Extra-Saudi Special: Budapest Hungary VS. Taipei, Taiwan

At the request of my good friend David, fellow ESL teacher and Hungarian resident, the following is a comparison of two fantastic, but very different cities: Budapest and Hungary. I had the pleasure of visiting Budapest for the first time last April, and fell in love with the city. This last vacation, I went to Taiwan, and fell in love all over again with Taipei. It's difficult to say which is the objectively better city, so I'll compare based on different aspects and then declare a winner!

Architecture 

Budapest is resplendent with gorgeous architecture spanning centuries back in time to the present. It has been called The Paris of the East, and not without good reason. Although, not much has been added to it's splendor from the communist era, the university, the parliament building and the castle, the bath house, churches and a plethora of Parisian-style apartment buildings enrich the city with their anachronistic and distinctly European charm.

As late as the nineteen-seventies, the Taiwanese still imagined they would make conquest of mainland China, so much of Taipei is still dominated by dull, blocky, and frankly ugly buildings. There are some notable exceptions, like the Grand Hotel, Chaing Kai Shek memorial, and the theaters that flank it. And in addition, the old, drab structures are rapidly giving way to modern buildings, Taipei 101 being the superlative example.

Taipei is looking better all the time, but even in ten or twenty years when most of the old buildings have been replaced, it won't have any of the richness of character than Budapest has now. For that reason, if nothing else Budapest gets the prize for best architecture.
   

Green Space 

Sadly, I while I was in Hungary, I didn't get a chance to get out of the city. Although I do understand that the country is very nice indeed, especially around the massive lake Balaton. Never mind. There is plenty of trees and greenery on the city itself, particularly around the citadel...or pretty much anywhere. Budapest is of a temperate climate, but it's a warm temperate, and the city is symbiotically intertwined with nature, making it a very nice city to be in all year 'round.

Taiwan is a beautiful island from top to bottom, and in particular in Toroko gorge on the east coast. But again, we're not comparing the countries as a whole--were comparing the capitals. Unfortunately, much of Taipei is crowded with the aforementioned ghastly architecture, crammed around narrow streets bereft of anything green save the vegetables aged Tawianese are want to flog on the sidewalks. However, Taipei is a big city and there is a lot to love in the way of nature, which is all accessible from the excellent metro. From lush the Maokong area, accessible by Gondola, and Yangminshan, with it's hot springs to the north, to the many riverside paths and swimming holes, to the very central, and superbly laid-out Daan Park, to Fulong beach (yes, I know it's outside the city, but come on, it's only a shorty train ride away), Taipei offers exceptional variety for lovers of the outdoors...although you may have to go a bit out of your way to get there.

The verdict: a tie! Although Budapest has perfectly integrated green space into it's urban environment, Taipei offers more variety.

Amenities

Although Budapest is not the largest, nor the most modern of cities (both advantages to my mind), it does have all of the amenities one could hope for: shopping malls, casinos, theaters, nice hotels. It has Thai massage places. It has at least one chiropractor. You can get whatever you want in terms of recreational pharmaceuticals (if you know who to ask). There are all sorts of restaurants, and the beer selection is exquisite. The public bath is the best I've ever seen. There are museums, and parks galore. There are bars in spades. And nice cafes. The only thing I'm not sure of is the music scene, although I've got a hunch there's a pretty decent one.  

Taiwan: it doesn't have the amazing outdoor bath, but it has some pretty fantastic indoor ones. It has massage parlors galore, which are significantly more affordable than the ones in Budapest. There are chiropractors. Plus there are a gajillion acupuncture/Chinese medicine clinics. There are even places with good beers selections. Plus it's hella-bigger, so naturally, there is all sorts of other neat stuff, like the zoo, gondolas, tea houses, etc. 

Taiwan.

People

Hungarians are fantastic. They are polite, warm-hearted, generous, kind, amorous, down-to-earth, and intelligent. And their women are gorgeous...aw heck, they're all pretty good looking. 

Taiwanese are very pleasant people as well. They have the same work ethic, wherewithal,  and community spirit that Koreans have...but unlike Koreans, they are open-minded, creative, forward-thinking, and not terribly racist against foreigners.* Also, Taiwanese girls are to die for.

Tie!

 

Cost of Living

Hungary, by European standards is very cheap indeed. You'll pay about seven dollars, Canadian for a movie ticket. Even a very good meal will seldom cost more than ten dollars. A pint of draft beer will run you about three dollars in a pub. But here's the big thing: the cost of real-estate is low. How low you ask? So low, young couples can still afford to get a mortgage. Wow!

Actually, the prices in Taipei for a lot of things are pretty much on par with those in Budapest. The main differences are that there are a lot of (night) markets with cheap stuff from China, you can get a quick and dirt meal for three dollars, home baked electronics (ex. Asus) are a bit cheaper, and buying real estate is super expensive--although renting is curiously cheap.

Taipei is cheaper...as long as you're renting.

