Generation Carmen Sandiego Goes to the Expo
Only the real 90s PBS nerds will remember this banger:
Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina
She's a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize
She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
International escapades run deep in those of us who grew up trying to catch Carmen. So naturally, when we moved overseas, we were looking for opportunities to travel. Miss Rona certainly put a damper on our plans, but it seems we’re at the tail end of this crisis.
In the UAE we’re down to fewer than 120 cases per day nationwide from 300,000-ish daily tests (a 0.0004% positivity rate). We now have over eighty-five percent of the country fully-vaccinated; Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed said last week we're exiting the emergency phase. A notable sign we’re entering the “post-emergency measures” era is the pandemic-delayed opening of the Dubai 2020 Expo.
For many Americans we know this as the “World’s Fair.” Old heads back home might remember the 1962 Century 21 Exposition which brought us Seattle Center and the iconic Seattle Space Needle.
Last weekend, we hopped in our car, this year a Mitsubishi Attrage, and booked a room at the DoubleTree (#ThatCookieLife) much like we would for any other trip. Donning an overnight bag rather than my 40ml hiking backpack, we headed to explore the world--one pavilion at a time. This year’s theme is “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.” The Expo grounds are divided into five massive sections, each populated with 30-ish countries showcasing their interpretation of one component. Scattered throughout are ginormous, Jetsons-esque pavilions that feature artificial intelligence, intricate stages, concert halls, live art installations, and much, much more.
Our strategy was simple. Pick a region and explore it. Well, it wasn’t that simple. We had slightly opposing strategies. I, Hope, was on a mission to visit the entire world. Nate, on the other hand, was more selective about his time (“I ain’t got time for no minnow states!”). We did however agree to eat our way through the regions as best we could. After two days of wandering, eating and learning, we realized the pavilions could be classified as follows.
Hey, Come Visit For a Good Time
The Bahamas (btw, there are way more Bahaman Islands than you think there are)
Dominica (no, we are not the Dominican Republic)
Dominican Republic (they called us out for only knowing about the touristy parts of the island)
Costa Rica (we almost made it through the pavilion without hearing pura vida, almost)
Madagascar (feels hella slept on, honestly)
Peru
Incredible greenery, kind people, and Inca cola.
Tanzania
There’s a direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Zanzibar and they have an incredible female president who is currently the only female head of state in all of Africa.
Ya’ll Need to Invest Here
Algeria (they’re taking a ton of Chinese FDI)
Azerbaijan (extremely underrated national anthem)
El Salvador (really courting Bitcoin miners and crypto investors)
Sudan (looks kinda weird on the map with South Sudan removed)
Mexico (lots of talk about deep water ports, proximity to “global markets,” and infrastructure)
New Zealand (still flexin’ that Covid success)
Romania (they say they have 60% of Europe’s freshwater; this feels like a made up stat)
Croatia (they completely skip any mention of the entire Yugoslav era but they brought a 200 year old olive tree to showcase!)
Hey! Hey! Remember We Exist
Albania (like Greece, but majority Muslim, much cheaper, and the world’s best flag)
Czech Republic (the duck rillettes were delightful)
The Kingdom of Eswanti (aka Swaziland, note the name change)
Laos (you know, the landlocked spot everyone forgets about)
Turkmenistan (they obviously love horses)
Tajikistan (the Tajik drip tho!)
Just Flexing And Reveling in Our Awesomeness
Spain (sadly, their cafe was closed and we didn’t get to eat any bocadillos)
France (honestly, we went here for the cafe which was filled with cheese, croissants, and crepes)
Germany (they are developing autonomous, laser-zapping drones to reduce dependency on herbicides and pesticides)
Singapore (the focus on sustainability and plants)
Thailand (a 5-senses experience that made us want to move there immediately)
Republic Of Korea
K-pop dancers, free swag, and access to an incredible restaurant.
Russia
We were disappointed to not hear the Russian anthem; it’s a banger.
Philippines
Designed for all the Pinoy-expats in the UAE, this was complex, thoughtful, and smelled liked all the iconic Filipino dishes offered at the adjacent cafe
Engineered shade gave us a respite from the heat
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will return later in the fall when the heat is a little more manageable. Our “where do we want to retire/where do we want to teach next” lists are filling up. If you want to get deep into the Expo world, check out Bureau International des Expositions for a full picture of the process.