The literal slow boat from China
When I first started trying to deal with my “need” to own more lenses for my camera, I also had to deal with the prices. Here in Canada, gear was expensive (and we had a limited number of places to actually shop). However, a friend of mine had a really neat catalog, wherein we could order photographic equipment at very reasonable prices. Two catches: we had to do our own negotiations with the customs office, and the shipping was, literally, via slow boat from China.
The idea of waiting six to eight weeks for an order to arrive might seem strange to those from the Amazon era, but it was part of the process. Fast forward, to now. I still order stuff from China, via eBay. The only difference is that I might wait eight weeks and have nothing arrive. Contact the seller, arrange for return of my deposit, begin again (with another seller). Back on the first of June, I ordered two little cable adapters, to attach a BNC connector to a coax. I reordered, today. Might actually get the connection done before the snow flies.
Here in the country, the dog gets to go outside (on a lead) as often as he wants. To my surprise, this afternoon, I went to “retrieve” the big hairy fish and found nothing. He’d managed to slip free. I called, and after a few minutes he hove into view, exhausted. A run through the neighbourhood, I guess. Doesn’t he know that he only had to ask; I could have gone along for the sheer joy of the journey.
