REMINDER: THIS IS THE ARAB WORLD

Well my overall experience in Libya was not very bad, maybe because I didn't have to interact too much with people, especially the government. I took a ride to the airport, the driver was a jet engine engineer. He was talking about how opportunities were very scarce in Libya, and how it was not very welcoming. After the talk, I stepped into the Tripoli "3alamy" airport. Again, I was in a laughing mode. After doing the ticketing, and as I was entering the passport office, the officer looked at me when I handed the passport and told me to go to the officer I just passed at the entrance. I went back to him and asked is there something he needs to do. He said no, so I went back to the first guy. He looked at me and told me that I was so impolite that I was whistling approaching him and for that I will have to wait before I get in. Although I didn't notice that I was whistling from the first place, I can't see what is wrong with it. I went and sat down, thinking about how stupid I was not to get into this place with my Canadian Passport.

He came up to me and said that I was whistling, and that is impolite, I indicated my lack of recall of doing so. He also pointed out that there is another guy in the booth before him that needs to stamp it first and he wasn't there. That was a more acceptable argument, although I think the first one still holds. I was really annoyed with it, as if he wants to punish me because I have been a "bad boy".

I got passed the passport check, and came to the customs. Replying to his inquiry about money I have I stated the amount I had and he asked for the document for them. I pointed out that I was not given a document coming in. He said you must have and now I have to take the money. I kept my cool and stated that I was not given anything and that he should go and ask his colleagues. I guess his main target here was to make me remember that this is the Arab world, and I have to come to terms with reality. Development, progress, that is all just balony. This is the truth.

I guess he got called to do something else so he let me go, which again is even worse than the first part. Yes, I got to go and forget all about this, but if it was illegal he has just let someone get away with it.