Expo Update
Thursday, 11 March 2010 07:03
Written by Urbanatomy

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 OMG! If you couldn't get excited for the Expo before, do so now: the Japanese Corporate Pavilion is promising to bring us the world's cleanest, most comfortable toilets. 

"People will feel as happy and relaxed in the toilets as they would in a comfortable living room," said Sakaiya Taichi, comprehensive producer of the Japan Industry Pavilion, according to an Expo press release.

The luxury toilets will feature aromatic scents and 24-hour cleaning.

Oooooh. Let me in, I might not ever leave. 

Expo Update
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 06:03
Written by Rosemary Zhu

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Sisters, a series of documentaries about 21 Australian and Chinese women who are making a difference to their communities, is going to be shown in the Australian Pavilion during the Expo. The filmmaker Annie Venable had an exclusive chat with Urbanatomy about her films.

Expo Update
Saturday, 20 February 2010 06:02
Written by Helen Elfer

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With just a few months left before Expo begins, Shanghai's authorities are cracking down on foriegners living illegally in the city.

As part of the campaign, 11 foriegn nationals were arrested - six for overstaying their visa period and five for performing in bars without the proper permits.

Gu Wen, an officer with Shanghai exit-entry administration bureau said: "As the Shanghai Expo approaches, we launched a half-month long campaign at the end of January to inspect foreigners living in the city."

Read more at The Global Post

Expo Update
Monday, 08 February 2010 08:02
Written by Helen Elfer

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Anyone who spends their time bemoaning the lack of Michelin-starred chefs in the city will be delighted to hear that the Belgian EU Pavilion is going to be overrun with them.
Every two weeks throughout the Expo period, one of 12 up-and-coming chefs will take over the Belgian Essence restaurant kitchen and prepare a menu of authentic Belgian cuisine.
To highlight the diversity of Belgian gastronomy, each Michelin-starred chef comes from a different Belgian province, and two from the capital of Brussels. They will be tasked with representing the culinary specifics of that region in their menu. Vincent Gardinal, Dimitri Marit, Pascal Devalkeneer are three of the chefs who will soon be cooking up a storm on the Expo site.

Expo Update
Friday, 05 February 2010 08:02
Written by Urbanatomy

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Ever got out of the metro at Lujiazui and been attacked from every angle by flying Haibaos coming from one angle, a Haibao kite from the other and some one trying to shine your shoes? Well, the shoe shiners ain't movin', but the Haibao hawking game may be over.

The local industry authorities are targeting metro stations and markets to crack down on fake Shanghai 2010 World Expo souvenirs, officials said yesterday. We did report this a couple of months ago here, but now there getting tough.Like scary tough.

"We will give sellers a warning the first time they are found to sell fake Expo souvenirs, but they will be driven out of the market for the second time," said Xing Dongsheng, director of the bureau's trademark department. So if you're still looking to get a bunch of fake Haibaos in time for Chinese New Year gifts for your girlfriend's fake sister's child, then run, run like the wind to a metro station near you.

Apparently more than 630 official Expo souvenir shops have been established around the country, selling more than 8,000 types of products. That's Haibao keyrings, hats, pens, laser pointers, toilet rag, that boy is everywhere.

On the fakes, I once got given a fake Haibao as a gift. I held it close to my heart and hugged it every night, But there was something weird about it. It kind of looked at me funny. It had eyes that were too close together and a floppy quiff (it also smelt of paint, but hey), and it just didn't feel right. So it was about time that someone stepped in and banned the buggers.

Next up, there'll be taking away fake Ralph Lauren shirts. Imagine that.