Ah Sydney

Ladies’ room chat

Sydney, we love you.

The iconic opera house and bridge in the background.

In 1987, Dan was invited by the Japanese Bar Association to present at a conference in Kobe. Dan asked his hosts if he could bring me with him. Incredibly, they agreed to pay my way.

The conference was comprised of Japanese lawyers, with a Japanese interpreter. Dan gave a speech about fighting asbestos contamination.

At the conference, I was in the ladies’ room when a young woman dashed in. She was the only non-Japanese person I’d seen in the hall. My immediate thought was that she looked like she could be a member of my family.

We said hello to each other, and the rest is history.

Elizabeth is a fluent Japanese speaker and at the time, was a newly minted lawyer working for a Japanese firm. She was at the conference with her partner Simon, a budding human rights lawyer. We four struck up a friendship that has crossed continents and decades.

Elizabeth and Simon have generously visited us over the years, both in Washington, and for reunions in New York. We’ve kept up with letters in the early days, and email later, and zoom still later. But it’s only now that Dan and I have gotten to Australia.

By ferry across Sydney Harbor, we went to the Taronga Zoo, where Dan fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing a platypus (okay, I was thrilled too), as well as other exotic Australian animals. Below is an echidna, a quilled mammal that lays eggs, as does the platypus.

We went to museums and Sydney’s gorgeous botanical gardens. We saw theater and did a lot of walking.

We visited Simon’s family’s beach house an hour north of Sydney in Mackerel Bay, reached by boat. There we took a bush walk—replete with wallabies—to see aboriginal stone carvings thousands of years old.

The swimming was divine with sand as soft as a pillow.

On Good Friday, we swam at Manly Beach, reached by local Sydney bus and ferry. The beach was gorgeous, but what blew me away was the rainbow of families, young and old, who had totally free access, free changing rooms, picnic tables, as well as a raft of life guards, to enjoy a glorious Sydney day.

We made a pilgrimage to Bondi Beach.

Sydney has it all, a superlative harbor; temperate climate; a diverse population; myriad beaches; and terrific cultural institutions and public amenities, including outstanding public transportation. (Let’s not get into Australia’s publicly funded health care, strong labor laws, and rigid gun control.)

Here’s a short video of my impressions of Sydney.

Sydney was warm, relaxed, and generous people. It was our first chance to meet Elizabeth’s precious mother and brother. It was seeing one of Simon and Elizabeth’s four wonderful children. Having Passover together. Meeting and talking with a raft of engaging friends. Discussing Simon’s career as a lawyer and professor focused on Aboriginal rights. Enjoying Elizabeth’s marvelous cooking, and relishing her latest professional achievements.

Gabbing late into the night.

For me, it’s always about the people.

I share a beautiful Australian book called EUCALYPTUS. It’s a modern day fairy tale based on an old trope—once upon a time, a father challenged a suitor to win his daughter’s hand…

Dozens of types of eucalyptus/gum trees grace Australia’s giant landscapes, and they are gorgeous.

Eucalypt in the Blue Mountains, about 2 hours north of Sydney.

I leave you with a snoozing koala. Koalas sleep between 18 and 20 hours a day, because their diet of eucalyptus leaves is low in protein.

I know it’s hard, but may you sleep as soundly as a koala.

Love,

Martha

P.S. ICYMI, here’s my most recent newsletter/Substack, “Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.”