Edison Chen (?夢洷) serves as a symbol of trends over the past year and, perhaps, what to expect in 2009. For those of you who have been living in outer space recently, some 1,300 explicit images were stolen from Chen＊s computer showing the star and at least half a dozen Hong Kong celebrities 〞 Gillian Chung (潝釔糽), Bobo Chan (?恅磏), Mandy Chen (?郤?), Cecilia Cheung (?啡皏) and Chiu Ching-yu (猣??), to name a few 〞 in various sexual poses and posted on the Internet. In the resulting ※sex scandal,§ Chen fled overseas amid moralizing by the media and authorities and rumors that he is on the triad＊s hit list (HK$500,000 for either hand). Predictably, the fallout of the scandal included Chen losing several endorsements and promising that he would step out of Hong Kong＊s entertainment industry forever.
If half a million Hong Kong dollars is the price for one of Chen＊s hands, in Taiwan the going rate for someone＊s life is NT$3 million. At least that was the sum disgraced entertainer Hung Chi-te (粹む肅) offered the family of a woman he killed in Kenting in February while driving under the influence. This marks a steep decline of NT$5 million compared to the previous year when Shino Lin (輿?鑠) paid the family of the victim she ran over while wasted behind the wheel. Blame it on the global economic downturn.
Actor Ethan Ruan＊s (??毞) virile member has done rather better by him despite his own propensity to flaunt it about the gossip rags. The long running saga of his rumbustious sexual marathons with the mysterious ※Joanna§ and his on-again, off-again relationship with ※official§ girlfriend Tiffany Hsu (偝洱撣) did nothing to reduce his pulling power, and the soap opera To Love You Is My Destiny (韜笢蛁隅扂?斕) in which he stars continued to achieve stellar ratings.
Pop Stop has also shown a good deal of interest in two of 2008＊s most high-profile weddings. The first was that of Terry Gou (廖怢?), head of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (?漆儕躇), and dancer Delia Tseng (崠黹?), which took place in August. Delia is something of a step down from former Gou marriage prospects, which have included the queens of the Chinese-language entertainment industry such as Carina Lau (?樁鍍), Rosamund Kwan (燊眳轅), and supermodel Lin Chi-ling (輿祩鍍), but as Tseng is nicknamed Doggy (僩僩), she may well have qualities that even Next magazine has avoided speculating about.
Former Gou prospect Lau decided that good looks and charm beat a bulging pocket book and settled for heartthrob Tony Leung Chiu Wai (褽陳?). The couple were also married in August at a ceremony in Bhutan from which the press where rigorously kept at telephoto length.
Lau＊s best friend Faye Wong (卼滑) had less to celebrate this year. The Hong Kong media broke out into a rabid and somewhat tasteless frenzy when gossip rags reported in September that the pop chanteuse had miscarried what would have been her second child with husband Li Ya-peng (燠?齺). Some newspapers speculated that the 39-year-old Wong＊s ※advanced age§ might have contributed to the miscarriage or that it might actually have been an induced abortion after Wong＊s doctor discovered that the fetus had some sort of ※abnormality.§
Wong＊s manager Chen Jia-ying (?模踕), in a move no doubt designed to save her notoriously private client from more public mortification, hurriedly declared to the press that Wong＊s period had just been a little bit late. This was despite the fact that Chen herself had announced the pregnancy earlier.
The pregnancy-obsessed media also declared a bump watch on Cecilia Cheung, the aforementioned subject of Edison Chen＊s nude portraiture and wife of Wong＊s ex Nicholas Tse (珴鰝鄣). Rumors had also circulated that Cheung had suffered a miscarriage, but Sing Tao Daily News (陎???) speculated that Cheung might be knocked up again after one of their intrepid reporters spotted her in a convenience store loading up on five cups of noodles, three cans of some unspecified foodstuff, two boxes of chocolates and three big bags of potato chips. Perhaps Cheung was just seeking comfort food 〞 it must be tough when the entire world is your gynecologist (especially if they have Chen＊s photos for reference).
After a widely reported string of flings with mixed-race models last year, pop idol David Tao (枎?) garnered further attention from the tabloids when he fell off the wagon. After a bender at the uber-trendy Barcode lounge in Taipei＊s Xinyi District to celebrate the beginning of 2008, Tao＊s taxi driver dropped him off at a nearby police station because the sozzled star was unable to recall where he lived.
Tao became a little too friendly with the authorities, engaging in amiable antics such as high-fiving officers, making incessant small talk, and fawning over cops who just wanted the inebriated star to stand still. The lively display of drunkenness even included addressing the Next magazine paparazzo who had been called to record the silly scene as ※bro.§
Guatemalan-Taiwanese model Liz Yang (?獲佷), one of Tao＊s many rumored sweethearts, promptly claimed that they were ※just friends§ after the farcical episode.
Finally, this year＊s roundup would not be complete without mentioning the Beijing Olympics, which presented an ideal venue for A-listers to show off their patriotism. Entertainment big shots including Jackie Chan (傖?), Andy Lau (?肅?), Wang Lee-hom (卼薯粽) Kelly Chen (?雌轅) and Zhang Ziyi (梒赽禊) all expressed their support for China＊s authoritarian regime by bearing the Olympic torch (a ceremony invented by the Nazis for the 1936 Berlin Olympics to promote Aryan ideals) and singing songs with schmaltzy titles such as Beijing, Beijing, I Love Beijing (控儔ㄛ控儔ㄛ扂?控儔) at director Zhang Yimou＊s (??牾) less-than-creative closing ceremony.
Just after 6am, I walked up to the ticket gate at Taipei Main Station and entered the Taiwan Railway platform without scanning any ticket; instead, I flashed the Sanrio Fun Rail pass on my phone to the gate worker and was admitted. I found my train and prepared to board. My destination? This very same station. I was embarking on a 13-hour journey on one of two round-the-island trains operated by ezTravel. They run each day, one counterclockwise around the island and one clockwise. They differ in a number of ways from an ordinary Taiwan Railway train and can make for
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
On Thursday, former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Seven others related to the case were also handed prison sentences, while two were found not guilty. It has been a bad week for the TPP. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) with suspicion of taking part in Beijing-directed election interference. Xu has strong links to the TPP, which once offered her a party list legislator nomination. Tuesday also
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