My Expo Experience

An elaborate botanic display in the heart of Pudong, Shanghai's financial district.

From May 8th to the 22nd, I lived out a dream: visiting a real world's fair.

We arrived in Shanghai, China Sunday evening, May 9th. Already in our first moments off the plane, we were greeted by a "Welcome to Shanghai and Expo 2010" display in the airport. As we soon found out, billboards, posters and signs advertising Shanghai's Expo were omnipresent throughout the city. One cannot visit Shanghai this summer and not be aware of Expo 2010.

Our first visit to the fair itself was Monday morning, May 10th. I had high expectations: China's first ever world expo has been touted as one of the biggest in history... and as we saw with the 2008 Olympics, when China decides to host the world, they go all out.

While Expo 67 was accessible from 2 entrances, Expo 2010 was designed with no less than 8. We arrived via the West Gaoke Road Metro station, on the newly built line 6 subway, conveniently located on the same line as our hotel. Although each entrance at Expo 2010 was equipped to handle huge crowds, the security measures (similar to those in airports) meant that waiting was inevitable. Our first in a long series of lineups...

The imposing China pavilion.

China's inverted pyramid was by far the largest and most imposing pavilion at Expo 2010. Visible from way off-site, it was the first Expo structure I saw on that first day. The first pavilion I visited was the Nepal pavilion.

Over 2 weeks, I visited Expo 2010 a total of 10 times. Some of my most memorable national pavilions were India, Israel, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy. European pavilions were generally quite sought after, as Europe is considered exotic in China. Lineups were long for these pavilions, but they did not disappoint.

The India pavilion roof was an intricate dome of herbs and copper.

The Israel pavilion featured an ultra-modern video presentation.

Germany's bold pavilion had a 2 or 3 hour lineup at any given time.

Visiting the UK pavilion was like walking through a huge, modern chandelier.

Italy's pavilion showcased its refined culture and advanced technologies.

The Urban Planet theme pavilion presented an urgent environmental appeal.

Strong environmental messages sought to invoke action upon the visitors of Expo 2010's theme pavilions, which explored in-depth the "Better City Better Life" theme. They were truly inspiring.

Corporate pavilions such as the GM pavilion and the Information and Communication pavilion had optimistic displays showcasing the fascinating technologies of tomorrow. "The future" has always been a popular subject at world expos.

I enjoyed these theme and corporate pavilions as much as the national ones.

This theme-pavilion hallway was like something out of Star Trek.

The GM pavilion invited visitors to "Take a Drive to 2030".

The Information and Communication pavilion gleamed in the sunlight.

The German pavilion served typical Deutsch food and drink. I went twice!

The food at Expo 2010 was as diverse as it was fabulous: a vast majority of pavilions served fare from all over the world.

Our first meal on-site was a delicious curry dish as the India pavilion restaurant, followed by refreshing frozen mango lassis.

Traditional sausages and beer pleased our palates at the German pavilion restaurant on another occasion, and a chic dinner at the Swiss pavilion was the end of yet another day of pavilion visiting.

Naturally, Asian food of all sorts was available everywhere, while KFC was the western fast food of choice. We saw dozens of KFC outlets all throughout our trip; there was one around the corner from our hotel and at 5 on the Expo site itself...!

The Italian pavilion restaurant had 2 seperate sections: buffet or à la carte.

An autograph and a photo with Gerald Tremblay.

The mayor of Montreal Gerald Tremblay was visiting Shanghai and Expo 2010 the same week that we were. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a cocktail party hosted by Montreal expats now residing in Shanghai... where the mayor himself was present. I took the opportunity to shake hands with the Mr. Tremblay, and asked for a photo and autograph...!

The entire Expo 2010 site was especially beautiful lit up at night.

Click on the mosaic above to see more photos from Expo 2010.

The pavilion of Spain chose "From the City of Our Parents to the City of Our Children" as its central theme. To illustrate the "children" aspect, a 6.5-meter giant motorised baby was installed in the final exhibition hall.

Below is my video footage of this striking (and albeit, creepy) display:

images: authors own

Nightlife Magazine Interview

Expo Lounge (and my passion for Expo 67) are the subject of an interview appearing in the summer 2009 issue of Nightlife Magazine.

Piknic Électronik Announcement

Piknic Électronik's 2009 DJ lineup was announced today... Expo 67 style!

Sesame Street's Funky Chimes

This is possibly my favorite song, ever.

Created sometime in the early 70's, this musical interlude was featured at the end of Sesame Street episodes. Nicknamed "Funky Chimes", the tune was placed between the show's final credits and the PBS identification.

