Culture Shock: Seriously??? #2

I’m all up for a bit of green to make things look nice. I’m from California where things aren’t green unless they are paid to be or watered unmercifully. I think a tasteful plant, bush, or patch of grass on the sidewalk or middle of the road barrier is a nice touch. It detracts from the awfulness that is concrete and says to passerbyers, “look, you don’t live in a city”…a desert city at that.

But this country takes things a bit too far if you ask me. Or just ask my friend who was walking last week on the sidewalk and ripped her jeans on the tree sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Yes tree. Not grass, not plant, tree. You’d think that if you decided to plant a tree in the middle of the sidewalk you’d plant one of those skinny trees. The ones with skinny trunks and tall branches that won’t scratch someone’s eyes out. No, instead they plant a large, fat, bushy, tree. Oh and its an evergreen. Which I think is hysterical given we live in the desert. I know that northern Jordan has evergreen forests, but the middle of the city? Really?

And if there are skinnier trees planted, they are never tall enough and I’m constantly endangering my upper body by walking under them. The only other option is the road where cars are parked crazily and there’s a tiny space to drive, which means you, the pedestrian, are in danger of running into a side view mirror or being taken out by one instead.

So tree vs. car. I’d take the tree, just wish there was an easy way around them.