Mango trees dot the streets of residential areas in Malaysia. I read recently that living in a neighbourhood with trees lining the streets has benefits that are not easily understood. A Canadian study has found that people who live on a tree-lined block are less likely to report conditions such as high-blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Maybe it is the cleaner air (thanks to the trees) that makes people want to go out and about or it could be due to the "poetry-inspiring aesthetic beauty" of trees that motivate people to want take care of their health. I completely agree with the above. But my friend's current problem with a neighbour whose passion is planting trees makes me wonder if Malaysians have gone overboard in responding to the call to plant trees around their homes. Rabiaa Dani is upset that the neighbour did not ask her permission to plant a mango tree in a space enough for one tree on her side of the kerb. He had pulled out
People, places and everything in between