First we sign in, this procedure was just implemented because the security guards have accidently let in a few people in who were USAP staff. It's hard for them to tell if this foreigner is indeed working at the USAP because a lot of the times they can't really tell the difference. So, as long as we have our expo ID's on then were in the clear. Sure it's a pain in the ass, but I'll put it up just for safety reasons.
(Some of these photos were taken a few weeks ago, and I only managed to post these up cuz I was sick as a dog)
Life at Queue
the heat and humidity penetrate my skin, I have no tolerance for humidity so I suffer under this heat (i'm not used to this so it looks like I shower in sweat sometimes, quite gross)
When visitors flock into the queue lanes, many or I'd say 90% of them get stumped by the look of the 6 different lanes (that all lead up to the pavilion entrance) that look like a metallic maze. Which one to go? Where will this take me? The answer is obviously Uruguay (which is across the street).
"Is this the USA pavilion?"
"No this is the French pavilion.."
"What??? but but...."
"GOT YA!! head to lane 6"
and not to be a smart ass I tend to mess with people and tell them that this leads to the Brazillian pavilion. I hate to be a prankster, but it amuses me and makes the day go faster when I joke/mess with visitors.
"Which lane do I go into?" "Are they all the same?" "Where does this take me?"
So every minute, we have to repeat that all the lanes are exactly the same, take whichever lane you want.
The sad reality is that when one person goes into lane 4, everyone will follow...the lemming theory, my friend Nick says. So true.
Then when we realize there needs to be more people to fill up the other lanes, we'll usher people "GO TO LANE 5!" and then visitors ears perk up like a pack of obedient dogs and rush into lane 5. Or other people in the other lanes decide to duck under the poles and shift into lane 4 or 5 or whatever one we just shout "there's less people in lane..."
This is absolutely baffling to all us Student Ambassadors when we see visitors convinced that they have to duck under these metal queue lanes
Ever since the giant expo stamp fiasco (that I never witnessed) that led to our suspension of the USA expo passport stamp, we post in bold Chinese words "THE USA pavilion does not have an expo passport stamp, thank you for your understanding."
This does not go well with a fair majority of visitors who want to come in and have their expo passport stamped. What upsets me the most is when some visitors see the notice sign, and want to leave the queue immediately.
"THE USA PAVILION DOESN'T ISSUE A STAMP???? THIS IS UNFAIR" I apologize to many visitors, but people get really upset, they ask me why, demand where the location of the stamping device is, and some are convinced that I know the whereabouts of the stamp, possess the stamp in my pockets
Sometimes when I cut off the queue overflow lane (up until people start moving), some people panic, believing that I separated them from their families which I don't!! I think this is my favorite part about the queue position because this is where I have a few minutes to talk to people and for the most part people are really nice to me. I have seen all kinds of weird people who ask me the darnedest things, "are you Chinese or American? (take a side as if to say)." "so you don't look American (white), how is it possible that you're American?" When I answer "cuz I was born there." some people still are convinced I'm not....Then I have people who complain of the heat (and I know it's 35 C out and it's boiling hot)
Though there are those moments when I interact with people who are very understanding and very sympathetic, who are not cynical, who do not flee the queue lanes just because we don't issue the passport stamp and those are the moments that I always have to remember rather than the negatives ones. I recall one instance when this older woman said, "you guys must work really hard, it's not easy doing this every day is it? So thank you!"
I was taken back because it had been quite a while since I've recieved some positive feedback from visitors.
I played the modest card, "we try our best, thank you ."
"it's really hot, you guys have the hardest jobs guiding us in, it's not easy, I completely understand what you're going through."
"Thanks for understanding our daily pain" I teased,
then she asked, "where are you from? the states or China?"
"I'm from the states, born and raised."
Now when I reply with that, most people tend to be very surprised since I do not have an American accent when Mandarin comes out of my mouth.
"how is your Chinese so good?"
"well it's alright (modesty card sorry), my parents are Chinese."
"Oh I see, so you're an American Born Chinese 华裔, that's really great."
Then the conversation continued and I informed her about how the USAP works and we 80 students are your guides to the pavilion, she was very understanding and sincere with her gratitude and appreciation that we came out to Shanghai to help as many people/deal with all kinds of crap people throw at us."
It's refreshing to have the sympathy in an 8 hour day when people can say the rudest comments to me and other Asian Americans who are seen outside working.
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