Greetings and salutations!

I've managed to get my AdSense issues straightened out but it seems I still get no Google love as both my blogs (once with a PR of 4) now rank 0. Perhaps one day in the future I will make up, actually decide to care, and attempt to do something about that. Google is indeed a cruel mistress. Did I mention they have a campus in Israel? Onward and upward...

My new address:

#9, 17 Ha'Aliya Ha'Shniya St.
Haifa, ISRAEL  (I THINK the Postal Code is 35255* but you don't need the PC to send mail here apparently.)
(Pictures online soon)

On Living in Israel

I've been in Israel for over 2 weeks now, living in my apartment in Bat Galim for 1. There have been some trying times but with each day there is new progress. There are the inevitable pangs of culture shock - that longing for more familiar/more convenient locales of home with all the friends and family you miss and all the commercial possibilities your wallet can fathom! There are certainly moments of near overwhelming panic; moments where I can think of nothing more than running back home. Thankfully, though, these moments become increasingly infrequent and my confidence to continue living out my dream builds.

There are some very real practical obstacles to overcome, some of which are easily dealt with while others are impossible to prepare for. For instance, Even though I've lived on my own for some time, I've never really been "on my own" like I am here, responsible for actually maintaining all the elements of my own life. I've never had to find, negotiate, equip and maintain my own apartment before. This process was one of the most frightening and stressful I have experienced. Thankfully I had the help of an excellent guy named Alex (a friend of my sister's) and after some initial turmoil (no running water for 2 days) I have begun settling in.

Though it took a while to see past some of its flaws, I actually quite like my apartment; even more so since my shopping sprees for the usual kitchen and other household supplies. It's a 2.5 room flat on the 4th floor of my building. I have the largest balcony here and the tile floors are nice. It's certainly a great deal more space than I had in Osaka and I have it all to myself. There are some cosmetic improvements that could be made and Bat Galim is not the prettiest of areas, but it IS right on the sea and offers convenient access to inter urban train service.

The language barrier remains but most people here can speak at least some English and I hope to take Hebrew lessons as soon as can conveniently be arranged. As for work, well, I haven't really started that yet. It's strange to be waiting so much but apparently that is the way things work here. There seem to be possibilities of MarCom work and I may be on a team working at Microsoft in Herziliya. What I officially tell people, though, is that I'm really a stock boy updating the inventory of Israel's undeclared nuclear weapons. Of course, if I told you what I was really doing I'd have to kill you. My job is SO top secret that I have to use the nuke job as a cover - wrap your head around THAT!

It is strange being someone in my position in Israel. That being a goy (gentile or non-Jew) who is not an Arab, not a tourist, and not a volunteer associated with a religious institution. This raises some complications when I do things like try to open a bank account, and leads to frequent questions about why I am here. That's ok though because at least it gives me a chance to talk to people. While I am still somewhat lonely, I have visited one of the Messianic congregations here, celebrated Rosh Ha'Shana with my boss at his moshav (a wonderful experience), participated in a wedding celebration with some of my old Yad Hashmona friends, and attended a massive outdoor rave with Alex and some of his friends. Good times all around.

On Current Events

Speaking of good times, some other folks were here over the holiday, specifically Madonna and "Kabbalah" train of Demi Moore/Ashton Kutcher and others, the Broadway to the Scientologist's club Hollywood. Madonna had the ridiculous nerve to refer to herself as a "ambassador for Judaism" when she met with President Shimon Peres. This is doubly ludicrous as, if it were anybody else, they would have been laughed at. Most Jews do not practice the gnostic mysticism of Kabbalah and the system developed in Los Angeles, to which Madonna is an adherent, hardly represents the historical Kabbalah.

In more important news, following a reported shooting of an Israeli jet in Syria, Israel has launched an attack inside Syria, reportedly to destroy nuclear technology related materials which Israel (and quieter voices in the US administration) believes is being supplied by North Korea (read more here - NY Times/Membership Required).

With Hope,
Joseph

Culture Shock | Messianic Judaism | Kabbalah