Kaohsiung vs. Donggang

I have spent most of yesterday and today agonizing over whether to take a job in the smaller town of Donggang, which is an hour bus ride south of Kaohsiung. Donggang is a harbor city most well known for fishing. Population is ~50k. 

Pros of Donggang :

• Few English speakers would force exposure to Chinese *
• Distraction-free environment for self-improvement **
• Cheaper cost of living
• More coconuts 
• A nursing school
• Seafood capital of Taiwan
• Closer to Kenting (scuba diving, surfing)  
• Ferry city for Liouciou Island

Pros of Kaohsiung:

• More resources, conveniences, talent and opportunity ***
• Higher salary 
• Cultural epicenter ****
• Nightlife 
• A really cute girl from Poland 
• A few universities 
• Huge network of foreigners 

* I am here to learn Chinese. Clearly, living away from other English speakers would force more exposure. Constant Chinese would be frustrating and unrelenting, but effective for learning the quickest. In a big city, I would speak English a lot. It would be hard not to, regardless of intent. Here, the smaller city acts as a commitment device. Click on the "commitment device" link and read a little - I like Thomas Schelling a lot.

** I would be relatively isolated living in the small town. That means a lot less distraction. It would be my Walden Pond, and I could really focus on self-improvement: reading, studying, and new hobbies like surfing or paragliding on the weekends. At my core, I am a party animal. I know my own limitations and would probably not be able to choose studying over swilling beer and chasing tail. Obviously, living up to higher pursuits would be easier with the latter far removed.

*** Bigger cities have more stuff. More stuff to eat, see, and do. This aspect worries me a little.. What good is the freshest seafood in all of Taiwan without a talented chef? I would be leaving behind Museums, restaurants, and a myriad of other venues. You find talent in big cities. End of story. However, thinking about all of the things giant Kaohsiung has that tiny Donggang doesn't is somewhat unfair. Perspective: after four years, Minneapolis still had a lot of things I hadn't done. It's time consuming scouring a city and taking advantage of everything there is to offer. I think it's a situation where ambition exceeds time constraints. If I didn't cover all the ground in Minneapolis in four years, why should I expect to here with the addition of a language barrier?

**** Lastly, I also think cities are cultural epicenters. There are museums, theatres, and orchestra halls. Again, not so in the small town. But how much would I appreciate a play I couldn't understand? I think eventually, I'll be able to check these things out when I have a basic grasp on the language. When I do, I'm an hour bus ride away.

I am clearly leaning towards moving to the small town. I just need to convince myself. It's not easy when everyone in Kaohsiung tells me to stay here. They even try to find jobs for me with a sense of exigence. Will I regret this six months from now because I'm bored and lonely? I don't know but feel like I should try and find out. 

More pragmatically, it's where I have a guaranteed job.

Input? Much appreciated, comments please.