Ramblings from a Student of Life

Regaining my "mojo"

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 22:17:00 +0000

No, not that kind of mojo. Let's get that out of the way straight out.

I've always enjoyed writing. I've often been told I'm good at it. One time I was even told that even when I write a post with swear words (I do have a bit of a potty mouth, even when typing) that I "have perfect syntax when swearing." I take it as a compliment. Not the swearing bit, the comments on my ability to write. As a non-native English speaker, I pride myself on the level of English expression I have cultivated, admittedly unwittingly, over the past 3+ decades of my existence.

So when I stopped publishing posts on this blog more than two years ago, as the months turned into years I really felt like I lost my writing mojo, and felt I might never get it back. By the time it's taken me to feel driven enough to write this post however, gaining my "mojo" back has come to mean so much more. This post is personal, let's be clear about that. I don't know why I'm writing this or who might read it when it's done, but I guess part of it has to do with quitting facebook some months back, which I used as a means of self expression for a good many years, so I hope some friends will read this, and even if strangers do, maybe it'll mean something to someone.

So I stopped publishing because I didn't feel inspired enough about anything to write about it. This is more a reflective post than anything insightful or inspirational, that's for sure.

So, here I am. Why I am here? To sum up an era, perhaps. To focus on the glass full, maybe. To put down in words a swarm of thoughts that have circled in my head for a long time now. OK then, let me take a step back. What am I reflecting back on? Life, very broadly. More specifically, the last 3.5 years of it. Since the time I moved to Ireland.

Not many people know this, but when I accepted a job offer in Ireland, apart from the amazing career opportunity which was offered to me (spoiler alert: it remains one of the best moves I ever made in my life, taking that job offer), but there were many other things that came into play. The professional aspect was definitely part of it. I now work for one of the most desirable companies in the world, and feel humbled and blessed that luck (yes, intellect and skill too, but many people have those and don't have the luck that brought me to be where I am, so yes, luck) has smiled upon me in terms of my career path over the past few years. That wasn't all though. A broken heart and a knife in the back (unrelated incidents, I might add) also played their part. I needed a fresh scene and a fresh start, and I needed it badly.

See, here's the thing. In the last few years as my professional success has grown I've discovered that I'm in very much an enviable position right now. Many people would kill to have my job. Many people have asked for my help to get their foot in the door. I've helped some, less so others, but truth be told none of those who I've helped, or not, have been hired, which once again brings me back to my luck. So again, I say luck because it didn't start off that way. I graduated university in 2010. I was so hopelessly utterly lost at the time. I had zero clue what I was going to do with my life. I remember vividly shaking the Vice Chancellor's hand as I accepted my fancy degree from a fancy school and being asked by the Vice Chancellor, "So have you found a job yet?", to which I replied "No, not yet."A half hour later I hear the VC give his speech, in which he remarked how many graduands had mentioned that day that they'd already secured employment. I was already acutely aware that while I slaved away doing full time student hours while juggling a full time call centre job many of my more privileged peers were busy doing unpaid summer internships with immense career opportunities ahead of them now their CVs had been adequately stacked with impressive multinational names they could boast of. I had none of that. I felt like crap. But only for an hour, then I ran off from campus leaving my family (who'd come all the way from Israel & Europe to see me graduate) and friends behind while I was off to yet another interview which ultimately had led nowhere.

To be clear, this was 2010, economic insecurity was at a long time high, job uncertainty high too. My economics lecturer in 2009 had assertively told us all: "don't enter the job market now. Do a master's if you can." I'd ignored that advice thinking "it can't be that bad." Well, it was for a while. A good while. There was the interview with the prominent multinational firm which struck me off at one stage of the interview process as I'd not yet officially graduated, despite offering to present my transcript demonstrating I'd met all requirements and was eligible for graduation. There was the company that had assured me if I'd passed the group interviews I'd be guaranteed a job, but upon learning I was asking to leave that interview promptly at 5pm for religious reasons summoned me to another 'interview' where I was asked "how many days off a year I'd need for Jewish holidays" (blatant discrimination, if only I'd had the guts and energy to fight; I didn't), then didn't offer me a job. There was the public sector graduate programme role I really, really, wanted where I made it through to the final 15 for 10 advertised positions, then didn't get an offer. The public sector is mandated to provide feedback to those who seek it, and I sought. It was to take between 6-8 weeks, I was going to India for a month a week later, I asked for feedback anyway, even by email. I got a phone call back two days later saying "they were so impressed with my application they thought it only fair to get back to me straight away". They said everything about my application was great, from the written application, through the individual tasks at interview stage, the group interaction, individual interview and second interview round. I kept waiting for the "but..."It never quite came. I was told I did superbly on all the interviews and a decision needed to be made and they just chose someone else for that department. "On any other day we could have had a much more positive conversation, unfortunately." There was not a single actionable feedback they offered me and still no job offer on the table.

The first job I took after graduation was a sales consultant in a travel agency. I was by far the smartest person in the branch, and way overqualified. I was also churning through my hard earned savings fast and desperate for an income. I quit after 6 weeks, miserable. It took 6 weeks only for my boss and her boss to ask me to reconsider as they were impressed how fast I'd learned. That job was not for me. In the two years post graduation, I went through 4 jobs, not including temp jobs, and wound up freelancing as a consultant on social media marketing, which I'd learnt on the job at one of the roles I'd taken post graduation. The role was new business sales, quite obviously not for me, but I learned a lot and found my passion for digital - the first step in my career, at last. Through those two years I lost confidence fast. Years of climbing the ladder and being recognised for my work and abilities pre-and during my university days and I was starting to think maybe I wasn't as capable as I'd thought.

Then, came the email from the recruiter which changed my life. I couldn't believe even the reachout was real at first, let alone dreamed I'd ever land that job. Eight interviews later, I got the offer, along with the ask to move to Ireland. The disbelief quickly stepped aside amidst the ambition, mixed with heartbreak and another unfortunate incident which made my mind scream out "you need to get away, you need to do this." So I did.

In doing so, I discovered I have the most unreal group of friends and have so much love directed at me in life that I am the luckiest woman alive, or so I felt anyway.

Fast forward 3.5 years and all of that is just as important today as it was back then. 2015 was not an easy year for me. My first year and a half at the "dream job" I'd landed were no short of hell. 2015 was the year that was all changing. I'd changed roles a year prior, I was much more fulfilled. I was also overworked, exhausted and stressed beyond words. I'd reached new professional heights and was finally gaining the recognition and reward for my hard work which I'd longed for for so long. It started as a good year. I was tired and stressed, yes, but also being recognised. I'd put my love life virtually on hold for 2 years to advance my career. That was my resolve moving to Ireland. Two years has passed, my career was on the up and up, things were good. Sure enough, I met someone. I fell hard, and I fell fast. As the year progressed work became more and more stressful. I was drained. I endured an unexpected and painful heartbreak. A few potentially serious health scares followed in succession. I didn't know who I was anymore, except I knew that I had to get my mojo back. Till that point, I'd always been a happy person, always positive, no matter what. It was hard to do that.

I've had to wake up for months and months counting my blessings daily. Work is going so well. If ever I needed a reminder, my family and friends provided it tenfold what I could have ever imagined, of just how bloody loved I am. So freaking much I must have done something right in life to earn that. My health is manageable and I remain optimistic about that. I'm going to be a first time Auntie in July.

It's taken time, and effort and a near obsessive mantra like repetition, counting my blessings, reminding myself I am loved, looking after myself, but once again I am smiling, and doing what I've always done: maintaining a buzzing social life, organising for others, giving 150% of myself to my work, being the best friend I could possibly be to my friends no matter how close we are, being present for others and not just focusing on myself (I needed that for a while). I feel like there's still a ways to go and I'm on a journey now, but I finally feel like me again.

And I just wrote a bloody long blog post which no one may ever read. I'm getting my mojo back.

A long overdue update

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 11:50:00 +0000

Wow, so it's been nearly 6 months since my last post. Consistency is failing me. Lately, I have felt like I have somewhat lost my passion for writing, but right now I am sitting in a hotel in Basel, Switzerland, it's Christmas day, I'm feeling relaxed and inspired so I'm going to give this another crack. And for once, this won't just be a travel update!

In the previous two years, I made a point of writing a summary update on Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Year, to reflect on the previous year, a way to share with others, but also to put things into perspective for myself I suppose. This year, I didn't do that. As I said, in a way I've been feeling like I've lost my passion for writing. It's made me feel a bit sad and guilty. I think at the moment, I don't feel like that anymore.

It has been almost a year and a half now since I moved to Dublin. Though some will (rightfully, I guess) joke that I spend almost as much time outside of the country as I do in it. I just consider it good fortune that I have been able to do that, and not a reflection of what I think of my current home in Dublin, which I've grown to like quite a bit, actually. Sure, there are always things I will miss elsewhere: good coffee, summer weather, big cities, decent Asian food (Pan fried prawn dumplings, OMG how much I miss those…..), certain people (many and perhaps MOSTLY people, I suppose) etc. Saying that, the more things change, the more they seem to have stayed the same for me (that's a good thing) and I think that's pretty freakin' cool. What I mean by that is that consciously, by choice, I have changed a lot of things in my life since moving to Dublin. I wrote previously about moving as an opportunity to do that, and I'm happy that I've actually gone to the effort to actually do that….However, despite all the change, the constants, the things that ground me, have stayed the same. Things like the love of my family and friends, for which I am truly blessed, have seemingly not changed. In my wildest of dreams I would never have imagined how many familiar faces from far away places I would get to see once I moved away this time around. It has really hit home how small the world we live in has become, and it's been phenomenal and energising. My ability to step outside of my comfort zone and appreciate what I find along the way is both a force for change and a constant and a source of happiness all the same.

