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| Seoul the crowded city |
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| South Korea the spacious country |
One of Aesop's Fables involves a city mouse and a country mouse. The story ends like this: "Goodbye," said the country mouse, "You do, indeed, live in a plentiful city, but I am going home where I can enjoy my dinner in peace."
In the country, neighbors may be distanced miles apart, while in the city, people are stacked like sardines in tiny, claustrophobic apartments. Some people like the feeling of never being alone in a city, while others take comfort in having plenty of room between themselves and the rest of the rat race.
As more people are concentrated in a city, the population diversity tend to be greater in terms of race, religion, creed, economic background and body odours than you would find in the country.
Country life has an abundance of wilderness and unspoiled nature, along with fresh air and the opportunity to drink directly from a natural spring instead of recycled toilet water. City life, on the other hand, has more artificially constructed buildings than natural structures, and the air is more polluted because of vehicular density, factories and chemical plants. On 12th January this year, Beijing had a reading of 755 on the Air Quality Index (AQI).
Animals in the wild and and farm animals roam freely in the country, while animals in the city are likely to be locked up in isolated zoos, or living as pets caged in private dwellings.
Shopping for necessities of life, such as food, equipment and clothing, can be more convenient in the city. Country living affords fewer opportunities to buy things in stores, but people in the country often grow their own food, and less likely to be ransomed by unscrupulous merchants.
Cities have an intellectual and cultural stimulation advantage in terms of proximity of universities, museums, art galleries, bookstores and similar enterprises, while country living will have fewer of these amenities. However, life in the country can offer contemplative peace and quiet, which is conducive in its own right for becoming a more cultured person instead of ending up a duplicituous politician.
City life or country life, you can have a choice in a place like South Korea. Not so in Singapore, not when the city planners have their way. Don't let them sell you a different story.