Does my head look big in this?

This evening, da missus and I were invited by the Australian high commissioner to dine with outstanding Australian writer, Randa Abdel-Fattah. There were quite a few others at the dinner and my need for a shutter “fix” meant I did not get to introduce myself and speak to Randa. Fortunately, she got up to say a few words and that gave me a sense of who she is. Randa is an inspirational woman.

A lawyer, a home-maker, and a published writer of two books with another in the works. An advocate of inter-faith understanding (very few of those here unfortunately), she is very active in promoting understanding between people of different race, religion, and culture, particularly between the jewish and muslim community.

Her view of religion as a matter of personal choice and one that was empowering as opposed to oppressing was one which I share. At the end of the day, religion is about one’s deepest personal beliefs and the choices one makes on how to live one’s life…