Shanghai Prelude: 6th Oil China Exhibition 2010

As some of you know, my writing is asynchronous with my travel; I try to be fully present when I’m on the road, and then write at the pace of two essays per week, which puts me approximately six weeks behind “real time”.

Shanghai Exhibition Center (Photo: Tagami)

I’m interrupting our Barcelona story-flow today to let you know that my first commissioned piece has been published by the Olive Oil Times.  In this exclusive report, called China Exhibition Focuses on Olive Oil, I write from on location in Shanghai at the end of April and briefly cover the Oil China Exhibition in terms of events, attendees and the increase in olive oil consumption in contemporary China.

I hope you have the chance to read the Shanghai piece, and to take a look at the Olive Oil Times in general, as it is written with the everyday consumer in mind.  A note for my readers in Europe, South America, North Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and Asia:  this eZine is a global resource with contributors from around the world; although published in America it is not Amerocentric.

Pretty young women in vermillion qipao (cheongsam) dresses prepare an elaborate ribbon cutting ceremony for the VIPs at the opening of Oil China 2010 (Photo: Tagami)

Before you click away, let me share little of the flavor of being on the Puxi side of Shanghai the morning the Exhibition opened.

I saved this 45 second snippet of music and ambient crowd noise for you to experience — let’s call it Shanghai Prelude — which we listened to along with some Sinophilic Stevie Wonder (You are the Sunshine of my Life) and other melodious popular songs re-orchestrated to Chinese tastes.  The “Shanghai Prelude” played repeatedly in the hour we watched visitors register, then mill about; exhibitors scurry by, or tote and trundle past us with last minute supplies for their exhibition stands; and organizers —  er, well, Organize.  In my mind this is the theme music or sound track of the morning as we waited for the exhibition to be opened.

Then, shortly after 9:00 am — and in grand Chinese style — we enjoyed welcoming speeches, the presentation of awards and a ribbon cutting. The 2010 6th China International Exhibition of Edible Oil & Olive Oil was officially opened.  Read more here at The Olive Oil Times.

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"Nihao" from Shanghai (Photo: C. Deng)

I will be writing more about my pre-Expo visit to Shanghai in upcoming posts.  In the near term, future essays will center more on wine with some culture, history and olive oil sprinkled in (drizzled over?).

Tuscany, and other fun places are in the mix.  I hope you will subscribe and join me!

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