Photography exhibition at the Shanghai EXPO

Allan, a Chinese friend from Guiyang has come to Shanghai for a few days to work at the EXPO. This gives me the opportunity to see him after a year and also visit the exhibition. We talked over WeChat, he shared location, explained to me how to get there and how to get in. The good things are, that there's no entrance fee and that it's open to the public. 

It takes me about an hour to get there, because I have to take three different metro lines and then walk for about 20 minutes. Allan was kind enough to send me instructions on how to get a visitor pass, but he didn't mention that there are three different exhibitions under the same roof. So I go to the first wall and try to register in order to get my pass - and fail. Why? First of all it is not for the photography exhibition, but for the baby exhibition. Secondly, the instructions on the wall may be in Chinese and in English, but when you scan the QR code, the menu that appears on your smartphone is in Chinese. Thirdly, you need to enter a Chinese telephone number, which I don't have. I have a data-SIM and therefore no number. I find a young man who is trying to register and ask him for help. He speaks English and tries to register me, but he too fails, due to the required telephone number. I then message Allan to come get me, like little children do when they need help and call for their mums. While I am walking towards the entrance, I notice two things: a) there are walls in three different colours - one for the baby, one for the wedding and one for the photography exhibition. That's when I realise that I was trying to register for the wrong exhibition, and b) after a successful registration, you have to go to a counter to pick up your pass. There are two counters, one of them is for foreign visitors. Hmm... I should have gone there to get my pass instead of trying my luck with QR codes and menus in Chinese.

I see Allan passing the controls, holding a pass for me. We hug and greet each other and go in. Inside, he shows me where his stand is, presents me to his partners and then I walk around for quite a long time.

I have been to many exhibitions, but it is my first time at a photography exhibition and I didn't have any expectations, but I've imagined it somehow different. I had expected to see cameras, lenses and other equipment and be able to test some of it, perhaps see a show or some event, a bit like at a car show room, where you walk around the cars, look into their engines, interior and boots and can sit in or even test drive. 

I am surprised to see that the theme is wedding. But then, it's not a surprise at all with a wedding exhibition next door and weddings being a huge market in this country. There are models at many camera manufacturer stands, like CANON, NIKON, OLYMPUS, etc, and many of the models are - no surprise here - Ukrainians. Most foreign models in China are Ukrainians. They are tall, white, good looking, have well-trained bodies and have no issues walking around half naked. 

I walk around all the stands and spend a lot of time at the CANON stand, where I have a closer look at the 6D Mark II and 5D Mark IV models. The 5D is a camera I'm dreaming of. My D6 is 15 years old and I want to replace it with something new and technologically advanced. I am allowed to test a few canon cameras and am fascinated by all the features. Pity I don't have my credit card with me!

Since I am the only foreign visitor, I get much attention by the models and especially by the vendors. They all try to sell me their goods, and many want to have photos with me. At a stand I get a lens cleaning set for free, because I am willing to be photographed with every single member of staff.

Such a great experience and so nice to see Allan again!

The correct wall with instructions in two languages

Screenshots with the menu in Chinese

The pass Allan organised for me

Allan's pass

Allan's stand

Looks like a Chinese emoticon

 With Allan - no beauty cam

 Beauty cam

Brides (notice all the photographers in the background)

Chinese dream of a wedding

She looks like a half Japanese - half British former colleague of mine

I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world

Life in plastic, it's fantastic

You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere

Imagination, life is your creation (song: Barbie Girl by Aqua)

Swan Lake

Ukrainian model 

Dark and spooky

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Inauguration ceremony

It is Monday late afternoon of Week 2 and I’m sitting in a large auditorium on the top floor of building D. I had to ask a few people in order to find building D, because there is no indication of it anywhere on the building. I was surprised to find out that building D is directly opposite of our building, which is ‘J’. The funny thing is, that in this part of the campus, there are only two buildings and it doesn’t make sense to give the buildings the letters D and J. Our buildings are at the edge of SISU and isolated from the rest of the campus. We have our own gate and there is no path connecting us to the other buildings. 

Anyway, I am sitting in the last row and before me are a few Chinese teachers and members of staff. All our students are gathered in the first few rows, as you can see from the photos below. There will be some speakers and one of them is one of our students. But before we begin with the inauguration ceremony, we can fill up our bellies at a rich buffet with local dishes. There’s also pizza, possibly for us westerners. Besides me, only very few others have a slice. Most, including Howard - our chief for the summer, go for the local food.

