Nothing to report

Hey all, I know you've been wondering why I haven't blogged, all 3 of you that read it have probably wondered where I've been the last few weeks LOL. Well in all seriousness there has been nothing to really tell you, most days have been the same, get up, get washed, go out, come home, go to bed, so not exactly exciting to blog about. As some people already know or may have guessed I'm not working now and its not because I didn't like the job, its simply because of the very long commute turning every day into a very long day and I felt that I could get something closer to home that would allow me to have a life. I know reading this people are probably thinking what an idiot for ditching a job, but I made my choice right or wrong I hope you'll accept and if not understand support that I made the right decision. Now onto the good part of the last few weeks. Started off a couple of Sundays ago with a wedding in Ashdod which was amazing and was great to see friends and my friend get married and I hope he and his new bride are very happy together. The pictures of the wedding are up on my Facebook page. Now onto other things, for the 1st time since I made aliyah my parents and sister are here having arrived Monday night and I've spent time with them and they also brought stuff for me including English Tea, Chocolate Digestives, a George Forman Grill and Dairy Milk. They even visited my apartment here in Rishon today and I believe it passed inspection :-). They and the friends of the family who also came are all off to Jerusalem tomorrow for the rest of the stay, though I will meet up with them Sunday and then next Thursday for the wedding of my cousin. So all in all its been a busy week for me, I'm looking forward to relaxing Tomorrow and Saturday.

1st 3 days

Well I've had 3 days of my new job and its actually if I'm honest boring. I've so far sat there and really only listened to someone take phone calls and answer emails, not exactly fascinating. I'm hoping that this week starting tomorrow will be more fulfilling and by the end of the week I may have an idea of what I'm doing!!! To get there is a bit of a pain in terms of travel, but for my 1st job in Israel maybe I can't afford to be that choosy and need to take what I can get for now. Always got my kindle to keep me occupied during the travel part. Its also shift work which is something I'll have to get used to, but I'm seriously considering that once I get settled maybe I can do the afternoon or evening shifts as the evening shift is a little more money and I could always do with that, I will see how thing go as this week progresses. I think like with everything over the past 7 months its just a new thing that I will have to settle into. Of course the hours and the travel do play havoc with my social life during the week, but since I don't really have a social life here, not sure it matters LOL. Anyway work recommences at 5pm tomorrow, having been in for the Day shift, to see a evening shift in action will be interesting, though then having the Monday morning shift, probably I'll need coffee by the bucket load to handle Monday hehe. Anyway nothing else to really report, got a couple of weddings coming up this month, looking forward to my friends wedding a week on Sunday, so will get to see a few friends from back home which be very cool and later on in the month a family wedding so I will get to see my family again. Even though it was only April when I saw some of them it feels a lot longer, so it be nice to see them and if possible work around work to spend time with them while they are here.

I have a job

Yep the title is correct, not a joke. I have work :-). After a few months of searching and after at least a dozen interviews I've got a job. Last week I had 3 interviews and an informal chat with Berlitz Language School. Of the interviews the first one didn't go well and was a no within minutes of the interview. The 2nd also in Tel Aviv went well but seems I didn't get it. Even rang to follow up and didn't get a reply so a definite no then and then Wednesday I had 2 more interviews, the 1st with Berlitz here in Rishon and they are quite happy to put me on the training if I want to, at present though I do feel that I need a full time role first before I can look into teaching English. Anyway the second interview on Wednesday was in Lod and is for a Customer Service role and after 24 hours of waiting I was rewarded with the nicest phone call I've received in a while asking me if I wanted the job :-). Needless to say I said yes and I start training tomorrow. It’s actually a bit scary as it’s another new thing here in Israel, but also amazing as it’s my 1st job in a new country. But as I said scary because it’s new, but with training I hope that I will not only enjoy the job but excel at it. Apart from that, this past weekend was Shavuot and it was a quiet one, but I was good and went to synagogue, still getting used to the fact that services are earlier here than in the UK as the service on Saturday for Shabbat was finished by 10.45... I got there at 10 as they were starting the Mussaf Amidah and Sunday the service started at 7.30 and was finished around 10.30. Still get used to it, like everything it takes time.

