🗣️😨 Expo Angst

 NEWS YOU CAN USE

No news this week.

I’ll be in Osaka for the Expo for a few days, so even though you’re getting this on a Wednesday, it was written last week before I left.

So, if AI suddenly gains sentience, Trump bombs Iran, or the now hyperintelligent AI decides to bomb Trump – sorry I missed it!

Maybe next week, if we’re still here. 😜

 THE CULTURE CODE

I'm ridiculously excited. At 53, I'm finally attending my first World Expo!

158 countries, one artificial island, and a theme that sounds like a sci-fi movie: Designing Future Society for Our Lives (OK, maybe a clunky-titled sci-fi movie).

It’s global optimism on steroids—robots, clean energy, culture, cooperation—the good stuff we humans can do when we’re not blowing each other up.

The 2 km wooden “Grand Ring” that links every pavilion is basically a giant friendship bracelet for the planet. Lovely.

And then – reality.

Remember the Expo’s opening-day chaos? Five-hour lines, crashing apps, heavy rain, and Wi-Fi weaker than cobwebs? Yeah, I’m about to walk into that. With my family. In summer. While being interrogated by my kids like malfunctioning chatbots.

“Daddy, what's that flag with the star?” (Err, which one?)
“Why does the Philippines pavilion look like a waffle?” (Mmm, anyone hungry?)
“Why is the mascot so weird and creepy” (Yeah…good question.)

Apparently, being a Brit in Japan means I’m the walking Wikipedia of the outside world.

So, as you read this, I’ll be sweating through my shirt, faking confidence, and secretly Googling “Luxembourg fun facts” on the wonky Wi-Fi.

Wish me luck, I’ll need it. 😉

The Expo promises a bright tomorrow, but how optimistic are you feeling about the future these days?

FAMOUS WORDS

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future."
Niels Bohr (Danish physicist, 1885-1962)

Can you name the film?

💰 A classic comedy about a man who CAN predict the future. Every day.

⬇️ Answer at the end of this issue

WORD WISE

🌍 Country Nicknames: Know Your Geography Game

Almost every country has a nickname. You know the obvious ones:

• 🇺🇸 USA — Uncle Sam

• 🇯🇵 Japan — Land of the Rising Sun

• 🇦🇺 Australia — The Land Down Under

But how about these trickier ones? Test yourself — answers at the bottom!

THE QUIZ:

1. 🥖 Breadbasket of Europe – Grain galore! (If you can ignore the drones).

2. 🙏 Godzone – “God’s Own Country,” they say (and mean it).

3. 💎 Pearl of the Orient Seas – A Southeast Asian island nation.

4. 💀 Graveyard of Empires – The place great powers go to fail (🇬🇧, 🇷🇺, 🇺🇸)

5. 🌋 Land of Fire and Ice – Glaciers. Volcanoes. Very dramatic.

6. ☘️ The Emerald Isle – Think rolling green hills and Guinness (too easy…)

7. 😄 Land of Smiles – Friendly vibes and world-class street food.

💡 PRO TIP: Dropping a country's nickname in conversation = instant cultural awareness. Try it next time someone mentions travel plans.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: “Did you know [country] is called [nickname]? The story behind it is pretty interesting…”

🚫 DON’T SAY: “Scotland/Ireland/Wales? That’s in England, right?” (They HATE that! 🤣)

TALK TOOLBOX

🤷‍♂️ The Art of Not Knowing (Without Looking Clueless)

You’re at the Expo. Your kid points at a pavilion and asks, “What’s special about Slovenia’s culture?”
Cue this:

Every parent, expat, student, employee called on in a meeting, and dinner party guest knows that moment—when you're expected to be an expert but feel more like a Wikipedia page that won’t load.

Here’s the truth:
You don’t need to know everything.
You just need to know how to handle not knowing.

So, instead of “Uh… dunno…”
Try these instead:

🎯 The SpeakEasy Method:

1. Share What Little You Do Know
   “I don’t know much about it, but I do know they have the oldest grapevine in the world for making wine.”

2. Make It About Them
   “What made you curious? The design of their pavilion?”

3. Redirect to Discovery
   “Let’s check it out together — I bet there’s something surprising about it”

4. Own It Honestly (And Gracefully)
   “I actually don’t know much about that — but that’s what I love about the Expo. We get to learn as we go.”

