Country Girl
I’ve never been a city girl. I relish the quiet of the suburbs and the rolling hills of the country. I loved living in Kentucky with big blue open skies and tall trees and lush green (blue)grass. I also adored my apartment in Dashe (Taiwan) with the view to beat all views: skyscrapers and pineapple fields, highway lights and swaying palm trees, all at the perfect distance from my hilltop-perched apartment.
City Life
Now we live in the city, so we hear honking horns, screeching tires, and ambulance sirens (we live close to a hospital) all day and late into the night. When I look out our window, I’m face-to-concrete with a towering building of offices. Gazing down, we see pavement and rooftops, people hurrying by on foot and on scooters, cars and trucks rumbling along, and a bit of greenery strategically placed. It’s actually quite a nice part of the city, but it’s a concrete jungle nonetheless.
Extreme Convenience
Since moving to Taichung, I have tried to recognize the positive aspects of city living. The best thing I’ve noticed so far is how convenient everything is! We have a lot within walking distance: restaurants, grocery stores, hair salons, a state-of-the-art medical center, multiple convenience stores, pharmacies, a nice big park, electronics stores, and more. Just recently, a 7-11 opened on the first floor of our apartment building, and Taiwanese 7-11’s are about the most convenient places on the planet. Although city living is noisy and not very picturesque, it sure does win for convenience.
Pasta Goodness–What a Surprise
One recent fun find in our neighborhood is an Italian pasta place just a block and a half from our apartment. Some local friends pointed it out to us and told us it has an English menu–a bonus for us non-Mandarin-reading folks. Last week, Charles and I checked out the place on our own, and we were very pleasantly surprised. A whole meal for one (drink, salad, soup, and main dish) cost about 220NT or $7 USD. My meal was more than I could eat, so I took half of my pasta home. It was so delicious and tasted very un-Taiwanese, which is what you want in an Italian pasta restaurant! I, the real pasta-lover of the pair, cannot wait to go back for a second scrumptious meal there.
So, while I never dreamed of living in a big city, I am slowly learning to enjoy the perks of being here. Here’s to more exploring and adventures in the city of Taichung.
Peace Along the Journey 
Christel, our sentiments exactly. We do have a view, which we know is a big blessing, no concrete buildings in the front of our apartment. There is a huge baseball field so we don’t think they will ever take it over for more apartments any time soon. We can walk to Muddy Waters, enjoy the beautiful parks, three 7-11’s within 2 minutes………….yeah we love city living. We are noticing the noise of the traffic and ambulances less and less. :) Glad to hear you and Charles are making the adjustment. ……….. Mona
Thanks for the comment, Mona! It’s nice to know you read and related to this post. Thankfully we do have some view from our apartment (the picture in the post), but we do also have the big buildings too. I’m glad you’re enjoying city living too!
From the apt pic I see mountains…… just saying :) Living in or near the city diff does have its advantages.
You’re right–there are mountains in the distance, so there is some natural beauty to be seen. Taiwan is so mountainous that pretty much anywhere you go you can see them.