Are you a town or country mouse

Abz Love, who is half Turkish and best known for being in boy band Five, is to star in BBC show, Country Strife: Abz on the Farm. The show is to be later aired in 2015, and will document Abz and his partner’s transition from city life to rural life in Wales. I am very excited about seeing this show, for one Abz is such a great character, and secondly I am really interested in people’s preferences for city or rural life, and what is considered to be the better life.For someone who has experienced living and growing up in both the countryside and city, I have a lot to stay on what it’s like living in both places. Firstly, I will say that living in the countryside is much cheaper. I guess in cities we are bombarded with so many advertisements, things to do, and cafes. It can be too easy for us to go to Pret and spend £10 at lunchtime, and it’s like we have been brainwashed with the masses to do this. Although there are cafes in rural areas, I feel as if people are more willing to choose the eat-at-home option. Maybe when we live in rural and city areas, we are following the herd and do what is seen to be the norm. 

Photographs taken by Elisha Fields

People take for granted the public transport system in London. If you miss a train on the underground, chances are the next one will come in a few minutes or less. Wait for a bus in the countryside, and you could be standing there for an hour. And in many rural areas there are no buses at all. The public transport in London comes at a price and it’s not cheap. However in a lot of rural areas, people feel they cannot rely on public transport, and opt for the expensive option of a car. So many of us in London do not drive, and why should we when our public transport system can get us practically anyway at any time and for a cheaper price than a car?

One thing I’ve noticed in the media is that cities such as London and Los Angeles have been hyped up so much. So many graduates come to London instead of venturing to other places. There’s more to life than just London and city life. Some people may feel they are missing out by not being in the city. As the philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre believed, there’s always something rather than nothing. In other words we can say we are all doing as much as everyone else including that friend who claims they’re so busy. My advice to those people who feel they are missing out on city life is to turn off from your Facebook news feed, and what you’re reading in the papers, and live where you truly enjoy. 

I often ask myself if London life is healthy. Fighting the overpopulated crowds at Oxford Circus, paying £10 for lunch and still being hungry, having most of your earnings spent on your tiny room and public transport, ducking from pigeons flying at you, etc. No wonder so many people can’t wait for their holiday! Away in the countryside, one is away from competition and the hustle and bustle. There are fewer people, it’s friendlier, and you can relax. With so many people opting to live their lives online, living in the countryside has been easier than ever before. We can now order our shopping and find love online, so who needs bars and shops within easy reach? Online businesses can be started from the countryside and there are so many offline businesses to be started there too. For those just looking for a job though and with many in need of a car in order to get to a job, living in rural areas can be difficult. It makes me think maybe living in the countryside is only suitable for some. And I think if most of us had it our way, a healthy dosage and balance of both worlds would make life complete.

written by Elisha Fields