What's also been cool through it all is that some of the seemingly trivial, silly things that I like I have not had to compromise on. Like insisting on having a Halloween party because by now "it's tradition", and on that, just dress up parties in general - I do believe I have retained my title as dress ups queen, which is like, totes mature and grown up and shizz and whatever bitches it's fun and I love it :-) Also, things like random nights out without knowing who you'll meet and what will happen and being exhilarated, rather than petrified by the thought. And getting excited beyond reason by things like delicious ice cream flavours, places that make chai lattes just the way I like them and buying quirky clothes and accessories that hardly anyone bar me approves of and still having people around tell me that "they're very 'me'", in a non-judgmental manner. And being gifted quirky jewellery by friends. That continues to surprise and delight me at the same time. Materialistic? Sure, but whatevs, I try and be equally considerate and generous to my friends, so why not? It makes me happy and I like that my friends recognise that and manage to nail my taste every time.

What's changed is how I spend my time, and I am all the more happier for it. I have toned down my fire for always been the first person to jump into a cause. I am no longer the first person to jump onto the activism bandwagon, even when there is something I am truly passionate about. I am coming to terms with the realisation that I can't do everything all the time and that all the passion in the world doesn't mean that it's a good idea for me to spend my time doing certain things. I'd be lying if I said I don't miss, to an extent, dipping my toes in the politics pool - I will always have strong opinions, I don't think I'll ever get that 'out of my system', and I imagine sometimes I'll continue to act on my urge to be an activist, it's in my blood. I think that has been the biggest change, in that it has freed up a lot more of my time to do things for me, which I haven't always been the best at.

I've taken on new activities this year, and put on hold others. I tried, not very successfully, to continue studying Arabic this year. I put it on hold after a while, but I think next year I'd like to try again. I can read and write (if not understand a thing) in Arabic now, so hey, I think that's pretty sweet. Being in Switzerland for a week with two friends who don't speak French has really stretched the limits of my high school French speaking abilities, and reignited my spark to take that up again, too. I also took up comedy improv this year. It's probably the most random thing I never thought I'd ever do, and I enjoy it way more than I thought I would, so there you go. Also, manicures and massages. I get them semi-regularly. Life's simple pleasures!

So for anyone that's been wondering what's been happening in my world, that's the gist of it. In the spirit of upcoming new year's resolutions I guess I'll finish with what's next? More travel, but of course - it had to be mentioned eventually. Next up is China, one week from today in fact. I'll also be fulfilling a long time dream and visiting South America at long last next year. Brazil is booked for 8 days in April, so exciting!! That aside, I hope for more professional fulfilment and success in the new year and the strengthening of existing bonds, but also hopefully building new ones. Ten months ago I wrote a blog in which I reported I am happy. Not to say that everything has been smooth and peachy since then, but I am feeling more settled and comfortable in my environment and in the relationships I have formed since writing that post, thus even happier than when I wrote those words.

To anyone reading this, I wish you a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and a happy new year. May your new year bring exactly what you wish it to, and if you're reading this then you must play some part in my life, so here's hoping that continues throughout 2014, in the nicest possible way :-)

Life updates.....part one

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 19:03:00 +0000

OK, I last blogged about 5 months ago. I resolved then, as usual, to do so more regularly. I failed, as usual.

Anyway, better late than never right, so just read my goddamn update! Or not, whatever :)

So last time I wrote, I had just come back from a visit back in Oz. My mind literally cannot fathom the fact that this was 5 months ago, or that in 3 weeks I will have lived in Ireland for 11 months, meaning that my 1 year mark is quickly approaching. As is my 30th birthday....fuuuuuu......

So now I have 5 months of my life to summarise. There is a lot so this will be the first, theme based, installment. I'll start with my favourite: travel. Since I got back from Oz, I have visited: Barcelona, Israel (twice!), San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Cork, The Isle of Man & Berlin. Many fun times were had. I won't get into many details of each visit because that will take forever, so I'll just do highlights.

Barcelona - NOT the weather! Went there in late February and coming from 5 degree Dublin was looking forward to a moderate mid-teen climate....not so. Barcelona was experiencing a cold snap equal in its bitter coldness to Dublin. It was not fabulous. Nevertheless, Barcelona itself is fabulous. As it was my second visit there, I hardly did touristy stuff, aside from visiting a few of the Gaudi buildings, because the man is a once in a generation genius and if you don't know who he is, Google that shit because the man is brilliant. I was in Barca to visit a friend who'd been living there for a few months. This involved a decadent weekend of tapas, white wine sangria (to the bartender in the Spanish bar in Sydney who told me no such thing existed: suckerrrr, I was right!), delicious cider poured in a very unique manner, churros, very thick chocolate, and repeat all mentioned over 2 days and various mealtimes :) Then there was the company! I have concluded of late that meeting (as opposed to deliberately traveling with) old friends in new places is one of my favourite things to do of all things I like doing.

Israel - what more can I say except family, friends, warm weather and Israeli food. Bliss. 'Nuff said!

San Fran - To everyone who has told me it's like Sydney, but in America: you were right. Apart from the bit about how San Fran hills trump Sydney hills. Sydney has hills, but San Fran has HILLS. And a smell of weed wherever you go. And a lot more homeless and/or mentally ill people, but I'm told that's because the government takes better care of them there so people who need help float towards there, so that's a good thing I suppose. Anyway, the familiarity of a bay-based city with vast and pretty shorelines, nice weather and the cultural similarity definitely had a Sydney-esque vibe. In true me fashion though, I was there during Pesach (Passover) and therefore lived on just about only salad for a week, till the point of near collapse, but we'll forget about that cos it's over...thank God. San Fran was fun just to hang out and soak it all up. I did have a few random nights and met some cool people, as well as catching up with a good friend who's moved over from Sydney. I'd say it's definitely my favourite US city I've visited thus far. Tacked on to San Fran was a day trip to Yosemite National Park. It is stunningly beautiful and I had a really awesome driver guide, to the point where we both basically knew each other's life stories through the trip back to the city. Random, but kinda cool.

Vegas - Hmmmm. The glitz was not as exciting on my second visit here, but overall it was still very fun. Got sent here for a conference from work, so really can't complain! Favourite achievement of the trip: Two trips to Vegas down and still have not gambled a single cent in sin city, now that's an achievement! Other than that there were pool parties, a hen's night, riding around in a stretch limo, and the glorious Nevada sun. Oh, and work, I mentioned work, right?

DC - this was only an 8 hour stopover unfortunately. However, I set my eyes on the White House and, got to see the cherry blossom festival and catch up with a DC dwelling friend, so time well spent!

Cork - Crazed, barely 24 hour venture down South. A dear friend from Australia was visiting, so we dashed down for the day, kissed the Blarney stone, and not much else really! For those not in the know, the Blarney stone is a famous site in Blarney Castle just outside of Cork, which tourists kiss during the day, and locals urinate on at night.....so yeahhh, we kissed that. Legend is that kissing the stone gives you the gift of the gab. Now I know what you're thinking: we can't get this girl to shut up as it is. Yes, there's that, but it is my second time kissing the blarney stone so at this point let's just put it down to "dumb tourist syndrome."

Isle of Man - Typical reaction: What's there? Where is that? Why did you go there? The answer: because we could. It's a 20 minute flight from Dublin. That is, it's a 20 minute flight to/from Dublin when the airline doesn't cancel the flight for "adverse" weather conditions, when the weather is fine, all other flights are running, and you end up flying to Manchester, on to Belfast and catching the bus down to Dublin (total journey time: 6.5 hours), at your own expense. No really, Aer Lingus, thanks for that. The Island itself is very pretty. It has a cool mix of medieval history, green rolling hills and pretty shorelines. We also caught a rickety wooden tram up to the top of the highest mountain on the Isle, Snaefell Mountain. Legend has it that on a clear day you can see the 7 kingdoms from the 2000 odd feet peak of the mountain: those of the Isle of Man, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Heaven and the Sea. Let's just say that on the day of our visit, it was NOT a clear day. I could not see the palm of my hand from a half metre in front of me, let along any kingdoms of any variety. It was so windy up there I actually thought if I opened an umbrella I could fly all the way down the mountain, Mary Poppins style. We ascended up a path, bordered by a fence to what we presumed was the mountain peak (given we could not see a damned thing, all we had was 'female intuition', if you please). The wind was so strong it actually flipped me sideways slamming into the fence a couple of times. I was out there for 10 minutes max and that's as close as I have ever gotten to experiencing hypothermia and let's hope we keep it that way. The fog was so thick that while it wasn't raining, we were literally walking through it and ended up with drenched hair as a result. It was nuts. Also on the Island the legend says there are fairies who preside there. When you pass over the fairy bridge you have to say hello to the fairies to avoid pissing them off and having bad luck. We said hello. Didn't stop us from nearly being stranded on the island. Not cool, Tinkerbell, not cool.

Berlin - Finally, I got to see what all the fuss was about. Definitely the coolest city I have ever visited. Coming from Dublin, which in my opinion has nothing by way of subcultures, Berlin is full of unique, funky and interesting subcultures. We mainly were exposed to three of these: The food and coffee (such a treat), the graffiti scene - we did a 3 hour tour of different graffiti sites around the city which was very cool, and then did a workshop on graffiti stenciling, which was a fun and relaxing 'crafternoon', and the club scene which is insane. We visited a club which was like a playground for adults, with many different rooms of varying music types, mad decor and it's open non stop (and people stay there) all weekend. As we left, at around 3am, there was a line of hundreds of people all the way down a dirt path and onto the street waiting to get in. Almost made us not want to leave so as not to miss out! We also visited a mad jazzy jam session in an out of the way pub in a deserted warehousy looking type place that you have to know about, cos y'know, we are so cool like that. The best thing about Berlin though was hanging out with friends, both local and from other countries, we came together, had a laugh and a super fun and chilled time. Also, you can drink beer wherever you like, any time of day and that's totally cool, people don't abuse it and the public order remains. Also, people bring their dogs on the metro. A lot. And all the dogs are so cute and cuddly you just want to cuddle them all, while drinking your beer, and ideally while wearing some crazy patterned leggings you just bought, cos it's Berlin yo. So yeah, Berlin, don't forget me because I will be back.

So that was the travel summary of the last 5 months. Don't get jealous though cos there are more updates which are slightly less exciting coming up.

I am happy.

