出國趣

Can men and women be just friends? The answer matters more than you think Jun 19th 2025|Istanbul and Seoul “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way,” says Harry in When Harry Met Sally (1989). Decades later, Turkey’s religious authority echoed this sentiment, warning that friendships between men and women lead to adultery. While studies show men in platonic frien...

Is the “manopause” real? If it is, it is nothing like the menopause HOT FLUSHES; insomnia; joint pains; loss of libido: for many women, the menopause is no fun. Why exactly women become infertile decades before they die is a  much-debated mystery  in evolutionary biology. Besides humans, the only other mammals whose females experience so early a menopause in the wild seem to be some species of wha...

1. If China invaded Taiwan, who would enter the war? Japan and the Philippines would struggle to stay out. But what about the rest? At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, French President Emmanuel Macron raised a key question: What if China launches a major military operation against Taiwan? His cautious stance reflects broader global uncertainty. A report by the Centre for a New American Securi...

1) 流行歌曲越來越短 Hit songs are getting shorter The trend is not as bad as it sounds Summer hits are getting shorter. Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and Charli XCX’s Brat were full of two-minute tracks, reflecting a broader trend. The average Billboard Hot 100 hit has dropped from 4:22 in 1990 to 3:34 in 2024—the shortest since the 1960s. Technology has shaped this shift. Early records allow...

Culture | You can go your own way Travel buddies are out; solo trips are in More people are going on holiday alone See for yourself May 12th 2025 INTREPID YOUNGSTERS have long ventured abroad in search of edification and excitement. In 1608  Thomas Coryat , an Englishman sometimes called “the world’s first backpacker”, embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe. Friendless and on foot, Coryat discovered f...

1. Can China Undermine Taiwan’s Will to Resist? China appears to be ramping up its psychological campaign against Taiwan, aiming for a “Peiping model” — a bloodless takeover by convincing the island that resistance is futile. While the People’s Liberation Army rehearses blockades, Chinese influence efforts are already in motion. Espionage prosecutions in Taiwan have surged, and even members of the...

1. Why the MAGA (Make America Great Again) economy is thriving The world’s largest market is becoming two 1) America is increasingly splitting into two distinct economies: one liberal, the other conservative or "MAGA." This divide is evident in consumer behavior, economic activity, and industrial composition. Conservatives favor brands like MyPillow, Black Rifle Coffee, and Jeremy’s Razors—product...

Trump is a threat to Asia’s giant insurers Not just its exporters May 8th 2025|Hong Kong and Singapore Shorter version 1) Taiwan, despite its high-tech economy and strong exports, still has surprisingly cheap prices—Big Macs, for example, are the cheapest among tracked countries. This hints that the Taiwanese dollar (TWD) is undervalued. Despite Taiwan’s massive current-account surplus and booming...

1. China’s secret weapon in the trade war As China grapples with steep U.S. tariffs—145% on exports—millions of** manufacturing **jobs are at risk. Goldman Sachs estimates 16 million workers are tied to goods for America, and Nomura warns of up to 15.8 million job losses long-term. 當中國面臨美國高達145%的出口關稅時，數百萬製造業工作岌岌可危。高盛估計，有1,600萬名工人從事出口到美國的商品生產，而野...

來聽聽我們在羅浮宮欣賞了哪些作品 以及對蒙娜麗莎的陰謀論 (?) -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

今天第一個景點就過門不入 第二個景點在入了門之後看了天花板就走人 第三個景點看了根柱子 品嘗美味的法式料理和蛋糕 獲得彼此相認的信物 馬上收聽這一集，就能看懂以上的敘述 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

1. Steve Witkoff, America’s envoy to Russia, met Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of a renewed push to  end the war in Ukraine . It was their fourth meeting. Donald Trump called the coming days “very important” for peace efforts. Ukrainian and European leaders oppose elements of America’s plan, which they argue would** legitimise** Russia’s territorial gains. 美國駐俄羅斯特使史蒂夫·威特科夫（Steve...

As Chinese drills begin, Taiwan expels mainland influencers The government is drawing new lines around acceptable speech Apr 1st 2025|TAIPEI IN THE AIR and seas around  Taiwan , China’s armed forces launched large-scale military exercises on April 1st, warning that the “reunification” of the self-ruling island—by military means if necessary—was “an unstoppable trend”. On the same day, Taiwan’s gov...

