PHOTO: Douglas Habecker

Top 5 Reasons to Live in Taichung:

Susan...

1. Weather
2. People
3. Pace of lifestyle
4. Convenient -- access to both north and south Taiwan
5. Not too crowded

Tom...

1. People
2. Climate
3. Business opportunities

According to Tom and Susan Bailey, it is the people of Taichung that make this city such a great place to live. Perhaps that is why the two have called this city their home for 13 years now.

"There is a genuine warmth in the people you don't find any place else in the world," Tom says.

His wife, Susan couldn't agree more. "I love the people here," she says.

"They are so warm and friendly, and no matter what, they really try to help you. That has really touched my heart."

Unlike most married foreigners living in Taiwan, Susan and Tom began their lives together on this island. The two were introduced by a mutual friend in Taipei in 1977. At that time, Tom was a Marine guard for the American embassy. Susan was working at a trade company in Taipei. Tom left the Marines one year later to find a job with a shoe company based in Taichung, where their life together in this city began.

Susan counts her blessings in Taichung: "The weather is nice. The people are nice and the traffic and schools are good." Though the family has moved between Taipei, Taichung, Hong Kong and America over the years, the Baileys feel right at home in Taichung.

After living in Taichung for some years, job changes forced the family move to New York. But, because Tom was still dealing with Asia, his job required him to spend most of his time traveling back. He says the heavy travel schedule was disruptive to his family.

"I wanted a job where I could use my skills and still be home with my family at night," he explains.

An opportunity surfaced in 1996 when Tom was offered a position at Harbor Footwear. The family immediately moved back to Taichung. The Baileys now have a full-grown son living in Germany, a daughter, Erica, who is a senior at Lincoln American School, and another daughter, Alicia, who is in the 8th grade at Morrison Academy.

In the few years that the Baileys have returned to Taichung, they have become active in the community through Hash House Harriers. As the "Hash Master," Tom organizes and promotes runs for the organization, which was started locally in 1998.

"The Hash here in Taichung is a kinder, gentler hash," he says, noting that the Taichung group is a more family-orientated hash that has easier runs and places less emphasis on drinking. "We have quite a few families that come because it is an outing to enjoy the weather and get together with other people," he adds.

It was through the Hash runs that the Baileys became acquainted with Michael and Micaela Beechey, their business partners now for one of Taichung's most popular dining establishments, Salt & Pepper.

"We didn't plan on opening a restaurant -- it just happened," Susan explains. While living in Hong Kong and New York, the couple apparently got into the habit of dining out once a week. When they returned to Taichung, they enjoyed the food, but thought there could be better variety. The Baileys and the Beecheys opened the doors of their California-style restaurant "seasoned with an Asian touch" on August 8 last year.

"Taichung, to me, is one of the best places in Taiwan," Tom says. "We have been to most places in Taiwan, and Taichung encompasses most of the things we love about Taiwan, and few of the things we don't like (such as pollution). It is truly a nice place to live."