INTRODUCTION
We were delighted by the number and diversity of entries to our contest--and because several of the winning submissions were a little longer than expected, for space reasons we'll be running some of them next month. We noticed that some readers tried to sum up every aspect of life in the South that they find pleasant, while others were specific in the extreme. Whether you agree with our winners' views or not, we hope that you'll find the ideas of your fellow readers entertaining, amusing, and perhaps even thought-provoking. So--once again thanking our sponsors for their support--I urge you to read on, and enjoy!
--Steven Crook, FYI SOUTH managing editor

WINNING ENTRIES

    Many of the reasons I love living in the South are illustrated by a bike ride I took the other day. I passed betel nut girls, ornate temples, and headed down a lane alive with old folks. They were just passing the time of the day, and amused by a foreigner's presence. The lane led to rice paddies; towering mountains lay beyond. Already I felt light years from the metropolis. I meandered into a pineapple field and a weathered farmer appeared. I expected to be forcibly removed. Instead, he smiled and passed me a pineapple!
--By Simon Foster

    The people! I like the way they: walk, golf, eat, talk, smile, dress, read books, magazines and newspapers, watch television on the street, look at foreigners, greet their friend and family, dance in the park, ride their scooters and bicycles, travel on planes, trains and buses, go shopping in the supermarkets and the local markets, buy clothes, hang out at night markets, barter, show emotions, love their children, ask questions, eat betel nut, study English, and market their products. The Taiwanese are one of the most fascinating people I have met so far, and South Taiwanese are to be recommended for their hospitality.
--By Diana Smith Walsh

    You try not to, but sometimes you just can't help it. You stare. And in South Taiwan, if you are a 6-foot-1 (185 centimeters) white woman with blonde hair like me people stare back. So there I was, gawking at a monk in the rice aisle of the supermarket. But I really wasn't ogling him, it was his shoes that intrigued me: rubber-soled sandals with multiple elastic straps stretched over his ankles and toes. As I stood there gawking, I realized two teenage girls were staring at me: the foreigner in an oversized blue poncho that was too short.
--By Kari Jensen

    Thrifty, a penny-pincher, a cheapskate. Call me what you want, but one reason I love living in South Taiwan is that it's cheap. The plethora of bargains in Kaohisung and around fills me with a sense of victory. When I can eat mouth-watering vegetarian food for less than NT$60, why would I ever cook at home? Even traveling in South Taiwan is ridiculously cheap with hostels that are clean, friendly, and convenient for a mere NT$200 a night. In South Taiwan, one can live like a queen--and still save for a college education!
--By Leila Scannell

    What makes living in the South of Taiwan endurable during the hot summer months? Living in Chiayi allows one the luxury of quickly leaving it all behind. In twenty minutes one can easily reach the base of a cool mountain trail. Its steep, challenging steps will lift your feet to a tea field, which calls you to sit and enjoy its panorama and fragrant aroma. Once you are back on the narrow mountain road, continue a few minutes further to the 1,300-step monster known to many simply as "the waterfall." The descent is well worth the cool reward of a swim in one of the pools that lay below the cascading waterfalls.
--By Bjorn Petersen

    The NT$12 bus to Kaohsiung's international airport. Where else on Earth can you get from the downtown to the airport for less than half an American dollar? It's safe, air-conditioned, and reasonably comfortable.
--By John Martindale

    Kenting National Park is considered to have the most beautiful beaches in Taiwan. It's a very hot place every year in summer. People go there to enjoy water activuties--swimming, scuba diving, jet ski riding, fishing, and boat rides. People also like the night market there, and you can eat fresh seafood for dinner, and enjoy cocktails in the pubs. After that, you can go to the beach and watch the stars!
--By Daisy Chuang

    First, the mountain railway to Alishan. Second, the old temples of Tainan. Third, the old neighborhood of Anping in Tainan.
--By Chin Kok Tan

    Kaohsiung is a great, unpretentious, blue-collar city. The people aren't afraid of hard work. And when the MRT starts running (2006, fingers crossed!) it'll be as good a place as Taipei to live--only friendlier and warmer!
--By Richie Stewart

    As a foreigner studying Mandarin, I like the way people are happy to chat with me in their native language, and don't try to speak English with every white person they see--that's what happens in Taipei.
--By Knud Jensen

    The weather. You can wear a T-shirt and shorts eleven months of the year. I'm from Canada, so that's a big plus.
--By Pete Miller

    Spring Scream has been the highlight of the past few years. Next year I'll find another reason to love South Taiwan.
--By Jody Robertson

    It's where I first met my wife, and for that reason I'll always love South Taiwan. We don't live in the south anymore, but we visit several times a year, and enjoy the sunshine, the night markets, and the traditional culture.
--By Ivan Gurdin

    FYI SOUTH magazine, of course. I'm studying in the USA now, but reading the magazine online helps me keep up with changes in my hometown of Tainan. Also, it helps me plan where to meet my friends when I go back to Taiwan. So your magazine is one of the things I love about South Taiwan!
--By Tracy Wei