Sacred Heart High School for Girls in New Taipei City’s Bali District held a coming-of-age ceremony on May 7 for the students. The ceremony included praying to ancestors, crowning and having coming-of-age drinks, symbolizing the girls’ transition from adolescence to adulthood and entering another stage in life. Parents accompanying the girls in the ceremony received gratitude and hand-made pottery from their daughters. A lot of parents were moved to tears.
Third-year student Chuang To-ya’s father tragically passed away last year in the Transasia Airways plane crash, so this coming-of-age ceremony was especially meaningful for Chuang and her mother. Chuang’s father used to tell her she should see the world, and so after graduation she plans to study abroad in Japan, and flew to Japan recently for a visit. Chuang, who is fearful of flying, said, “I must make the leap. Otherwise I will not be able to fulfill the promise I made to my dad.” Chuang’s mother said, Chuang was considerate and optimistic, just like her dad; she was very touched to see her grow into an adult and will forever treasure the gift and card that her daughter made for her. (Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
新北市八里區聖心女中五月七日為學生舉辦成年禮，內容包括祭祖、加冠、飲成年酒，宣示少女們已成長，邁向另一個生命階段。陪同出席的爸爸或媽媽接受女兒行感恩禮及女兒自製的手工陶瓷，不少父母感動得頻頻拭淚。
Photo: Yeh Kuan-yu, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者葉冠妤
高三學生莊朵雅的父親去年在復興空難中不幸逝世，成年禮這天對朵雅和媽媽來說別具意義。朵雅的爸爸曾說希望她多到世界各地看看，因此朵雅畢業後準備赴日求學，日前更搭機前往日本參訪。原本害怕搭飛機的她說：「一定要跨出去！不然無法實現對爸爸的承諾。」她母親則說，女兒貼心又樂觀，像極爸爸，很感動看到朵雅的成長，會一輩子珍藏女兒特製的禮物與卡片。（自由時報記者葉冠妤）
As global travel rebounds following the COVID-19 pa ndemic, the longstanding issue of overtourism has returned stronger than ever. Throughout 2024, numerous popular destinations worldwide struggled with tourist numbers that far exceeded their infrastructural and environmental capacities. Not only does this surge congest streets and pollute landscapes, but it also endangers cultural sites and disrupts the daily lives of residents. In response to the growing problem of “overtourism,” various nations have adopted diverse strategies, some of which have sparked controversy. Venice, Italy, has not hesitated to take bold action; since 2024, the city has implemented one of the
In an effort to fight phone scams, British mobile phone company O2 has introduced Daisy, an AI designed to engage phone con artists in time-wasting conversations. Daisy is portrayed as a kindly British granny, exploiting scammers’ tendency to target the elderly. Her voice, based on a real grandmother’s for authenticity, adds to her credibility in the role. “O2” has distributed several dedicated phone numbers online to direct scammers to Daisy instead of actual customers. When Daisy receives a call, she translates the scammers’ spoken words into text and then responds to them accordingly through a text-to-speech system. Remarkably, Daisy
A: This year’s Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, is coming on the first Monday of May. B: The event, featuring a lineup of stars, is often praised as fashion’s Oscars. A: Some Asian stars, like Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai, have also attended in the past. B: What are the theme and dress code this time? A: This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It’s the first time since 2003 that the theme is focusing on menswear. The dress code is “Tailored for You.” A: 哇今年的大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，即將在5月第一個星期一登場。 B: 這可是被譽為「時尚奧斯卡」的年度盛事，許多巨星都會參加耶。 A:
A: Isn’t the Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour? B: Yeah, the blockbuster “The Devil Wears Prada” is allegedly based on her story. A: This year’s four co-chairs are actor Colman Domingo, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams. B: And basketball superstar LeBron James is the honorary chair. A: I can’t wait to see the lineup of stars on the red carpet. A: 大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，是《時尚》雜誌全球總監安娜溫圖為該館服裝學院主辦的募款活動吧？ B: 對啊，電影《穿著普拉達的惡魔》據說是以她為範本。 A: 今年晚宴共同主席還有：演員柯爾曼多明哥、F1賽車手路易斯漢米頓、饒舌歌手A$AP洛基、LV男裝創意總監菲董。 B: 籃球巨星勒布朗詹姆斯則是榮譽主席。 A: 紅毯上的全球星光真令人期待！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
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