Gaming can be addictive and can cause people to waste entire days playing, but it can also be a crucible for honing perseverance, willpower, and the drive to chase your dreams. With the quiet efforts of competitors, coaches, and members of the gaming industry, esports is gradually losing its old stigma as it turns a new page in its history.
Volunteering abroad can be like an in-depth tour of a new place. It requires you to free yourself from your initial preconceptions, and learn to look at the world through the eyes of local people and really understand what they need.
To reach your seats at i-Ride TAIPEI, inside the Breeze Nan Shan shopping mall, you first pass through a high-tech corridor. Then, once you are strapped in, the lights go off and you have the sensation of being lifted bodily into the air. The visual effects transport you through a corridor of light beams, from which you jump into an azure sea. As the white Lanyu Lighthouse appears, a warm breeze strokes your face. “Ah, it’s the warmth of southern Taiwan.”
Frozen desserts have often been considered a non-essential on the dining table. But some people have embarked on the lengthy journey of learning the trade of making them. In their hands, a simple dessert is not only given a sense of logic and reason, it also has a life of its own and can be crafted into infinite variations.
Misinformation is everywhere these days. Friends often pass on scam cellphone messages like “Download the latest Hello Kitty emojis—tonight only!” Or “Your package has been sent out, please collect it now,” linking to a series of phishing URLs. Or fake news such as “[Health minister] Chen Shih-chung says to stay indoors until the Dragon Boat Festival.” It’s hard to tell which of these Internet rumors and “special offers” are true and which are false.
Despite each coming to the ice cream industry independently, both 1982 de glacée’s Miky Wu and Justice Ice Cream’s Onion Li have landed on the same approach: using environmentally friendly ingredients free of chemical additives. Infused with idealism and hopes for society, ice cream can also be a medium for positive thoughts and for focusing public attention on food safety.
When you think of Taitung, all kinds of exciting activities come to mind: the Chishang Autumn Rice Harvest Arts Festival, the Taiwan Open of Surfing at Jinzun, the Taiwan International Balloon Festival on the Luye Highland…. People used to have a stereotypical image of Taitung as having “beautiful mountains, clean water, and nothing to do.”
Many travelers make pilgrimages to certain locations just to enjoy a bowl of shaved ice, ice cream, or sorbet made with locally produced fruit. Each and every mouthful offers a fresh taste. Local people are very proud of their frozen desserts, which are an integral part of the history of small towns.
“Fooding Taitung” is on a mission to reveal Taitung as a gastronomic powerhouse. Operated by AGUA Design, the project launched in 2019 with the support of the Taitung County Government and the Taitung Design Center.
They don’t boast splendid furnishings, but they do offer freshly prepared ingredients. Don’t expect super-powerful air conditioning there, but be prepared for a sweet and invigorating coolness. Come and visit the old shaved ice shops of Madou and Qishan. Enjoy a bowl of ice and experience authentic vintage flavors and downhome hospitality. What better thing to do on a hot summer’s day?
