Israel

Because it's been many, many months since we've posted anything on our blog, we've probably lost all of our readers. For any of you who are still out there hanging on, I decided to record a few experiences I've had this week.

This week I'm in Israel!! I'm working with a supplier whose research and development center is in Tel Aviv so I'm here visiting this week with a couple of others from work. It's been a very interesting trip so far and will become more interesting later in the week when we actually get to be tourists for a couple of days.

Being a work trip, most of the week has been time spent in the office and in business meals - lots and lots and lots of business meals. Enjoyable, but way too much food. Tel Aviv is situated right on the Mediterranean so it seems the favorite food in the area is seafood - not my favorite! But I've tried my best to enjoy it. Sushi, calamari, raw tuna, sardines stuffed with caviar, and on and on. Some I've enjoyed more than I expected - most I've barely been able to swallow.

Our hotel is located right on the beach, so I've been able to spend some time in the water (early mornings before work). It's probably been 10 years or so since I've swam in the ocean, so that's been a nice treat - except that there are jellyfish in the water and I've had a few minor stings. I was swimming on Tuesday morning when that big earthquake (6.2 magnitude) struck in the Mediterranean near Greece. Of course, being in the water, I didn't feel anything, but oddly enough right about that time I was thinking about tsunamis - wondering if they ever happen in the Mediterranean? Fortunately for me, not this time, but it's kind of scary to think about what could have happened.

So far, we haven't really gotten to see much of the tourist sites. We did walk through the ancient city of Jaffa (it's mentioned a few times in the bible and is one of the oldest port cities in the region). That was a very interesting walk - ancient walkways, old churches, cavernous buildings filled with hundreds of huge bats and so on). Perhaps most interesting was that during the walk we came across a traditional Jewish wedding and were able to watch the last 15 minutes or so of it. It was awesome! I loved the symbolism in the ceremony and the beautiful and lively music and the obvious love the young couple had for one another. I felt a little like I was intruding, but was glad for the experience.

The down-side of business travel is that since we're here doing business, there is little time to be a tourist. The up-side of business travel is that we get to interact a lot with people most familiar with the area and people that are living normal lives in the region and are able to share their country on a much more personal level. Our hosts have been great! They share very openly what it means to live here in Israel.

Following are some things I've learned and thoughts I've had about the country. Disclaimer: I've been in Israel for 3 days. I'm no expert. These are just some thoughts and impressions that I've had. I have no idea how accurate any of them are.

The people
I've really enjoyed working with the Israelis. They are very direct and open in every way. Quite opposite from my recent experience working with Indians who are generally very indirect. The Israelis are very talented and skilled in their work and enjoyable to be around.

I was surprised to find a wide mix of people from all around the world living here. A fair number of oriental people and African people. The Jewish Israelis have gathered here from all over the world, so there is strong influence from many different regions. I was especially surprised to find a very strong Russian influence here. Many signs are in Russian and there are two Russian television stations. Apparently, in the 90's there was a huge influx of Russians into Israel (I think someone told me more than a million Russians came to Israel during the 90's). Israel's total population is only 7 million, so this influence is substantial.

Also - you probably already know this, but it was never clear to me until this trip - but there is a difference between an Arab Israeli and a Palestinian. There are many many Arabs living in Israel and are Israeli citizens and generally live in harmony with the Jewish Israelis. The societies seem to integrate without much problem. That is different from the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank under the governance of the Palestinian Authority. They are not considered Israeli citizens and there are of course substantial political tension. Just a little tidbit of information I never really understood before.

The culture
Keeping in mind that I've only so far seen Tel Aviv, I find Israeli culture very very very much like American culture in nearly every way. Of all the places I've ever traveled outside of the United States, I think I am most comfortable being an American here. I feel like I fit in very well. Israelis are very welcoming to Americans and there are quite a lot of Americans here (both as tourists and as permanent residents). I was surprised when our waiter at one of the restaurants switched from Hebrew to nearly perfect American English. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing he is a child of American emmigrants. The styles of clothing, the music, the mannerisms, and the food are all very similar to what you might find in America. The buildings remind me more of Europe but most everything else reminds me more of America. Traffic here is more agressive than traffic in the U.S., but it's not nearly as bad as India or Mexico.

I've only on a few occasions seen Orthodox Jews in their traditional dress or Muslims in traditional clothing, but I expect I will see much more of that in Jerusalem.

The politics
Politics is of course a major thing here in Israel. We hear about it nearly every day in American news and of course the same is all over the news here. There seems to be a lot of national pride here - I see Israeli flags hanging everywhere. You don't see flags too often in other countries (besides the U.S.) but they are everywhere here. Everyone (men and women) are required to serve in the military for a couple of years with few exceptions.

Now for security. I saved this one for last intentionally because it is such a non-issue here. Everyone upon everyone was questioning my sanity when I started planning this trip. "But that's such an unsafe country - there is so much violence there." The truth is, Israel is a very safe place to visit. I've not once felt the least bit uncomfortable or unsafe. There are millions of people living here. Yes, there are occasional acts of violence and terrorism that affect a few people, but they have become so rare and the odds of being in the wrong place at the wrong time so miniscule that really there is not much cause for concern. Overall, violent crime rates are much lower than in the U.S. Because of that, I think a person is generally safer here than in America. We'll see if I feel the same way after visiting Jerusalem.

So, enough typing. If you made it to the bottom, congratulations! It's been a good trip so far. I'm excited to start some real sight-seeing in a couple of days and will write more then. Hopefully I'll get some pictures out soon too.