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 23:26:00 +0000

You may not have questioned that, or wondered, but it is a question that has come up a lot lately, mostly by myself in my internal dialogue with myself, but also I have been asked by others. I have thought about it and that's my answer. I am happy. I am happy.

So as not to make this the shortest blog post ever (short posts aren't exactly my style), let me explain.

It has been a while since I've blogged, despite vowing to do so more regularly. In the time since my last post a lot, and very little has happened. I've travelled (standard), worked hard (standard) and yet in the triviality of it all a lot has happened over the last few months.

Last week I returned from 2.5 weeks back in Australia, visiting. It had only been 5 months since I left when I arrived, not that long really. But it was always going to be a strange visit, the first time being back after leaving indefinitely. Still, 5 months is not long and returning was bound to bring with it a lot of comfort and familiarity, which it did. So amid that familiarity, I was asked, more than once, "How is Ireland?", and "Are you happy?"

My response was usually something along the lines of an elongated, semi-hesitant, semi-questioning "yeaaaaahhhhh?", followed by the required justification for a less than convincing answer.

So here's the deal. I've been back in Dublin a week now. I've thought about it, processed and now I'm saying decisively: I am happy.

Yes, I know I left AUSTRALIA for IRELAND. If you are reading this and thinking of pointing out that generally the Irish are flocking to Australia, not the other way around: yes, thank you, I noticed. Had I not noticed it would be hard not to know given every new friend, chance encounter and Dublin taxi driver has pointed out this fact to me. Still, in case I had not realised this when I left Australia for Ireland first time around, when I left second time around, last week, the border security official at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport made sure to point it out again (perhaps he thought I'd change my mind?) So yes, thank you, I realise. The weather is 'slightly' cooler here, the economy a tad less prosperous, the country a little bit smaller.....you get the drift.

Sometimes, you never know how you truly feel about a decision you've made until after the fact. I generally don't believe in regret, feel no shame in changing my mind when it's warranted and always take the 'glass is half full' approach to find the positive spin in the circumstances I find myself in. So yes, Dublin is not Sydney, and it's not Tel Aviv either. It's unfamiliar, it's cold and occasionally lonely. However, going back to Sydney briefly has helped me put things into perspective.

So here I am saying it again: I am happy. You are probably at a stage where if anyone is actually reading this you don't believe me because I've said it so many times now. So here's my perspective.

I moved to Dublin for a career opportunity. I work for one of the best companies in the world, one of the most desired to work for companies in the world. When I graduated University two and a half years ago, I had a solid degree (Commerce) from a fairly prestigious university (Sydney University) and no idea what I was going to do. It has been an interesting journey from that day to the present, and never would I have guessed I would land a job two years down the line that I currently hold today. When I graduated, many of my peers seemed to have some sort of a plan. The really organised ones had done several summer internships, volunteered in the right places and had the right things on their CV by the time graduation came around. I worked full time while juggling full time study, in a job which I did not see myself carrying into the future or contributing to my future career, whatever that was going to be. It took me a year after graduation to get a clue about what I actually wanted to do professionally, and still then no plan how to get there. Today, I am further along that career path than I ever even conceived was possible a year and a half down the line from when I started to "get a clue". So, to pursue my professional aspirations, I had to move to Dublin as fate would have it, so I moved to Dublin.

Five years ago, I always said I would move to London one day, for a year or two, for the adventure. Somewhere along the track, I gave up on that dream. Not because it was impossible, it was always possible, technically still is, but somewhere along the way, I didn't want it anymore. I liked my life in Sydney. Actually, I loved it. The area I lived in, the people in my life, the lifestyle, the culture, I loved it. I had no immediate plan to leave. To the uninitiated, my eventual move to Dublin could seem like a compromise on an old dream - not quite London, but, close enough.

That wasn't it at all though. As I said, I had no plan to move. Life surprises you that way. So, I moved, but I kind of felt like I was dragging my feet a little. Going through the motions but not with excitement, more with sadness and trepidation, into an unknown, unfamiliar environment, and a cold one, God dammit, I hate the cold! So being back in Sydney, after not such a long absence, back in familiar comforts, the thought of my life which was not there but somewhere else, still unfamiliar and still with the cold (sigh), the question "are you happy" was a tough one to answer.

But now I'm back in Dublin. Back at work and working hard as always. Sleeping with 3 blankets at night and forgetting what my toes look like, again, because I'd be mad not to always have socks on.

So sure, often I may not sound overly enthusiastic right now, but here's the deal. Pre-planned or not, I live in Europe. I never thought I could say that. But I love that. I live in Europe. When I feel like a sea change on the weekend I can hop over to Barcelona, London or Paris and come back at the end of the weekend. In Israel, it was always Eilat, or the Galilee. In Australia, it was a weekend in Melbourne. I love Eilat, I love Melbourne, and I especially love the Galilee, but really, it's like breaking your routine in a routine way. But now, I live in Europe!

I do things that challenge me professionally. That may not last forever, but right now it's true. I still whinge and complain from time to time and by God I reserve the right to do so. At the end of the day though, I enjoy what I do, the industry I work in and the company I am employed by.

Moving away is a chance for new beginnings. I learnt a lot in the 6 years I lived in Australia. I may or may not move back there one day. I learnt about the world and I learnt about myself, as wanky as that may sound. Self discovery means trying out a lot of different things and seeing what fits. I did that. I dipped my toes in a lot of pools and started swimming in a lot of different directions. Bad metaphors aside, I enjoyed what I was doing - organisations, movements and causes I got involved in along the way, but there is such a thing as overdoing it, a saturation point. That was probably one of the last lessons I learned about my life in Australia. Simplifying a complex existence which you no longer wish to maintain so complicated while staying put is doable. But simplifying by starting over elsewhere and re-prioritising, with all its other challenges is in some ways easier. Especially if you're me and constantly trying (and occasionally succeeding) to please others while staying true to yourself.

So Dublin is a change of pace, but it's a change I'm happy with at the moment. I am not yet at a point where things are comfortable here. I haven't quite "found my place" yet. Nevertheless, I love it. When I landed back here after being back in my former home and I didn't feel dread, I realised that. I missed the silliness and stupid jokes we get up to in the office. The rituals I have set up for myself, like eating exactly the same thing, 5 days a week, for breakfast in order to start the day right (baked beans, scrambled eggs when they are offered, a slice of bread with butter and Old English Cheese, cucumber, pineapple slices a glass of water and a glass of pineapple juice, if you were wondering. Mornings without pineapple juice, particularly, are days which just do not start right). I missed the house I live in here, where every day I think all over again, "wow, how cool and cosy is my house!" It really was a lucky find.

I walked through the streets and thought to myself "wow....I live here." 3.5 years ago as a tourist here I thought, "wow, this place is cool." The streets are so quaint and unique. They are not classically beautiful like many other cities I have visited in Europe. The houses here are just special....special in a charmingly Irish way. When I moved here, I didn't think that. It's nice to be reminded of my first thoughts.

Walking down Grafton street, in the centre of town (Dublin is a town , let's face it), always brings a smile to my face. Day or night, it is always filled with some of the best street buskers you will ever hear, anywhere. They so perfectly represent the cheer and the musicality this city has to offer.

Dublin is the UNESCO city of literature. It was home to some of the greats. I never fully appreciated that until I moved here. I'd never read anything by Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, Bernard Shaw or James Joyce. Truthfully, that is still the case presently. But I have seen their plays on stage, quite frequently actually. At the risk of sounding like a wanker, again, I've always enjoyed the theatre, and there is a lot of it to enjoy here. The best thing is that it's frequent, accessible and affordable. It's fantastic.

The live music, as I mentioned, is also fantastic. Whether local or international there is so much to choose from; we are spoilt here for choices, and again, the prices are unbelievable. Since I've been here I've seen some of the best contemporary artists on stage for 40€ a pop, un-freaking-believable: Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright, Florence and The Machine, top level performers. Local Imelda May, which set me back a mere 20€ for a new years eve concert was fantastic. Blondie, who I will see live in June is said to be quite the show, at only 50€ a ticket. Ask any Israeli or Australian resident about concert ticket prices and they will tell you what a steal it is here.

The drinking culture here kinda scares me. I can't keep up with it and I don't know what to expect. Truthfully, I find it a bit off-putting But one thing I can say is it is true what "they" say about the Irish. They really are among the friendliest in the world. That includes the random drunks and the beggars who unfortunately are living on the streets, there is just something about the Irish.

The cold....even the cold you can get used to. Layer up and indoors you can still wear your summer dresses and singlet tops. Sure, it's different with fleece lined stockings to replace my bare legs and yes I do miss having browner legs and exposing my tattooed ankle, but when you're in summer gear in the indoor warmth and the sun is shining deceptively while it's 4 degrees outside, it's really not as bad as I thought. And when you tire of it? Did I mention Europe is at my fingertips? Warmer weather is 120€ and a 2 hour flight away, no problems at all.

So socially, I don't yet have the kind of networks I have built elsewhere. And the coffee shop culture here, REALLY leaves something to be desired. But life is good, and the world is my oyster.

With my cliché quota all but exhausted for one post, there is only one thing left to say, I saved the most clichéd and mushiest of all to last: Lastly, I am happy because, no matter what adjustments I'm still acclimatising to here, there is one constant that I can confidently rely on. I know that no matter what is going on with me in my day to day life, there are always people around the world whose regard and love for me crosses physical and mental barriers across timezones, climates and momentary feelings of aloneness. And for all those reasons, I am happy.

* Consider this a highly mushy update on my new life and let's all just agree I will try once again to be a bit more constant from here on with my updates. Much love.

Dublin: The story so far

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Tomorrow it will be 7 weeks since I left Sydney. Time has flown by unbelievably fast. I am slowly starting to feel like I actually live here, rather than feeling as though I am on a prolonged visit, though I miss Sydney terribly. I am still not completely settled, given that I STILL don't have the shipping of all my stuff which I sent via sea, but on the flip side I have started to be able to confidently navigate my way through the Dublin streets, and hope to settle in to some sort of routine soon - now that I am done with my training at work and all the Jewish holidays of this time of year are done with.

