Location, Location, Location

Location, location, location---these words comprise an often referenced adage.  The source? Unknown. At least to me. And frankly I don't care to find out who first muttered these words or made them so popular. It's like not like the quote itself is anything extraordinary. It's just the same word repeated 3 times. What's so special about that? Even the meaning of these words varies. It can be used as a reference to anything from describing the need for a baseball pitcher to be accurate to talking about being in the right place at the right time, and really anything in between.

However these words have recently developed a new meaning for me. I had a revelation the other day. Admittedly this revelation didn't have as much to do with my own deep introspective thought as it did with a video I came across on Yahoo! news that talked about the significance the place a person lives has on their happiness. Of course this video was of particular interest to me because it made the claim, surprisingly, that the city of San Luis Obispo (where I lived the previous 5 years) was the happiest place in America. Say what? I'm aware my college town had a good vibe to it and all, but really it's the happiest place in America? But this made me realize something. Maybe it's not about the place you're living in as a whole that makes you happy, but the various spots within that place that do. For instance, in San Luis Obispo, I could really care less for much of the Cal Poly campus. Perhaps because they stuck us lowly liberal arts students in the shantiest and oldest of buildings, I was really never a huge fan of the campus. When I had the opportunity (aka wasn't locked up in the library), I made sure to spend as little time there as possible. And I definitely didn't have many fond feelings for Tank Farm road, being as secluded and dead as it was. Yet I could write for days on how much I loved Bishop's Peak; or the park near my house last year; and of course the downtown area, replete with amazingly delicious Firestone tri-tip sandwiches. These were my happy places in SLO--the places where I felt totally content.

Bishops Peak...home to many great hikes over the years

Firestone...home to many great food comas over the years

With respect to ShiDa (where I live), Wanhua (where I work), and all the other places I've been so far in Taipei, I believe today I discovered my favorite area. It's the place where I'm the most content; the place that seemingly offers me the most--the Taipei 101 area. There's really little to find disagreeable about this section of the city. However, it may sometimes be hard to see all that is going on there. After all, Taipei 101, being the second largest building in the world and the defining monument of Taipei, demands your attention. Sometimes you're so lost in amazement at the grandeur and design of the thing that you miss all the things that are buzzing and bustling beneath the mammoth building. If you look through my pictures, you'll obviously notice I've been sucked into this trap as well. Even if I don't intend to, my camera always seems to pull 101 into the shot, like a force that just can't be denied. And indeed Taipei 101 is pretty darn cool. It's huge, it's got lots of stores, places to buy English books, pretty sweet food availabilities. But it's really what surrounds this building that make this area so appealing to me--things I discovered on today's Sunday adventure.

I just can't take my eyes off her...

For one, if you're hungry and have too much money on you, this area can be quite dangerous. There's just way too much good food around (and perhaps even worse, places with English menus). There's western restaurant chains. There's places to indulge in ice cream and tofu pudding. There's basically everything you could possibly crave. Tonight we went to the equivalent of a food court. And I know what you're thinking--"seriously AJ, a food court? What could be so special about that?" But trust me, this was no ordinary food court. Nowhere did I see anything like a hot-dog-on-a-stick. Instead this joint had high-quality sushi, a Japanese Teppanyaki place (where they cook your food right in front of you on an iron griddle, literally making your mouth water as you wait for your food), and a Mediterranean kebab place that we tried and loved. Really I could keep writing on how amazed I was at all the different places you can eat around 101. 

But there's much more to this area that sold me today. One of the main attractions is definitely the massive movie theater positioned near the base of 101. Now don't get me wrong--I'm not one to see many movies in theaters. I've been known to complain about how expensive they are, and in the past few years I've seen very few movies. However, living in a place where you can't understand what anyone is saying, seeing American movies becomes a great way to escape, and therefore this place is definitely a huge find for me. I've already seen The Social Network there, and next on the list is Harry Potter and then Due Date.

And really one of the most pleasurable aspects of this area is the overall atmosphere. Everyone seems happy and lively. And each time I've been there so far, there's been a new and entertaining street performer out. Tonight's was by far the most talented and interesting act so far (I tried uploading the video I took here but it failed. Sorry. I'll try on FB and see if I have any luck there). Not to mention I saw more Christmas decorations in this part of town than I ever expected I would see in Taipei. Talk about an easy way to win my heart.

But alas, I have saved the best reason for last. For quite some time now, I had been hearing the buzz about Elephant Mountain--how scenic the view is, how nice the hike is, etc. etc. etc. So we finally decided today to see what the fuss was all about. However the anticipation grew even more and more as we searched for nearly 2 hours for the hiking trail and almost quit, thinking the mountain was Briga-freaking-doon. Finally we located the trail, and made our way up some very steep stairs to the top. And oh boy, what a find this place was. Everyone who had built this place up and sung its praises were totally right. Not only did this place provide a fantastic view of Taipei in all its entirety (words really can't describe how awesome it was, so I'll let some pictures below try and do the talking), but there's also a sweet little workout area at the top complete with actual free weights (the first set I've seen since arriving here). Jackpot. I'm now thinking this place may be a common destination for me. Hike a little and get some cardio exercise, lift a little, and then read a book as I overlook Taipei...what more does a man need? Anyways, our 2 hour detour being lost actually proved serendipitous, for we arrived at the summit at just about 4:30 so that we were able to get pictures right at sunset. Then, after waiting for only about another 45 minutes at the top, we captured some awesome nighttime shots of the city with lights shining everywhere, giving it almost a Vegas feel.

In conclusion, just like San Luis Obispo, not everything about this city makes me totally happy. Undoubtedly I could do without the craziness of Taipei Main Station, and the area around my school (minus Qingnian Park) doesn't really excite me all that much. But just like I did in SLO, I'm beginning to find those places which give me the most pleasure. ShiDa has been great, Daan Park's been wonderful, and Qingnian is convenient to get a quick escape from work. But all in all, the Taipei 101 area has stolen my heart for now. If I happen to live here for a second year, it will definitely be in this area. That said, I've still got much more to explore--XinDian and DanShui are next!

It's all about discovering your happy places. It's all about location, location, location.