Shanghai 2010
In Shanghai.
Today I was at the expo for 7 hours. The lines aren't as bad as they say, but it is far too much effort to try to get into popular pavilions, like China (impossible) and Japan (4 hours in line).
I ended up going into: New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka (had a yummy pink drink with seeds), Vietnam, North Korea (a "paradise for people"), Denmark (saw the mermaid sculpture!), Turkey (Turkish ice cream was different but underwhelming), the Netherlands (cute!), and U.S.
I didn't expect to go into that many pavilions-- I thought I would just walk around and look at the different buildings, but some of them didn't have ridiculously long lines. Maybe because it was last, I really liked the American pavilion. Compared to most of the other ones, it is an ugly and boring building and its exhibits are super commercial, but they also show 3 videos that I think were really nice and effective at communicating America.
There were some really cool buildings, though! It's a shame that they can't just keep them all standing. I'll post my pictures after I get home.
General notes about China -- I haven't been here in 4 years, but while I love the food and the prices, Chinese culture/norms/people are not something I miss.
The streets are dirty, the bathrooms are dirtier, and every time I get in a car or bus, I fear for my life. People have terrible walking/garbage/lining up/public transportation manners. And, more than anything, being outside in Shanghai you feel like the end of the world is going to come at any moment because the sky isn't supposed to look like that.
I will have fun and go shopping and eat yummies but hopefully not too much in the next few days, but I will be happy to go back home to Japan.
Today I was at the expo for 7 hours. The lines aren't as bad as they say, but it is far too much effort to try to get into popular pavilions, like China (impossible) and Japan (4 hours in line).
I ended up going into: New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka (had a yummy pink drink with seeds), Vietnam, North Korea (a "paradise for people"), Denmark (saw the mermaid sculpture!), Turkey (Turkish ice cream was different but underwhelming), the Netherlands (cute!), and U.S.
I didn't expect to go into that many pavilions-- I thought I would just walk around and look at the different buildings, but some of them didn't have ridiculously long lines. Maybe because it was last, I really liked the American pavilion. Compared to most of the other ones, it is an ugly and boring building and its exhibits are super commercial, but they also show 3 videos that I think were really nice and effective at communicating America.
There were some really cool buildings, though! It's a shame that they can't just keep them all standing. I'll post my pictures after I get home.
General notes about China -- I haven't been here in 4 years, but while I love the food and the prices, Chinese culture/norms/people are not something I miss.
The streets are dirty, the bathrooms are dirtier, and every time I get in a car or bus, I fear for my life. People have terrible walking/garbage/lining up/public transportation manners. And, more than anything, being outside in Shanghai you feel like the end of the world is going to come at any moment because the sky isn't supposed to look like that.
I will have fun and go shopping and eat yummies but hopefully not too much in the next few days, but I will be happy to go back home to Japan.