I miss my country

Besides the fun of being back home while the elections are taking place and all the funny ads are shown on television, I found another story that could only happen in Israel.

Back when we were kids there was a popular game in school called Dwarves and Giants. Each kid could be a dwarf and a giant at the same time. The dwarf's role was to secretly give a present to the "Giant" he/she were assigned to. The present was supposed to be something very small and not of a large monetary value. The purpose was only to show that someone cares. It was a cool game because even those that hate giving, when they received something they got into the spirit of giving as well. And some gifts were funny and cute.

So there's a new trend in some neighbourhoods in Israel around this time of the year (close to Purim*) to play this game among the adults. The committee overseeing the neighbourhood picks who's the dwarves and giants for whom, and ...let the games begin. So some neighbours find outside their door homemade cookies, or something small for the house. And even those who didn't plan on giving anything, when they receive something they do eventually decide to get something after all. The people playing find it kind of fun to leave work and wonder on their way home what they'll find at their doorstep. Sometimes there are disappointments, but sometimes it's a nice pleasant surprise. And at the end of Purim, they hold a party and discover the identity of all dwarves.

I miss this playfullness in my country. The environment of giving just for fun. The environment of not paying a lot of money for a present but rather putting some thought into something small and not expensive. The atmosphere of - we're all in this together and we're never alone. A game like this will never succeed where I live. People just don't care to participate in anything, and if there's any time or money involved there's always someone who'll oppose it and start a petition.

I miss being a kid with that naiive feeling of everyone is my friend - I should be nice to everyone. I miss being on that receiving end of it.

** There's a tradition on Purim called "Mishlo'ach Manot" where we give food to our friends or poor people. Nothing huge. Just something symbolic to say we care.