So then, it is time for an update, isn't it?

What can I say, it has been an adjustment. The two toughest things on me have been the weather, which hasn't been TOO rainy so far, but it is certainly windy and chilly, which I don't deal with awfully well. This has not come as a surprise, as I did know what I was getting myself into, but nevertheless the cold is a struggle which I am learning to deal with. On a plus side, in preparation for what is already shaping up to be a chilly winter, if autumn is anything to go by, I acquired these pair of gloves today to keep me warm:

Why yes, those ARE teddy bear gloves. If you know me, it will come as no surprise to you at all that I am a total sucker for this kitschy childish stuff, and naturally had to own these.

The second thing which has been tough is not having the network I am used to. Living in Australia was tough at times, in the absence of family nearby, but over time I built an amazing network of friends whom I love dearly and miss terribly. It is always a bit of a bummer when instead of living your life to its fullest, you find yourself having to explain injokes and funny moments in your past, and have to launch into a description not only of the moments that made you smile, but the people too, who they are and what they mean to you, because everything is foreign, and so am I. For example, a couple of weeks ago, on a typical Friday afternoon at work, come 5pm I wondered downstairs with my workmates to the regular Friday arvo drinks, with a live band playing cover songs for our entertainment. At some point, the band played "do you come from a land down under." I was immediately reminded of last December, in Mumbai, with 20 fellow Aussies and our Indian buddies at a pub when this song came on and we all went mental with excitement and faux patriotism, so much so that at the end of the night, the DJ played the song again just for us, and was met with no less enthusiasm the second time. Irrespective of this moment, which brings back fond memories, any Aussie hearing this song while abroad, I imagine, would probably get quite excited/proud. At my work though, it is a mixture of mainly Europeans of all nationalities, a sprinkling of Middle Easterners, and the odd Americans or Asians. I haven't met any Aussies here, certainly not at work. So not only were there no familiar faces, but no random Aussies either, to share in my enthusiasm when I heard the song. Noone cared but me. Stupid, trivial, inconsequential? Yes, but it's the little things that often make the biggest difference.

Don't get me wrong though. Things are good. Work is going well so far. I finished my training about a week and a half ago. The day we finished, my team had a team outing to a place by the water, just out of Dublin, called Howth. We went out on a fishing boat for about an hour and a half, ate cheese and drank wine, enjoyed the sunset and even saw seal/s!!!!! Look how freakin' cute the seal was:

We then had a lovely dinner at a seafood restaurant before making our way back into Dublin. It was a great way to get to know some of my teammates a bit better, and do something different. I find Dublin to be a bit small as far as cities go, so it was nice to venture out. I mean, there are suburbs, and it extends further than the average expat ventures within the city boundaries, but I mean more in the conceptual sense, rather than in a literal sense.

To give you more of an idea what I mean, let me explain. For one, aside from when going to the airport, I have yet to have caught a taxi anywhere I've wanted to go which has cost me more than 10 Euro. Secondly, Dublin has much more of a mono-culture as opposed to multicultural Sydney, all (and other things) contributing to the feeling of smallness, which I am just unaccustomed to.

As such, I have made it a mission once every 4-6 weeks to take advantage of the proximity to continental Europe and venture out of Dublin to explore on weekends. The first such trip was made last Saturday when I jetted off to Paris. Paris was a mere 24 hour trip, but I am very very glad I made it. The purpose of the trip was to visit a friend from Australia who was there at the time. We spent a lovely day, despite it raining more than Dublin was on that day, seeing the main sights: The Champs Elysees , Arc De Triomphe and le Tour Eiffel. Yes, there is more to see in Paris than these, but I have visited Paris before and seen many of its other sights, have no fear. Revisiting the Eiffel Tower was particularly breathtaking as we did so at night. The tower was lit up and it was just stunning. Aside from catching up with my friend, which was great, the only other plan of the day was to eat well, and a lot. I can confirm that this goal was carried out successfully. Unlike Dublin (sorry Dublin..) finding a good place to indulge in anything from a good coffee or baked good, to a nice meal accompanied with a great glass of wine, is as easy is walking into virtually any place you encounter in Paris. It was a great treat. For a taste of the beauty of the Eiffel Tower, and my 24 hours of eating decadence, check out these photos which I took:

Pain Au Chocolát, et Macaron Pistaché

Next on my list of places to visit: Copenhagen (November) and UK (December), where I am excited to be attending Limmud this year. And those are just the trips already booked. Also on the short term travel list are Barcelona and Berlin, but not confirmed as yet :)

On the topic of Limmud, I am excited to go not only because I have previously immensely enjoyed its offshoot, Limmud Oz, nor because I am meeting a good friend there (though both are exciting and compelling reasons in their own right). The third reason is a craving for Jewish life since I arrived in Dublin. Before leaving Sydney I joked that I needed to maximise on Jew events as much as possible, knowing I would not get the same in Dublin. Of course, I was right. Funnily, I live in Portobello, which is actually the historical centre of Jewish life in Dublin, unbeknown to me when I decided to live here. There is even a (semi) kosher bakery, the only one in Dublin, just up the road from me, which has been here for over a 100 years. The Irish Jewish museum is also only just around the corner. In saying that, whatever Jewish life once existed in Portobello now exists in the history books only. There is still a community here, in another area, mostly centred around Dublin 6. There are two functional Synagogues, and from what I've seen the community is pretty tight knit. The Jews of Ireland are said to number around 2000 all up. From what I understand, the active number, in Dublin, is far less.

The Chagim (Jewish holidays, for the non-Jews reading), therefore were an interesting experience. Spending holidays without my family has always been tough. Over the last few years though, I have been lucky to spend the holidays with some varied and interesting people, and some very dear friends. For Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) this year, myself and other Israelis at my company had a joint meal together at work. It was very nice and festive, though I didn't really know anyone as I'd only been in the company for 2 weeks. For Yom Kippur I took a day off work and during the day I went to the Orthodox Synagogue. There I met a bunch of young people around my age, which was nice. After the fast ended we went out for drinks and I met a bunch more people, that was also great. So there is -some- Jewish life, but definitely not the diversity of offerings you get in Sydney. No chance of getting "Jewed Out" in Dublin, that's for sure. I have met some nice people though, and several who are also craving a bit more of what they are used to from elsewhere by way of more Jewish cultural stuff, so you never know, maybe our own thing can grow from that - if anyone will do it, anyone who knows me probably thinks/knows I'll get on it, so we'll see....

So what else is there....Dublin is "interesting", let's put it that way. Irish people are definitely one of the nicest I've met in the world, I still stand by that. The longer I'm here though, the more I come to the conclusion that years of mocking hipsters and yuppies in Sydney, and having existed in that environment, I've become a pseudo hipster/yuppie hybrid myself. I am definitely always on the lookout for a good coffee place (they are scarce), that also serves good/unique/vegan/exotic cafe food and beverages (haven't found anywhere that quite hits the spot yet). I have found a few places that serve chai lattes fortunately, one which is even quite up to my standards (Place is called "Grub" on Georges St, for anyone who may be interested). The chai place even has a whole ethical/fair trade/organic/recycling thing going on which hits the spot for my inner do-gooder/closet hippie persona so that was a nice find. No cafe favourites as yet though. Also, having massive Max Brenner and other chocolate cafe withdrawals here.

In terms of what I have adopted from Sydney's Inner West alternative dress sense, I definitely haven't seen a similar scene here. I am also yet to discover some good markets for second hand shopping - a new favourite activity I picked up in Australia thanks to a good friend over there. On that, the dress sense here is..... "unique", let's just say. I am baffled at the amount of girls here in ridiculously high stilettos on any given night out. It's all they sell in stores too. For a tall girl like me it doesn't leave many options. Not to mention most girls can't even walk in them and end up looking like they are walking on stilts, in my humble opinion. Given the weather here, and the fact this is still a rather conservative Catholic country, many of the dresses you see girls wearing in clubs is..... (running out of polite descriptions here...) well, astonishing. It doesn't leave much room for imagination let's just say. Sometimes I feel like I dress like a nun in comparison....hmmm....

To sum up though, I'm having a great time all in all. I'm trying to maximise my time, setting up a routine the way I want to. I've signed up for Arabic classes. I hope to start gym and yoga soon. Constantly planning my travel plans on weekends. Always looking out for good concerts in town - they are so much cheaper over here! I went to the Scissor Sisters concert the other week - that was fab. I've been going to the theatre a lot too, that is something I love about Dublin, as it is renowned for its literary greats. Last week I bought a copy of Ulysses for only 3 Euro - bargain! So far in the theatre I have seen "A woman of no importance" by Oscar Wilde, "The picture of Dorian Gray", also by Oscar Wilde (it was FANTASTIC), next week I am seeing "The Judas Kiss" ABOUT Oscar Wilde (do you see a pattern developing?), and in November I will be going to see a stage production of Ulysses by James Joyce. And to top it all off: I found out "The Book of Mormon" is coming to London next year, and there is no way I am going to miss it. So lots of exciting things on the culture front.

Anyways, that's a pretty solid update I think. I wish this post was more sharp, or witty, or philosophical rather than just descriptive, but I'm too tired and it's taken me a while to get motivated to write this, so it is what it is.

Much love to all. Over and Out.

The year that was, and the year that approaches: Jewish New Year 5773

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:48:00 +0000

So, I started this "tradition" last year on Rosh Hashana, reflecting on the year that was. As it serves as a nice memory to look back on I thought I'd repeat it, especially in light of major changes that come with the move I made, this may come as a handy reference point in one year's time again.

What can I say. Reading back my Jewish new year post from last year, (you can read it here, if you wish), I would never have imagined back then where I would be one year on.

