If you like smurfs, diamonds, homage to our Neolithic ancestry, green energy, culinary joie-de-vivre and some certainty about the USA pavilion being ready on time for Expo's May 1 opening day, then the latest Expo news will have you smiling!

Belgium's commissioner general for Shanghai Expo 2010, Leo Delcroix, announced that Smurfs will be the official mascot(s) for the combined Belgium/EU Pavilion. Like Haiboa, they are blue and cartoonish, so the BFF potential between the two could be huge. Haibao's awesome superpowers would certainly come in handy if Gargamel were to show up to steal the Belgian pavilion's brain or something, so... ahem... yeah... ugh, never mind. If Smurfette (La Schtroumpfette in Belgium) makes an appearance, she'll be one of only two female mascots at the Expo, but it's a male/female ratio she's probably accustomed to. It was International Women's Day this week so—go female mascots!

Like diamonds? Well, anyone visiting the Belgian Pavilion will have the opportunity to both win and purchase bling bling from the pavilion's "diamond corner." China's reputation for producing "Shanzhai" products being what it is, it would be understandable for some consumers to be somewhat skeptical vis-à-vis diamond quality, but you won't have to worry about quality or authenticity here, all diamonds in the pavilion will be cut and polished in Belgium's world diamond center in Antwerp and be IGI (International Gemological Institute) certified, so you won't have to think twice before grabbing those 10-carat earrings! Cha-ching!

Meanwhile, Turkey has announced the theme for its national pavilion, one centered on the Chalcolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük, (no—it won't be a cave) the first known human settlement in the world, and the world’s largest and best preserved Neolithic site. ‘Better City, Better Life,’ took its roots from Anatolia and is still here." said Turkey's high commissioner Sencar Özsoy. With all the futuristic robots and EV's running around, it'll be nice to have a few cave people to keep things real (and smashing any droids annoying enough to offend our primordial sensitivities)!

On a related note, there will even be a Haibao robot at the Expo. I wonder, will robot Haibao get as Towelie-high as the cartoon version?

With all the mascots vying for hospitality supremacy, there is the chance that competition goes overboard, but don't worry, even if a cave man vs. Haibao-robot vs. smurf vs. Gargamel war does erupt, Chinese authorities will have things under control. Senior officials with the Shanghai World Expo committee have "stressed" that Expo will be a "smooth, safe and joyful event," and that Shanghai will do its utmost to ensure security and food safety.

So, food will be safe, but will it be delicious? We guarantee you that it will, and one of the pavilions that has us most excited about their national fare is the Peru pavilion. Peruvian cuisine masterfully interposes culinary influences from locales as disparate as Africa, Spain, Japan, China and the Andes. Peruvian chef Eduardo Vargas has promised Lomo Saltado and Flan will be featured prominently on the menu, among other delights. Somewhere out there, Hungry Dan's Pavlov response has already kicked in. 

On the green side of things, the Expo's "Better City, Better Life" theme has generated a lot of excitement, with participants engaged in environmental and sustainability issues on an unprecedented level. After the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, news of electricty for the Expo coming from 4.6-megawatt solar power generators, and GM/SAIC unveiling their new EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) at their joint pavilion is good news indeed. 

Last, but certainly not least, the USA Pavilion is celebrating its anticipated opening on time for the May 1, 2010 Expo opening date. This is a great development considering how the pavilion has been plagued by constant doubts due to everything from financial problems to construction delays. Congratulations guys!

More Shanghai Expo 2010 related content on ChinaTravel.net:

Shanghai Expo: Visit the Expo using the Metro

Shanghai Expo 2010 tickets: Pricelist

Tron, anyone? China State Grid Expo 2010 Pavilion raises the virtual reality bar

Cirque du Soleil's Shanghai Expo 2010 program details emerge