A friend in Sydney writes regularly for “The Globes”, a financial magazine in Israel. Today she asked a series of questions for an article she’s submitting on Australia and Israel. I will have to rely on the translated version as it’ll be published in Hebrew. Here are her questions and my responses:

1.      What’s the thing that upsets you most about Australia? (can be anything!)

Until recently it was the “matchy-matchy” policies that mimicked America. Australia has always been an economically conservative yet socially liberal country. Former Prime Minister John Howard tried to mimic the USA and introduced a wide range of conservative social policies. It was like wearing someone else’s skin!

2.      What would you like to change if you had the chance?

My partner of 17 years and I had the good fortune to adopt a baby when we lived in America. Today Australia prevents same sex couples from adopting. There are so many needy children in the world – why can’t governments make it easier for giving couples to make more room in their home? It makes me so angry and sad.

3.      If not Australia, in which country would you like to live and why?

I have this vision of retiring in the South of France and writing a book! I could never live in America again (where I’m originally from). Yet I don’t think I’d survive in the old culture of Europe. I love the climate of the Middle East – could a Unitarian Universalist survive in Israel?

4.      What’s your impression of Israel (if you haven’t been - then from what you know/hear)

We’ve never been to Israel – but here it goes! My impression is it’s a tough yet warm country filled with pragmatists who realise how lucky they are to have their own space in the world – and will fight to defend it. It is a country that deserves peace yet is in a quagmire. Bad neighbours mean peace may always be an illusion! That makes Israel edgy, vibrant, contemporary and full of people wanting to “seize the day”. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

5.      If you didn’t live in OZ, what would you miss about it the most?

I love the climate and the laid-back attitudes. People in Australia are just as nosey as anywhere else in the world but they won’t pry into your private life. There’s a great respect for personal boundaries. I also love the sense of space and lack of crowds. This country is the physical size of the United States yet has only 10% of the population! So no strip malls, crowded highways, bland suburbs (or at least not as many!).

6.      How do you celebrate Australia Day?

Australia Day is a summer holiday so it’s less about patriotism and more about enjoying all that is good about Australia. You must be outdoors and with friends. It usually involves a barbecue or a day at the beach. Australia Day means sand between the toes, fireworks, friends and a lot of sunshine. What else do you need in late January?