Netizens and paparazzi were salivating at the prospect that Mando-pop diva Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) might have a new man. The rumors began over the weekend when bloggers spotted Tsai holding hands with Vivian Dawson, a 26-year old half-Singaporean, half-New Zealand model, while taking time off to roam the streets of Tokyo.
Dawson, who was named “most eligible bachelor” by CLEO, a women’s magazine based in Singapore, was also said to have attended Tsai’s 30th birthday bash.
The two rumored lovebirds originally met up when the “mixed blood” (混血) Dawson appeared in Tsai’s music video for Love Player (玩愛之徒).
Comically, Dawson’s first name led some bloggers to wonder if Jolin was playing for both teams. Others simply lamented that a Jolin-Jay Chou (周杰倫) reunion now seemed out of the question.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Tsai admitted going to Japan with Dawson. Later, while appearing on a Chinese-television program, Tsai said, somewhat predictably, “We are just friends.” Brushing off this response, the host asked point blank if she is dating the model. Tsai’s agent stepped in and Tsai clammed up.
Apple, true to form, was having none of this. The gossip rag speculated that the alleged affair must be true because Tsai’s denials weren’t as vehement as they were when rumors surfaced that her and Chou were back together.
In other Jolin news, singer Elva Hsiao (蕭亞軒) came to Tsai’s defense over allegations last week that she was rude to an airline stewardess, as reported in the United Daily News.
Hsiao, who claimed that Tsai was asleep during the entire episode, said it was the fault of her agent. Hmmm, where would celebrities be without their agents to blame or step in at the right moment? In any event, Hsiao’s discussion of the airplane incident seems well timed to attract attention to her recently released album Miss ELVA (蕭灑小姐).
Singer and actor Wilber Pan (潘瑋柏), who also just celebrated his 30th birthday, expressed regrets over the weekend about a youthful indiscretion. Pan’s shame stems from photo shoot he did completely naked — aside from an object strategically placed to conceal his masculinity.
Pop Stop thinks: What’s the big deal? If Pan, who earlier performed in the drama Spicy Teacher (麻辣鮮師) and more recently in Jay Chou’s flop Pandaman (熊貓人), is worried about his image, he should follow in the footsteps of singer Van Ness Wu (吳建豪) and become a born-again Christian. Then all past indiscretions would be forgiven.
Another celebrity with image issues is singer Jeremy Liu
(劉子千). Following a long and infamous line of celebrities who souse it up and then get behind the wheel, Liu crashed a car on a Hong Kong street in April after one too many.
The accident left his rumored girlfriend, actress Charlize Lin (林亞霖), seriously injured. Fortunately, nobody was killed and Lin has already made a full recovery.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported that Liu received 150 days of community service for DUI and was ordered to pay a fine of HK$8,000 (NT$35,000).
And finally, recriminations over this year’s Golden Bell Awards (金鐘獎) have already begun — and the ceremony is still a few weeks away. The nomination list for the television and radio awards ceremony was announced on Monday and by Tuesday the usual blather about backdoor dealings and unfair judging dominated the gossip pages. This is somewhat of a shame because all the bitching distracted from the fact that many of the nominations went to programming that highlights different aspects of Taiwan’s culture. The ceremony takes place on Oct. 22 at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Following the shock complete failure of all the recall votes against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers on July 26, pan-blue supporters and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were giddy with victory. A notable exception was KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), who knew better. At a press conference on July 29, he bowed deeply in gratitude to the voters and said the recalls were “not about which party won or lost, but were a great victory for the Taiwanese voters.” The entire recall process was a disaster for both the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The only bright spot for
As last month dawned, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in a good position. The recall campaigns had strong momentum, polling showed many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers at risk of recall and even the KMT was bracing for losing seats while facing a tsunami of voter fraud investigations. Polling pointed to some of the recalls being a lock for victory. Though in most districts the majority was against recalling their lawmaker, among voters “definitely” planning to vote, there were double-digit margins in favor of recall in at least five districts, with three districts near or above 20 percent in
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The great number of islands that make up the Penghu archipelago make it a fascinating place to come back and explore again and again. On your next trip to Penghu, why not get off the beaten path and explore a lesser-traveled outlying island? Jibei Island (吉貝嶼) in Baisha Township (白沙鄉) is a popular destination for its long white sand beach and water activities. However, three other permanently inhabited islands in the township put a unique spin on the traditional Penghu charm, making them great destinations for the curious tourist: Yuanbeiyu (員貝嶼), Niaoyu (鳥嶼) and Dacangyu (大倉嶼). YUANBEIYU Citou Wharf (岐頭碼頭) connects the mainland
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