My wife wasn't interested because of the logistics of getting there. Even though, we aren't that far from Shanghai, a day trip to the Expo just wasn't possible. We would have to have stayed overnight and the expense just didn't seem to be worth it. As well, there was no way that we were going to stand for two hours waiting in the Shanghai Summer heat.
I was conflicted sort of. I was thinking that since I was in the area of the Expo, it would be a crime of sorts if I didn't go. But since I stopped going to Wuxi Expat bars, I didn't see the need to go just for the sake of having something to talk about. (What was your favorite pavilion?) And all the reports I got from the students who went to Expo indicated to me that it was just too crowded to really be enjoyed.
But most importantly, there was also a philosophical reason not to go -- this was an exposition of international statism. These world fairs are a remnant of a time before Reagan and Thatcher when governments really thought they could show off to the world -- now they are just show for the urban bureaucratic elite. These World Expos are soulless and seek to glorify the triumph of experts over free individuals.
Glad, I didn't go!
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