So, the year that was:

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

I am not big on this one, maybe because I tend to be harsh on myself. In an interview for a job recently I was asked, "if your friends were to describe you, what would they say?" This got me thinking, how would I LIKE my friends to describe me. I would like people to think of me as kind, caring, non-judgmental, friendly and helpful. One can always define themselves by the job they hold, the person they are with, the stuff they have done. There is a lot to be said for such achievements when they have come about through hard work, commitment and personal attributes such as intellect and drive. However, since life is full of surprises, these types of achievements are not always in our control. What I can control is how I treat others, if I help others when I can, if I attempt to make a positive impact on the world, in the grander scheme of things, whether on a small or large scale. If I have achieved any of those things in the past year, it is these things I am most proud of. Some other things I am proud of from the past year are standing up for myself, standing up for what I feel is right and standing up for others. This past year, like in previous times in my life, I have learnt that doing so is not always the easiest option, and there is often a personal price to be paid. Truth be told, this year I feel I paid a heavy personal price for speaking out, for being who I am, and not being afraid. But despite the personal price I have paid, I feel it is for the best, morally I feel I have done right, and as always, I have grown from the experience and I feel I have come out on top. I count that as an achievement for which I hold my head up high. This year I also learnt, more so than in the past, the weight of my words and the impact they can have. I feel that through hard work and true passion, I have earnt the respect of many I have encountered, and in doing so, that I have gained a voice worthy of respect. That too I see as a personal achievement, one I hope to continue to live up to and remain worthy of.

CARVING OUT A PATH

This time last year, I said that I felt I had not really begun on what I viewed to be the career path of my choice. In the past year I have learnt a lot, did not follow a straight path, but allowed myself to explore different professional interests along the way which have helped solidify my thoughts on what I want to achieve in my professional life. I have moved to Dublin for work, to pursue an opportunity in an area which is certainly where I had hoped to see myself, sooner or later, though it is still just early days yet. I have experienced on my own skin what as recent grads we are often told and often have trouble accepting, that a successful career path is not necessarily linear, rather there are many paths, often tangled, that lead to success. This year has been a tangled path indeed, full of highs and lows, but as always I try and give thanks for all the lessons learnt through the good times, and the bad.

MOVING TO DUBLIN

This is still very fresh, 3 weeks into the move, but deserves a mention nonetheless. Several of my friends have said to me they think I am "brave"for having the guts to make such a move, from one end of the earth to just about the furthest point from it you can get, and for the second time in my life at that. I don't think I am brave. While the move has gone smoothly and things have been going great so far, truth be told that at least conceptually it has been hard. I try and live by the philosophy that one must seize the opportunities given to them, and that I have, but not without a tonne of self doubt and questioning of the choices I have made in life. The choices I have made, moving from Israel to Australia and now from Australia to Ireland have been big steps, not taken lightly, but rather with a heavy heart. I am constantly striving to grow as a person and expand my horizons, and this has informed the choices I have made and the drastic changes that have resulted. The question of belonging has weighed heavily upon me for a long time, mentally placing myself in a split identity, as an Israeli and an Australian and questioning what that means and who I am. In Australia in the past 6 years, I have set down roots, I built a life, a network, a community, all of which fulfilled my life immensely and through the ups and the downs I loved my life in Oz. Here's hoping Dublin will be equally as kind to me. As mentioned in my previous post, so far Irish eyes have definitely smiled upon me.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

I try and say this as often as I can, but what you give to my life I am forever indebted for. To my family, once again I know I don't call enough, or update enough, or live up to expectations often enough. But even when I'm self involved and not reaching out, you are in my heart and mind, and for being there for me unconditionally when I do pull my head up, I love you very much. Though I know I haven't always been there when you wanted, I hope I have managed to be there when you needed me, and here's hoping with increased geographical proximity this coming year will see more face to face time, fingers crossed. My friends the world over, new and old, I am constantly moved by how you enrich my life. In the absence of family in Australia, I can say that in my time living there I always felt very well looked after profoundly and in so many ways, and many of you have become an extension of my family to me. Even with my move to Dublin, the constant contact and interest you show means more than you probably realize. I am forever thankful for my family and friends and how loved you make me feel, I hope you feel that love radiating back from me to you because I try my best to make it known.

TRAVEL

Of course. This year I added India and Poland to my visited countries list. Both countries have had a lasting impact on me in different ways. The rich culture and the vibrancy of life in India has gotten under my skin and I can't get it out, nor do I want to. While life there is complex, there is corruption and poverty and many sad things which don't make sense and just shouldn't be, there is also just something special about India that I can't put my finger on. I did not go there for a spiritual awakening, I did not meditate daily, I did not smoke any substances on Goan beaches, I did not spend any time in silent reflection in an Ashram or anything of the likes. But in all my travels there is just something about the country that I haven't encountered anywhere else, nor can I fully verbalise it. I must also say that when you moved past the incessant pushiness of vendors always trying to sell you something (and at an inflated price), service providers trying to make money off you and so on, the genuine kindness and honesty and emotiveness of the Indian people is something I admire greatly and draw aspiration, and inspiration, from. Visiting Poland, where my Grandfather (Z"l) was born and had lived as a Jew during the atrocities of the second world war, also had a profound effect on my spirit and sense of Jewish identity, and not in the way you may have expected. I visited Auschwitz and saw first hand what pure evil looked like. I learnt more about Polish Jewry and its fate during the war than I'd known through all the years of Holocaust education at school. Most importantly though, I went with an open mind and left with more than a smidgen of optimism, for the revival of Polish Jewry specifically, and for the continuity of European Jewry more broadly. Specifically when it comes to Poland and the Polish people, I enjoyed my time there immensely. I stayed at a Polish friend's house in Krakow, and had a great time being hosted graciously by her and her family, and enjoyed overwhelmingly positive attitudes from all Poles I encountered, towards myself as an Israeli and a Jew, and towards Judaism and Israel in general. Krakow's annual Jewish cultural festival had the city abuzz while I was there, attracting great interest from tourists and non-Jewish locals alike, as well as energising the local Jewish community, which is small but brimming with rich revival of Polish Jewish life. Being in Poland, facing my family's past, and the past of my people, while looking towards the future and the prospects for revival of Polish Jewish life was a little bitter, for the recognition of the sheer scale of what we as Jews of Poland lost, but more so sweet for the commitment of the local Jewish community to bring back, on however small a scale, a Jewish presence and Jewish culture to what was at one period in time the centre of Jewish civilisation and thought across Europe and beyond. Visiting Warsaw, on a fellowship with other Jews from all corners of the world, sharing their experiences of Jewish life in places I didn't even know Jewish communities existed, was a powerful addition to the experience of Poland as well. Meeting Jews from communities across Europe and the Middle East which I didn't even know existed (Turkey, Denmark and Hungary particularly spring to mind) was a heartening experience. It strengthened my own sense of identity and desire to understand more about my roots, extending beyond being born in Israel and knowing about Israeli history. I have developed a new appreciation for wanting to connect with my European roots, if not only to understand how my family lived for generations in the not too distant past, but also for the sake of connecting more deeply, and being able to hopefully carry forward, the historical knowledge of European Jewish history. To that end I hope to visit Romania, where the majority of my family came from, sometime in the near future, and now living in Ireland, though being somewhat removed from "true" European life, I am nevertheless excited to be able to count myself among present day European Jewry, which, with my newly formed friendships amongst fellow European Jews across the continent, I hope to take part in as best I can.

So that was the year that was. For me, the year that will be is sure to be full of new experiences, territories previously uncharted and many unknowns, as would be expected moving to a new country. To myself I wish that I can make the most of these new experiences, that I can do some good and that The Creator will judge me favourably for my actions. To my family and friends I wish the sweetness and happiness that we enjoy on Rosh Hashana to last the whole year through, may you be challenged in a good way, may you grow from the experiences, and may you have the courage and strength to achieve what you hope to achieve in life. Here's to an amazing 5773. Shana Tova!

New beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 20:51:00 +0000

For those of you who know me in real life, you'll know I've just undergone a pretty big life change. For those who happen to be reading this otherwise, I've just packed up my happy life in Australia to seek new opportunities, new challenges and new experiences in Dublin, Ireland. As such, this blog may change tack a bit from now on. Will try to post more regularly, and will try share experiences from my new life in Ireland. Fear not though, a leopard can't change its spots, so there's sure to be political and other such posts too from time to time.

So it has now been 2 week since I left Sydney. That's probably as good a time as any to begin to recall my journey to Ireland.

After a frantic week of late nights packing, sorting and stressing, everything was done and I set off on August 26th. I was lucky to have some close friends come see me off at the airport, and for that I am so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. With many tears shed, a few last minute surprises, airport arguments over excess baggage and a rendition of Lambada which will forever be etched in my mind and bring a smile to my face, off I went through the departures gate, on my own, to set off on my new path.

The journey to Dublin took me 43 hours. Fun. First stop was Singapore, with scoot airlines, with a business class upgrade sweetening an otherwise bittersweet occasion, fresh from the farewell of my amazing friends. Flight was pleasant enough. Food was nice, service was good, and in business we received Ipads to watch movies on, we got given luggage tags as a gift (random), and got to keep the earphones that came with the iPad. I watched 'the hunger games' on board. Never one to succumb to trends or pay attention to hype, I knew little about what to expect, and found the movie intense. Life lesson learnt: no matter what happens in life, at least I'm not in the hunger games!

After 8 hours I arrived in Singapore, where I had 11 hours overnight which I planned to spend sleeping at my friend's sister's house. What should have been a good rest was shortened by the need to ship off half my luggage in unaccompanied luggage, to avoid exorbitant excess baggage costs by my next airline , Malaysian airline, which gains a dishonourable mention here for that affair. Nevertheless, I got 5 hours sleep in Singapore, in a proper bed, and was hosted very graciously, with a 4am breakfast served to me and just the loveliest of hospitality. Thank you to my friend Kalpna and her family, for organising that for me and for hosting me so well, it means a lot.

Next stop was Kuala lumpur, a short, hour long, flight. Here I ran into a girl I know from sydney, for I wouldn't be me if I didn't run into a familiar face in unfamiliar territory (more on this later).

From Kuala Lumpur, it was a 12.5 hour flight to London. I must say I was not overly impressed with the service on board, though the flight was comfortable enough. During the first meal, they couldn't find me supposedly, to give me the kosher meal I'd ordered. By the time I got my meal others were having theirs collected. Oh well.