💡 The Magic Formula:

Admit + Redirect + Engage = Real Connection
Nobody remembers if you can remember the GDP.

They remember how you made them feel.

Curiosity beats fake confidence every time.

🚫 DON’T SAY: “I should know this…” (You're not on a game show. You're human.)

ICONIC

🗼 The Tower That Almost Wasn’t

Before Osaka 2025, there was Paris 1889—home to the most iconic Expo leftover in history: the Eiffel Tower (🗣️EYE-ful)

It wasn’t meant to be a landmark. It was a glorified archway for the 1889 World’s Fair, built to celebrate 100 years since the French Revolution.
Temporary. Functional. Disposable.

But then…

🤯 5 Things You Didn't Know:

1. It took over 18,000 iron parts and 300 workers to assemble it, like the world’s heaviest IKEA kit.

2. The lifts(🇺🇸 elevators) weren’t ready on opening day, so 12,000 people climbed 1,710 steps like Victorian CrossFit.

3. It sways up to 7 inches (18 cm) in the wind and grows 6 inches (15 cm) taller in summer heat.

4. Every 7 years it gets a fresh coat—60 tonnes of paint—to combat rust.

5. Hitler ordered it destroyed in WWII. (His horrified field marshal never got round to it.)

😤 The Critics Were SAVAGE:

Artists, architects, and journalists called it:

• “a truly tragic street lamp.”

• “iron monster”

• “ungainly metal skeleton”

300 of them signed a petition to stop it disgracing Paris forever (no-one listened)

🎯 The Irony:

1889: “This thing will ruin the skyline.”
1909: Almost demolished on schedule (“But, it’s…pretty? Non? Another cigarette?”)
1914: Turns out it’s great for radio signals (helped in WWI)
Today: 7 million visitors a year. Most photographed structure on Earth.

The lesson? Sometimes, the stuff people hate at first becomes the stuff they can’t imagine life without. A bit like Marmite.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: “What’s something you hated at first but now love?” (Hope no-one says “my partner.”)

🚫 DON’T SAY: “I’m not bothered, I’ve seen the one in Vegas.” (Sorry, it's just not the same.)

BECAUSE THE ROBOTS ARE COMING

For once, I wished the robots would actually attack…

From fearing robot overlords to... robot backup dancers?

💬 FOLLOW-UP: “Do you think dancing robots are the future of live entertainment?”
(No diva demands! Bots don't care about their trailer size)

LAST WEEK

📊 Which industry will AI disrupt faster than Hollywood?

A) 💻 Software design (the irony!) - 33%
B) 🎨 Graphic design (RIP Photoshop) - 33%
C) 🎵 Music production (AI Mozart incoming)
D) 🏢 Accounting (spreadsheets with feelings) - 33%

💬 Your Two Cents:

• S.Y: “Having spent 2 years looking at new accounting systems excited at how modern and AI-packed they were, I can confirm they were pretty shit. It will happen, but dear god, the current selection is pretty poor.”

• Me: No-one thinks music? Then you need to check out suno.ai - MIND BLOWN 🤯

🗣️ Comment of the Week

Thanks for the comment. They keep me going. 💪🏻

ANSWERS

🎬 The Movie: Groundhog Day (1993)

Bill Murray plays a cynical weatherman trapped reliving the same day, until he learns to become a better person.

🍿 Cultural Impact

• Gave us the phrase “Groundhog Day” for any repetitive, frustrating situation

🧠 Deep Dive: Groundhog Day is a real event every year (Feb. 2nd) in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The groundhog, ‘Punxsutawney Phil’ predicts the weather by looking at his shadow, or not. And they used to eat him after!

💬 YOUR TURN: If you were stuck reliving the same day, what would you learn to do perfectly? Hit 'reply' and let me know.

🌏 Country Nickname Quiz Answer

1. Bread Basket of Europe – Ukraine 🇺🇦

2. Godzone – New Zealand 🇳🇿

3. Pearl of the Orient Seas – Philippines 🇵🇭

4. Graveyard of Empires – Afghanistan 🇦🇫

5. Land of Fire and Ice – Iceland 🇮🇸

6. The Emerald Isle – Ireland 🇮🇪

7. The Land of Smiles – Thailand 🇹🇭

How did you do? How did you do? 7-5 correct: Geography genius! 4-2: Solid knowledge! 0-1: Time to brush up before your next trivia night!

THIS IS THE END

That's all for this week, folks!

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