Israel on Morgan Bye

Memoirs of a decision

Fri, 29 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Israel began as such an odd happen of circumstance.

So many things simply came together in a manner that had any one of a number of small events gone slightly differently then I would never have gone. Not for work, and probably not for any other reason.

Had the global recession not kicked in, had the Germany economy not initially resisted before collapsing, had the German government decided not to essentially pull all of its funding for science overnight – then my German would be significantly better right now.

Leaving Israel

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:00:00 +0000

Lital at the airport

Tue, 13 May 2014 12:00:00 +0000

Bon voyage!

Sun, 16 Feb 2014 12:00:00 +0200

As is traditional with my blog, it seems that I only take the opportunity to sit down and commit electronic ink to screen when I feel I have something to say or at the very least when I have the time.

In recent times, I have certainly been busy. Both in and out of work. In these recent times I have been quite negligent to several old friends in my usual correspondence – and to those I apologise. You are not forgotten, and you will be replied to when the time allows it, in the interim period I hope that tonight’s post allows you to at least see I’m alive.

The adventure begins

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 12:00:00 +0200

The problem with being a person with a tendency toward the obsessive is two-fold. Firstly, should one not be immediately good at something then it is quickly dismissed as stupid never be attempted again; which anyone, that has had the extremely rare experience of having seen me ice skate will attest. This also results, in things that cannot be simply dismissed as being stupid incredibly difficult. For this examples of musical instruments and languages come to mind – here the perfectionism makes them very difficult as there is no possible way to be perfect with them.

Survival

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:00:00 +0200

This is the first year I think a November 25th has passed quite so quietly. For the last decade I’ve had a person in my life – typically a partner or female co-worker, that is usually giddy with joy of the notion that it is only a month to Christmas. Certainly, in a country that does not celebrate the birth of Christ, even in a very commercialised and secular way means that the typical suspects barely register Christmas as a thing. Yet, talking to one native this weekend, apparently this does not stop them using Santa as a gift giving excuse – simply that this falls typically on Halloween.

2 days

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 12:00:00 +0200

In the last 2 days, 2 very odd things have happened.

Yesterday, happily working away around half an hour before lunch I was disturbing from my coding trance a sudden high pitched scream emanating approximately 2 meters to my right. Alarmed by the sudden screams of an Israeli woman, I thought with headphones on and zoning out the world to code I must have missed the “HOLY SH*T WE’RE ALL DOOMED, YES THAT NEW WORLD WAR HAS STARTED” alarm.

One month on...

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 12:00:00 +0200

This week will mark one month of my being in Israel. On the one hand this could easily be deemed as the longest months of my life. At no point do I think that I have ever faced so much stress, anger or sorrow. In a lot of ways I feel like I have mourned for the life that I once had. At the same time, I look back at my time here and I realise just how little I’ve done, seen, achieved.

3 and a bit weeks of Israel

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:00:00 +0200

So, it’s now been some 3 and a bit weeks of living, working, breathing Israel. I think it is fair to say at this point that I’m adapting and setting my expectations a little more realistically for the situation. Unquestionably there is a huge cultural difference between the West and a borderline Middle Eastern state. Whilst, it is very much adopting the ways of the West sometimes it is inescapable to remember where exactly in the world you are.

Apartments old and new

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Just a quick post tonight because it’s already half past ten here as a result of my two and a half hour Hebrew class after work. Which has given me a mild information overload based headache, but then my brain was desperately trying to learn as much as it could for a long period of time.

Anyway, most folks will be happy to know that I have now successfully moved from the shoddy temporary accommodation, which rumour-has-it will be shortly demolished, into an actual studio apartment designed to try and con as much money out of foreigners as possible.

Day 8 of Israel

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Today was always going to be a long day. I knew that going in. What I didn’t realise going in was that this was comfortably going to be the worst day so far.

This day’s mission objectives were get to the bank for 9, collect everything I needed, swing past the photography studio for my staff photo, pick up the forms from the office for the visa extension, drop off said forms, grab lunch if there’s time, present at the group meeting.

Week 1 of Israel

Sun, 27 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

So here we are, almost exactly one week since I entered the very apartment in which I sit now.

I wish I could say that it was all better now and I’d completely settled in, but that would be pretty far from the truth. As a realist, I’ll be happy if I’ve just found some sort of routine after a month. Hopefully, after a month everything will have settled down a little bit and some sort of routine or at the very least some semblance of normality can be found. But then this is Israel, apparently it’s quite quiet here at the moment as there are peace talks on – though after 60 years of peace talks if they haven’t found it yet, I’m not sure if it wants to be found.

Day 5 of Israel

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

If you’ll allow me the luxury of another cathartic rambling, I’ve been surprised today by the response of so many of you getting in touch by one means or another.

I think it has helped that last night gave a solid 11 hours of sleep that probably helped immeasurably. As this morning upon actually awakening I didn’t stare at the ceiling and wonder to myself as to why the hell I was here. Maybe that’s just a latter stage of grief, acceptance.

Day 4 of Israel

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Well Israel has been a real emotional rollercoaster, and today has been no exception. Except that, as with all good rollercoasters you can’t just rush straight into the main event there needs to be a build up. The previous few days have only been a few small bumps, testing the waters, wetting the appetite for what comes later.

This morning waking up from another mosquito riddled night, I could have wept. The closest thing I can put it to is when Richard Hammond on Top Gear is dog-sledding to the North Pole and at some point there’s a little handy-cam shot where he just talks to the camera in the tent. Through the combination of tiredness, being emotionally drained and seemingly so far from home he just has a little weep.

Day 3 of Israel

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Just a quick one today, partially because life day to day life can be quite dull and sometimes there just isn’t all that much to report on. Today this is only partially the case. Today is mostly a case of being absolutely knackered.

The travel, the new life, the not being able to sleep properly for a few months through workload and/or stress is starting to mount up a bit. Several people have asked if I took a break between the PhD (which most in the know actively acknowledge as the most stressful time in one’s life) and moving on out to Israel. When I reply that there was only 10 days between the PhD defense and me starting here, they look at me like I’m mad. When I then point out that 1 of those was hang over recovery, 1 was sorting out corrections, 2 were spent getting my life into bags and others were spent attempting corrections or stressing out over the ensuing move. Seems, what everyone else with a shred of sanity does is take a couple of weeks, disappears off grid somewhere on holiday and recharges.

Day 2 of Israel

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

As with yesterday, I can’t help but feel that I should really start the day 2 report with the end of the previous. Last night I dashed out of the apartment, barely awake, to visit the fourth and final apartment of the day. After a near 20 minute walk across town and actually finding the correct building (as it was three blocks from where I’d been promised), I look around at the busy street with 3 clubs underneath and am already perhaps better of this decision not to go straight to sleep.

Turning out the light

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Last night in an attempt to turn the bedside lamp off, the socket turned through 90 degrees and fell off the wall!

Day 1 of Israel

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 12:00:00 +0200

Before I begin with day 1 of Israel, it makes sense to start with day 0. The parents very kindly drove me down to Luton to catch the plane where upon EasyJet completely conned me. Interesting thing to note, if you purchase extra luggage allowance on EasyJet it does not increase your personal luggage allowance. So, you can buy as many 20 kg bags of luggage as you like, but everything after bag 1 or 20 kg is beyond your personal luggage and is charged at £11/kg. I’ll let you do the maths on that one. Needless to say, the additional luggage cost more than the actual seat.

Breakfast in Israel

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:00:00 +0200

Coffee on the lawn, with a lovely pond, sun out and a light breeze. It could be worse.