Fun week, busy one again

I seem to be getting a bit lazy in updating this blog, so sorry for those who read and hope to keep up with my adventures in Israel. Last Week was actually quite fun and busy, probably the busiest I've had in a while. Sunday started off with a visit to Tel Aviv to go and look for recruitment agencies and although I didn't find I got to hang out with friends. Monday was a visit to Tel Aviv again for a Job interview, which sadly I didn't get but, plenty more out there. On Tuesday I had a meeting with an Employment Counsellor to discuss what could be done to help me find a job. Then on Wednesday I went to Haifa to visit friends and pick up my Ulpan final exam grade and having started in Kita Aleph I finished in Kita Bet, so I did learn something from my time in Ulpan. I still have basic hebrew, but I'm sure I will pick up more as more time goes on. Then after that I hung out with various friends from my Ulpan who still live in Haifa. Then Thursday I went to the beach with a friend who lives in Bat Yam, also from Hull originally so that was cool, chilling out on the beach. Friday was fun as I went Fruit Picking in an event arranged by Nefesh B'Nefesh and Leket. And in the space of 1 hour 40 of us picked 800 kilos of Beets which were to go to the needy. Then Friday night I went for dinner with someone who lives in Rishon also from the old home town so that was cool. Then Saturday I relaxed for most of the day, before going to see the Avengers again and then heading into Tel Aviv to watch the Champions League Final and eventually getting home at 3am... which might sound like a good night out, but when you have to be up for 7am... not so good!!!. Still a very good week that I enjoyed and I hope its the first of many fun and busy weeks for me here in Israel.

Down but not out

Well its been a busy few weeks, applying for jobs here in Israel trying to find my 1st start and first wage here. Its a struggle, but I've had interviews which is more than I had back in the UK. Still very tough and getting the interviews but not getting past the final hurdle. Its quite disheartening and I hope that someone very soon will recognise my potential and give me the opportunity to work for them, in the meantime its keep applying and trying to stay positive. Though I admit that has been a bit of a struggle the last few days after some job interviews which I felt went really well and then I didn't get. But persevering I will continue to apply. Apart from that, been pretty quiet, its difficult to do much when you have little money so most of my time is on the PS3, Computer or watching DVDS, also feeling very isolated from friends I've made here in Israel, especially those in Haifa. I realise everyone has their own lives but in the 5 weeks since I left Haifa, I've barely heard a peep from any of my new friends and its hard not to feel a little abandoned and hurt that no-one isn't even interested in dropping a quick text to say 'Hi Adam, how are you?. Okay maybe that a bit of rant, but hey when you got no-one to talk to, got to voice your frustrations somewhere LOL. Apart from that, had a good Saturday night, went to play pool with a few new friends even though my Pool skills are shockingly poor LOL it was fun and today, hanging with David and Tal Allen was fun, nice distraction from the empty apartment of the last 3 days :-).

Memorial Day and Independence Day

Well its been a busy few days and now the weekend, or rather a long weekend here in Israel, on Tuesday night till Wednesday Evening it was Yom Hazikaron a day to remember those soldiers who have given their life for the protection of Israel and the civilians who also died during the years. It starts with the siren going at 8pm and lasting a minute, sees everything just stop, even cars, come to a halt and the drivers get out to observe the minute and there is a second silence at 11am the following day and the same happens. From someone who has never been in the country around now, its quite an amazing sight to see, that for just a few minutes there is silence. From the night fall of the day of Yom Hazikaron, its quite different as Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day) begins here in Israel and its time to party, for me and my room-mate we attended 2 local parties, with music and stalls of food and kids having fun and fireworks going off and the parties going on long into the night. Yesterday on Yom Ha'atzmaut Day, I was invited to two Barbecue's, one here in Rishon after getting in contact with some fellow English Speakers, so that was fun to go to and I made some contacts as well, so that may help me down the road as I settle in here in Rishon. Then it was off with my roomie to a BBQ in Tel Aviv, both for Independence Day and for a birthday as well. One thing I noticed, wherever I walked and there was a park or somewhere nice to sit, there were people, enjoying the weather, the day and having their own barbecue's. From someone who has never seen this before, it was amazing to see and I hope that this is the first of many times I get to see this.

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.