Ha, funny I ran across this thread again after so long!

Imagine my surprise when this thread popped up while I was Googling furiously to see if I could find a replacement for the strip I mentioned upthread that I had purchased in Thailand. DXB security confiscated it this morning, and I was lamenting the loss of something I had never seen available anywhere since (and the rude treatment by the manager of the security checkpoint) more than the $10 or whatever I spent on the strip itself...so I'm encouraged to see that there ARE options to purchase them (whether in-person or at inflated prices online)! A belated thanks to SoManyMiles-SoLittleTime and hfly!