyle!!!


Ramon


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 28, 2009)

rdlsreno said:


> Pictures!!!! Ramon



Yeah!!

Congrats on your award Kyle! :clap:


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## NYEric (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah congrats and somebody post photos [don't forget bail money for Ernie]!


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## Wendy (Mar 28, 2009)

Way to go Kyle!!! :clap: I'd give you a hug if I was there Ernie...too far to go though. Have fun and stay out of jail. oke:


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## Jorch (Mar 28, 2009)

Congratulations Kyle! :clap: Would love to see a picture of the plant


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## goldenrose (Mar 29, 2009)

Jorch said:


> Congratulations Kyle! :clap: Would love to see a picture of the plant



That's for sure! :clap: :clap: :clap:


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## WolfDog1 (C. Williams) (Mar 29, 2009)

WOO HOO Kyle! Nice. 
I'm just getting into Lepanthes.....so to speak. 

Craig


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## SlipperFan (Mar 29, 2009)

Congrats, Kyle. Good for you!


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## snow (Mar 30, 2009)

so sorry that i missed you ernie
ah maybe a next time


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## snow (Mar 30, 2009)

*mos pics*

not the best but i hope you enjoy
v roberts delight
p hsinying carlos
p goulterianum
p lowii
p jogjae
blclaurie
p winged flight
9( bernicex lowii)
cym sikkimanse
den starburst


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## snow (Mar 30, 2009)

ofcourse i also managed to come away with a few pahs and my First phrag
mimni grande from ol
pyi ying morning sun (in bud)
p concolor (yellow wings x alba)
p bo ying chow IN bud (pinochio x bellatum)
p chen samn colorfull
p sukhakulii


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## NYEric (Mar 31, 2009)

Thanx for the photos!


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## Kevin (Mar 31, 2009)

Thanks for the pics Snow, and nice to meet you. The Cattleya in the photos was another plant that got awarded. It is Blc. Laurie 'Winnie', and got an AM at our show a few years ago, and this year it also got a CCM.


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## Ernie (Mar 31, 2009)

Okay, so is it time for the story? 

Ernie: (hands in customs form)
Agent 1: Are you in Canada for business or personal reasons?
Ernie: Personal
Agent 1: are you staying with friends or family?
Ernie: Friends
Agent 1: What is your friend's name?
Ernie: Jim R..
Agent 1: Where does Jim live?
Ernie: uhhhhh, Winnipeg.
Agent 1: (marks customs form with red pen) What does Jim do for a living?
Ernie: He's retired
Agent 1: (marks customs form with red pen) You need to go over there to that office (immigration)
...
Agent 2: (asks same questions as above...) When are you leaving Canada?
Ernie: Early Sunday (presents e-mail confirmation with flight info)
Agent 2: Why did Lorne H..... pay for your plane ticket?
Ernie: Because the Manitoba OS paid for the flight.
Agent 2: Why did they buy your ticket?
Ernie: Because I'm here to judge their orchid show.
Agent 2: (marks customs form with red pen) Why didn't you tell the first agent that?
Ernie: He didn't ask. 
Agent 2: (marks customs form with red pen) You were here this same weekend last year. Why didn't you tell the first agent that?
Ernie: He didn't ask. 
Agent 2: (marks customs form with red pen then beckons to third agent) you'll need to grab your bags and go with her.
...
Agent 3: (very aggressively) So, let me get this straight... you're here for personal reasons, but Lorne H..... bought your ticket, Jim R.. is picking you up, and the Manitoba OS paid for your ticket???
Ernie: (very nervous, scared, trying to look apologetic more so than confused) One question at a time please, but yes. 
Agent 3: I'm going to look through your luggage.
Ernie: Help yourself.
Agent 3: (pulls out laptop) are you giving a presentation at the orchid show?
Ernie: Yes.
Agent 3: Why didn't you tell the other agents?
Ernie: They didn't ask.
Agent 3: You are misrepresenting your visit to Canada. IF we let you stay, we will keep your laptop, fine you the highest allowable amount, and you might spend some time in jail. Right now, I think we'll just send you back to Chicago. 
Ernie: Uhhhhh
(the first agent enters room and opens carry on luggage with clothes and removes all contents including SH containers for a club member.)
Agent 3: What are those???!!!
Agent 1: Orchid containers!
Ernie: They're deli containers, but you can grow orchdis in them.
Agent 1: I will test these for agricultural residue, if I find anything, they become the property of Canada as well as the rest of your luggage (swabs containers). And you will be fined for not claiming agricutural items on your customs form. If there are any plants in these bags, you will be prosecuted most harshly. 
Ernie: Uhhhhhh.
Agents 1 & 3 confer...
Agent 3: If you were up front with us from the beginning, you would have avoided all this. We will decide what to do with you...
Ernie: I simply tried to answer the agents' questions simply and truthfully
Agent 3: (the equivalent of "don't talk back to me")
Agent 3: (gives lengthy speach on wasting custom agents' time etc) go back to see agent 2- he'll write up a statement.
Ernie: Uhhhhh (packs bags and goes to agent 2)
...
Agent 2: (looks confused- confers with other agents then words an ammendment to my passport) This just states that you may not take any professional or vocational courses while you are here and that you must leave by Monday, March 30. 
Ernie: Uhhhh. 

All this took about an hour. Don't remember the clock ever going so slow. 

-Ernie


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## snow (Mar 31, 2009)

i can,t believe it; if i did,n,t hear it from you,re own mouth
i would have gently told them to f off and turned back to the usa.
mind you i,ve had some of the same from us customs.
sorry about that.
we are generally a friendly lot.


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## Jim Toomey (Apr 1, 2009)

Man what a sorry lot.
Probably a bunch of frustrated underpaid wanna-bees.
You handled it much better than most of us may have...
I hope the USA was kinder to you upon your return.


