Regular readers of Pop Stop will know that popular television host Hu Gua’s (胡瓜) son-in-law, Li Jin-liang (李進良), has been more than a handful even before his June nuptials to Hu’s daughter. Before getting hitched to Hu Ying-chen (胡盈禎), Li allegedly carried on an affair with starlet Mao Mao (毛毛). His past misadventures include charges of sexual harassment by a Japanese porn star and an all-night party with two friends and three hostesses at a Taipei hotel.
But Li may have turned out to be an even bigger boob than either of the Hus imagined. The plastic surgeon was recently fined NT$150,000 and ordered to stop working for three months by the Taipei Department of Health after illegally inserting silicone breast implants into a patient. The enhancers are only allowed for breast reconstruction surgery — the merely vain must content themselves with saline-filled breast implants.
Li admitted to wrongful use of the artificial lady lumps, but defended himself by insisting many of his colleagues do the same thing. A United Daily News report showed that Li’s Web site plugged silicone breast implants for NT$200,000 but did not mention they were limited to reconstruction surgery only. The article helpfully explained that women with “airport physiques” (飛機場體質) prefer silicone because saline implants look less natural on skinny bodies. In the interest of fairness, the United Daily News also added that many other plastic surgery clinic Web sites tout silicone breast implants without explaining the legal limitations on their use.
But Li’s troubles did not stop with the Department of Health. The patient, Hong Mei-nai (洪美奈), claimed at several dramatic press conferences that Li never acted with the breast of intentions. She said the silicone implants were inserted without her consent and that Li also neglected to provide follow-up care when one of the jelly rolls allegedly leaked after
the operation.
A few days after the punishment was levied against Li, Hong, who claimed the fine was too light, “staggered” to the entrance of the district prosecutor’s office with her lawyer and banged on the door in front of a clutch of reporters. Our sister paper the Liberty Times reported that Hong wants to charge Li with professional negligence and slander for claiming that she allegedly tried to extort the clinic for money after the ill-fated operation. She also complained that Li had yet to reach out to her for a settlement or even to apologize. Li’s lawyer responded that he and his client were still in the process of preparing a response to Hong’s accusations.
Hong has been a constant presence in the media since news of the scandal broke about two weeks ago. At a previous gathering, she sobbed while jabbing her left armpit with a pair of scissors, explaining she couldn’t feel a thing. “After the surgery, I was like a handicapped person,” she said. “I couldn’t get out of bed. All I could do was lie there and wet myself.” In addition to the numbness and physical weakness, she says she now suffers from anemia, an irregular heartbeat and mental exhaustion. And, Hong tearfully added, she was forced to postpone her upcoming wedding in the US.
Li could take a page from the life of Eason Chan (陳奕迅) on how to be family man. Oriental Sunday reports that the Hong Kong pop singer and actor has yet to kick his longtime nicotine habit, but sneaks outdoors and smokes in parking lots so his wife, Hilary Tsui (徐濠縈), and school-age daughter won’t have to inhale secondhand smoke. The couple was rumored to have weathered marital troubles last summer, but the storm seems to have passed. Oriental Sunday says that Chan is so busy with his upcoming record that he counts on Tsui to look after their child’s education. The doting mum carries her daughter’s heavy book bag all the way to the school door and picks her up after classes to send her to an English-language buxiban. Tsui was overheard reminding her daughter to study hard “so daddy doesn’t worry about you.”
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
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
On Monday morning, in quick succession, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) released statements announcing “that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) have invited KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to lead a delegation on a visit to the mainland” as the KMT’s press release worded it. The KMT’s press release added “Chairwoman Cheng expressed her gratitude for the invitation and has gladly accepted it.” Beijing’s official Xinhua news release described Song Tao (宋濤), head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CCP Central Committee, as
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