10 reasons why you can't afford to miss the party

Like Thomas Anderson (Neo) in the movie The Matrix, a visit to the 2010 Expo will not only expose you to a brave new world of technology, it may change your life forever. As well as supporting innovative ways of saving the environment, you can show your support for disaster-struck Haiti, feast your senses on a bewildering array of architecture, catch previews of the latest gizmos in the world of R&D and meet the wacky mascot family. The expo is also the biggest thing to pop up on China's radar since the Beijing Olympics, and who doesn't want to be a part of history in the making? With Mother Nature fast running out of patience, it could not have come a day too soon.

Here are 10 reasons why you cannot afford to skip Shanghai's $4.2-billion cultural ball.

1. Save the planet