In America we talk a lot about the disappearing middle class and the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Well, people are having the same conversation over here – half a world away.
People’s lives here are starkly different; rich and poor living right across from one another.. but in seemingly different worlds. If someone came to visit me and we stayed in my apartment, checked out the Pinkberry in City Mall, and grabbed a drink on the rooftop at Sangria – she would leave thinking that the life in Jordan is pretty great – and wonder why people are protesting on the streets about their government. On the other hand, if we went and walked through Baqa’s trash strewn streets, stopped by an UNRWA classroom with 50 students vying for a teachers’ attention, and talked to the men digging through the dumpster outside our house – she would leave with a very different impression.
It would be like seeing two cities.
The truth of the matter is, these are both true examples “how Jordanians live” …
and that’s just comparing Amman – not its villages nor the Jordan Valley nor the southern desert. Just like in America, there are a many different lifestyles…. and the gap between them is growing.
One of my students shared this video with our group, and I hope you take a minute to watch it! It’s a helpful way to understand the life here.
And for me, its an inspiring moment to see that young Jordanians are also giving voice to this issue and portraying it in such an engaging way:
Documentary: 4.5 Km from Jude Kawwa on Vimeo.
Julie in Jordan! 