▲Street in Chiayi
Chiayi, my hometown, is a good place to live in. I love this city so much; therefore, I decided to finish my bachelor degree here.
There are many advantages of Chiayi, such as fresh air, beautiful
streets, and the stuff here are cheap. Yet, the specific one I would like to
point out is the friendliness of people. I once rode my scooter, and fell down
suddenly. At that moment, people nearby came immediately and helped me out of
such situation. It was the first time that I was truly cared by strangers. It's
the warmness of Chiayi people.
▲People in Chiayi
There is no rose without a thorn, so I'm going to talk about the
drawback of Chiayi. As far as I'm concerned, the most impressive one must be
the traffic. People, especially those who ride a motorcycle, sometimes ignore
the traffic rules, such as running through the red light, failing to put
on the helmet, or even driving against traffic. So it is necessary to be more
careful when you are riding or driving in Chiayi.
Since I have dwelt in Chiayi for eighteen years, I never think of
living in other cities. However, I still have some imagination of residing in a
big city like Taipei Taipei Taipei Taipei
Original discussion: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/e0915951617/article?mid=360&prev=364&next=-2&page=1&sc=1#yartcmt
Original discussion: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/e0915951617/article?mid=360&prev=364&next=-2&page=1&sc=1#yartcmt
I Hate Shin-juang, but I Love Taipei.
ReplyDeleteI really admire your courage of riding scooter for it should be the last thing I'll do in my life. In the crowded city as Taipei, I've had horrible experiences of witnessing car running into motorcycle twice this year. And most of the time, the one who got hurt more severely used to be the motorcyclist. Although I'm not the warm Chia-yi people, I'm pretty sure that I'll give you a hand if I see you falling down by me.
According to your description, Chia-yi seems to be a place with terrible traffic; however, the traffic of Shin-juang also impresses me a lot. When speaking of Shin-juang, I have to say that it is notorious for its chaos. First of all, the traffic will definitely be backed up for miles during the rush hour. Secondly, drivers and motorcyclists always ignore the traffic rules. Once people who are familiar with the traffic of Shin-juang, it's easy for us to take those drivers and motorcyclists as models; thus, we pedestrians cross the streets at will and traffic lights tend to be decorations of Shin-juang. Since drivers drive like maniacs all the time and motorcyclists snake through streets with unimaginably fast speed, I can't help picturing the image of I'll be dying the next second every time when I'm about to cross any streets in Shin-juang.
The majority is inclined to take Taipei as an indifferent city since it's indeed a fast-paced metropolis. But, you can still appreciate Taipei with your own speed. My favorite part of Taipei is the convenience of its public transportation for I'm an idiot who is unable to ride a bicycle well. In Taipei, you can freely linger around only by getting on a bus or MRT. The public transportation makes traveling around book store, coffee shop and movie theater in Taipei incredibly easy. In addition, I especially love to walk on the streets near the Taipei City Hall with my own speed and observing various kinds of pedestrians which is my own way of appreciating Taipei.
Actually, it's not that dangerous to ride a scooter in Chia-yi because the roads here are pretty wide. Also, the motor lane and automobile lane are separated by the safety island. However, when it comes to a crowded city like Taipei, I agree that it's a better choice to take the public transportation.
DeleteAfter reading your viewpoint of Shin-juang's traffic, I think that the traffic in Chia-yi is a better one. People here not really ignore the traffic rule that often. The chaos in Shin-juaag you describe is the scene that I've never imagined before. It's really scary!
It's queer that students in southern Taiwan always regard Taipei as an indifferent city. Maybe it is called the stereotype. Since I'm a resident in the countryside of Chia-yi, I've been to Taipei only twice in my past eighteen years. So, maybe I don't have enough understanding about this place.
Though I have the preconception of the north, it doesn't mean I dislike this prosperous city. For instance, overseas singers or stars only perform their concert in Taipei; they'll never come to such a small city like Chia-yi. Honestly, It really disappoints me.
It is great that you like your city this much. Yet, at the same time I am wondering if you would start changing your mind once you have the opportinity to live in another city...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, can you try to rephrase this sentence :"Perfection does not exist in the world". Or perhaps your keypal can help you. It sounds a bit Chinglish.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading your posting, especially the nice pictures you found for your new friend.
Gina Chen
Actually, when I was a child, I lived in my aunt’s house in northern Taiwan for weeks. I have a serious allergy, and it really scared me that I sneezed continually, and tears kept rolling down my cheeks. I have no idea what my life will be if I live in northern Taiwan. Maybe the environment there will miraculously cure my allergy.
DeleteI rewrite the sentence into: there is no rose without a thorn.
Shirley,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "Although I'm not the warm Chia-yi people, I'mpretty sure that I'll give you a hand if I see you falling down by me. "? This sentence sounds funny. I couldn't make sense out of it either in Chinese way or English way.
Elsa, what do you think she meant?
I am not too sure why would use the word "queer" ? Does the sterotyping" irrate you?
I know how you feel about not being able to see some international superstars here in Chiayi since here is never their top choice to have a concert. But they go to Tainan or Taichung a lot. If you really like someone that much, it is not that far I assume.
Gina Chen
I think shirley meant that she is as friendly as the people in Chiayi.
DeleteMaybe I should change "queeer" into "strange" or "odd".
Yes, Elsa. I think it will be a better word choice: "Maybe I should change "queeer" into "strange" or "odd". Or better yet, you can just neutral words like "funnny" or " interesting"
DeleteGina Chen
Although Taipei is a fast-paced metropolis, there are still some places in Taipei where you can enjoy the fresh air and feel relaxed and I have to admit that my hometown Nei-hu is one of those places. Nei-hu is located at the edge of Taipei city and is famous for its superior living environment which includes natural resources such as rivers, lakes and mountains. When it comes to the amazing scenery in Nei-hu, Dahu Park should be the last place you should miss. If you would like to visit the Dahu Park without any burden, taking the MRT and getting off at Dahu Park Station would be the most convenient way for visitors. From my point of view, Dahu Station is once of the most beautiful MRT stations in Taipei for it is surrounded by the distinctive open landscape of Dahu Park, a popular attraction at the eastern district of Taipei. To bring nature into the station, the station is a semi-outdoor space. Maybe people will find nothing extremely special here, but please try to feel the meadows, rolling hills, riverbanks and the red arch bridge for it is a perfect place for us to take a rest and open our mind to release.
ReplyDeleteAccording to your description and the beautiful picture of Dahu Park , I believe that Nei-hu must be a good place to live. If I have the chance to visit Taipei , I will go to the Dahu Park and enjoy the natural environment there. By the way, the natural resources in Chung Cheng University are also amazing. Since the campus of Chung Cheng is very huge, the meadow here is vast and smooth. Moreover, there are animals, such as squirrels (they are hard to be found), inhabit here. One day, when I walked in the campus, I even heard an owl hooted in the branches! So, if you want to relax, Chung Cheng may be another choice for you. The only drawback is that Chung Cheng is too far from you.
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