When Funky Chimes was retired in the early 1990's, I thought I'd never hear my beloved wah-wah electric guitar and tubular bells ever again. With the advent of the Internet (where you can truly find anything), I've stumbled upon a high quality extended version, created by Youtube user roboshuffle...

Needless to say, I love it!

I've extracted the audio and converted it to mp3 format, so I can enjoy Funky Chimes on my iPod whenever I want...

La Vie en Rolls

For a limited time, Cashmere toilet tissue is available in my favorite color...

At The Beach 1966

My search for the perfect old-school Coppertone-type fragrance may finally be over. I'm hopeful about a scent I've just ordered online: At The Beach 1966, by perfumery CB I Hate Perfume.

CB I Hate Perfume was launched in 2004 in New York City by Christopher Brosius, who had previously founded cult-fave Demeter Fragrance Library (makers of the Play-Doh fragrance, among others).

Describing himself as an artist that uses scent as his medium, Brosius' range of unique, hand blended fragrances reflect fun, individuality and his own scent memories. What Christopher Brosius "hates" is the mass-produced stuff found in department stores.

According to the product description, At The Beach 1966 is "the exact recreation of a hot summer’s day spent lying in the sun [...] An absolutely brilliant and faithful interpretation of classic Coppertone meets beach..."

But the clincher for me was: "if you loved the smell of classic Coppertone tanning lotion, your jaw will hit the floor when you try this..."

• UPDATE (May 15): I'm in suntan lotion heaven!

images: (top) luckyscent.com
(bottom) pierjewelry.com

Dreaming of Piknic

Summer Sundays, the old Expo 67 site grooves to the beat of electronic music.

Warmer weather makes me dream of the long-awaited 2008 edition of Piknic Électronik (now in its 6th year!).

From the official Facebook group:

"These days are intended to bring music-lovers together
in a unique and friendly atmosphere where they can
take advantage of the warm weather, enjoy a breathtaking
view of the city, and listen to quality electronic music.
Conscious of its mission, the Piknic Electronik aims
to showcase the best of the Montreal & international
electronic music scene making this weekly experience
a time of discovery that stimulates the senses."

This year's lineup is to be announced on May 7th, 2008, while the first Piknic itself is scheduled for Sunday, May 18th (as of 2pm) at Place de l'Homme, on Île Sainte Hélène...

Alexander Calder's Man sculpture, as seen in 1967.

images: (top) facebook.com
(bottom) courtesy DC Hillier

Another Gazette Article!

Click on the above image for a closer look.

Extra! Extra! The Montreal Gazette published another Expo-themed article yesterday, which included photos of some of my collection of memorabilia!

Barbara Asgary

This was the picture-taking pamphlet given out at the Kodak pavilion.

I was contacted by Barbara Asgary (née Dressler) after the article about me appeared in the Montreal Gazette. One weekday evening earlier this summer, I made my way to her lovely home in Westmount. She still had some old Expo items, and she wanted me to have them.

Young Barbara Dressler was a hostess at the Kodak pavilion. Like many people I've met, she was really interested to know why I love Expo 67 so much. We chatted for a couple of hours about her memories of Expo.

She recalled her orange uniform, with ubiquitous pillbox hat. [I immediately asked her if she still had it. She said that although she had kept it for many years, she did get rid of it about 20 years ago.] She told me that some guides and hostesses from her pavilion married each other after Expo. She also explained that her old colleagues still organize reunions, all these years later [the last one was about 5 years ago].

I would have been content just chatting with Barb, but the cherry on the sundae was the box of Expo artifacts she so generously gave to me. I've been collecting Expo items for 10 years now, and I can attest that these were no run-of-the-mill Expo souvenirs, but ultra-rare mementos that only an Expo 67 employee would have...

Thank you, Barbara!

Nowadays, Barbara is an established artist. Click here to visit her website.

The Kaleidsocope pavilion manager had his own business card.

It was possible to have photos developped at the Kodak pavilion.

Expo's hosts and hostesses had their own newsletter: the Host-Post.

A special pass for Expo's closing ceremonies.

Invitation to a Couscous party, hosted by the Moroccan pavilion.

Special passes for Expo's inauguration (left) and an official reception (right).

images: author's own, from the Barbara Asgary Collection

Happy Birthday to... Me!

I turn the big 3-0 today!

Pink Party

The invitation for the party, designed by yours truly.

Last Saturday, my dearest friends and I got together to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday. (In our circle of friends, there are many birthdays in July, so I like to get mine out of the way early...)

The theme for this year's birthday festivities? Pink!

Guests were asked to wear pink and bring a pink dish for the buffet. Rosé wine was the drink of choice for the evening, while fare such as salmon, fresh watermelon, and anything strawberry was enjoyed by all.

