Rainy days can be annoying to the Taiwanese public, but in the eyes of the Saudis, whose country usually experiences a year-round drought, a bit of drizzle is tantamount to heaven. The Tourism Bureau teamed up with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as Cathay Pacific’s Saudi branch, to invite for the first time 10 of the country’s top travel agencies to visit Taiwan. Apart from being amazed by Taiwan’s exquisite beauty, the tour operators were also elated when they were “fortunate” enough to run into rain and fog during their Taiwan trip. They proclaimed that they were in heaven.
This five-day-long journey was the first time the tour operators had set foot in Taiwan. Everything in Taiwan was engrossing to them. Apart from a visit to Taipei 101, they also traveled to Yangmingshan’s Xiaoyoukeng, Yeliou, Taroko Gorge and more. In addition to eating Halal-friendly Taiwanese cuisine, they also ate mango shaved ice, a famous Taiwanese dessert.
Mazen Kabbout, marketing manager at Cathay Airways’ Riyadh branch, was captivated by Taiwan’s scenery, saying that he had never seen anything like it before. When he set foot in Hualien for the first time, the boundless view of the Pacific ocean intrigued him enormously. The Taroko Gorge, replete with marble, was incredible, said Kabbout. What was most enthralling for all the Saudi visitors was the cloudy and misty Xiaoyoukeng in Yangmingshan. Not long after they had arrived, it so happened that light drizzle started to fall. None of the visitors could bear to hold umbrellas or wear raincoats, as it was a very rare weather phenomenon for the Saudis — almost heavenly. The Saudi visitors excitedly began checking-in to the location on social networks to share their magical moment of rainfall in Taiwan.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者朱沛雄
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
陰雨綿綿的天氣常讓台灣民眾覺得惱人,不過看在經年乾燥無雨的沙烏地阿拉伯國人眼中,細雨飄落簡直就像來到天堂。觀光局與駐沙烏地阿拉伯王國臺北經濟文化代表處及國泰航空駐沙國分公司合作,首度邀請沙國前十大旅遊業者來台觀光,業者除驚嘆台灣的美景外,更因這幾天來台旅遊時「幸逢」下雨、起霧,讓他們開心極了,直呼好像來到天堂!
這五天四夜的台灣之旅是這些業者首次踏上寶島台灣,台灣的一切對他們來說都相當新奇。行程規劃除參觀台北一○ 一外,更到訪陽明山小油坑、野柳、太魯閣等,旅途中除品嚐台灣已通過清真認證的美食外,更大啖台灣知名甜品芒果冰。
國泰航空利雅德分公司行銷經理Mazen Kabbout讚歎說台灣的美景是他們前所未見。首次踏上花蓮,面對一望無際的太平洋讓他印象深刻,整座山頭都是大理石的太魯閣更讓他覺得不可思議。而最令所有沙國業者興奮的,就屬陽明山小油坑上的雲霧繚繞,到訪時剛巧碰上細雨,讓所有人都捨不得撐傘、穿雨衣,因為這對沙國人來說是非常罕見的天氣現象,簡直就像仙境,團員們還興奮地打卡與親友分享在台灣碰上淋雨的美好時刻。
(自由時報甘芝萁)
A: South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun is finally visiting Taiwan again for a fan meeting. B: Wow, it’s been nine years since his last visit. A: He became a superstar after his TV drama “My Love from Another Star” caused a sensation across Asia in 2013. B: Where will the fan meeting take place? A: It’s scheduled for July 6 at National Taiwan Sport University’s stadium in Taoyuan. A: 南韓男神金秀賢終於來台灣開粉絲見面會了! B: 哇他已經9年沒來台灣啦。 A: 他因主演2013年神劇《來自星星的你》,而在亞洲爆紅。 B: 這次他會在哪裡舉辦見面會呢? A: 台灣場將於7月6日,在桃園國立體育大學舉行。你也想去嗎? (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
A: South Korean superstar Kim Soo-hyun is back in the spotlight again with his TV drama Queen of Tears. B: He has made it to the Global Instagram Chart for K-drama actors, ranking at No. 10 with 14.5 million IG followers. A: So who have topped the chart? B: The top three are Ji Chang-wook, with 26.71 million IG followers, Lee Min-ho, with 34.78 million IG followers, and Cha Eun-woo, with 42.18 million IG followers. A: Hopefully, they can also hold fan meetings in Taiwan. A: 南韓男神金秀賢最近演出《淚之女王》人氣看漲。 B: 他還登上韓劇男星全球IG人氣排行榜,IG粉絲數1,450萬,是今年第10名。 A: 前幾名是誰啊? B: 前3名分別是池昌旭:IG粉絲數2,671萬、李敏鎬:IG粉絲數3,478萬、車銀優:IG粉絲數4,218萬。 A: 大家快來台灣開粉絲見面會吧! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
With extreme heat gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere last week, authorities and public health experts have issued heat warnings to help keep people safe. Parts of China, India, the Middle East, southern Europe and the United States are bracing for the possibility of new record highs. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS? Heat affects health in several ways. Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking and thirst, can affect anyone, and is not usually serious, providing the person cools down within 30 minutes. The more serious version is heatstroke, when the body’s core temperature goes above 40.6 degrees Celsius. It is a medical emergency
Although shaved ice can be found even in fall and winter, douhua is a dessert that can be enjoyed year round in both hot and cold weather. Douhua is made from soy milk which is set by using coagulants such as gypsum or bittern. The resulting texture of douhua is soft and silky. It is often served with a sweet syrup and various toppings. Each shop selling douhua has many toppings for customers to choose from, such as peanuts, mesona jelly, tapioca balls, mung beans, adzuki beans and taro paste. 刨冰雖然秋冬也吃得到,但有什麼甜品冷暖皆宜,豆花是好選擇。豆花是在豆漿中拌入石膏、鹵水等促凝劑製成,白嫩絲滑,舀入糖水享用。每間豆花店還有許多種配料任君選擇,如花生、仙草凍、粉圓、綠豆、紅豆和芋泥等。 coagulant (n.) 促凝劑 gypsum (n.)