It's Australia's equivalent of the 4th of July with a tinge of Thanksgiving. A time to give thanks for living in the "Lucky Country". I am happy to be an Australian and thankful for what it has to offer. Here's what I'm thankful for:

1. It's a nice place for a family- with a large, expanding middle-class.
2. Good schools
3. National healthcare
4. Mild weather
5. Suffered the least in the GFC of any country in the world (so far)
6. Good public infrastructure - museums, libraries and transport

Of course I can't help but make a list of things that I'm not so crazy about.

1. The country is soaked in booze - especially on a day like this.
2. Superficial materialism - big screen tellies and italian tile floors for everyone!
3. A certain prejudging of foreigners - if you behave in a certain way or have a certain alternative belief, it is inevitably due to your foreignness.
4. A lack of neighborliness. Maybe this is a global thing, but neighborhoods seem to have dried up here. Everyone lives completely inside their house.