I've always loved pink, it's such a hopelessly retro color. It makes me think of 50's convertibles, cotton candy, frosty lipstick, etc.

What better way to celebrate my 30th birthday?

Click on the above image to see the photos from the party.

My 15 Minutes of Fame Continues...

Click on the above image for a larger view.

This article appeared in the Saturday May 12th edition of the Montreal Gazette. I am particularily proud of being called "one of the biggest keepers of the Expo flame in Montreal today"...

Needless to say, I'm still enjoying my 15 Minutes of Expo Fame...

My 15 Minutes of Expo Fame

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a reporter from the Montreal Gazette to do a video interview for the web. On the occasion of Expo 67's anniversary, they wanted to profile people whose lives have been touched in one way or another by the event. What always seems to intrigue everyone is that I'm too young to have actually seen Expo 67...

Click here to see the interview.

The interview was filmed at my apartment, in the real Expo Lounge. Those with a keen eye will recognize Maxine the mannequin in the background...

images: video.canada.com

Just for the Occasion

I wore my Expo 67 tie to work today!

photo: Janicke Morissette (www.lebureauofficiel.com)/
Jean-François Brière (www.jfbriere.com)

New Gazelles

Warmer temperatures in Montreal bring one thing to mind: Shopping!

My latest acquisition: white Adidas Gazelles, perfect for Piknic Sundays...

photo: author's own

Maxine the Mannequin

Not many people know that display mannequins are based on real people.

Artists employed by mannequin companies sculpt life-sized replicas of human models. This process, which allows for the most realistic figures, was created in the late 1950's by mannequin-mogul Adel Rootstein.

A true visionary, Adel had a keen eye and a intuitive sense of "the next big thing". Among her notable discoveries was a young Twiggy in 1964.

The original Adel Rootstein brochure featured a photo of the real Maxine (left).

For several years, I worked at clothing store Le Château, in the window department. My days were spent surrounded by these life-sized Barbie dolls, and I would've jumped at the chance of eventually owning one.

During the time that I worked there, Le Château was in the process of overhauling their corporate image. They decided to unload my all-time favorite mannequin series: a group called the Snapshots.

Based on ballet dancers, the Snapshot series dated back to the late 70's and early 80's (think early Madonna, legwarmers and Fame). By the late 90's, the Snapshots, essentially a teenage-line, became obsolete.

It was my lucky day...

The mannequin that I got was named Maxine, after Maxine Renshall, the real girl that was sculpted. I've had her for about 5 years now, and she resides quietly in the real Expo Lounge, in full miniskirt and go-go boot regalia. Maxine's original Adel Rootstein brochure, laminated, hangs behind her on the wall.

Maxine wears a vintage Expo 67 silk scarf around her neck.

She reads Visitez l'Expo 67 avec Bill Bantey, a guide to the pavilions she'll visit.

Maxine keeps her Expo passport and other souvenirs in her Expo 67 flight bag.

Maxine's mod look is inspired by Michèle Richard, her idol. Don't they look alike?

images: personal collection

CorningWare

CorningWare was introduced in 1958. It was made of a glass ceramic material that could be used in the oven or on the stovetop.

As with many inventions, CorningWare was a lab mistake. A malfunctioning furnace heated to 900° instead of 600°, and amazingly, the glass inside did not melt. A chemist later dropped the white glass, and surprisingly, it didn't break. These accidents lead to the creation of Pyroceram and the very first pieces of CorningWare in 1957.

Though long out of production, the Blue Cornflower pattern remains synonymous with CorningWare for most (including me). It seems like everyone's mother had CorningWare pieces with this dainty blue pattern.

As a child, I remember playing with miniature CorningWare toys made to mimic our mothers' bakeware and coffee/tea pots.

These pieces will always hold a special place in my heart.

I think I'll start a collection...

images (top) amazon.com
bottom: flickr.com

Crystal Addict

I grew up loving my grandmother and her fabulous front-hall chandelier. When I was a teenager I finally inherited that said chandelier (with a little grandson sweet-talking, of course...).

Once I had my grandmother convinced, I had to convince my mother that, first of all, it was entirely appropriate for my bedroom, and second, that I would clean it.

Chandeliers have always appealed to my it's-impractical-but-beautiful side, like high heeled shoes or tiaras. There was a period in the 1960's where no home was truly fashionable without a crystal chandelier in the front hallway. Nothing better to highlight the shag carpet and gold wallpaper!

I have since inherited two other chandeliers from my aunt when she redecorated. My three chandeliers have been following me in every apartment I've had. They are my treasures of which I will never part...

images: (top) foodnetwork.com
(bottom) flickr.com