where should I live?
Where to live is a question I've been thinking about alot lately. The question started broadly (what continent? what country?) And has slowly narrowed (what neighbourhood?) and finally, yesterday, it narrowed itself down to a single decision - do I want to live in /this/ apartment or not?
Of course, where to live is a question about a lot of things, but it's also quite obviously a question of taste.
Lisbon is a city of seven hills. And the apartment is in a neighbourhood at the top of the highest one.
Walking there, I had the realization that choosing to live in a particular place also means to have a lot of choices made /for/ you.
Choices about what you can and cannot do, about where you will or will not spend your time, about, in essence, who you will or will not be.
One of the things that I won't be able to do if I choose this apartment is walk fast on rainy days. Over centuries the cobblestones have been made slick and smooth. When it rains, it turns them into a hydroplane.
You can't go anywhere in a rush when it rains.
Choosing to live there would mean choosing to live slowly. To never allow myself to be in a rush. To accept the speed of life.
Only a certain kind of person would choose to live like that. It's a matter of taste.
/
For what it's worth, the reason I would do it is out of a preference for personal romance.
I like my life to be something that I find beautiful.
While not practical, I like the idea of walking on streets that were made hundreds of years ago.
I like the idea of living on top of a hill where you can see the whole city from a single viewpoint.
I like the idea of living in a building with a tiled exterior. I like that it's close to a dog park with a beautiful view where, on Saturday mornings, you can get coffee and listen to Brazilian jazz music.
And, perhaps more importantly, I like that it's not for everyone.
I think that's how you know that you're developing personal taste - when not everyone likes the things you like.
Having taste means that sometimes (maybe even often) other people don't get it.