thoughts on the city versus country debate in the jenkins household

i’ve always considered myself a city girl... growing up in metro manila, am not used to a quiet and peaceful pace. i’m so used to being surrounded by people and bombarded by all the sights, sounds and smells associated with living in the crazy city. i have come to re-evaluate this since i came to live here.

in the philippines, the cities are THE place to be. in fact, i would consider metro manila really as the only big city. cebu, i like, but it doesn’t have the scale. and i think growing up in the philippines where everything centres on cities (e.g. businesses and job opportunities, good schools, good hospitals, variety of food and entertainment available) just drills it into you. i have to admit, i had come to dislike the idea of ever living in the provinces. i used to live 5 days of each week for 2 years in bolinao, a tiny town on the northwestern tip of luzon. i really could not see myself settled anywhere like that permanently. bolinao had its charms (see my blog entry on it) but i just felt that growing up with the city, i missed having it when i was away. the best mix for me was work week in the city, weekends away. i suppose it’s all a matter of the manner you grew up.

here, it is completely different. they place a higher value country properties more than most city properties. i have no sound evidence to back this up, but it’s just a feeling i get when i watch their property shows or hear people talking about homes... fair enough, flats in south ken will always be more expensive than a similar property outside london. my theory is that culturally, or historically, the wealthy (going back to victorian days) lived outside the cities. their stately homes were in the countryside. cities developed around industries. all these rows of cottages and terraced homes were homes for the workers. so maybe there’s something in their psyche that longs for a country estate, because that is what was prized generation after generation. maybe it’s in their blood?

here’s the thing. it all boils down to quality of life. in the philippines, the quality of life in the provinces is poor compared to that in cities. in the uk, for the most part, the quality of life in the “provinces” seems to be better than in the cities! schools are better, healthcare is better (they actually know your name and have time to see to you) and because their transport and roads are so good, a big city is never far away.

so i’ve slowly been tempted to live outside “london”. shocking i know. but the more time i spend thinking about it. it just makes more sense. i think in the next 3-5 years it’s definitely a move we’ll make. we’ll still have to be within easy reach of london though. as pj works in central london. which is fantastic because that means i can still go into london easily for the shops, theatre, etc. but i am definitely more open t o living outside this massive city i find myself in, and not dreading that move at all. it’ll be quite an expensive move... but, in fact, i’m quite looking forward to it. someday.