Off-Topic: WorldExpo Hannover report

[Willem-Jan Markerink <w.j.markerink@xxxxx>]

Posted to EOS/IR/Pan list, and BCC'd to a special person....;-))

For those tempted/planning to visit the WorldExpo in Hannover, some 
tips, impressions & guidance, in particular related to visual fun:

- Pavillion Das 21e Jahrhundert/Planet of Visions is crap,
'Environmental Weltschmerz' describes it all....some nice visual
tricks, but forget the thema....only recommended when the queues are
short (and the queue doesn't end inside!!!!).

- Bertelsmann/Planet-M pavillion is worth standing in line 
for....worlds largest (people) elevator, at the same time 1st stage 
cinema, with screen on the ceiling. Inside a 2nd stage cinema, 
panoramic screen. Queue for German version is 1-1.5 hours, English 
versions are available 3-4 times a day, only 15 minutes 
delay....ask hostesses at the start of the queue.

- one of the 'thema' pavillions (4-6, I think 5, health) has nice 
relax section in the back, with motion-chairs (like at your dentist, 
but without drill, and continuously moving), soft esotheric light 
effects and music....but also officials watching, to prevent you fall 
asleep and occupy the seat forever....seat folds up completely every 
5 minutes too....bastards....;-))

- German pavillion is nice for some effects, but only impressive if 
you understand the subtle historical context (in particular the 
crying woman in the car with people bouncing on the roof (fall of 
Berlin Wall). 

- Pavillion of France is worth a visit....has the right magic 
atmosphere that a lot of others lack.

- Best visual panoramic effect is in the China pavillion, film every
30 minutes....360 degree multi-motion-picture arrangement....a tic
for Chinese culture ads to the thrill, especially the flight over
Sjanghai, and the dive into city traffic.

- Cinema inside Singapore pavillion showed nice history of 
Singapore....below lovely dim-sums on the street-side, including 
deserts....;-)) 
[restaurant below Chinese pavillion is crap....kindof McDonalds with 
chopsticks....8-))....Japanese restaurant elsewhere on the Expo also 
not recommended....logistical nightmare, and only so-so 
food....French baquettes & crepes close-by are a revelation compared 
to that....ask for the combination of pomme/sucre/cinnamon....;-))

- Monaco pavillion has a silly square/quadro-motion-picture
film-arrangement as first stage cinema, marketed as '360'
degrees....not impressed....you need to be perfectly in the middle to
have a balanced view....second stage is supposed to be 3d with
polaroid-glasses, but something is awfully wrong in there....only
the back-side film panel (last half of this stage) uses 3d effects,
with the 3 angled screens in the first half of the show, one screen
blocks out when looking with one of your eyes....baffled what they
intended with that....maybe Monacians have different natural
polarisation in their eyes than ordinary people....8-))

- Film presentation in the  Korean pavillion is highly recommended,
lovely mystical atmosphere, very cute special effects (little kids
ran away crying, although (parents) warned....just like heart- and
bloodpressure patients as well as pregnant women...:-)), 3D in front
and behind the screen....lovely sarcastic hostess ("we are pleased to 
notify you that all effects are TUV-approved"....;-))

- Most chilling experience was in the DSD/Cycle-bowl 
pavillion....every 15 or 20 minutes a real tornado is brought to 
life, over the full 20 meters height of the building, along with eiry 
music and special effects....3D from Mother Nature herself....;-))

- Italian pavillion is only worthwile if you like exotic 
cars....boring, although nice subject for photography from the 
outside with wide-angles, fisheye & panorama (mucho circles and 
spirals)....if only the sun had shown....;-((

- Norwegian pavillion likewise boring ('silence room/session' for about 10 
minutes, artwork in that room marketed as all-around art....walls and 
ceiling covered with esotheric paintings)

- Russian stand inside of the combined halls has nice large plasma 
screens with 'walking around' software, inside Russian 
buildings....no Russian camera's on display....;-))

- 1st floor of Austrian stand has similar panoramic software, but
with a screen on a large wheel, rotated around by viewing person. 2nd 
floor is good for relaxing with feet up, while watching wide-screen 
films (no seats/cushions available at that time, so we passed on that).

- Pavillion of Saudi-Arabia did have a cinema, but was broken down at 
the time....bit freaky to see deeply covered Saudi women in the 
open-air museum, but flashy uncovered asian women behind the 
counter....8-)) 

- Entrance of Yeti exhibition/stand from Reinhold Messner (famous 
alpinist) is hard to find (next to the middle station of the cable 
cars)....impressive painting inside, and lovely cool on a hot day 
(open refridgerator inside, in the floor, to simulate the icy walls 
of a gletscher....:-))

- Dutch pavillion is nice, but more from the outside as motive, no 
visual shows inside....also good as high-rise photo location to  
take shots of the rest of the Expo.

- Pavillion of Deutsche Post (tall yellow building) is also perfect for 
overview shots of large parts of the Expo....sadly it's not open late 
at night (I think), unlike the tower in Lissabon.

- Daimler/Chrysler pavillion is nice for the computer & gadget freaks 
(I liked the mouse with magnetic feedback...:-))....on the left side 
of this building, don't forget to crack your brain on the display of 
an Audi, through which a full-grown tree sticks out, as if it was 
launched from underneath....no welding marks on the roof, very alive 
tree....if you can unravel this trick, please let me know....like one 
in my garden too....;-))

- Pavillion of European Community has nice panoramic cinema with 
'moving base' simulator, the only one on the Expo AFAIK (mediocre one 
in Lissabon (telecom pavillion), nice on in Sevilla (Spanish 
pavillion).

- Pavillion of Croatia has short film in 360 degree cinema, and cute 
floor design. 

- Australian pavillion not very impressive....small cinema inside.

- Portugal showed nice panoramic cinema, with shots taken in flight.

- Only thing that caught my attention in the Mexican pavillion were 
the backlighted panels in the vitrines, just before the exit.

- Have not visited the pavillions of Finland (queues, not enough time), 
Spain (open theater 1st floor, second floor queues, but a peak 
outside the building convinced us that a cinema of any kind inside 
was unlikely....;-))

Don't forget a ride in worlds largest mobile giant-wheel (stops on 
top, can take pictures through open).

For taking shots yourself, I rate this Expo quite a bit lower than
those in Lissabon and Sevilla....less fancy designs/artwork on the
street, less spectacular buildings, less impressive landscape
architecture....large part of the Expo uses existing buildings of
the Hannover Messe, with only slight modifications on the
outside....I guess one gets spoiled by the all-new buildings in
Sevilla & Lissabon, including flashy white colors against a clear
blue sky. Same goes for the amount of possible IR-motives....found
quite a lot in Lissabon, mostly because of several
height-differences in the terrain, and landscape
architecture....overcast skies don't  help either....;-((

Sorry, very little EOS content....;-))....I even took a peak in the 
Design Gallery, but no sign of Colani there either....;-((

PS: happy birthday Simon!....;-))


--                 
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

      The desire to understand 
is sometimes far less intelligent than
     the inability to understand

<w.j.markerink@xxxxx>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]