Hong Kong Club Reports

[Phordphan]

Hey boxing fans and HK locals? I have a feeling they are going to show the epic fight next Saturday. I wonder if there would even be standing room if you did not get in a stake out space before 6 pm or so. Any thoughts of better places than HK to catch the fight in the zona? Anyone up for a ISG fight night / chore fest? Thanks.

I was thinking the same thing. They have to show that fight on the big screen there. Seems like they wouldn't have a choice about it. Not sure if anyone will be able to even stand in the front section of the bar. The good news for the bar is it will be packed even if the girls aren't all that busy.

Thanks. Yes good for the bar no doubt. Uncomfortable for everyone at HK. I was hoping the HK crowd here might have a safe idea nearby / alley bar. I'm sure bars on revo will have. But I'm not walking around Tijuana after dark. Anyway. Maybe I"ll try to work the pole for a better view away from all the lechuga heads.

The fight will be broadcast for free in Mexico, so loads of places will show it.

Won't walk around Tijuana on a Saturday night? OMG.

There will be many places showing it. If one can muster the testicular fortitude to make it up to Revu, I'm sure you'll find many places. I suspect the bar in the Hotel Nelson will show it. You can wedge yourself into either of the Calientes on Revu (near Caesar, or near Tijuana Tilly's) where it will be showing in the sports book. There's a hole in the wall, east side of Revu, south of Copeo, adjacent to the parking garage driveway that has a big screen and inexpensive beer. Ticuan's bar will show it, I have no doubt. For the even braver souls, take a taxi to Plaza Rio. La Revancha, across the street, same complex as Shots Factory, has a big screen. Someplace in Plaza Zapato will have it, too.

Honestly, guys. Get out of the zona occasionally.

[SportMongr]

I was thinking the same thing. They have to show that fight on the big screen there. Seems like they wouldn't have a choice about it. Not sure if anyone will be able to even stand in the front section of the bar. The good news for the bar is it will be packed even if the girls aren't all that busy.

Thanks. Yes good for the bar no doubt. Uncomfortable for everyone at HK. I was hoping the HK crowd here might have a safe idea nearby / alley bar. I'm sure bars on revo will have. But I'm not walking around Tijuana after dark. Anyway. Maybe I"ll try to work the pole for a better view away from all the lechuga heads.

[TomJackin]

You're making way too big a deal out of the export control law stuff. Can we please give this export control stuff a rest?

So, you had to add to the nonsense?

[Captain Solo]

HorseTrader did a good job warning the bros crossing borders with technical info in their lap tops or luggage, even to friendly countries like Canada and Mexico.

I know a few people who violated Export Controls laws and / or ITAR, ended up with 10 to 12 years in federal prison. The list of controlled products is long and defined in complex technical terms. It takes top technical and legal experts to interpret. Some of the products, old and obsolete for 50 years, are still subjected to export control and requiring licenses even to export to friendly countries.

To be able to fully enjoy the fine HK chicas without worries, the bros should avoid any probability of being targeted and perhaps wrongly prosecuted for violations. It may be a good idea to leave the laptops in the US or just ship them home before crossing borders. If the Fed targets someone, they will find something to prosecute.

It's more than just the forbidden countries like North Korea, it's any non-US country including our good friends Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Just bringing the item into a foreign country is considered an export; you don't have to leave it in that country to be an export.

I work as a consultant to a number of companies. The biggest concerns are with companies that have some sort of technical products such as oil, engineering, and physics. No problem when I worked with a company in the fashion industry. I suspect that anything related to DoD is the tightest of all (even if it isn't classified information). If your laptop contains information such as technical reports or drawings then you need to consider the export control laws. There is a very large category of information that is "NLR" - No License Required.

Sorry, too much written. But every American international traveler needs to be aware of this stuff.

[UltraHappy]

You're making way too big a deal out of the export control law stuff. Can we please give this export control stuff a rest?

1) The likelihood that anyone has any nonbusiness information or devices on them that is subject to export control is extremely small. So, for those traveling without their business laptop, this export control law stuff can pretty much be safely ignored.

2) If you are traveling with your company laptop and your company has entrusted you with export-controlled information, then they very likely have forced you to undergo their annual control training to sensitize you to what you can and can't take across the border without an export control license. So, if you have export controlled information, then you should know already know it. And if the company has entrusted you with export-controlled information and has NOT done their job to sensitize you to your duties to comply with export control laws, then I still wouldn't worry about this, because realistically, the agencies that enforce this stuff are going to go after your company, not you personally. It simply doesn't make sense for the agencies to prosecute dumb shit individuals for minor export violations (for lots of reasons that I won't go into here because nobody here gives a shit).

3) For those of you reading this forum and have no idea what the fuck this export law shit is all about, you can pretty much ignore all this export shit and go back to dreaming about your favorite ladies and the nice memories you will make with them soon.

So please give it a rest with this export control stuff. No one really cares (except for those people who should care but they already know what they have to do because they are forced to go to company training on this stuff).

