Volunteers for love, not CV
Society needs to reevaluate its opinion of volunteering. A recent survey shows that 38 percent of polled volunteers inside the Expo Garden are concerned that many volunteers have the wrong agenda, and only in order to bolster their resumes and improve their job prospects. About 23 percent of those polled also requested greater understanding from visitors, many of who see them as "free labor" and show little or no respect.
EASTDAY.COM
Goodbye visitors, hello perfection
Volunteers now stand in rows at exits to the Expo Garden bidding "good night" to visitors. This new trend shows how the organizers and the volunteers of 2010 Expo are constantly striving for perfection. The significance of this recently added farewell shows the determination to make things better. It also implies that perfection is not something that can necessarily be achieved; rather, it is something that is always to be pursued.
EASTDAY.COM
Commercial eye-strain
The Shanghai Expo's theme of 'Better City, Better Life' suggests many cities need a makeover to reduce the strain on their residents' eyes. Our eyes are very much burdened by having advertisements placed everywhere. Heavily lit streets add further stress. Cities need to be better planned to incorporate harmonious colors, spaces and structures that serve various functions and remain consistent with nature and public memory. It's not just about planning a city, but about planning the scenes within that city.
QQ.COM
Sexy Shanghai, savvy citizens
About 17 percent of those polled in a recent survey picked Shanghai as the "sexiest" city in China, partly due to its new identity as a World Expo host. The new understanding of the word "sexy" to describe places suggests that Chinese people are becoming increasingly open-minded. A city can be sexy because cities are the result of human interaction.
FAWAN.COM
(China Daily 09/24/2010)