After I arrived in London for the final stretch, I decided to try beg for mercy and cut down the 4.5 hour layover enroute to the Emerald Isle. No such luck, no compassion was to be found. Instead I spent half my time talking to an Israeli farmer, who pegged me as Israeli as soon as he saw me, something I found quite ironic given the journey I had travelled by the time I'd arrived into London. Nevertheless, eventually 9pm came around and finally I was on my way to my final destination and onto the start of my new life. Boarding the flight to Dublin on Aer Lingus, it was immediately unmistakable that I was finally on my way to Ireland, with flight crew including names such as "Paddy" and "PJ O'Neill", or as I like to call it "Irish McIrish names". Since arriving here I have found that so many people here do in fact have such typically Irish names, as opposed to just common English names. I guess that shouldn't surprise me much. In any case, after a short flight I was finally in Dublin, and jumped into a cab headed to Dublin 22, where again I was very lucky to have been hosted graciously by the Uncle of a friend from Sydney, while I searched for more permanent accommodation in Dublin.

So here I am. What can I say about my time here so far? There is a saying in Hebrew, which translates in English to "change your place, change your luck". I have always thought of myself as lucky for the things I have in life, but on a day to day basis I am not known for having particularly good luck, if you believe in that stuff. In Ireland though, there is the term "luck of the Irish", and I really feel that since getting here I have enjoyed quite a bit of the luck of the Irish. Funnily enough, while packing up all my things in Sydney, I found a key ring that I had bought in Ireland when holidaying here 3 years ago, with a real 4 leaf clover, another Irish symbol of luck, which I put on my keys since I got here. I am not a superstitious person, but for whatever reason, I do feel that things have gone very smoothly for me here so far (and having now said that I'm not superstitious, "knock on wood" for that one :-p).

So how has the luck of the Irish rubbed off on me? For starters, I started house hunting the 1st full day I got here - and found a house that very night, which I moved into a week ago today. I now live in an area called Portobello, in a charming two storey house with two extremely lovely Irish girls as my housemates. We got on so well when I came to inspect the house that they asked me to move in, if I was interested, on the spot and I immediately agreed. Portobello is a very vibrant part of Dublin, very multicultural and full of diverse restaurants, cafes and pubs. Having researched areas in Dublin before I arrived, it was on my shortlist of places I wanted to live. It's also very close to the city centre, and satisfied my desire to live in a house, rather than an apartment, so it basically ticked the two boxes I had in mind: Living in a house, and being close to the city. Very lucky indeed!

Secondly, as excited as I've been to move out here, my friends will know how much I was dreading the Irish weather. Well, in the two weeks I have been here the weather has been absolutely brilliant, it's actually been really, really nice! Or, as they say here in Ireland "it's been grand". On a side note, "grand" is a term used here a lot, and can be positive or negative. You can say "it's grand" when you're really happy/excited about something, or you can say "it's grand" when really it's not grand at all and what you really mean is "it's ok", or "don't worry about it."

Then there has been the people that I've met so far. I have been told more than once before arriving here how friendly the Irish people are. It is very true. Irish people have to be amongst the friendliest I have come across in the world, everyone really is so nice. From my host in my first week here who looked after me so well and took me under his wing as I arrived, to my lovely housemates who have been so welcoming, one of whom has introduced me to Irish life and out to parties and clubs with her friends, the other one always checking in on me to see how I'm getting on and even made dinner for me tonight while she made dinner for her mum who came over tonight, to even just helpful strangers all around. Even bus drivers and taxi drivers here have just been so damn nice. I have met so many people at work too, from all over Europe, along with some locals, and I work with a great bunch of people all round.

I will expand more on day to day experiences I have had since arriving in future posts. One funny thing to mention though, which I said I'd get to earlier in this post. Those of you who know me personally know how well connected I have become in Australian life with the networks I've established. Hence why it's so typical that I ran into someone I know in Kuala Lumpur airport on my way over, just like it's hilarious yet typical that when travelling in India last year, I ran into someone I know among the billion people that are in that vast country. Naturally being new in Dublin I don't have a network here as yet. However, today I discovered that one of the good friends of my housemate, whom I've met in the last couple of days, used to live next door to an Irish Jewish family who immigrated to Australia who I know from Sydney. Now me being me it is not that atypical that I would know any given Jewish person in Sydney, but what are the chances that in my first 2 weeks here I would meet someone, obviously not Jewish, who happened to live next door to this Jewish family who moved to Australia? The answer is that with approximately 1 million residents in Dublin the chances literally are around one in a million. And yet, in typical me fashion, that's exactly what happened.

One final update before I sign out. I have also made an effort to tap into the Jewish community here. It is very very small. Last week I met the Rabbi, who is really nice, and I attend Shabbat services last Saturday at the Orthodox Shul here. The Rabbi introduced me to other members of the community, most of who are of older generations, there weren't really any young local Jews when I went there. As the High Holy Days are coming up, it was good to go there when I did, as I intend to attend services at the Shul during the upcoming Jewish holidays. There is also a pretty tight knit group of Israelis who I work with, they hang out a lot and seem to look after each other, which is nice. They are planning to do something together for all Israelis and Jews who we work with to celebrate Rosh Hashana, so that should be quite nice.

Overall, it has been a pretty good two weeks here. I am starting to get my bearings around the city and now starting to build some sort of routine. On the cards is an exercise routine I hope to get into soon, and I plan to sign up for Arabic language classes fairly soon, a hobby I picked up in Sydney since the start of this year. Socially things are coming along slowly but surely, as some friendships are beginning to form. I haven't felt lonely or sad as yet, so that's all good. It has been really great receiving so many facebook posts and messages, text messages, whatsapps, email and viber calls from so many people in Sydney already, I love hearing from you all and I promise I'll always respond even if I don't initiate contact, so please keep it up! Being on such a close time zone to Israel has been great too, being able to speak to my sisters and Mum more regularly and at decent hours is, as we say here in Ireland, grand!

So that's it for now, so far I am smiling and pretty happy as I settle in, so only good news so far. Missing everyone, sending everyone, wherever you are in the world, much love from the Emerald Isle xx.

Amanda Vanstone - The "gift" that keeps on giving....

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Amanda Vanstone rears her ugly head once again in the SMH to deploy inflammatory terminology such as "queue jumping" and "destination shoppers". While true that more needs to be done to resettle refugees from camps, the notion of a "queue" is just plain misleading. Under resettlement rates as at 2009, this so-called queue would mean a 188 year waiting period for resettlement of all refugees around the world - would you wait that long??

Inspired by my recent trip to Poland, I did some searching online and found a memorial book which my late Grandfather, Moshe Halperin, helped to publish about his town, which he, like other Jews, was forced to leave during the Holocaust. My Grandfather was born in the Polish town of Mikulince, in Galicia, or Tarnapol area. The town is now part of the Ukraine, and is called Mikulintsy. Prior to WWII the town was estimated at 3200 Jews, comprising 70% of the town's population. According to the memorial book I found online for the town of Mikulince, only 30 from the town survived. Among them, my Grandfather and his sister, Sally. My Grandfather had been witness to the death of his parents, Michael & Henia, and his brother Yosef, all three of whom were shot dead before his eyes.

Mikulince was the first Polish town to be declared by the Nazis as "Judenrein" - free of the Jews. After the war, those who survived returned to the town, but there was nothing to return to. From the Mikulince memorial book, one particular entry caught my attention. It was written by Nusia Schweizer Horowitz, of Mikulince, describing her experiences during the Holocaust. Mikulince had become part of the USSR before the war ended. Of the aftermath of the war, she said, "The Second World War ended on May 9, 1945. A few months later, a repatriation agreement was signed between Poland and the Soviet Union. Former Polish citizens, ourselves among them, were allowed to return to Poland. In this way, we left the U.S.S.R. When we got to Poland, we had but one ambition. We wanted to leave European soil which had absorbed too much of our people’s blood. Young people organized into Zionist groups of all political persuasions. By every possible and impossible means, they crossed borders illegally and got to port cities such as Hamburg, Marseilles, and Genoa. Helped by the Jewish Agency emissaries from Israel (Palestine), they tried to get there. We crossed the seas in unseaworthy ships and when we reached our destination, the British authorities deported us to camps in Cyprus. Once again, we lived behind barbed wire."

I don't know the exact story of my Grandfather's arrival to Israel, but I can only assume he made his journey in the same way.

There is nothing unique, unfortunately, about the state of refugees in our world today. What is different, from the time my Grandfather and his townspeople crossed the seas, like today, in unworthy boats with no guarantee on the other end, is the refugee convention of 1951. It gives people the right to seek asylum when arriving at a border by whatever means they arrive.

Crossing the seas is dangerous. Some people, people smugglers, profit from the phenomenon. But the suffering of many who risk the journey is real. And with a 188 year "queue" for resettlement and no solution in sight, I don't blame them for trying.

check out the memorial book for my Grandfather's town, here: http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Mikulintsy/mikulintsy.html

Feminism is outdated? I have some news....

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 03:37:00 +0000

Being fortunate enough to live in a free, (mostly) tolerant, democratic society like Australia, you often hear that feminism has outlived its usefulness. In fact, there is a stigma associated with being a feminist, with words being thrown around like "feminazis", associations made that if you're a feminist you must be a man-hating lesbian (not that there's anything wrong with being a lesbian), that you don't shave your armpits, that feminists are cannot be feminine, and so on. This comes from men and women alike, with many women getting defensive and being quick to declare "I am not a feminist", as though it is a bad thing. I will admit, that in my younger years I too was quick to declare that I am not a feminist, so as to distance myself from the negative associations that come with the title.