Some time later, the first speaker appears on stage and holds a speech. More people hold speeches and many nice and warm words are expressed. Many compliments are made too, especially towards us foreigners. Some of the adjectives used are handsome, friendly and kind.  Howard and I are welcomed back. A few words for each four of us are told and I’m introduced as a poet and writer. Chloe, the speaker who introduces us, is one of my readers and I guess the ‘poet’ is a reference to the student who called me like that at the closing ceremony last summer. I may look like one, but I am certainly no poet.

The last one to climb the stage is our student Tracy, as her English name is. Her Chinese name is Tongtong. Tong means ‘childhood’. So, Tongtong, means double ‘Childhood’ - ‘Childhoodchildhood’. Great name! Poor Tongtong was asked to hold a speech only a few hours before the event and didn’t have much time to prepare her it. She is quite nervous, but manages to do fine. 

When I read the info about the inauguration ceremony I was a bit concerned and didn’t really want to go, because I was afraid of being trapped in a room for hours, listening to many endless and boring speeches. But then my group 3 students asked me if I would go and Tongtong said that she would talk on stage, that’s why I made up my mind and came. I have witnessed some hour long ceremonies here in China and in other countries like Saudi and have sworn to myself to either not attend any, or if I really must, I’d sit somewhere near the exit to escape. 

This event lasts to my fortune only about an hour (including eating time) and when it’s finished, little groups form and people talk to each other. On the way out we pass the buffet and are encouraged by the staff to take some food with us. I’m given some bananas, so my breakfast is secured.

I’m looking forward to the closing ceremony at the end of the summer.

The first speaker is from the Hull University China office

 Chloe from SISU

 Tongtong my student

Food

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SISU Gymnasium

A few days after my arrival in Shanghai, and having gone to a few meetings and walks around the Bund and some other touristy areas, I decide to join the gym. My accommodation is on campus and directly opposite the SISU Guesthouse is the massive SISU Gymnasium. I had heard from Andrew, our programme leader, that it is quite expensive, but it's the only possibility around here to get or remain fit. The weather is unfortunately not suitable for outdoor sports. It's too rainy in June and too hot and too humid in July and August. The only bearable time for outdoor activities, at least until the big heat begins, is very early in the morning. With very early, I mean 5 - 7am. That's the time when all the locals go to the parks and do their yoga, tai-chi, play tennis, feather ball, sing, dance, jog, walk backwards, etc. The busiest time is between 6 and 7am. The last ones leave around 8am. 

So I walk over to the gym to ask for packages. Swimming pool is minimum 6 months membership, which is too long for me. I'm offered two different gym memberships, one for a month and one for three months. I go for the three months. Price: 900 Yuan = 100 GBP. It hurts to pay this much, considering that I paid less for a yearly membership in Guiyang. The shock came when I saw the actual 'gym'. It's a small room with only a few things in it (photos below). In the price however, there are various yoga and other classes and the indoor courts for tennis, basket ball, etc.

The opening hours sound ridiculous too. July and August from 9 to 9, the rest of the year from 12 to 8. There goes my plan to exercise early in the morning before class. There's the racetrack behind the gymnasium, which seems to be open from very early in the morning until very late in the evening. Too bad, that it is being used as a car park and it is not possible to jog around. Luckily two or so weeks after my arrival, the cars disappear and it's open to the athletes again.

My second task for the day is to get a Chinese SIM card. I have lost the one I had and need a replacement. Since that SIM card was on the name of a Chinese person, I need to go with him to a China Mobile shop to get a replacement. That's not possible, because he is in Guiyang. So I walk into a China Mobile shop somewhere near the university and walk out again a few minutes later, due to language barrier and communication problems. To my fortune, there's this tiny shop next to the Guesthouse that sells SIM cards. I walk in and see a young Chinese man with his wife and little son. I ask for a data SIM and he explains in English the various packages. I go for the 36gb costing 400 RMB, valid for a year. No passport and no registration needed. He calls and texts someone to activate the card and tells me that I'd be able to use it after 7 to 9 hours. Indeed, roughly 9 hours later, the card is activated and I'm online. 

SISU Gymnasium

 Towards the window

 towards the spinning room

 Football pitch with 400 metre track (taken from my room on the 16th floor)

 and a closer look. It's 6am. Do you see how busy it is?

The tiny shop

With the little boy of the owner

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