A: It seems that the Taiwanese love to drink coffee.
B: Yeah, there are coffee shops everywhere.
A: Starbucks and Louisa each have over 500 branches.
Photo: Liberty Times / 照片：自由時報
B: 7-Eleven also sells coffee at over 6,000 outlets.
A: With unlimited business opportunities, no wonder coffee is often dubbed “black gold!”
A: 台灣人還真愛喝咖啡。
B: 對啊到處都是咖啡廳。
A: 光是星巴克和路易莎就各有500多家呢。
B: 7-Eleven更有6,000多家門市在賣咖啡。
A: 咖啡商機無限難怪被稱為「黑金」！
(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩)
What comes to mind when you think of a “mermaid”? For some, it may simply be a mythical creature, but being a professional mermaid is a real and fascinating career. This unique job not only involves creativity but also demands dedication and skill. Professional mermaids amaze audiences with breathtaking underwater performances. Whether they are gracefully swimming alongside marine creatures or educating spectators about manatee ecology, their movements evoke a sense of magic and wonder. But their work doesn’t stop there. Many mermaids engage directly with visitors, taking memorable photos or guiding them through unique experiences, such as “mermaid for
A: A mint Labubu doll was sold for a record 1.08 million Chinese yuan — or about US$150,300 — at an auction. B: That much for a doll? That’s insane. A: The character of toy company Pop Mart has sparked a global frenzy thanks to celebrity endorsements, like pop diva Rihanna and Blackpink member Lisa. B: Where can we admire all the Pop Mart dolls? A: The world’s third Pop Mart flagship store is located in Taipei’s Ximending area. Let’s go together. A: 一個薄荷色的「拉布布」玩偶在拍賣會上，拍出108萬人民幣天價、高達15萬美元！ B: 一個玩偶？這也太瘋狂啦。 A: 這個泡泡瑪特玩具公司旗下的角色正在全球掀起狂熱，而這都要感謝天后蕾哈娜、Blackpink的Lisa等名人的加持。 B: 哪裡可以看到泡泡瑪特推出的公仔啊？ A: 全球第三家泡泡瑪特旗艦店就在台北西門町，我們去逛逛吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: What are some of the hottest auction items other than the Labubu doll? B: NBA player Stephen Curry’s basketball card, actress Jane Birkin’s Hermes “Birkin bag,” and Princess Diana’s dresses also attracted robust bidding recently. A: How much can a trading card cost? B: Curry’s Paris Olympics autograph card was sold for US$518,500, or NT$15.3 million. A: Wow, it broke the record held by MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s baseball card. That’s amazing. A: 除了 「拉布布」玩偶以外，還有哪些熱門拍賣品？ B: NBA球星史蒂芬柯瑞的球卡、女星珍柏金的原版愛馬仕「柏金包」、戴安娜王妃的禮服最近都引發競標。 A: 一張卡片能有多貴啊？ B: 哈這張印著柯瑞在巴黎奧運的簽名卡，拍出51萬多美元天價、高達台幣1,530萬！ A: 哇他打破了MLB球星大谷翔平球卡的紀錄，真是令人驚奇。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
The traditional five-day workweek was introduced around a century ago and has since become the standard, along with punching in at 9am and leaving at 5pm. Recently, however, challenges to this formula have been increasing, particularly among young people. In the UK, 200 British companies have changed gears and decided to adopt a permanent four-day workweek for their employees. The new schedule will not cause any loss in pay, which is expected to result in greater employee satisfaction. Among those leading the charge for the new model are charities, marketing firms, and technology companies. Advocates of the policy say
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