A: There are always adventurers who want to conquer Taipei 101 as a world-class landmark. Didn’t someone once parachute from the top of it?
B: Yeah, that’s right. Austrian extreme sportsman Felix Baumgartner once parachuted from the rooftop observation deck in 2007 without permission. He died earlier last year in a powered paragliding crash at the age of 56.
A: Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise also almost jumped off Taipei 101 for “Mission Impossible 3.”
Photo: Liberty Times 照片:自由時報
B: What? But I didn’t see the building in the movie.
A: The news says that the film’s producers applied to the Taipei City Government but received no reply. So they had to move the scene to Shanghai’s Jin Mao Tower — it’s such a pity.
A: 常有冒險家想征服台北101這座世界級地標,不是還有人從頂樓跳傘下來?
B: 對啊奧地利極限運動家菲力克斯包加納曾在2007年 ,未經許可就從頂樓觀景台跳傘而下。可惜他去年因機動滑翔傘意外猝逝,當時享年56歲。
A: 好萊塢巨星湯姆克魯斯在拍攝《不可能的任務3》時,也差點從台北101跳下。
B: 真的嗎?《不可能3》裡沒看到台北101啊。
A: 據說該片曾向台北市政府提出申請,但被市政府已讀不回,才將場景移至上海金茂大廈,真是太可惜啦!
(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
For many introverts, shy individuals and people with social anxiety, mingling at parties is often draining or arouses uncomfortable emotions. The internal debate about whether or not to attend large get-togethers can get especially intense during the holiday season, a time when many workplaces celebrate with cocktail hours, gift exchanges and other forms of organized fun. “Some people are just not party people,” City University of New York social work professor Laura MacLeod said. “With a workplace holiday party, there’s a pressure to be very happy and excited. It’s the end of the year, it’s the holidays, we’re all feeling grand.
Facing relentless flooding and rising expenses, Dumble Farm in England has stopped selling milk and started an unexpected but therapeutic venture: cow cuddles. In 2022, the owners sold most of their dairy cows and began letting visitors spend time brushing, petting, and even hugging specially trained Highland cows for 95 pounds per session. This unusual shift reflects the rise of the so-called healing economy, a sector where animal-assisted experiences are marketed as emotional remedies for stress and burnout. While dogs and cats remain the most common therapy animals, cows are gaining popularity for their calm nature. At Dumble Farm, only cows that
Twelve dinner guests have just left your house, and now a tower of greasy plates stares back at you mockingly. Your hands are already wrinkling as you think about scrubbing each dish by hand. This nightmare bothered households for centuries until inventors in the 19th century tried to solve the problem. The first mechanical dishwashers, created in the 1850s, were wooden machines with hand cranks that splashed water over dishes. Unfortunately, these early devices were unreliable and often damaged delicate items. The real breakthrough came in the 1880s thanks to Josephine Cochrane, a wealthy American socialite. According to her own account,
對話 Dialogue 清清:你看到小陳最近發的滑雪照了嗎?看起來真帥氣。 Qīngqing: Nǐ kàndào Xiǎo Chén zuìjìn fā de huáxuě zhào le ma? Kàn qǐlái zhēn shuàiqì. 華華:感覺滑雪很好玩。看了他的照片以後,我在想要不要去學滑雪。 Huáhua: Gǎnjué huáxuě hěn hǎowán. Kàn le tā de zhàopiàn yǐhòu, wǒ zài xiǎng yào bú yào qù xué huáxuě. 清清:我聽說報名滑雪教室的話,會有教練帶你練習。 Qīngqing: Wǒ tīngshuō bàomíng huáxuě jiàoshì de huà, huì yǒu jiàoliàn dài nǐ liànxí. 華華:可是我有點怕摔倒,而且裝備好像不便宜。 Huáhua: Kěshì wǒ yǒudiǎn pà shuāidǎo, érqiě huāngbèi hǎoxiàng bù piányí. 清清:剛開始一定會摔啊,不過可以先上初級課程,比較安全。 Qīngqing: Gāng kāishǐ yídìng huì shuāi a, búguò kěyǐ xiān shàng chūjí kèchéng, bǐjiào ānquán. 華華:說的也是。那你呢?你想不想一起去? Huáhua: Shuō de yěshì. Nà nǐ ne? Nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng yìqǐ qù? 清清:我想加一!我們可以先找找看哪裡有教練和適合初學者的課程。 Qīngqing: Wǒ xiǎng jiā yī! Wǒmen kěyǐ xiān zhǎo zhǎo kàn nǎlǐ yǒu jiàoliàn hàn shìhé