19 July 2021 | Part 3 | City life, foreign countries, and living in new places | with pauses

What are the main disadvantages of living in a city?   I believe there are several disadvantages, the first being the lack of nature. Many cities were developed without taking into account the need for green spaces and so this has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of the city residents. Another drawback is the fast pace of life in these metropolises. In order to survive, one must work harder, longer and more. This too has an effect on people's psychological well-being and burnout is common. Partially because of this fast pace, cities are also notorious for creating and fostering isolation. It's ironic but with so many people around, city inhabitants often feel extremely lonely.   How do you think cities could be improved? I think two main areas should be addressed in modern cities. The first is the creation of green spaces. They are necessary for the environment but also serve as places for people to relax and unwind. The second is traffic reduction. Real effort must be made in creating car parks outside of the city and efficient public transport connecting these areas to the city. Are people less friendly in cities than in the countryside? Yes, I believe they are but I don't view this necessarily as a negative. People in the city do not have the luxury of being friendly with everyone they meet. Friendliness requires energy and city residents don't see the point in investing this energy in someone they will most likely never see again. On the other hand, people in the country don't often get a chance to meet new people so when this opportunity presents itself, it's something of a novelty and they take advantage of it by being friendly to all the new faces they see.   Why do a lot of people want to move to a foreign country?   No matter what country it is, I think all foreign countries seem somewhat exotic, at least at first. There are new places to discover, new tastes, new aromas, new people and their habits – all of this can seem very exciting. Apart from this, moving to a new country also allows people the chance to discover and develop new sides of themselves, so this too can be very attractive. What factors in a new place affect people's lives?   I think there are many. The first one is climate. This may seem somewhat superficial but it is in fact a basic issue. For example, leaving from some place cold to some place warm, or the opposite can be an enormous adjustment. Another main factor I believe has to do with the bureaucracy of the new place. How easy is it to get certain things done? Coming from a place where the bureaucracy is notorious for precluding any sort of foreign investment or development, I think this is a basic element in a place's quality of life.