What happens when a bunch of musicians work together to help one of their own? Read on ...
By David Momphard
Make a mental list of the world's music capitals and it likely won't include Taipei. So it might seem like an unlikely place for Canadian singer-songwriter Andre Nobels to come in pursuit of his dream.

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`Sleeping Beauty' is a fairytale that has been told for centuries, testament to the power of the story about life after death
By Diana Freundl
Sleeping Beauty has endured scores of theater, dance and animated adaptations and the Dafeng Musical Theater re-awakens the classic fairytale once again on the stage of the Sun-Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

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The Halle Berry character is a cat person "not contained by the rules of society"-- Garfield is. Take your pick
By A. O. Scott
Catwoman achieves something I would not have thought possible. It made me think back fondly on Garfield. But perhaps that has more to do with my own feline prejudices than with the relative merits of the movies. The two of them, arriving in the same season, present a stark choice. If you like your cats fat and lazy, with a fondness for lasagna and a penchant for sarcasm, Garfield is the movie for you. If you prefer them sleek and hissing, with whips and leather lingerie, then help yourself to Catwoman. Really, though, the choice is an even simpler one, between Bill Murray and Halle Berry.

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By Yu Sen-lun
Bruce Lee (李小龍) achieved a huge hero screen persona with the filmEnter the Dragon (唐山大兄). Jackie Chan (成龍) is remembered for the movie Project A (A計劃). And now in Thailand, with the movie Ong-bak, Tony Jaa has come of age.

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By Max Woodworth
Taiwan's veteran Mando-pop diva Chang Hui-mei (張惠妹), better known as A-mei (阿妹), marked a grandiose return to China with a mega stadium concert last weekend in Beijing that brought out tens of thousands of fans, about 2,000 cops and a gaggle of ultra-nationalist protesters, who now seem to be the singer's shadow whenever she sets foot in China. She probably won't be able to live down her singing the ROC national anthem at Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) inauguration in 2000 in the minds of some, but the heated confrontations between fans and protesters outside the venue proved that A-mei's got back even in China. Too bad she has no spine, though. In an interview with China's propaganda-filled CCTV she was asked how she felt when Beijing was awarded the 2008 Olympics.

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By Diana Freundl
Before setting off on a journey to find the African fair and circus show in Nangang be forewarned -- it starts at 10am and doesn't end until 3pm. Perfect for a 10-year-old, torture for someone looking for a quirky way to spend a day off.

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By Jules Quartly
Back to the nightclubs this weekend after the orgy of outdoor celebrations that have recently included parties on beaches, by swimming pools, in the mountain's and in Taipei's parks. Tonight, DJ Joe Ho takes on the world.

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By Gavin Phipps
The Shanghai Beijing Opera Theatre ( 海京劇院) will be treating local audiences to a veritable feast of classical opera in the coming week when the eminent troupe takes to the boards of the National Theater (台北國家戲劇院) to perform a selection of some well-known and lesser-known Beijing operas.

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By Yu Sen-lun
In a fast-changing place like Taipei, it is usually not easy to find food stores with over 100 years of history, unless you are guided by experienced local residents.

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Address: 1F, No.421, Rueiguang Rd., Neihu District, Taipei (北市內湖瑞光路421號1樓)
Telephone: (02) 8751 0088
Open: Lunch 12pm to 2:30pm. Dinner 6pm to 11pm. Closed Mondays
Average meal: NT$750 per person
Details: English/Chinese menu
By Gavin Phipps
Wicked might be located in the wilderness of Neihu's fast expanding and out-of-the-way business district, but walk through its doors on any given day and you'll find an oasis of culinary delights awaiting you within.

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Address: 600 Linsen N Rd, Taipei 104(台北市林森北路600號)
Telephone: (02) 2598 5168
Open: Monday through Sunday 11:30am to 2:30pm, and 5:30pm to 10pm
Average meal: NT$NT$1,500
Details: VISA, Mastercard, Diners, AE accepted
By Adam Ulfers
Among the diversions of The Combat Zone, it might be easy to overlook the Imperial Hotel's Sonoma Grill, home to what some consider the best steak in town.

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