Three weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public appearance on March 18, attending a rally to celebrate the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. For the event, Putin laid aside his suit and tie and donned a black Loro Piana puffer jacket. According to the Daily Mail, the jacket is worth nearly ￡10,000, equivalent to around NT$370,000. The white turtleneck sweater is worth ￡2,400, equivalent to around NT$90,000. In total, Putin’s attire is worth around NT$500,000. The report pointed out that the average Russian’s annual salary is 678,000 rubles — around NT$180,000 — less than half the cost of the strongman’s coat.
Putin reportedly has a penchant for collecting watches as well. In mid-February, he was caught on camera peering at his watch during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The watch he was wearing was none other than Grande Date Aqua Lung, a limited edition model released in 2005 by Blancpain. Nevertheless, as civilians in both countries are continue to suffer from the atrocities of the ongoing war, Putin’s plush wardrobe differs widely from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s simple olive green khaki shirt, vividly demonstrating the sharp contrast between the two men.
(Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times)
Photo: AP 照片: 美聯社
俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭逾三週後，俄羅斯總統普廷終於公開現身， 十八日他出席俄羅斯併吞克里米亞八週年大型集會。普廷這天一改過去螢幕上的西裝形象，改穿義大利名牌Loro Piana的黑色羽絨外套，據《每日郵報》報導要價約一萬元英鎊，換算台幣約三十七萬元，內搭的白色高領毛衣價值兩千四百英鎊，約九萬元台幣，加起來將近台幣五十萬。而報導指出，去年俄羅斯人的平均年薪為六十七點八萬盧布，僅台幣約十八萬元，不到普廷身穿外套價值的一半。
普廷過去也被報導喜愛收藏名錶，二月中與法國總統馬克宏會面時被拍到不斷低頭看錶，手上佩戴的正是寶珀二○○五年發表的Grande Date Aqua Lung大日期腕錶，至今已成為絕版品。不過在烏俄戰爭尚未落幕的此刻，兩國人民飽受摧殘，普廷卻大動作將奢侈品穿上身，反觀烏克蘭總統澤倫斯基的卡其綠T恤，兩人的作風確實相差甚多。
(自由時報)
If you’ve recently spotted adults parading around with cuddly toys dangling from their designer handbags, your eyes haven’t been deceiving you. The playful trend of adorning bags with cute charms has become popular among people of various ages. Plushies like Labubu and anime and manga characters such as Chiikawa have become must-have accessories that make personal statements. The practice of attaching charms to personal items has been common across cultures throughout history. In ancient civilizations, charms were often used as symbols of protection, good luck, or identity. Fast-forward to more modern times, and style icons like Jane Birkin, a
A: Apart from Jin Yong, the late martial arts novelists Liang Yusheng and Gu Long were also very popular. B: Wasn’t Liang a pioneer of the “new school” wuxia genre in the 20th century? A: Yup, I really like his Tianshan mountain series. All the characters — such as the “White Haired Demoness” — are so vivid. B: The roles in Gu’s books are lively, too — like the “Fragrant Commander” Chu Liuxiang. A: And the TV drama adapted from the Chu Liuxiang series swept across Taiwan in the 1980s, with ratings surging over 70 percent at that time.
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Kevin leaned over the bubbling pot. “Hey. . . are you okay? You’ve barely touched your food.” Zoey blinked. Her face was red — not from blushing, but from the “mala” spice and the heat of the room. Her blond hair clumped to her face like strands of fine spaghetti. Her carefully applied makeup now streaked. “This isn’t what I expected,” she said softly, forcing a smile. All around them, Kevin’s friends were laughing, shouting, and tossing ingredients into the broth. The air smelled of chili oil and garlic.
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang If plushie charms are cute little nods to people’s interests, ita bags are full-on declarations. The term “ita” comes from the Japanese word itai, which means “painful” and reflects the overwhelming visual intensity of these bags. An ita bag is essentially a handbag, backpack, or tote meticulously decorated with an extensive collection of merchandise dedicated to a specific character or idol. These bags usually feature a clear plastic window to display carefully arranged pins, badges, keychains, or fan art. Both the interior and exterior may be covered in fandom memorabilia, creating an aesthetic so intense that it’s almost “painful”
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