Before it began, officials feared Expo would cause big traffic problems, but ... it didn't! Shanghai Daily reports:

But a report released yesterday proves that their fears were unfounded, thanks in main to a package of traffic-easing policies and an expanded subway transportation network.

Traffic police said car speed on major downtown roads during rush hours has remained at 20 kilometers per hour in the past three months, about the same as before the Expo kicked off.

A bit of good traffic-related news to balance the nightmare up north... 

Not the country, but the Expo pavilion: you can check the website out here, in English, Chinese and Korean.

It's about what you'd expect from an Expo pavilion website. Tourist information. Cultural information. Yawn. 

There's a whole section on 'Pyongyang at night' which states, ""The night falls in Pyongyang, unfolding a flamboyant scenery of illuminations along the streets — Kumsong, Sungri, Chollima and wherever in the city."

Which makes the owner of this Flick account a dirty liar.

Other North-Korea-online news: Facebook recently deleted an account that said it was North Korea.

Police are cracking down on illegal hostels. They've shut down 34 in 21 raids since April, according to Shanghai Daily:

The hostels, usually residential apartments converted into an inn, were hidden in densely-populated areas near the Shanghai South Railway Station, the city's major transport terminal in Xuhui District, police said.

They also nabbed 39 people who organized the illegal hostels. The campaign against underground hostels will continue, police said.

One officer explained that "the shortage of hotel rooms in the city during the World Expo due to the high density of visitors has given unscrupulous people the chance to set up hostels or inns, making it a profitable business."

An officer, surnamed Yu, said the hostel owners usually leased the apartments from the flat owners.

Each room in the flat would then be rented to visitors for 100 to 300 yuan (US$44.19) a day, police said.

One apartment could be divided into several smaller rooms, police said. Even the balcony could be used as a room.

Best beware those unscrupulous hostels, remember this movie? 

That's right boys and girls, the big man left his workshop to visit Finland Pavilion, and he'll be there until Saturday - meaning you have until the weekend to figure out what you want this year and go tell him. Not sure if Expo allows lap-sitting.

That beard looks hot.

At least one pavilion has resumed stamping souvenir passports at Expo. Many pavilions quit stamping due to unruly crowds - people mobbing up and even biting expo staff in the rush to get stamps (so they can sell them online for $$$).

I just received a press release from Italy Pavilion stating each visitor is allowed up to three passport stamps.

Personally, I think that's crazy talk. Peeps should only get one stamp. It's not like I can roll up on customs in the airport and say, hey, please stamp these extra passports for my friends.