Post date: Apr 9, 2009 2:10:15 PM
While many city dwellers prefer living in the city or many country people extol the peaceful life in the country, I like the town life best.
I spent some time in the country during my childhood, but it didn't leave me enough joyful memory. My grandpa used to live in the country and I visited there occasionally to spend my holidays. To me, country life seems too hard. Back to 20 years ago, there was not enough electrical power in the country for all families to use electrical lights. So the country evening was so boring and you had no choice but to go to bed early. In the fields, the air was always fresh but a little bit smelly. With the poor public transportation at that time, people can only afford visiting the market twice a week at some fixed date in the nearby town. I do have a good memory for the time spent there, but generally it's not a good choice to live in the country even today, since few changes have happened since then until today.
I have also experienced the city life during my college time. I studied in Shanghai and Seoul for some years, but I never enjoyed the city life too much. Those skyscrapers represent the wealth of the cities but make people feel lonely in one way or another. There are so many people living around, but most of them are too diverse that you can hardly share your feelings with or even find any common experience. The city dwellers have to live in a fast pace since everything is changing so quickly, especially for their friends or acquaintances. I never feel there is enough room for me, for those buildings are blocking every sunrise and sunset from me,making me feel I would die anytime in the lack of fresh air or the comforting power of the nature.
Now I have moved to a small town, a beautiful place I rightly belong. The roads are never crowded and the public transportation is perfect. The air here is always fresh while you can still enjoy a variety of goods in the shops. My friends live in nearby places and are always available for an informal gathering. In fact, this town is quite similar to my hometown, where I spent most time of my childhood. To me at that time, that small town was the whole world and everything looked so familiar and friendly.
I wonder why so many people are prepared to tolerate life in remote country side or that in crowded cities. To me, they could have been saved so much misery and unhappiness if they chose to live in the town.