I think I fell in love the first time I went into the city when I was a few days out of my mother's womb. If not then, I know I did when, on primary school holidays, I joined my mum at her work down by the Brisbane river at the Riverside Centre.
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| Riverside Markets Brisbane |
I love the Big Issue sellers always up for a chat.
I love the tourists lost not only in direction but also who to ask for help.
I love the music pouring out of the shops and the buskers' instruments and mouths.
I love the children overwhelmed with awe at the large size of everything.
I love the artists showing their masterpieces in the middle of the mall.
I love the crazy old people muttering to themselves and anyone who will listen.
I even love the giggling school girls pointing at the boys they like across the way, too cool or too shy to talk to each other.
I love that if you want something you'll find it in the city.
I love the smiles a happy child brings to the usually 'too busy to notice' business people.
I love the abundance array of smells in the city from a teenager's cigarette to a shopper's perfume.
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| Before the river got angry |
The first unit I rented was inner city next to university and a five minute bus ride to the city. My work was a five minute walk from home pass a Woolworths so I was set and definitely didn't need my licence. Since then I've tried to only live inner city, but twice I haven't. Once was because of rental prices and the other because we were given a wonderful opportunity. We now are back living inner city and I find myself often gushing about my love for it.
There are times, however, that I find myself daydreaming about a country life.
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| Country around Woodburn |
We'd live a sustainable life. I'd learn how to make cheese, cream and butter while drinking fresh milk straight from our cows.
Our animals would be our pets though so we'd still know our butcher by name or maybe get our meat from our neighbours.
We'd have dogs and cats but wouldn't need birds in a cage as they fly wild and plenty.
The dam would be full of fish that munchkin would catch and I'd free daily.
Munchkin would learn about life, hard work and what trees are best to climb.
We wouldn't own a TV as we wouldn't have the time to watch. We would still have movie nights on our mac and a high download limit for the latest releases.
Munchkin would attend a small school, I'd have tea with the mothers and the mister would meet the dad's down the pub for a brew.
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| Somewhere around Woodburn |
I didn't mention what the mister would or wouldn't do for work, the foul smell of dust, feeling never quite clean enough, boredom, weather, snakes, spiders, small town gossip or the loneliness.
Oh, and how much I'd miss my inner city life and midnight magnum egos.
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| We have trees in the city too (West End) |
What do you prefer? The city or the country?
I have no idea. I'm quite torn myself. Is there a middleground for this? Not too city not too country?
ReplyDeleteI live in a rural town, so you would think i'd say country - but bear in mind that the towns population is 40 000, so i'm not exactly living the type of country existence you describe. I wouldnt want to live any further than 10 minutes outside of town because i'd miss being able to pop up to the supermarket if i forgot an ingredient for tea, or being able to walk down to the newsagents for the sunday papers... however, i think if i lived in the inner city i might get a little stir crazy eventually.
ReplyDeleteSo, in short - can i just say i prefer the suburbs? :)
40,000 in a rural town! Wow!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is the middle ground? Or the suburbs.
We are lucky, as it doesn't feel like we are so close to the city. We have a lot of trees and gardens around here. The pretty orange glow in the night sky did take some getting used to after we moved from a more country town.
There needs to be more cute towns not too far out from everything and with public transport. Less suburbia and more country.