If you are a company exporting technical information or goods outside of the USA, then you should not be getting your export control regulation advice from Hong Kong Club thread on ISG. Go seek professional legal advice. The Hong Kong club thread is for information about the Hong Kong club and its girls -- not export control regulation compliance.

[HorseTrader]

Unless you are selling or giving something to foreigners in forbidden countries, why would you need export licenses?

What kinds of items you need to have export license?

How long did it take to to obtain the license?

It's more than just the forbidden countries like North Korea, it's any non-US country including our good friends Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Just bringing the item into a foreign country is considered an export; you don't have to leave it in that country to be an export.

I work as a consultant to a number of companies. The biggest concerns are with companies that have some sort of technical products such as oil, engineering, and physics. No problem when I worked with a company in the fashion industry. I suspect that anything related to DoD is the tightest of all (even if it isn't classified information). If your laptop contains information such as technical reports or drawings then you need to consider the export control laws. There is a very large category of information that is "NLR" - No License Required.

I don't personally get my licenses, my customers (American companies) have their teams of lawyers to do that. Think months to get the licenses.

As others have pointed out, the chances of getting caught are very small. But getting caught means you will lose your job and maybe worse. This is why I simply don't bring my business laptop into Mexico, even though it is a royal pain in the ass to come back to USA ever couple days.

Sorry, too much written. But every American international traveler needs to be aware of this stuff.

[WanderingMan]

Hey boxing fans and HK locals? I have a feeling they are going to show the epic fight next Saturday. I wonder if there would even be standing room if you did not get in a stake out space before 6 pm or so. Any thoughts of better places than HK to catch the fight in the zona? Anyone up for a ISG fight night / chore fest? Thanks.

I was thinking the same thing. They have to show that fight on the big screen there. Seems like they wouldn't have a choice about it. Not sure if anyone will be able to even stand in the front section of the bar. The good news for the bar is it will be packed even if the girls aren't all that busy.

[ClamSlammer]

Actually, there is federal court precedent on both sides of this issue, with some courts holding that being forced to supply a decryption password is tantamount to self-incrimination in violation of your 5th amendment to remain silent.

In any case, whether or not they can legally force you to decrypt, I would encourage you to read what I wrote about being able to supply a "dummy" password that does decrypt your non-sensitive shit (but doesn't decrypt your sensitive shit).

Here is some documentation describing this hidden container concept: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikip...idden%20Volume.

Essentially, it protects you from the exact scenario you are describing ClamSlammer. If you are "forced" to provide your decryption password, you can still do that without compromising any of your sensitive data. Seriously, click on that link and read about it.

Here's another explanation of the concept (this one even uses cartoons!) http://www.howtogeek.com/109210/the-...hidden-volume/.

Over the past few years I've crossed countless times with multiple laptops and phones. Only once was I forced to provide a password to unlock my phone and the officer looked through it briefly.

[Captain Solo]

Unless you are selling or giving something to foreigners in forbidden countries, why would you need export licenses?

What kinds of items you need to have export license?

How long did it take to to obtain the license?

When I travel on true business internationally, I have proper export licenses, but I've never been asked to produce it. When in Tijuana I don't carry a laptop. So I really can't answer your question.

[SportMongr]

Hey boxing fans and HK locals? I have a feeling they are going to show the epic fight next Saturday. I wonder if there would even be standing room if you did not get in a stake out space before 6 pm or so. Any thoughts of better places than HK to catch the fight in the zona? Anyone up for a ISG fight night / chore fest? Thanks.

[UltraHappy]

You can encrypt your shit all you want but if a Customs official orders you to decrypt it then you must or face serious consequences. You basically lose half your Constitutional rights when passing through a port of entry.

Actually, there is federal court precedent on both sides of this issue, with some courts holding that being forced to supply a decryption password is tantamount to self-incrimination in violation of your 5th amendment to remain silent.

In any case, whether or not they can legally force you to decrypt, I would encourage you to read what I wrote about being able to supply a "dummy" password that does decrypt your non-sensitive shit (but doesn't decrypt your sensitive shit).

Here is some documentation describing this hidden container concept: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikip...idden%20Volume.

Essentially, it protects you from the exact scenario you are describing ClamSlammer. If you are "forced" to provide your decryption password, you can still do that without compromising any of your sensitive data. Seriously, click on that link and read about it.

Here's another explanation of the concept (this one even uses cartoons!) http://www.howtogeek.com/109210/the-...hidden-volume/.

[ClamSlammer]

I for one wouldn't want any any customs officials rummaging around my laptop, having access to my tax information, my financial information, and private medical information (even though I have nothing to hide, some of my stuff is just plain private and the government shouldn't be snooping around in my stuff anymore than they should be reading my private love letters). That's why all the data on my laptop is double-encrypted.

Besides the encryption that your operating system already offers, there is open source encryption software readily available that allows one to quite easily encrypt any sensitive data on one's laptop. If forced to provide a password, one can reveal the dummy password which only reveals innocuous information and leaves the more sensitive information inaccessible. Only with the second "hidden" password can one access the more sensitive encrypted information. The mathematics of it are such that no one can determine whether a second "hidden" password even exists. Truecrypt or its successor Veracrypt are free, open-source multi-platform programs for accomplishing this and yes, teams of security experts have even recently conducted security audits showing no major issues with using these programs. Most of the minor issues identified in the recent security audit have already been addressed by Veracrypt.

