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In 2018, my middle school-aged son and I stayed in a small apartment in Taipei while he attended a Mandarin language program at a local university over the summ
by ilamont 7y ago
In 2018, my middle school-aged son and I stayed in a small apartment in Taipei while he attended a Mandarin language program at a local university over the summer. It was located on the roof of a 10 story building, and was about 250 square feet. I had to fold up my sofa bed every morning (he had the loft) to make space in the main room. There was no indoor furniture except the sofa, so when we ate inside he usually sat on the stairs while I used a small plastic folding chair I bought at a night market.
Dealing with garbage was a constant issue. It just seemed to build up quickly and there was no place to keep it in the apartment. In terms of our belongings, if we had anything more than what fit in our suitcases and day packs there would have been a major problem with storage as there was only some small closet space and cubbyholes underneath the stairs. I did almost no cooking because cheap food options were nearby but it occurred to me that if I had been frying stuff on the little range, the smells from cooking would have pervaded everything.
ETA: I realize that many people live in far more cramped conditions all over the world, often with many family members or shared accommodations, and generally have no options to move into bigger quarters. But in the United States at least, I see the "small house" movement romanticizing the idea of compact living quarters while glossing over the drawbacks.
- cyberferret 7y agoI think this is a factor that is often neglected or not even mentioned is articles espousing 'tiny homes'. The cooking. Even in our fairly large home, if I cook something even vaguely aromatic, the smell permeates through most of the house. Maybe this is an indictment of the 'takeaway generation' that seems the norm in places like the US, where it is often cheaper and more convenient to order take out, rather than cook from scratch?
- souprock 7y agoThat smell is a good thing though, isn't it? If not, cook something else. Maybe don't cook liver with Limburger.
- geomark 7y agoSome delicious foods smell terrible during cooking, or even emit slightly dangerous fumes during cooking, like dishes that contain a lot of chilis (the source of pepper spray).
- cyberferret 7y agoWhilst the smell can be good in the sort term, over time, it can actually work against you. Trying to go to sleep with the delicious smell of baking bread through your sheets? Good luck with that :) Also, waking up first thing in the morning with the smell of last night's curry still in the air? Not the best. If you burn milk or something else on the stove? Best leave the windows open and rent a hotel room to stay in for a few days!
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- danans 7y agoThis might be more an indication of insufficient ventilation or an inadequate or non existent kitchen extractor fan.
- Mountain_Skies 7y agoOpen floor plans have been a big trend for the past few decades. Personally I hate it but most people seem to want their kitchen and living room to flow together mostly seamlessly. I hate the sound of the refrigerator compressor. I hate cooking smells. I hate seeing unwashed dishes or unclean surfaces. These things are actually all fine during the cooking and eating process but if I want to relax in the living room, I don't want the sights, sounds, and scents of the kitchen constantly intruding. Better ventilation can help somewhat but that's additional noise and can't compete very well with an actual wall between rooms.
- TuringNYC 7y agoI don’t think folks in the US romanticize small living quarters, as noted above, but I think folks here romanticize that correlate with small living quarters (real or imagined): The memory of being young, strapped for cash, but in college and having fun The memory of being in your early career, struggling financially, but first exploring the world on your own (eg, for me, in Manhattan working my first job after college.) The romanticized thought of being a writer in some European city having total artistic freedom.
- colechristensen 7y ago> I don’t think folks in the US romanticize small living quarters There definitely isn't any one thing that Americans do or feel, but there are people that are really excited about tiny houses, or in the bay area, van life. Some people do it out of necessity, some people romanticize things associated as you say, but definitely some people romanticize the tiny living space lifestyle directly and aspire to it.
- bigwavedave 7y agoThis is such an interesting mentality, one I just can't understand. The instant I got a real job, I rented a house. Just for me. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, front/back yard(s), garage, driveway, the works. I kept telling myself it was "practice" for understanding what it's like to be a homeowner (common pitfalls, responsibilities, required upkeep, etc) while with training wheels because the landlord was still technically on the hook, but honestly it was because I was tired of living in apartments all through college. I guess we all just like what we like, eh?
- colechristensen 7y agoI could buy a five bedroom house about every year or two in my hometown for the rent I pay for 1 bedroom 1000 sqft apartment in Mountain View in an equal amount of time. I am actively unhappy with the situation but am ultimately owned by some decisions I have made so here we are. Many aspirations towards tiny houses i think are motivated by economics and fear or ignorance about what exists everywhere else. Maybe I could buy an enormous house in the middle of nowhere and throw gatsbyesque parties to lure visiting friends from cities and have the best of both worlds.
- chris123 7y agoWhat if today's tiny homes turn out to be huge compared to tomorrow's tiny homes. Do that a few times and we'll get to the Matrix.