06Oct2010
Sep Tour (Sep 17-26) / Shanghai
Gave out postcards in the HK case area in the Case Joint Pavillion. The techniques and application of RFID was shown, octopus card is one of them; a video about HK is also shown. Very HK feel, visitors are bombarded with visual images and music. If I am the volunteer I wont like working there, the ambience is too oppressing; just like a lot of Hongkongers, seldom enjoy their job…. RFID do facilitate our daily lives, it speeds up a lot of things. But whether it leads us to a better living…… I am not sure about that. How do we use the extra time we get from RFID, to do more work, watch more soaps or do anyone ever really use the time to relax and refresh their body and mind?
The Barcelona case is just next to the HK case one. I could already feel a huge difference between the two the first time I ｇｅｔ ｔｈｅｒｅ． How they allow their visitors to get into the mood through music, how they give special attention to their habitants.
The most impressive pavillions are the UK pavillion and the Chile Pavillion. Before going to the UK pavillion, I heard dissapointments from it which does affect my expectation towards it. But after I went there, the architecture amazes me a lot. I think every pavillion itself is already an artwork, why do we have to care so much about what exactly is shown inside? The feeling towards the pavillion should be personal, everyone should take time in experiencing it rather than just photographing the ‘thing’ otherwise you would miss a lot. But sometimes I also find it hard to concentrate and not be distracted or affected by other visitors. What I could do is to keep telling myself to slow down, keep quite inside and remember to feel it.
The experiencing and feeling does not only constrained in visiting Shanghai Expo, it’s also how we live our lives. Especially in HK, we are having too a rapid life style and getting too many information every single moment. We keep ignoring ourselves and miss a lot of personal reflections. I don’t consider this as a good way of living…..
I thinkk the Chile Pavillion has done a great job in making visitiors to think and reflect. They have done a really nice installation, and ask visitors questions: Do you know the name of you neighbour? What do you want your city to be like?
06Oct2010
Sep Tour (Sep 17-26) / Shanghai / Uncategorized
Shanghai is a really interesting place, when you go to different district, you would see architectures of different styles as they were once concessions from a few countries. In the Bund Scenic Zone, you could find neoclassicle style buildings. Just a block from 1933, you could find buildings in japanese style; indeed not only the building but the atmosphere of that area is full of foreign feeling. Xujiahui would be more of a European feel. It’s pretty amazing that some areas could be kept.
06Oct2010
Sep Tour (Sep 17-26) / Shanghai
18 September
Saturday
城市让生活更糟糕?
Went to City-to City today, one of the participant said he was not convinced to go to Shanghai Expo.
Better city = Better living or Better city à Better living ?
Reminds me of what we’ve discussed the other night. In having better facilities, better hardware, then maybe so called a better city, do we really have a better living qualities? In preparing Shanghai for the Expo, the city went through difficult times too, terrible air pollution, city replanning, traffic jam, etc. The metro does benefit the commuters, but some element may already gone.
What exactly do I wanna see or get from the expo? Is it worth queueing three or four hours just to get into a pavillion? I guess the best would all be put on the stage, would it only be a showy event……. No matter what, I am already in Shanghai and I am going to the Expo, why don’t I grab the chance and get the best out of it? I think it’d be nice seeing how the countries are presented in their pavillions and how the urban best practices area is like.
06Oct2010
Sep Tour (Sep 17-26) / Shanghai
Must demolishing and building a new one be the progress of a city?
This question stays in my mind for quite a time already and I sort of get an idea from the dinner last night. Those should better be named as a change. For every action, there must be a positive and a negative side, and it’d take some time for the action to settle, then we could slowly see more of one side. I was too shortsighted before. A positive change doesn’t come that easily, we could only get it step by step.
It is no magic~
19Sep2010
Uncategorized
Didn’t hv the time to do it the day before so…..
It was five thirty in the morning when I got on the bus, here I go! Shanghai! Kinda thrilled, though I have to tell myself to stay calm. “Low expectation is a good strategy”, trying to avoid myself from dissapointment~ Hope everything would be taken care of~
p.s. Hong Kong has a really beautiful morning. Try to get up early and experience it~