今天很悠哉地漫步在巴黎左岸 像拍廣告一樣，在巴黎左岸喝咖啡 在充滿時光韻味的小巷弄中迷路 似乎聞到的空氣都是上個世紀留下的 熱心的老奶奶為我們指路 雖然有著語言的隔閡，但我們能清楚感受到奶奶的愛與熱情 讓我們對巴黎的印象多增添一點溫暖 在巴黎的第二天，我們對這個城市的印象是什麼呢? 聽到最後，讓我們跟你分享 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

There is a vast hidden workforce behind AI Will they become redundant as the technology develops? Apr 10th 2025| SUMMARY When DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, released a cheap and efficient large language model in 2024, it challenged long-held beliefs about the resources needed to build AI—hardware, energy, and especially human labor. Behind every AI model lies a workforce, largely unseen, responsible...

How America could end up making China great again A big beautiful opportunity 1) Editor’s note (April 5th 2025): On April 4th, China retaliated against Donald Trump’s tariffs, imposing a 34% duty on American goods. 編者按（2025年4月5日）：在4月4日，中國針對唐納·川普的關稅措施進行報復，對美國商品徵收34%的關稅。 2) While Trump escalates trade pressure on China and emphasizes U.S. military alliances...

1. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, met European leaders in Paris. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, and Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, said that Europe should  maintain sanctions on Russia . They also reiterated their willingness to deploy a European “reassurance force” in Ukraine after a peace deal. Earlier France pledged €2bn ($2.2bn) in defence aid. 烏克蘭總統澤倫斯基在...

在火車上過了一晚，終於從維也納抵達巴黎啦! 幸運的是，能夠在巴黎有一個親切又好客的沙發主 是我們在挪威卑爾根的沙發聚會上認識的朋友 -- Delphine~~ 第一天，不免俗地去了巴黎鐵塔、凱旋門、香榭大道…… 但，為什麼我們對巴黎的刻板印象會碎光光呢? 聽到最後就知道了 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

1. London’s Heathrow airport has been closed until midnight on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused power outages.  Heathrow , one of the world’s busiest airports and Britain’s main international hub, said it expected significant disruption over the coming days and advised passengers not to travel to it. More than 16,000 homes are also without power and 150 people have been...

Obituary | Knit one, purl one Stitch by stitch, Rose Girone kept her family going The oldest known Holocaust survivor died on February 24th, aged 113 訃聞 |針織一件，金銀絲一件 羅絲·吉羅尼 (Rose Girone) 一點一滴地維持著她的家庭 已知最年長的大屠殺倖存者於 2 月 24 日去世，享年 113 歲 Mar 6th 2025 https://www.economist.com/obituary/2025/03/06/stitch-by-stitch-rose-girone-kept-her-family-going Knittin...

Asian allies fear being dumped by Trump America’s friends in the Indo-Pacific live in dread of being abandoned like Ukraine Mar 6th 2025|SINGAPORE AND TAIPEI 亞洲盟友擔心被川普拋棄 美國在印太地區的朋友憂心被拋棄，如同烏克蘭的遭遇 2025年3月6日 | 新加坡與台北 WHO WILL be next? As America abandons Ukraine and ignores European allies, its closest friends in Asia ask whether they too will be** shaken d...

今天是在維也納的最後一天 悠閒地逛了超市，採買中午要煮給Stephen的美味午餐 悠閒地吃飽整理完畢，在離開Stephen家之前拍了人生第一次大頭沙龍照 悠閒地到餐酒館，品嘗三種美味的葡萄酒 悠閒地與來自家鄉的朋友來個大聚餐 就搭上夜車，離開了維也納，往下個目的地前進……. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

**波蘭朋友的分享: 莫忘228歷史傷痛 因為和平不會是永遠的! ** Poland vs. Taiwan 歷史角色：兩者都曾是強權角力的棋子，但都努力尋求國家自決與國際地位。 國際戰略：兩者都位於東西對抗前線（波蘭在冷戰，台灣在美中競爭）。 民族韌性：不論是波蘭人或台灣人，都展現強大的文化韌性與民主追求，不輕易屈服於外來強權。 經濟發展：兩者在地緣危機中找到發展機遇，成為各自區域的重要經濟體。 How Poland emerged as a leading def...

1. Donald Trump fired General Charles “CQ” Brown as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and said he would replace people in five other senior positions, in an unprecedented shake-up of the Pentagon. Mr Trump is cracking down on those he blames for  pushing diversity, equity and inclusion policies . The Pentagon  **was already braced **for sweeping cuts  to its budget and staff. 唐納·川普（Donald...

因為前一天阿尼身體不適，發現還是無法硬撐著出門 所以待在家裡度過慵懶的時光 克洛伊勇敢的單槍匹馬挑戰自我，在維也納街頭趴趴走 晚上在歌劇院集合，跟駐奧地利代表處的劉主任吃飯 從家鄉聊到國際交流 度過一個在精神和肚皮都充實的夜晚 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn