1. Pingtung County
Population of Pingtung City: 195,568 people
Size of Pingtung City: 65.07 square kilometers
Population Density: about 3006 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 58 (average)
Population of Checheng and Hengchun: 37,852
Size of this Area: 186.61 square kilometers
Population Density: About 203 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 40 (good)
Where in that Area We Might Live:
I told the director of the local FET program that I'd consider Pingtung City or anywhere south of Checheng Township for next school year. There are, however, rules about where they can place MOE FETs (Ministry of Education Foreign English Teachers) like me. If I was working directly for the Pingtung County Government I could go just about anywhere, but unfortunately (?) the restrictions on which schools can employ me limit my options considerably.
What We Like About This/Those Place(s):
I'm not a huge fan of Pingtung City, but it's just a few train stops away from Kaohsiung Main Station. Living in Pingtung City is like living and not living in Kaohsiung at the same time, in both good and bad ways. Real estate in Pingtung City is slightly cheaper, and I'd most likely be working in a larger school there.
I like the area south of Checheng (the southern tip of Taiwan) because it's scenic, has better air, and has more stuff going on. The largest urban area in that part of Pingtung is central Hengchun, which is perhaps big enough to offer me more varied work opportunities in the future. I like the idea of having unfettered access to Kenting National Park, and even though buying a property down there isn't cheap it's still possible.
My wife would consider this area because living there allows her to keep her job. She works in Shrdze Township now, and Checheng isn't far from there.
What We Don't Like About This/Those Place(s):
Pingtung City doesn't have the best air quality. The traffic in some areas is bad. There also isn't much to do in Pingtung City, probably because it's so close to Kaohsiung.
With areas south of Checheng the only problem is traffic. We'd be bottled up down there on the weekends. I'm used to the "tourist wave" from years of living in Taitung, but having half of Taiwan drive down every weekend might get old.
In some ways south Pingtung also isn't what it used to be. If you visit Kenting's "Big Street" you'll notice a lot of For Rent signs. I've also had friends tell me that it's surprisingly boring there on the weekends.
Likelihood of Moving There, According to the Online Magic 8 Ball:
For Pingtung City the 8 Ball says "Signs point to yes." For Checheng south it says "Don't count on it."
2. Kaohsiung City
Population of Districts Between Qianjin and Ciaotou: 1,160,253 people
Size of this Area: 119.1 square kilometers
Population Density: About 9,742 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 46 (good)
Where in that Area We Might Live:
Anywhere between the Sanduo Shopping District and Ciaotou.
What We Like About This/These Place(s):
One of our daughters is a student at Kaohsiung Hospitality University (the high school program), and the other is attending Wenzao University. My mother-in-law lives in Ciaotou District, and moving to this part of Kaohsiung would put us near all three people.
I miss living in a big city sometimes. I lived in Taichung for four years, and Hsinchu for one, and the bars, restaurants and department stores of those two cities were places I enjoyed. There's also something of a geographic advantage to that area, in that it would allow me to explore Tainan and north Pingtung County relatively easily.
Work opportunities would be more abundant in Kaohsiung. It would take some time to meet the people who make those things happen, but in Kaohsiung there's always another job around the corner.
What We Don't Like About This/Those Place(s):
Buying property in most of Kaohsiung is almost prohibitively expensive. There's also the air quality, which is on average worse than what you'd find in Pingtung City. Not to mention traffic, not to mention crowds, not to mention the other sources of stress that living in a city that size brings with it.
Likelihood of Moving There, According to the Online Magic 8 Ball:
For Kaohsiung City the 8 Ball says "Better not tell you now."
3. Downtown Tainan
Population of Downtown Tainan: 811,378 people
Size of Downtown Tainan: 108.67 square kilometers
Population Density: About 7,466 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 29 (good)
Where in that Area We Might Live:
I would only live downtown. Moving to any other part of Tainan from Fangliao doesn't make sense. Greater Tainan is just Fangliao writ large.
What We Like About This/Those Place(s):
My wife is NOT a fan of Tainan. She thinks it's old and uninteresting. Part of the reason for this is the fact that she went to high school there, and also that her mom lived in Yongkang District for many years. My wife and I were married in Tainan.
I, however, have always liked that city. It always seemed the right size for a city, even though it's less than convenient to walk around. The air quality is slightly better than what you'll find in Kaohsiung, and it has a lot more history to boot.
What We Don't Like About This/Those Place(s):
My wife's opinion has been outlined above. For my part I will say it's a bit rundown. Tainan always seemed like a city where nothing ever gets fixed to anyone's satisfaction, and where those looking for "modern" would be better off moving to Kaohsiung.
Likelihood of Moving There, According to the Online Magic 8 Ball:
For downtown Tainan the 8 Ball says "You may rely on it."
4. Hualien County
Population of Arean Between Guangfu and Fuli: 55,866 people
Size of this Area: 721.44 square kilometers
Population Density: About 77 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 37 (good)
Where in that Area We Might Live:
In the East Rift Valley, from Guangfu south.
What We Like About This/Those Place(s):
It's slightly less rainy than places further north. I've driven around the area a lot, and I'm very familiar with it. When the sun is out it's beautiful. I like Yuli the most, given its nearness to Jade Mountain National Park, Antong Hot Springs and the east coast. Yuli also has a major train station and a relatively large population.
Having Yuli as our backyard would be great. The bicycling and running possibilities are endless. Hiking in the mountains would be EASY.
What We Don't Like About This/Those Place(s):
It's even more rural than where we live now. In a place like that working for the government is the only steady gig, and everything else is extremely temporary. Another downside is the Hualien County Government's slowness, and their tendency towards placing people in Hualien City, an area I'm not fond of. I almost transferred to Hualien two years ago, but balked when they tried to put me in the city.
Likelihood of Moving There, According to the Online Magic 8 Ball:
For Hualien County the 8 Ball says "Without a doubt."
5. Taitung City
Population of Taitung City: 103,943 people
Size of Taitung City: 109.77 square kilometers
Population Density: About 947 people per square kilometer
Today's AQI: 34 (good)
Where in that Area We Might Live:
Downtown Taitung. We already own an apartment there.
What We Like About This/Those Place(s):
I still have a lot of friends in Taitung, and I miss them often. There's also the familiarity of the place. Just start at the entries in this blog from July 2020 and work backward. You'll see what I mean.
Taitung and Hualien both have great air quality. Taitung has (on average) better weather than Hualien, so outdoor stuff is feasible year round. This, and with our apartment there we'd be saving more money.
What We Don't Like About This/Those Place(s):
In some ways the idea of going back to Taitung bores me. I lived there for 13 years - almost a third of my life so far - and the idea of going back to Taitung City - an undeniably comfortable place - and doing the same things in the same places seems like going backward. I like the relative unfamiliarity of South Taiwan. The air quality isn't great, but there's still a lot left of it to explore. There's also the fact that I've never lived in Kaohsiung or Tainan, and I'd like to give those places a try.
Likelihood of Moving There, According to the Online Magic 8 Ball:
For Taitung City the 8 Ball says "Cannot predict now."
So, according to the Magic 8 Ball, We'll be living in downtown Tainan, Hualien County or Pingtung City next year. Hopefully not all three. That sounds traumatic. BUT, as I've already discussed with friends and family members, whether or not we go back to the States this summer is a complicating factor. There are also the response times of two government organizations to consider. Will the Pingtung County Government or the Ministry of Education get back to me first? And will I choose to transfer, or leave the Foreign Teacher Program behind? Right now there's no telling. I'll just have to see what happens.
Related Entries:
NOTE: Today's air quality (AQI) readings were deceptive. Pingtung City, central Kaohsiung and downtown Tainan don't usually enjoy air that good.
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