Now, in a positive spin, you can say that things could be worse, and these attitudes towards feminism today are due to a relative equality that exists today between the sexes that did not exist 40, even 30 years ago. Certainly in countries like Australia (or my home country of Israel for that matter), it is true to say that things are pretty good right now, and yes, things could be a LOT worse. But everything is relative, and if you ask me, "pretty good" is not "good enough". Now, I am not going to say that anything short of 100% full equality is unacceptable, because that is never going to happen. Even if every woman and man that sought full equality between the sexes were to see the fulfilment of this vision, there would still not be full equality, simply because some women don't want it. What do I mean by that? Well, some women with tertiary education choose to exit the workforce permanently when they have children. Similarly, not all women have the ambition to progress up the corporate ladder, or run for public office. Some do not want to work long hours, or give up family time, or are not motivated by large paychecks, and so on and so forth. Not that these views are unique to women, but the point is, it is never going to be fully equal in terms of representation, and so long as that's a matter of choice, and not a product of patriarchal traditions, sexism, discrimination and so on then that is perfectly fine, at least by me.

Having said all that, I would have to stop short of arguing that feminism has outlived its use. Yes, even in the free world. Women still face issues of inherent prejudices against them, are still significantly under-represented in public positions, at the head of companies, and even in the most progressive societies, there is still a significant wage gap between the sexes, accounting for similar or equivalent work, experience levels, educational background and so on. Now I am no research or statistics expert, however, pick any given country, like Australia, Canada, the US or any other you fancy, do a bit of research, and I think you'll find that even when you account for elements of choice and free will, the gaps you find cannot be adequately explained by these elements. Now since this blog post is just my opinion, and not a news article or academic paper, I'm not going to present statistical events to the claims I have just made because, let's just say that I have done a lot of reading on these topics over the years, and if you are interested I encourage you to use your minds, take initiatives and do the research yourselves.

What I will do, is present you with some general findings about the status of women in the G20. TrustLaw, a Thomson Reuters Foundation Service, conducted a global poll of experts in the world's major economies in order to determine the status of women in these countries. Now keep in mind, not all is bad in these countries, however it appears to have been the purpose of this poll to focus on what IS bad, or to put it more politely, what issues are still of concern and in need of addressing. Just another reservation, not all G20 countries are democracies. That in mind, the problems, or challenges, which women face vary from country to country, based on that country's characteristics, such as cultural influences, the nature of their regime, the governing system etc. So yes, some countries, when you consider things on a relative scale, are far worse than others. Nevertheless, let us just this once not employ the now quite popular term "first world problems" even when analysing the status of women in the first world, which is "relatively" better, because let's face it: if you are going to talk about relativity, then you can't ignore that it works both ways. Country A being better than Country B in its treatment of women is simply not good enough, when Woman A in Country A is at a disadvantage be it politically, culturally, socially, economically than Man B in Country A. Unless of course you don't mind being a hypocrite, which is fine for you, though I reserve the right to judge you accordingly.

OK then, what are the findings of the TrustLaw poll? The best and the worst first: Ranked at the distinguished number 1 among G20 countries is Canada. Ranked at the dishonourable worst is India. The latter result is quite surprising to me personally, seeing as India "beats" Saudi Arabia, a country known for its dire oppression of women, to the first-in-reverse spot.

Some key findings of the poll:

Wage/Wealth Gaps

In Indonesia, being a woman will mean you own 38% of earned income.
In South Korea, if you are a woman in full time work, you will be earning 38.9% less than your male counterpart in full time work. Yeah, the guy in the cubicle next to you, your team mate - chances are he takes home more money than you.
If you are a Japanese woman in full time work, your male colleague is earning about 28.3% more than you.
Bonjour to the French women, you are currently earning 16.5% less than les hommes whom you work with.
My fellow Aussies women, did you know you are earning 18% less than the blokes?
To the Poms, being a British man earns you 18.6% more than your female colleagues.
Germans, being a big fan of German biers myself (my favourites are this and this, in case you're wondering), I am somewhat jealous that had I been a German woman, my male colleagues would have more money for delicious delicious bier with a 21.6% gender pay gap.

Women's Health/Birth issues

In India in 2010, 56,000 maternal deaths were recorded. Another issue worth noting, not in the scope of this poll though, is the problem of female infanticide and female foetus abortions which take place in India and other countries. This has lead to a ban in India on sex-determining ultrasounds during pregnancies, though the ultrasounds, and the abortions, still occur nonetheless.
In Indonesia, every hour a woman will die during childbirth. I will say that again: EVERY HOUR A WOMAN WILL DIE.
In South Africa, twice as many women live with HIV than man, largely due to higher rates of sexual violence (more on that later).
in 2008, 1.09 million girls dead or "missing" due to infanticide. This is sometimes (often?) attributed to the one child policy in China.
In Argentina, it is estimated up to 500,000 clandestine abortions take place every year. This is due to lack of sexual and reproductive education, and lack of access to legal abortions.
In the USA, or what we often hear of as the leader of the free world, 2011 saw no less than 92 anti-abortion restrictions enacted at a state level. My "favourite" on the abortion debate in the US is the requirement for completely medically unnecessary, physically invasive, mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds a la Virginia, and my real favourite is the response in Georgia, asking for a ban on Vasectomies, because honestly, "It is patently unfair that men can avoid unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly, while women's ability to decide is constantly up for debate throughout the United States." (so says bill sponsor Yasmin Neal, and I tend to agree).
Also in the USA, 22.9 million women do not have health insurance.

Public/Corporate Representation

In Saudi Arabia, 2011 saw women gain the right to vote. So I dare say public office is out of question. What with the ban on driving, and leaving the house unaccompanied by a male relative and all.
In South Africa, 42.3% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women (this is actually not bad).
In Mexico, 26.2% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women.
In China, 21.3% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women.
in Russia, 13.6% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women .
In Brazil, 8.6% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women .
In Argentina, 37.4% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women.
In Japan, 11% of seats in the lower house of parliament are held by women .
In France, 22% of board members in largest publicly traded companies are female.
In Australia, 35.9% of seats across both parliamentary houses are women. In the corporate world however, there are only 5 female CEOs among the top 200 companies in the country. All around, female representation is not great in Australia, despite those who point to the fact that both the current Prime Minister and the Governor General (and in NSW's case, the Governor as well), are female.
In the UK, 22.3% of judges are female, and 17% of ministerial positions are held by women.
In Canada, 1/3 of federally appointed judges are women.

Sexual & Domestic Violence

In India, 52% of women thinks it's justifiable for a man to beat his wife.
In Indonesia, 90% of women claim to have been sexually harassed in the workplace.
In South Africa, 66,196 sexual offences were reported in 2010-11.
In Mexico, 1/4 of women suffer sexual abuse by their partner.
In China, 1/4 of women think it's justifiable for a man to beat his wife.
In Russia, 14,000 women die each year from domestic violence. A further 57,750 are trafficked from Russia each year.
In Brazil, 250,000 children are estimated to be involved in prostitution.
In Italy, 1.2 million women have been sexually harassed at work (with former PM Berlusconi's well publicised antics, is it any wonder...?)
In Australia, 19.1% of women experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
In Germany, just 24.4% of convicted sex trafficking offenders received jail time in 2009.

Now, this is already very long and if you've made it this far - congratulations. I still urge you to read the original link and do more research, as there are other disturbing statistics such as marriage rates under the age of 18 in various countries, which I have not covered here.

Now, I'm not such a fan of bra burning myself, they may have outlived their usefulness as a political tactic. And clearly, many of these statistics show gender gaps which are not necessarily evident due to legal, institutionalised forms of discrimination as was the case in the past. But that's just it. Equality and justice can not be a concept on paper only. Laws against sexual harassment, abuse and assault need to be better enforced. Gaps in wages and representation are not simply a fact of life to be accepted, there needs to be awareness and pro-active steps taken to address them. Health issues are a major concern and should not be simply tolerated if they don't affect us.

The solutions from many of these things are around, and they SHOULD be easier to address than many of the problems women dealt with in the past. But they won't address themselves. So men and women, feminism is NOT outdated and it needs YOU - to say something, or do something, because there is still work to be done and every little bit counts!

(And once again, if you've read this far, I congratulate you on this achievement and thank you for reading).

Israel & Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:09:00 +0000

This could just be my left wing bias in the information sources I follow out of Israel, but I think there seems to be a significant rise in the public debate in Israel, since Obama's declared support for same sex marriage, on the issue of marriage for all, including same sex marriage in Israel.

The following article from Haaretz newspaper is just another example of this, and follows declarations by several Israeli politicians on this issue. As the article states, "Just a handful of Israeli politicians responded to the U.S. President's statement by expressing clear support for same-sex marriage. Almost all such politicians belong to the rapidly shrinking opposition..." However, many progressive Israeli facebook pages, many of which have sprung up since last year's social justice protests which awakened Israelis into civic action, have been abuzz talking about this issue, both as a result of Obama's statement, as well as in response (so it seems) to the reality of the new coalition agreement between Netanyahu & Shaul Mofaz who now heads up the Kadima party.

In Israel marriage equality is in an even more dire situation than most democratic nations who have been debating this topic over the last decade or what not. This is due to the fact that not only is same sex marriage not legal (as is the case in many other countries), but since the state's inception, marriage in Israel has been an exclusively religious ceremony, entirely monopolised by the Rabbinate (for those Israelis belonging to the Jewish faith, by choice or merely by birth). This has resulted, at least in my view, in a highly unjust system, where many Israelis, straight or otherwise, have been unable to marry their partner of choice.

