My wonderful impressions of being at Expo

SHANGHAI - Nin Hao and warm greetings from the Pacific Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010! We are all proud and honored to be here at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and excited at the number of people who have come to visit us at the Pavilion. Last week alone, our numbers exceeded 200,000 and that is far greater than the population of some of our small island nations.

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We have already had our first of 15 National Days and the Pacific organizations of South Pacific Tourism Organization and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat celebrated theirs on May 12. Colorful entertainment from Tahiti Ora and the Oceania Dance Troupe enthralled the crowd throughout the day and added to the Pacific spirit experienced at the Expo that day.

Visitors to our Pavilion are welcomed each morning by the staff, management and volunteers who perform a song of praise and dance. Its a treat for everyone and starts the day off well for all. We are fortunate to have our musical maestro, Mr Igelese Ete, directing all entertainment for the Pacific Pavilion and we are also proud of his success in films like Lord of the Rings for some of the music in the Oscar award winning film composed by him as well.

We love being in Shanghai -- I think its wonderful to see that every citizen of Shanghai has made it their responsibility to ensure that Expo 2010 is a huge success. The city is clean, flowers are blooming everywhere and the volunteers I interviewed to work in the Pacific Pavilion assisting the countries with interpreting and guiding, all felt that they had a part to play in the smooth and successful hosting of the Expo. Most said it was their honor to assist the Pacific Pavilion and its staff.

I also note with great interest each time I have a meeting at Expo HQ, and I see a trend of very young graduates, managing the many departments needed to facilitate the running of the event prior to and during the Expo, all being groomed as future young leaders of China. Our international participant coordinator is a dynamic young lady who guides us loyally and efficiently in our participation at the Expo; our finance coordinator is only 23 and she's brilliant; our accommodation coordinator is the same age and deals in millions of dollars worth of contracts daily and is never wrong. Their department heads or directors are outstanding and well known academics and professional business persons who lead by example the young people under their leadership and these directors are amiable and tremendously cooperative in assisting the participants. I have not met a prima donna amongst them, whether male or female!

These are just some of my wonderful impressions of being at Shanghai Expo 2010 and we welcome China and the world to visit us at the Pacific Pavilion. Xie Xie!

The author is Bernadette Rounds Ganilau, director of the Pacific Pavilion