SUZANNE: Hola, Pepe. Please tell us a little about yourself.
PEPE: My actual name is Pedro, I’m part of the Venezuelan diaspora that lives all over the world. Some time ago, when everything was going well in my home country, I wanted to hang up the tie and suit that I had to wear every day as a pharmaceutical representative and live by the sea. Unexpectedly, my dream came true.
SUZANNE: And we gained a much-loved addition to our community. Ok, question time, please Pepe. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
PEPE: I’m not sure that perfect happiness exists. However, realising that I have a lot of ‘simple things’ (health, family, work) makes me happy. Also, escape from all the routine and watch a good movie 🙂
SUZANNE: What is your greatest fear?
PEPE: Mediocrity and snakes. Both could have deadly poisons.
SUZANNE: What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
PEPE: To wear my grumpy pants very often. I tend to get angry easily, my tolerance levels are really low.
SUZANNE: What is the trait you most dislike in others?
PEPE: The person who disrespects other people’s spaces. The ones who think they can do what they want no matter how it affects those around them. I not only consider that it is selfish, but that it is a way of attacking others.
SUZANNE: Which person (living or deceased) do you most admire, and why?
PEPE: Yulimar Rojas, a Venezuelan athlete of humble background who, even in the worst stage that our country is going through, is an Olympic and World champion in her specialty, and currently holds all possible records, which she has broken repeatedly. I was an athlete in my youth, and I know that becoming the best (in any area) is already extraordinary, and surpassing yourself is even more incredible.
SUZANNE: Which person (living or deceased) do you most despise, and why?
PEPE: Nicolas Maduro (current Venezuelan President) for treacherously leading a mediocre political project that has destroyed in every possible way (economically and morally) one of the countries with the most resources on the planet.
SUZANNE: What is your greatest achievement?
PEPE: I have two actually. First, being a responsible father, even when coming from a dysfunctional home, being gay, and living an ocean away from my daughter, Dana. And second, having been born in a third-world country, with no family wealth, I was able to complete formal education (two degrees in industrial administration and business, a master’s degree in management, and postgraduate diploma in tertiary education) with my own effort and money.
SUZANNE: What is your greatest regret?
PEPE: Having studied theology for almost three years, I nearly became a protestant religious minister. I learned a ton about religion, leadership, philosophy, and anthropology. But in the end, I think the most important thing I learned was that I was able to use that time for something more productive.
SUZANNE: Which talent would you most like to have?
PEPE: I would love to be a polyglot. After almost five years in Australia I still struggle with English. Lol. I wish I could learn another language more easily.
SUZANNE: What is your motto?
PEPE: Why make it difficult if you can make it easy? (My husband Colin agrees energetically about this.) Simplicity is my way to avoid getting tired unnecessarily. I love to live a minimalist life and get rid of things that do nothing more than occupy space.
SUZANNE: Last question. If you could bring the best of your homeland, Venezuela, to the Bays, what would that be?
PEPE: The resilience of the Venezuelan people is something worth exporting. In my country, people smile and make jokes about everything that happens, even in the midst of the chaos that living in a dictatorship implies. This adaptive capacity means that with a scarcity of economic resources and social deficiencies, people show solidarity and help each other to fight the simplest battles, such as feeding or medical treatment. Sometimes I wonder: why aren’t people happy here if they have absolutely everything necessary to be?
SUZANNE: Thanks so much, Pepe. It’s been such a pleasure speaking with you.
Note: This Q&A was adapted from Antionette Faure’s 1886 questionnaire. It was made famous by its first contributor, Marcel Proust, and is now known as the Proust Questionnaire. Of course.