paradoxmo

I just moved here a month ago (from Vienna, which is about 10 miles west), and I like it. I like it especially later at night, around 10 or 11, when the night traffic has died down a bit and it’s busy but not too busy. I like walking down to Courthouse Plaza and sitting by the fountain there because there are less people there than at Market Common.

I like the fact that I can actually walk places, and I like that I can go to Whole Foods, get my groceries, and then walk back to the apartment and cook the things I just bought. Nothing like freshly bought, freshly made food.

I do agree with alykat that it’s a bit more busy than I remember it being growing up, and perhaps at times too busy. This is true of the whole DC area, I think, but especially Arlington because of its proximity to the city. I still like it here, but it’s getting too crowded and I’m starting to want to live somewhere else. With luck, that may happen within the next year or two…

We went up here as a family after my freshman year in college. It was beautiful!

If you are coming from Philly, DC or Richmond, take the Chinatown Express bus from New Century Travel. It’s only $35 round-trip (or $20 one-way) and only a little slower than Amtrak. There’s also a list of other Chinatown bus lines that go for about the same price. Some of them serve Boston as well.

I went to see The Alphabetical Order here at the Backstage. Nice, small, cozy space. The walls shake when musicians play.

I grew up in nearby Pimmit Hills. I always thought I would like living in Falls Church for the same reasons that I liked Pasadena—it’s not too urban but not just suburban. Lots of great food as well, and Foxes Music Company is a regular trip for musicians.

My sister lives here, and I’ve visited a couple of times. It’s a nice, small city and you can walk a lot of places. It’s very pretty, and it’s just the right mix of suburban and urban. It’s good if you are visiting the LA area and want to be close, but don’t want to stay in Los Angeles itself. The mountains are close by for hiking.

I was in South Bend for the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, which was held at IU South Bend that year. It was fun, but we didn’t see much because we were in performances most of the time.

Taipei really looks just like any other major city. If it weren’t the Chinese signs tipping you off, you would have no idea. There are signs for Starbucks, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc. and most signs are in Chinese and English.

It’s a good place. Don’t worry about getting lost, they are used to visitors in Taipei, and everything is also in English, including the Metro. I had an interesting time there because I ended up reading all the signs twice everywhere.

I was born here! My life would be different if I was born anywhere else. Despite having lived in the U.S. most of my life, part of me still calls Taiwan home.

Going here for undergrad in music is extremely high-pressure, and leaves little time for other concerns, whether it be social time or other academic subjects. I had a bad experience here. It seems that people in schools other than the School of Music are fairly happy, however.