Japanese pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki upset locals in a Hong Kong fishing village when she made a surprise visit for a seafood meal with 22 aggressive bodyguards and flunkies, witnesses said.
Hamasaki, known as "Ayu" to her fans and the biggest-selling solo pop star in Japan, was cocooned by her entourage who prevented locals from getting near her table or fans from taking photographs.
She popped over to Sok Kwu Wan village on Lamma Island, about 3km from downtown Hong Kong after she had completed a series of sold-out concerts at the city's Coliseum arena.
PHOTO: AP
Contributors to local Website forums complained that the diminutive singer, whose unusually large round eyes and fair hair are believed to have sparked a fad for eye-lid cosmetic surgery among Japanese girls, had upset locals.
"The most famous J-pop star of all time was having a post-concert bite accompanied by no less than 12 bodyguards and another 10 strong entourage," wrote one anonymous subscriber to Lamma.com.hk, the blog for island residents.
"(I) didn't have a phone to photo with and the table next to me was prevented from taking pictures anyway," the writer added.
A spokesman for the Rainbow Restaurant, where Hamasaki ate, confirmed the singer had dined at the eatery but wouldn't comment on her entourage's behavior.
"She had lots of bodyguards with her," he said. "She came over on her own chartered boat."
According to her Website, Hamasaki has had 27 number one hits in Japan, more than any other solo artist.
Leafy Lamma Island's seafood restaurants regularly attract celebrities including Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat. (AFP)
日本流行天后濱崎步惹火了香港某魚村的居民，目擊的民眾表示，她突然帶著二十二個粗魯的保鑣和隨行人員來訪，說要一啖海鮮。
歌迷稱「Ayu」的濱崎步是日本最暢銷的流行歌手，當時她被隨護團團包圍，以防當地居民接近她的餐桌，或歌迷照相。
她結束在紅磡體育館一連串爆滿的演唱會後，突然造訪離香港市中心三公里遠的南丫島索罟灣村。
當地網站論壇的網友抱怨這名身型嬌小的歌手惹惱了當地人。據說濱崎步異常的大圓眼和金髮在日本年輕女孩中掀起了一陣割雙眼皮的狂熱。
南丫島居民的部落格Lamma.com.hk有匿名網友寫道︰「史上最受歡迎的日本流行之星在演唱會後小吃一頓，隨行十二多名保鑣，和十名高大的隨從。」
這名作者補充︰「(我)沒有可以拍照的手機，反正我旁邊的桌子也不能拍照。」
濱崎步用餐的彩虹餐廳發言人證實，濱崎步的確在店內用餐，但是不願意對隨行人員的行為做任何評論。
「她有很多保鏢跟著她，」他說︰「她自己包船過來的。」
根據濱崎步的個人網站，她在日本有二十七首冠軍單曲，比其他日本歌手還多。
綠意盎然的南ㄚ島上的海鮮餐廳，常吸引如成龍和周潤發等名流前往。
（法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
A: Yet another shopping mall has just opened in Taipei. B: Do you mean the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang? A: Yeah, the shopping mall run by Japanese Mitsui & Co. opened last week. B: I hear the mall features about 300 stores, Vieshow Cinemas and Japanese Lopia supermarket. A: With the opening, a war is breaking out between Taipei’s department stores. A: 台北又有新的購物商場可逛啦。 B: 你是說Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport 南港？ A: 對啊這家日本三井集團旗下的商場上週開幕。 B: 聽說商場有威秀影城、樂比亞日系超市，還有多達300家專櫃。 A: 新商場一開幕，看來又要掀起一場百貨大戰啦！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Indonesia is undertaking an ambitious project to relocate its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, a new city in the province of East Kalimantan. This bold endeavor aims to address the severe environmental challenges and urban congestion plaguing Jakarta. The current capital city struggles with acute air pollution, frequent flooding, and rapid land subsidence. Experts predict that by 2050, a third of Jakarta could be submerged. The primary causes include excessive groundwater extraction and rising sea levels attributed to climate change. Moreover, with a population of over 10 million, it’s very much the economic center of the country. Unfortunately, this
A: Hey, didn’t you go to the opening of the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang last week? B: Yeah, there are about 300 shops, including the first overseas branch of Japan’s Mahou Dokoro — a famous Harry Potter-themed store. A: Wow, I’ve always wanted to get a magic wand. B: There are also a bunch of great restaurants, such as Smart Fish hotpot restaurant. A: I wish I had Harry Potter’s “apparition” and “disapparition” magic, so I could teleport to the mall right now. A: 你上週不是有去LaLaport南港的盛大開幕嗎？有什麼特別的？ B: 那裡有多達300家專櫃，包括魔法之地的海外首店——它可是日本知名的《哈利波特》專賣店。 A: 哇我一直想買根魔杖。 B: 另外還有各式各樣的美食，像是林聰明沙鍋魚頭。 A: 真希望我也有哈利波特的「現影術／消影術」魔法，能瞬間移動到商場去！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
When it comes to movies, some people delight in watching spine-chilling horror films. Surprisingly, apart from containing a few scares, horror movies may also offer an unexpected __1__. According to a study, watching 90 minutes of a scary movie can burn an average of 113 calories, which is roughly __2__ to taking a 30-minute walk. Researchers from the University of Westminster carried out an experiment in which they __3__ participants’ oxygen intake, carbon dioxide output, and heart rates while they were watching horror movies without any distractions. The results revealed that physiological responses to fear play a crucial role
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