The strangest thing happens when I request dirt from folks all around the world...THEY SEND IT! One of my favorite "dirty" stories is about a gentlemen whose wife I was associated with when I worked in the scrapbooking industry. She owned 2 stores in Salt Lake City and she was a very good owner, manager, and scrapbooker. She and I were discussing the value of scrapbooking when she mentioned that she did a lot of her layouts based on the travels of her husband. He was a businessman and traveled not only in the US, but throughout the world. I told her of my collection of dirt, and from then on out, I was always receiving dirt samples from wherever it was he traveled. He, had a collection of sorts himself. He was a collector of Samurai swords... and I thought dirt collecting was unique!
Fast forward to his trip to Singapore....He is checking his personal belongings at the gate 
preparing for a flight home from the capitol. They find a small plastic bag containing my dirt sample, some traditional items, his Samurai sword he had collected while there, etc. As the security guy is checking through all of his bags, he asks, "what is this strange substance in the plastic bag sir?". Of course, the answer is dirt. IMMEDIATELY, the red flags go up and the Security guard begins to become more scrutinizing of EVERY item he has with him. He makes it very clear that dirt is not aloud to be removed from the country and that he needs to dispose of it immediately. The consequences if he didn't weren't discussed, however, he told me that Turkish prisons were mild in comparison to what happens to felons in Singapore. 
preparing for a flight home from the capitol. They find a small plastic bag containing my dirt sample, some traditional items, his Samurai sword he had collected while there, etc. As the security guy is checking through all of his bags, he asks, "what is this strange substance in the plastic bag sir?". Of course, the answer is dirt. IMMEDIATELY, the red flags go up and the Security guard begins to become more scrutinizing of EVERY item he has with him. He makes it very clear that dirt is not aloud to be removed from the country and that he needs to dispose of it immediately. The consequences if he didn't weren't discussed, however, he told me that Turkish prisons were mild in comparison to what happens to felons in Singapore. The STRANGEST THING IS...
NOTHING was said about the Samurai SWORD! Unreal. So, he takes the baggy, and proceeds to the nearest restroom where he SAYS he is going to dispose of the dirt. He goes in to the restroom, takes off his shoe, removes his sock, pours the dirt in the sock, replaces it on his foot, and then the shoe, and returns to the line where they promptly check himself, his Samurai sword, and MY SINGAPORE dirt in for his flight. The sock-o-dirt and other strange ways dirt has been saved for me is pictured in this post.
For me, I don't care how it is delivered...In a water bottle, in a zip-lock baggie, in a coffee can, or even in a sock...I just APPRECIATE that it is saved and given to me! So, collect it, send it, and I will enjoy it! (Just don't risk a prison term to do it!)
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