By JERUSALEM POST STAFFIngrid Geenen 224(photo credit: )TRY ONE YOURSELF>>>Age: 48
Residence: Kapellen (Antwerp) Belgium
Married? With children? Divorced. No Children. Israeli boyfriend
Occupation: Management assistant in a company in the port of Antwerp
Education: University education in Antwerp:Translator (English & Italian)
Pets: none
Religious affiliation / observance: Catholic upbringing but a convinced atheist since I was 16
Last person / party I voted for: Liberal
Next person / party I will vote for: same
My history (100 words max): Raised in a very strict Catholic family. Experienced early on that "being Catholic" doesn't necessarily make one behave in a "christian" way. Married young (23) to escape the suffucating atmosphere at home. Divorced twice. Very happy with my Israeli boyfriend for more than 7 years now. Studied languages and keep on doing so (Hebrew and modern Greek). Love my job
Family history (100 words max): Catholic background. All branches of the family are catholic and Belgian (Flemish speaking). No Jewish ancestors as far as I know.
My connection with Israel: Always been fascinated with the history of the Jewish people. Very sorry that my mother didn't live to see the day that I met a Jewish/Israeli guy (in my own Flemish street nonetheless :-). I still remember her stories about the heroic Jewish people building a country in the desert out of nothing and about Golda Meir (a woman in a leading position, when there were none in Europe). Been visiting Israel since 2000 (at least 1-2 times a year) and love my boyfriend's family who live there. Love the fact that Israel is home to both religious and non-religious people. I followed a Hebrew course at the Ulpan in Netanya last December. Was the only non-Jew there and just LOVED the course and the people. Held a dissertation about Amos Oz's book "Sipur shel ahava v hosheh" and brought tears to everyone's eyes (including my own :-))
What I would take with me to a deserted island: Books (and my boyfriend of course!)
If I could have dinner with any person in the world it would be: Dead : Charles Darwin
Alive : Richard Dawkins
Which feminine/masculine trait would I like to have: Feminine: I guess I have them all :-). Male: not to worry so much.
What angers you: (Religious) intolerance and religion being forced on you (or any other opinion for that matter)
What makes you happy: A good book, a talk with a kindred soul, the sun in springtime, laughing with friends and... coffee (Israel has the greatest; even better than the coffee in Italy)
Last book I read was: A very small gem of a book : "Help us to divorce. Israel and Palestine: Between right and right" by Amos Oz
Comfort food: Sweets from a Flemish baker, with lots of coffee (but the "Bar Lehem" bakeries in Israel are not bad either)
My life five years from now: I hope to stil be with my present boyfriend though maybe not in Belgium anymore...
You may not like it but I have something controversial to say: All people are atheists to some extent: They do not believe in the old Greek Gods anymore, they don't believe in Vishnu or Buddha or in the nordic Gods of Thunder and Lightning. The only thing with atheists is that they just go one god further (dixit Richard Dawkins)
Happiness: 1-10 (10 being the happiest) 8
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