Popular TV host Hu Gua (胡瓜) and his ex-wife Hsiu Hsiu (秀秀) have been on frosty terms since their divorce nearly a decade ago, but the cold front may finally be dissipating.
The former couple’s daughter, Hu Ying-chen (胡盈禎), recently celebrated her birthday at a restaurant in Taipei’s East District (東區) with her mom and egregious plastic surgeon husband Lee Chin-liang (李進良). Hu Gua and his current love Ting Ro-an (丁柔安) were noticeably absent. Gossip reporters asked if the two were “afraid to show up” because of the long-standing tension between Hu Gua and Hsiu Hsiu. Hu Ying-chen explained that she planned to have dinner with her father and Ting soon. Her mother added, “if they are willing to invite me along, then I will go” — a statement Apple Daily called no less than “astonishing.”
Hu and Hsiu Hsiu divorced in 2001. He and Ting have recently been spotted dining with his daughter and her husband. But while the relationship between Hu’s daughter and his girlfriend appears cordial enough, gossip rags report that tension surfaced this summer when Ying-chen allegedly tried to engineer a reunion between her mother and father. At her birthday dinner, Ying-chen let slip that she wanted to celebrate with her mother first before meeting up with her dad and Ting.
Hsiu Hsiu, however, said she’d be happy to tag along to the second dinner, adding that “it’s been 10 years, what’s past is past.” When questioned by an Apple reporter, Hu Gua responded “of course” he’d be happy to see his ex-wife. Whether the reunion will come to fruition or if the two former spouses will just continue to play a game of telephone via gossip reporters remains to be seen.
While the focus this week was on the thawing of the cold war between Hu Ying-chen’s parents, Apple couldn’t help poking fun at husband Lee, who is currently on an enforced three-month sabbatical after being found guilty of illegally inserting silicone breast implants into a patient. Lee, who is also rumored to be a serial philanderer, looked a bit “high” at the party, the newspaper reported, with bright red, glazed-over eyes. When someone asked him how often he “fries rice” (炒飯), a euphemism for sex (presumably just with his wife), he replied giggling “twice a week!”
Far less open to publicity than the Hu family is Ady Ann (安以軒). The actress and singer once enjoyed a reputation for being a buttoned-down daddy’s girl, but has “unfolded like a peach blossom” with a series of alleged affairs, our sister newspaper the Liberty Times noted. Ann has been romantically linked to F4 member and actor Vanness Wu (吳建豪) and H. Brothers Media (華誼兄弟) head Wang Zhonglei (王中磊).
Two months ago, Ann was spotted strolling to a hot pot restaurant in heavy rain with a tall man who held an umbrella over her the entire way. A reporter saw the duo again last week while they were out shopping. “On closer inspection, it appears that Ann’s new boyfriend is Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang’s (謝國樑) former aide, Chang Po-chin (張卜今),” wrote the Liberty Times. Upon learning that Chang’s identity had been uncovered, Ann wailed over the telephone to a reporter, “I’m going to cry now!
“We really are just friends. In the future, we might do business together,” she added through what the Liberty Times wrote sounded like tearful sniffling.
In addition to his political activities, Hsieh is known for his six-year relationship with Breeze Center (微風廣場) art director, Michelle Liao (廖曉喬), the sister of the luxury mall’s owner, and was recently photographed going home with a “hot chick” (辣妹) to “watch a DVD.” But Chang’s record now tops that of his former boss, the Liberty Times remarked. He is rumored to have had an affair with children’s television host and singer Momo Chu (朱安禹) while still a player with the Super Basketball League’s Yulon Dinos (裕隆恐龍).
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
RSS