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## Orchidzrule (Apr 1, 2009)

Geez, I felt so bad for poor Ernie when I heard about his experience. I'm afraid he won't want to come back after such an ordeal--and couldn't blame him if that was his decision. I was on his judging team and really enjoyed the experience. I've judged slipper orchids in previous years, but this is the first time since I started growing and so I think I got a lot more out of it this year.

As always, I bought *way* too many plants. For anyone interested, I'll list them:

*PAPHS*

Paramount
Macabre (pre-order)
Harmon Andrews (pre-order)
Pinocchio
Yi-Ying Northern Lights (in spike--probable vini)
Bo-Ying Chow
fowliei X hennisianum

Orchids Limited
Ano Puddle 'Eureka' AM/AOS X Skip Bartlett 'White Pepper' HCC/AOS
hainanense

Orchids By Kimberly
Chen Samn Colorful

*PHRAGS*

Orchids Limited
Memoria Estelle Getty (I bought it with the intention of trading with Jorch, for a couple of paphs he has that I'm interested in, but I'm starting to want to keep it!)

*NON SLIPPERS* (Assuming anyone on _this_ forum is interested)

Orchids Limited
Psychopsis Mendenhall alba 'Yellow Butterfly' (Jason said "You need this, Rob" and then he very generously knocked 5 bucks off the list price! How could I refuse?)

Orchids In Our Tropics
Tolumnia Popoki 'Mitzi' AM/AOS
Tolumnia Jairek Rainbow X Catherine Wilson

I will try & post photos of some of the blooms in a day or so.


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## Bolero (Apr 1, 2009)

It must be good to meet people you befriend in forums like this.

Congratulations Kyle!


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## Ernie (Apr 1, 2009)

I will gladly return. Shoot, I'm going to keep trying until I get it right.  Last year they sent me to immigration too, so this year when they did, I thought nothing of it. I'll keep going back as long as the WOS will have me and until I've seen every room in their airport.  

On the way home, US customs took a while x-raying my laptop backpack- turns out they were fixated on two AAA batteries (for MP3 player) which admittedly look like bullets. They also sampled my laptop for chemical residue, but they did that last year too. 

-Ernie


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## Yoyo_Jo (Apr 1, 2009)

Oh geez, I'm so embarassed for our country. If it makes you feel any better Ernie, they don't sometimes don't treat Canadians any more kindly when we're trying to get back into our own country.


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## smartie2000 (Apr 1, 2009)

yea our customs are a little too picky....esp. when it comes to agricultural stuff. Plus they have silly policies. 
I'm not sure why they get so concerned about non orchid tropical things when the potential pests die anyways in the winter, or dried cultivated ginseng roots when they are sent by mail (when the agent noted to me that they are fine as carry-on). 

I think they were screwing around with you. that was very disrespectful, especially with the deli containers!

On another note, Nice purchases Orchidzrule! I'm enious of your Psychopsis Mendenhall alba 'Yellow Butterfly'. if you get to divide it let me know please.


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## Orchidzrule (Apr 1, 2009)

Ernie said:


> I will gladly return. Shoot, I'm going to keep trying until I get it right.  I'll keep going back as long as the WOS will have me and until I've seen every room in their airport.
> 
> -Ernie



Glad you are undaunted! As far as "trying until you get it right" goes, one slight correction--we aren't WOS. Although the vast majority of our members are in Winnipeg, we do have members outside the city too, who wouldn't like us calling it Winnipeg OS. I'm sure I speak for everyone who has had the opportunity to meet you & hear you speak, that we'd love to have you back. Perhaps we could even prevail upon you to speak at the banquet!

Fren, your request is duly noted. You're first in line for a division. I gotta warn you, though, it's likely to be a slow moving line!


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## Ernie (Apr 1, 2009)

My bad- the MOS, for Manitoba OS (not Winnipeg OS). I knew that, just goofed. Lorne was considering me for the banquet this year if the Parks guy fell through. He was good and would be a tough act to follow. I think I could work up some good dinner jokes though. I think taking you through my orchid travels and all the silly stuff I've seen and crazy people I've met would be fun. 

-Ernie


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## parvi_17 (Apr 2, 2009)

I can't believe this happened to you Ernie! Sometimes customs officials can be pretty ignorant. Hopefully it won't happen again!


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## Kavanaru (Apr 2, 2009)

wow, that's an experience... I really feel sorry for Ernie and everybody being in such situations... but that can happens everywhere... I remember coming back from Venezuela (end 90's) on a Lufthanse flight which had the route Lima-Bogota-Caracas-Frankfurt... I was the only that looked "non-german", so it was almost like having written on my forehead "Drugs dealer": They checked even my underwear - By the time I was allowed to leave the airport, my friend had left thinking I did not take the plane 
or a friend of mine coming from Frankfurt to attend a congress in Mexico. For some reason, the plane could not land at the mexican destination and had to stop in the USA. immigration checked my friends pass: no USA Visa... They asked her why she had no Visa for the uSA, and she was very honest and said she was not planning to visit USA but attending a Congress in Mexico. Agent: BUT you are now in the USA and you cannotbe here without a visa. Friend: well, you can contact the airline and they will explain the reasons why the flight landed here and not in Mexico. Agent: We have nothing to discuss with the airline, but with you. And you are in the USA without Visa. So, they put my friend on an airplane, back to Frankfurt. Where the airline apologized hundreds of time and put her on another plane flying to Mexico: Frankfurt-Miami-Frankfurt-Monterrey in 48 hours


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## NYEric (Apr 2, 2009)

I had 1 or 2 hard times when I was going to Canada to play in Pball tournaments ! :rollhappy:

At least your problem didn't involve smashed plants and policemen!


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