Food

Hungary is world famous for its meats and it's produce. A tour of the fruits and vegetable stalls, and hole in the wall butcher shops will not let you leave without a full grocery bag in each hand, and a lustful dream of the night's dinner.  If you don't feel like cooking, you can be sure to find a restaurant to suit your  tastes, whatever they might be!

Taiwanese food, frankly is nothing to write home about. Mostly bland Chinese food and dumplings. The hot-pots are good though !Oh, and the night markets have some interesting (if not delicious) foods, like blood pudding on a stick, covered with spicy peanut powder. Try the bubble tea though!

Overall Livability 

Budapest is a really beautiful city. It's steeped in culture. The architecture is amazing. The food is fantastic. The people: warm-hearted. It's affordable. There are all the amenities. There are wide open spaces. There is a charming tram. Gypsies fill the streets with music. Couples kiss openly in public. Young artists sketch along the river. Pretty much anywhere is the perfect place for a jog. It's Shangri-La under a different name. The only problem is that everyone speaks Hungarian...oh well, you can sort of get by on English?

Taiwan is a prince of a city. Located on the norther tip of a tropical island paradise. Ideologically, and geographically positioned between China and the United States. A bustling metropolis, with open spaces, and a thousand and one things to do. Affordable on any budget. Full of adorable Taiwanese girls. And you can definitely get by just speaking English...you can also land a job teaching ESL quite easily!

I love you Taiwan, but Budapest is just so damn pleasant. The winner is Budapest.


The Grand Champion: Budapest.

Although, I must end by saying that Taiwan is an amazing city and I would be happier than a pig in mud to live there.






*Don't get me wrong--Koreans will welcome you into their homes, or they will take you out for a night of drinking and foot the bill, but they will not be happy to know you're dating their daughters. 

How Does One Have Fun In Rabigh?

Imagine, if you will, that you are in a small town, inside of a giant desert, in a country that is theocratic and ultra-conservative. Now imagine that there are no movie theaters, no bars, and all women everywhere are covered in black robes from head to toe. Now imagine that you do not have a vehicle, and you're living in a hotel, and hour's walk from the city's downtown area. And now, the question: what does one do for fun, in this grim situation?

Well, first, of all, you make friends with whomever you can. It doesn't matter their age, ethnicity, religion, or even relative English ability. You just talk to everyone, and be as friendly as possible. Then you go out with your new found Spanish friends and smoke shisha like a boss.

Okay, Rabigh doesn't have a whole lot going for it, but there are some benefits. First, it's close to the Red Sea. You can drive there in ten or fifteen minutes. And if you don't have a car, you can just call up your Indian friend that works at the the drive through cafe, and he will act as your personal chauffeur, driving you and your friend to the beach, hang out for an hour and driving you back for only 25 SAR (about $7.50). I wouldn't want to go to the beach during the day, but at night, it's nice and cool. It's a great place to bring some food, and whatnot, and relax with friends. Or, if you're in the mood, for exercise, there are long sidewalks so that you can walk for as long as you care to.

There is no booze, in KSA, but the food makes up for it. Arabian food is delicious, and even at the cheap restaurants, it's fresh, and of high quality. I've had the best fish of my life here a couple days ago, in a dirty little restaurant ran by Indians. It cost around $6. There is a juice restaurant that also serves doners and fried chicken. There are about 30 flavors of juice. It's all made fresh, and it costs about $2 for a mug. I'm not sure that the chicken there is the best I've ever tasted, but it's in the running. $16 for a whole fried chicken and fries. That's a meal for 4. I'm going to go check out a Turkish kebab place in a couple minutes, and I'm sure it's going to be amazing. I'll be surprised if dinner costs more than $6. Even the cafeteria food here is good. No, really, it's pretty great!

Unfortunately, there is only one gym in Rabigh, and nothing in the way of martial arts, yoga, or anything of the like. But there is good scuba diving here. Granted, I have never done scuba diving, but I can work towards getting a license while going out on dives. I'm pretty sure I'll have time!

For now, I'm stuck in a hotel, but I don't plan to be by the end of the week. You can make a lot of money in KSA, and the cost of living is cheap. As in you can rent an apartment for $325 per month here that would cost at least $700 back in Vancouver. That means you have plenty of cash for a nice TV, and audio system, and whatever else you want to put into your apartment. Electronics cost about the same in Bangkok as they do in London. But since there is not tax on electronics, they are cheapest in Saudi. You can deck out a place for relatively cheap, and then, who cares if you never leave your apartment. For someone like me, who loves to read, write, draw, play video games and mediate, having time to myself in my own space, isn't a burden it's a blessing.

In a few month, perhaps I'll even pick up a used car. Why not, when I can pick up something decent for a month's wages. Saudi's aren't particularly keen on buying used cars. In fact, I've heard stories of people parking their old cars after buying a new one, and just leaving it there, like an empty soda can. So yeah--you can get something decent used for cheap--although you might have to buy directly from the seller; I understand it's hard to find a used car dealership here! God knows there are no lack of roads to drive here!