The "wardrobe malfunction" has become something of a staple among Taiwanese wannabe celebrities. The most recent happened to Liu Zhen (劉真), when a nipple escaped from her strapless top during a book launch of her photos (of her rather than by her). There is no better way of bringing in the punters than by showing them a glimpse of the real goods. This exploit was given extensive exposure by a shocked media - Next even went so far as to provide an almost clinical close-up of the offending nipple ... so it could be recognized again if seen in public? Zhen's venture follows close on the heels of Vivi Wang's (王婉霏) "black forest incident," when the spokesperson for a car manufacturer showed off her pubic hair while posing for photographers. Despite her agitated response at the time, this incident did nothing to hurt her career.
David Tao (陶吉吉), who seems to be going through a South American phase, has moved on from a passing interest in Brazilian-Japanese model Akemi, to pursuing Guatemalan-Taiwanese model Liz Yang (楊莉思). Yang has already acquired a reputation for pushing the boundaries of good taste with her steamy poses and willingness to let it all hang out, and if Tao's involvement means she features on more magazine covers, it is unlikely that there will be many dissenting voices. Except perhaps Tao himself: Next's motley crew of paparazzi have caught Yang out and about town with fellow model Neill Wan (萬子豪), even though Tao has even gone to the trouble of taking Yang home to meet the folks. Tao is going all out to get his hands on those 32Ds, but clearly Yang is anything but a pushover.
In other romantic news, Shu Qi (舒淇) is salving the wounds of her reported breakup with Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) with looker Hu Bin (胡兵). This is certainly a step down-market, but given her record, the tabloids are already speculating whether she is going to make a move on Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武), when she gets in front of the camera again to shoot a new costume drama based on the Chinese classic novel Heroes of the Water Margin (水滸傳). She will be playing Pan Jin-lien (潘金蓮), a wily seductress who will, on camera at least, go all out to get her hooks into Kaneshiro.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
In slightly more uplifting news, Little S (小S) is showing her support for her husband by deciding to have a third child, in the hope that it will be a boy. The celebrity mother has already given birth to two daughters, and in a desire to fulfill husband Mike Hsu's (許雅鈞) wish for a man-child, she has even gone so far as to eat a gecko, which is believed to improve the chances of giving birth to a boy. This refreshing example of selfless behavior on the part of a married celebrity is almost enough to counterbalance the interminable flood of news about faithlessness, sexism and betrayal.
Actress Brigitte Lin (林青霞), who has been going through an extended bad patch over the last few years, seems to have found salvation in Jesus. Once a devout Buddhist, Lin has announced that she has experienced a conversion and has been seen taking her two children to the Franklin Graham Festival, a huge Christian convention in Hong Kong. She says the conversion has helped her defeat depression. Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
The Taipei Times last week reported that the rising share of seniors in the population is reshaping the nation’s housing markets. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, about 850,000 residences were occupied by elderly people in the first quarter, including 655,000 that housed only one resident. H&B Realty chief researcher Jessica Hsu (徐佳馨), quoted in the article, said that there is rising demand for elderly-friendly housing, including units with elevators, barrier-free layouts and proximity to healthcare services. Hsu and others cited in the article highlighted the changing family residential dynamics, as children no longer live with parents,
It is jarring how differently Taiwan’s politics is portrayed in the international press compared to the local Chinese-language press. Viewed from abroad, Taiwan is seen as a geopolitical hotspot, or “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth,” as the Economist once blazoned across their cover. Meanwhile, tasked with facing down those existential threats, Taiwan’s leaders are dying their hair pink. These include former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), among others. They are demonstrating what big fans they are of South Korean K-pop sensations Blackpink ahead of their concerts this weekend in Kaohsiung.
Oct 20 to Oct 26 After a day of fighting, the Japanese Army’s Second Division was resting when a curious delegation of two Scotsmen and 19 Taiwanese approached their camp. It was Oct. 20, 1895, and the troops had reached Taiye Village (太爺庄) in today’s Hunei District (湖內), Kaohsiung, just 10km away from their final target of Tainan. Led by Presbyterian missionaries Thomas Barclay and Duncan Ferguson, the group informed the Japanese that resistance leader Liu Yung-fu (劉永福) had fled to China the previous night, leaving his Black Flag Army fighters behind and the city in chaos. On behalf of the
I was 10 when I read an article in the local paper about the Air Guitar World Championships, which take place every year in my home town of Oulu, Finland. My parents had helped out at the very first contest back in 1996 — my mum gave out fliers, my dad sorted the music. Since then, national championships have been held all across the world, with the winners assembling in Oulu every summer. At the time, I asked my parents if I could compete. At first they were hesitant; the event was in a bar, and there would be a lot
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