A show of endurance, dedication
- Source: Global Times
- [08:56 April 30 2010]
- Comments
Participants of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai take part in a flag-raising ceremony during a final rehearsal outside the Expo park Thursday. Photo: IC
By Ni Dandan 
As city residents turned off their alarms before bedtime last night thanks to the additional days of rest given out for the May Day long weekend this year, those involved in the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai set theirs early, beginning the real test of their efforts over the next six months.
Anxiously awaiting his turn at the stage tonight during the opening ceremony, opera singer Zane Te Wiremu Jarvis, who has spent the last six weeks tirelessly practicing "Symphonic Warriors", a Haka-inspired piece, will represent his native New Zealand as well as Australia and the Pacific Islands.
"But it's always good to be a little unprepared too," the tenor told the Global Times Thursday during a rehearsal break at the Shanghai Performance Center. "That will allow your voice the ability to peak at the right time."
Inside his country's pavilion, employees were busy putting the final touches on everything, making sure all exhibits were positioned just so. Traditional Mãori dances hoped to entice up to 40,000 daily visitors to the 2,000-square-meter structure featuring a rooftop garden were unveiled to the public Thursday.
"We are ready; our stage is finished and the indigenous people of our country will dance proudly on it - visitors surely won't get angry about waiting in line if they have such beautiful performances to watch," Jack Sheppard, operations manager of the New Zealand Pavilion, told the Global Times Thursday.
With thousands of visitors to hit the premiere this evening, even those outside the Expo park were doing their part to ensure the six-month party to welcome some 70 million visitors kicks off with a bang tonight.
Senior citizen volunteer Yao Baogen camped out Thursday on Yuntai Road, a street neighboring the Expo park, guiding lost visitors until nearly midnight.
"Every time people stop to ask for directions I know that what I'm doing is making a difference," the 76-year-old man told the Global Times Thursday.
"I'll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to help more people."
The city's nocturnal cab drivers, too, kept occupied as the sun set, repeating simple English phrases over and over again.
"It will be a nice gesture to customers if I can greet them with a friendly 'hello' in a language that they will be able to understand," a cab driver surnamed Lu told the Global Times.
Allan Air contributed to this story