If you aren't already encrypting your shit, you should be -- not only to keep snooping government officials out of your business but what happens if Pedro steals your laptop in Tijuana? Do you really want Pedro to be able to access all your sensitive shit? Encrypt your shit already!

Another obvious option for those not wishing to cross the border with their sensitive data is to store your sensitive data in the Cloud and download / upload on the other side of the border. For those concerned about your cloud service being hacked, you can obviously address this concern by uploading only encrypted data if desired.

Ok, enough off-topic stuff said here. Time to get back to what this thread was originally intended for -- reports about Hong Kong Club adventures.

You can encrypt your shit all you want but if a Customs official orders you to decrypt it then you must or face serious consequences. You basically lose half your Constitutional rights when passing through a port of entry.

[UltraHappy]

I for one wouldn't want any any customs officials rummaging around my laptop, having access to my tax information, my financial information, and private medical information (even though I have nothing to hide, some of my stuff is just plain private and the government shouldn't be snooping around in my stuff anymore than they should be reading my private love letters). That's why all the data on my laptop is double-encrypted.

Besides the encryption that your operating system already offers, there is open source encryption software readily available that allows one to quite easily encrypt any sensitive data on one's laptop. If forced to provide a password, one can reveal the dummy password which only reveals innocuous information and leaves the more sensitive information inaccessible. Only with the second "hidden" password can one access the more sensitive encrypted information. The mathematics of it are such that no one can determine whether a second "hidden" password even exists. Truecrypt or its successor Veracrypt are free, open-source multi-platform programs for accomplishing this and yes, teams of security experts have even recently conducted security audits showing no major issues with using these programs. Most of the minor issues identified in the recent security audit have already been addressed by Veracrypt.

If you aren't already encrypting your shit, you should be -- not only to keep snooping government officials out of your business but what happens if Pedro steals your laptop in Tijuana? Do you really want Pedro to be able to access all your sensitive shit? Encrypt your shit already!

Another obvious option for those not wishing to cross the border with their sensitive data is to store your sensitive data in the Cloud and download / upload on the other side of the border. For those concerned about your cloud service being hacked, you can obviously address this concern by uploading only encrypted data if desired.

Ok, enough off-topic stuff said here. Time to get back to what this thread was originally intended for -- reports about Hong Kong Club adventures.

[MS Clive]

Some detailed replies to some questions below:

1) US Cellphone in Mexico:

- I use T-mobile in mexico. Allows international roaming with data on my existing basic / default plan which is for a fairly nominal rate (can't remember how much but it is reasonable).

- If I plan on staying for more than 2 days I call them and get additional data + minutes for something like $15 for the month.

- Phone behaves as if your in USA. I am not sure what caller ID area code looks like when I call my friends in USA. Otherwise the behavior of the phone is as if the phone is in US itself.

- Data speed is OK and decent for GPS, google searches and basic internet use Not good enough for youtube video streaming etc.

- SMS does not work as well (comes and goes) but Whatsapp works.

- Skype does not work (Mexico government blocks VOIP services). I know this can be circumvented using a VPN on a laptop but I digress.

2) Bringing laptop in Mexico:

- It is definitely OK. Never had an issue with this on multiple trips.

- I rarely enter Mexico without a laptop and have been there 15 times or so in past 4 years.

- I bring laptop and iPad as well. With multiple devices it did not occur to me that it would be a problem.

- Border customs are looking for guns, troublemakers, drug traffickers, etc. They are not thugs at all unlike those at other international borders (E. G. Guatemala).

- Bigger concern would be getting robbed once you are in Mexico or late at night as you are walking from / towards the border. So keep electronics in your bags at all times. Under dress a bit.

Hope this helped.

[Phordphan]

This would be a potential deal-breaker for me:

OK. So. What's the process like?

You get to the border, you have your luggage and your laptop bag. What does the US border official say?

They don't say anything. They ask if you have anything to declare, what you were doing in Mexico, blah, blah, just to see if you appear nervous or show any tell-tale signs of being someone who might require further questioning.

After you pass you'll put your bags into the x-ray machine, pick them up at the other end, and leave.

Three possibilities exist. One is that you walk out the door. This is the most likely. One is that, for whatever reason, the agent sends you to secondary inspection. Another is that they nab you after the x-ray machine and send you to secondary. Both two and three are rare, but they do happen.

At this point they'll poke around in your luggage and ask a few questions. They have the right to do so, based upon numerous Supreme Court decisions. If they choose to, they can turn on your notebook and do some cursory poking around. If they find something suspicious they can probe deeper, and that's a whole other discussion.

The odds of this happening to you are very small. If you don't have anything objectionable on your notebook then there is nothing to get excited about. The talk about certain restricted information is generally, but certainly not entirely, related to certain kinds of software that are restricted from export.