6 Months on

Well its been 6 months since I made Aliyah, still feels like only a few minutes since I boarded the plane to come here, its amazing how fast the time has gone, done so much in my 1st 6 months in the country. Started to learn the language, explore the country and make some really good new friends and have a lot of fun. It has been a lot of fun the last 6 months, but the hard work begins, I've got an amazing place here in Rishon LeZion near Tel Aviv, all I need now is a job and got to say I've had more interviews in the past 2 months of searching than I had back in England in nearly 5 years. Not sure what that says about the employment situation in the UK, but still, I'm not employed yet, but soon, someone will take the chance on me, like I did taking the chance coming here and when it does, I'm going to grab the opportunity with both hands, so look out job wherever you are, I'm coming to get you.

Hello England, Goodbye England and Hello Israel

Well its been a busyish couple of weeks, moved from Haifa to Rishon LeZion and then after a few days of settling in, it was off back to England for Pesach and see my parents and sister. It was a pretty quiet 12 days back with my family in Manchester, one difficulty of Pesach is not being able to go out to many places without taking food with us, so it was nice to kind of relax at home, watch english television and enjoy some quiet. I did see my cousins twice and that was nice and also went with my sister to see Hull City play, I still have a perfect record for games attended this season in that I've been to 5 and not seen them lose if I've been there... maybe if I'd been to more before I left we would have made the play-offs LOL.

Anyway as of yesterday evening I'm back in Israel and its nice to be back here, a lot warmer than England is. Today was a day of doing a lot of my administration things from having moved and most of them have been done, I just have a few things left to do tomorrow and in the next week or so. But now the hard part comes and the part that scares me finding working so I can pay and stay in Israel, I'm applying for jobs as I see them and if I feel I have a chance of getting somewhere, I'm even hoping to find somewhere to print off my CV'S so I can go round all of the stores in the Malls here in Rishon. Ideally I'd love a job at Cinema City, but I'd just as soon settle for a job as a shelf stacker, if only to help pay the bills while I find something more to my liking. So please keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck... oh and if you happen to win the lottery, send me a few quid please LOL.

Goodbye Haifa, Hello Rishon

Well it has happened, I've now moved from Haifa to Rishon LeZion near Tel Aviv. I drove myself and my new roomie Jovana in a car full of our stuff.. A bit scary to not only drive in Israel, but also drive a fair distance in a very full car, but I made it, I think once I got out on the main roads I was a lot more comfortable driving. After arriving and dropping our stuff off in the apartment, we took a trip to IKEA in Rishon to buy various bits needed for the apartment and finally before settling down a trip to a supermarket to buy various bits. Monday saw me return the car to the firm we had hired from and that was weird as this time I drove on my own and not with an instructor or even my friend. But I managed it and in some ways it proves that I can drive in Israel, I just need a bit of practice.

Following that Monday and Tuesday were spent getting the apartment suitable for us to live in it. It was clean but Jovana gave it a clean for her standards :-). And so far before I left the apartment on Wednesday, we had received all we ordered, with the exception of the Television and organising the Television, Phone and internet package. Also on Monday I actually returned to Haifa to pick up the last few bits we had left behind in Haifa and also retrieve a friend of ours Hena who was coming to stay for a couple of nights before she and I flew back to Manchester for Pesach.

Yep that is right people I've said goodbye to Israel for 12 days and returned to England to collect my DVD player and Playstation 3 and more DVDS...... okay and visit my parents and sister LOL. I've been back since Wednesday evening and it feels a bit weird to be back, I know only 5 months have passed, but still very strange to be back. Still its good to see the family. Then its back to Israel to continue my new life and find myself a job, fingers crossed I won't be too long out of work when I get back... though I will have my PS3, so I shouldn't get bored lol.

Finally Happy Easter and Chag Sameach

Ulpan over and now just waiting

Well that is it, Ulpan finished earlier this week, we had the final exam on Tuesday in the afternoon, I'm not sure how it went, all I know is I did my best and hopefully I come away from Ulpan with a good grade. It doesn't feel like 5 months since I got here and started Ulpan, in some ways it feels like I've barely scratched the surface here in Israel in terms of Hebrew and life here. Now the fun comes as its real life again and I've got to find work here in Israel.

Though my first step is to move to Rishon on Sunday and get settled there, before I can get myself a job. Not nervous about moving, nervous about driving there yes though. But I'll take it like I think I've done everything since I moved in my stride and enjoy it. Maybe I'll learn to like driving here in Israel.

Anyway its been fun here in Haifa, made some good friends that I hope to stay in contact with, but now its time to move on and see what else is in Israel for me. Next stop Rishon LeZion

My new Friends

Okay well 5 months since I moved here to Israel to find a fresh start on life, a new dream and start to learn a new language. Hard to believe that its only 5 months, feels like only a day has passed. But in a few days we'll do the final exam of Ulpan Etzion and then everyone in the dorms will go off to do other things, some are staying on here in Haifa to do another Ulpan, others are Army Bound, others going to work, in other parts of the country. All I really want to say is I've made some really good friends here, at least I hope I have LOL. And that no matter where we all are in the country we'll all keep in touch and that this isn't goodbye, its 'Until we see each other again.

Final Ulpan Trip

Well we're now in the final days of Ulpan, on Monday we had our final trip before the last few days of study and the exam. And it was a great day out, good company and a fun was had as we went near the Kinneret and Naharayim the site of the border between Jordan and Israel where the remains of a Hydro-Electric plant stand. Then after the education was the fun, a Barbecue and presentations by each of the classes from the Ulpan, ours was a song with pictures, if you got Facebook, you can see the pictures of my trip. I'm also including again a picture of myself, my class and teacher from Monday :-)

Now onto the serious part, continuing to search for a job for after the Ulpan finishes. While I've applied for many jobs, I've only had a few responses, however its more response than I've really had from when I was in England so I suppose its good. I've had a few interviews and maybe they weren't successful, but its all practice for me and hopefully in the very not distant future, someone will interview me and say I want you to work for this company. All I can say is keep your fingers crossed and maybe a few prayers for me hehe.

The Final Countdown

Well time is ticking on, its nearly the end of the Ulpan and coming up to nearly 5 months in Israel, I feel like I've learnt a lot, still so much to learn in terms of Hebrew and hopefully after I've left Ulpan and gotten a job, I'll be able to find another Ulpan to continue my Hebrew studies, but I think I will try and study during my spare time. But anyway I had a speaking test for the Ulpan on Sunday a couple of days ago and it went well, I feel like I've actually learned something and even if I'm not going to be fluent in Hebrew I can communicate with people in the native language here. We still have the final written test to take, so a lot more study and revision to do before the Ulpan finally finishes. We also have one final Ulpan trip next Monday so something to look forward to.

Meanwhile post ulpan I continue to look for a job here in Israel, I have however at least a place to live now, sharing with one of the girls from the Ulpan near Tel Aviv in Rishon LeZion, so that should be fun, hopefully a job won't be far behind so I can pay for my new place to live :-).