Diana's reaction

Hi all,
You will probably be back in the states when you read this. First, I want to say thanks for the thoughtful entries which have allowed so many of us to follow your progress. Secondly, I want to pass on an historical perspective relative to Shenzhen while it is fresh in your minds. During my first trip to the PRC in December-January of 1978-9, our University of Pittsburgh group entered China via Shenzhen. It was the ONLY WAY to get there. We took the train from Hong Kong, WALKED across the border from the New Territories and thus into the PRC. As I recall we walked along the edge of train tracks, carrying our luggage, and went to the customs building. We "cooled our heels" for at least three hours while we filled out all types of paperwork, declaring the value of cameras, money, jewelry including watches, anything that was coming in with us. I remember gazing out the window at dirt streets, small homes, pigpens and farmland. Shenzhen was a poor Chinese village. When the authorities released us, we boarded a train for Guangzhou. Three weeks later we left the same way.
Thirty years later I gather that you had a very different experience in Shenzhen!