I will carry photocopies of my passport in the future.

On a related note, my Chinese wife registers for us at the hotel when we travel.

Sometimes they ask for my passport, sometimes not.

Lately they have been asking less.

I recently stayed at an inn located in a rural Chinese village. Both Chinese and foreigners stay there.

I presented my passport as per the usual, but with a wave of the hand they indicated they didn't need it. I spoke with the owner of a different overnight establishment that caters mainly to foreigners.

Was told this failure to look at/copy passport constituted a breach.

Also that when taking lodging in China, the establishment accepts a level of responsibility for the guest, such as in the case a guest goes missing.

This could possibly explain why the hostel would fail to take passport, in order to forego that responsibility.

I was advised to insist a lodging place always make note of my passport.

Thoughts on this?

Still looking for official transcripts of Xi Jinping's three and a half hour speech on October 18 to the CPC National Congress.

Haven't found one yet.

Maybe not ready for awhile.

Various websites have reported on how foreign linguists for the first time are translating and editing President Xi's report in English, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, German, Lao, French, Spanish and Arabic.

See here for example:

www.chinaminutes.com/british/news/20171020/275533.html

Today I got off the bus near Kunming center city. The bus ahead was stopped at the same station and as I approached, the door closed on a man as he was exiting. His cell phone dropped to the ground outside the bus. The door closed fully on the man's neck.

I saw only his head, the rest of his body inside.

I immediately had two thoughts: what a strange and comical sight, followed by concern that the man could be injured.

The poor fellow bellowed at the top of his lungs and people inside screamed. I walked over and picked up the cell phone from the ground. At that moment the door opened, freeing the man. I handed the phone to him and he remained inside the bus, yelling continuously, apparently chastising the driver. The driver got out of her seat and walked to the back of the bus I assume to apprise the situation. The man continued his furious yelling and a couple of uniformed street police(?)--one carried a two-meter black baton--arrived on scene. At that point I left.

What had precipitated the event? Had the man exited at the last second? Was he distracted by his cell phone? Had the driver made an error of some kind or other?

Don't know.

I tend to think the cell phone had something to do with it.

Be careful out there.

First the airports, now the trains, what's next?

This month took train out of Kunming. Security scan at Beijing Lu entrance flagged the Swiss Army Knife in my backpack. Not knowing another option, I gifted it to the security guard on duty.

Someone said I should have asked them to hold it until I returned a couple of days later.

Is this a realistic option?

How does anyone travel with a utility knife these days?

Can it be boxed up and sent as "checked baggage" on the train?

Bus stations now have security scans.

Can you get (small) knives through? So far I have no problem with Kunming subway.

The "again" refers to Beijing airport last year. Arrived at check-in counter one minute past deadline. Agent said go on ahead, have your luggage checked at plane side. OK, but I had to go through security first, and the scan detected my Swiss Army Knife in what earlier had been ordinary checked baggage. But now it had become "carry on" of a sort. Gifted it to the security guard who smiled with delight at receiving it.

Lesson learned: ensure sufficient layover time -- three hours too short after arriving from overseas (lines, passport control, schlepp baggage, etc.).