Reasons for this include:

The inability, due to Rabbinate rules, to marry a partner who is not of the Jewish faith (if you are a Jew).
The inability to marry if you, or your partner, are deemed 'Psulei Chitun', or 'unfit for marriage' according to Jewish law. 'Psulei Chitun' are defined as: 1. A pair who are banned from marriage due to being related, or who are already married to someone else (fair enough..) OR 2. If you are a 'mamzer' (IE, were born out of wedlock, you may only marry another 'mamzer', or alternatively you can marry a slave or a convert (how wonderful) OR if you are a Cohen (IE, descended from the lineage of High Priests from the days of the Two Temples), in which case you have further restrictions on who you can marry (can't marry a divorcee etc.). According to Jewish law, if you belong to the second category of Psulei Chitun ('Mamzer' or Cohen), you can still marry anyone you like, but this marriage is considered a marriage conducted in sin. However, 'fortunately' the Israeli Rabbinate has stepped in to save us all from such sins, by banning altogether marriages of Psulei Chitun who do not comply with Jewish law. They do this by maintaining a register of people who are 'Psulei Chitun', passed down through the generations (so if your great grandparent was deemed 'unfit for marriage', it will pass down through the generations, the Rabbinate keeps tabs on you and will know that as the great grandchild of said person, you too will be 'unfit for marriage' and denied this right).
The inability to marry if you wish to marry in a non-religious ceremony, since it is not currently legal to have a civil, secular marriage in Israel.
The inability to marry a fellow Jew, if you, or your partner, have undergone a conversion conducted via anything other than the Orthodox stream of Jewry. That is, if you or your partner converted through a reform/progressive Rabbi for example, you cannot marry a fellow Jew - because the Israeli Rabbinate does not recognise the validity of your conversion!

Of course, it is easy to see that under these rules, GLBT Israelis also cannot marry. However, the issue of marriage rights in Israel is far more wide spread in its discrimination, and SHOULD, if you ask me, be of far greater concern to Israelis than it currently is in public discourse.

In light of this, it is surprising to me, but very much welcome to observe (hopefully not subjectively due to my circles), a heightened interest in discussing this issue, as mentioned, in light of both Obama's statement and the new Israeli coalition.

As mentioned in the article quoted above, there is a real opportunity currently in the Israeli Knesset, under a broad and largely secular coalition (the likes of which has not been observed in a long time) to legislate some far reaching reforms to (in my opinion) benefit Israeli society as a whole. In his statement on his decision to join the Netanyahu government, newly elected Kadima leader Mofaz said that his condition for joining the coalition was enactment of a law to replace the Tal Law, which legally sanctioned exempting Ultra-Orthodox Torah scholars from military service, whereas all other citizens are compulsorily conscripted into military service under Israeli law, upon reaching 18 years of age. The effect of this would mean for the first time in Israel's 64 year existence, Ultra-Orthodox Jewish young men would be required to share the burden of other Israelis and also serve a mandatory military term.

As an individual who has shouldered my share of the responsibility of IDF military service, I would certainly welcome such a move, as do a growing majority of Israeli citizens, both secular and religious alike. However, there is certainly a greater opportunity at play here not to stop there and enact other reforms, such as opening up marriage rights in Israel to include civil marriages and same sex marriages.

The counter argument to allowing such a move is that sanctioning religious-only marriages in Israel is necessary in order to maintain the Jewish (alongside the democratic..) nature of the state of Israel. For the record, I love the Orthodox Jewish marriage tradition, and hope one day to marry, in Israel, according to this tradition. My reason for this is because of my personal commitment to maintaining my Jewish identity, and in keeping with the Orthodox tradition. However, that is my choice. What I don't like, and I would hope others would agree with me, is imposing such practices on others without affording them the freedom to choose their own way. To me it is quite simple really, it is unnecessarily intrusive into people's personal lives, is unnecessarily restrictive of personal freedoms, and undemocratic.

We Jews have survived and succeeded in maintaining our culture and tradition through many generations over thousands of years. Many of that time has been while in exile, without a state to call our own. We passed down our tradition among our family, our friends and our community, without legislating and forcing these practices on one another. I for one am proud of my Jewish identity and tradition, and proud of our unique story of survival, where many other nations have ceased to continue their existence through time. There have always been those that have converted to other faiths, or assimilated into other cultures, irrespective of the relatively contemporary phenomenon of secularisation. And yet, we're still here, and not solely by means of coercion. And in my personal view, that is what I'd like to see in the Israel of today: Continuation through education and celebration of our tradition, not through coercion.

That being said, while the Tal law is reportedly on its way into the dustbin of Israeli history, I won't hold my breath on this one. While I'd like to remain optimistic and embrace the positive opportunities that the current Israeli government composition provides, the history of Israeli politician's actions and contemptuous disregard for the Israeli public, I fear, is in fact exemplified by this latest manoeuvre orchestrated by Netanyahu to sustain the full term of his government. As such, I am not really hopeful that the Knesset will actually do something right this time. It almost seems to me (sadly), that there is no precedent for the Knesset actually doing something favourable for the mass public, rather than merely for specific sectors who are effectively represented by self-motivated advocates from within the Knesset itself. How sad indeed.

I'd love to be proven wrong though....How ironic it would be if Israel, with all its complexities around the religious-secular divide, would precede (supposedly) secular Australia in instituting equal marriage rights for all (including same sex marriage rights). Then there might actually be some justification for this gargantuan government Netanyahu is presiding over.

Like I said though, I won't be holding my breath....

Planned Obsolescence - marketing strategy vs. ethics

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:36:00 +0000

It has been a while since my last blog, but thoughts on the above subject have inspired me once more, and so I share my latest thoughts on this issue.

I am totally in love love love with this marketoonist blog, which I've been following for a few weeks now.

This post on 'planned obsolescence' is particularly poignant IMO. From a marketing perspective, planned obsolescence is of course a successful sales & marketing strategy, and hence one that is commonly in practise in the modern age. However, it raises the issue of ethics which we often lose sight of. By ethics, I mean both in the sense of an ethical sales & marketing strategy, as well as the social and economic effects of encouragement of constant renewal and heightened consumerism.

To be clear, I am not claiming purity of actions on this matter, I am a total sucker for the latest online & mobile technologies and a massive tech junkie in these areas. However, I for one would certainly feel a lot more content from an ethical perspective if the drive for adoption of evolving and emerging technological innovations did not feel like in the back of my mind I am doing a deal with the devil - aiding overconsumption, questionable production practices and labour force exploitation, particularly in the developing and third world.

In theory, we as consumers have the power of changing these practices, by voting with our wallets and demonstrating our consumer preferences by consuming ethically. But too often we are distracted by the new, the evolving, by the desire to keep up with technology, or be early adopters, to put it in marketing terms. So what is the answer - how to balance conflicting viewpoints that exist among many of us - I don't know....but this post certainly provoked that line of thinking in me, and if it does the same in others, maybe that's a good start at the very least.

Open to others thoughts on the matter, if anyone wants to share their opinions.

I'm baaaack! Where from you ask?

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:39:00 +0000

OR....India in written form, Part I.

Just in case anyone has actually noticed my absence from the blogging world...No? Oh well...I was away, now I'm back, just fyi :) So we've cleared that up, ok cool...

So where am I back from? Travels! Again! Lucky me :)

Where to this time? India. It had to be done really. Pretty sure as an Israeli citizen, if I hadn't gone to India that at some point my citizenship would have been revoked. It's just one of those things, one of the travel destinations that Israelis sort of must do. It's on a kind of generally accepted, unwritten list of things that Israelis must do, or know how to do. Like playing Sheshbesh (backgammon), or knowing how to barter, or being really good at arguing and pushing in, even for those of us who may not actually like doing it, but the know how is there. INCIDENTALLY, knowing how to barter and argue and push in turn out to be good skills to have if you go to India. So yeah...back to that. For anyone that may actually read this blog, I'ma tell you about my Indian adventure right about....NOW.

Let me just preface whatever comes next with saying that I absolutely loved it. That must be said cos it is a crazy, chaotic country so if some of what I say sounds like maybe I didn't love it, well then let it be known that I did. And I am dying to go back....and I WILL be back. Hopefully with a more resilient stomach next time, but I'll get to that later.

So....India. Why, how, where?

WHY

Apart from the obvious, "why not?", I actually had an amazing opportunity come up, so I decided to seize it, perhaps somewhat irrationally. Irrationally, cos what I should have done at the time I made the decision to go was pursue stable employment, pay off debt, acknowledge I'd already done my annual overseas trip for the year, and yeah, be like all responsible and shit. But in hindsight it all worked out well, so I'm happy with my decision, and 'meh' for rationality.

So what was the opportunity? Well, I had heard about a trip that was being organised for Australian young professionals by The Joint Distribution Committee; An organisation, that while little known (at least by my generation) in Australia, I was certainly aware of, more in an Israeli context because of their historical involvement in my home country. It was the first trip of its kind to be targeted at an Australian audience, for 10 days in India. I was keen, I applied and I got in. So far so good, hurray.

The purpose of the trip was to learn about, and engage with the local Indian Jewish community. Sounded interesting since admittedly, apart from having two good friends in Sydney with an Indian Jewish background, I knew very little about this community, so different from my Ashkenazi (IE Eastern European) Jewish background.

HOW AND WHERE

Ok, fast forward. Off we went to India. I decided to extend my stay past the 10 day program and spent a month in total in 'incredible India', as their tourist campaigns so aptly call this truly incredible country. Myself and two friends arrived 4 days prior to the start of the program, and did our own exploring for those days. We landed in Mumbai on the west coast, the mid-point between the distinct North and South regions of India, and what has been described as India's most cosmopolitan city.

So, what's Mumbai like? People say you either love it or you hate it. Me? I'm a city girl through and through, live it, breathe it, love it and so I loved it. What can I say, compared to other places I've visited, it's completely nuts. Not nuts like New York City, or Vegas, or Tel Aviv (none of which I'll even try and explain, here's hoping you've been there or have your own image of these anyway), but just nuts in it's own special way. Firstly, it's heavily populated. 22 million people leave there. That is, all of Australia's population living in the one city. So Aussies: That means no Aussie dream here of a stand alone house, it's all built up. Apartment buildings and a high rate of population density, much as you'd expect from the second most populated country in the world really. FUN FACT: Amongst all of this, Mumbai is actually home to the world's most expensive home. 27 stories, built for a family of four, though uninhabited because it doesn't conform to the Indian principles of vastu shastra (read: Indian Feng Shui) - fascinating!!

Secondly, the roads. Oh. My. G-d. Marked lanes? Meh, let's form our own. Road rules? Yeah, that's optional. Walking into oncoming traffic? That's cool, the cars will stop for you eventually. Seat belts fitted in cars? Overrated. Side view mirrors? Nahhh, those will be clipped off in an hour, max. Rear view? Yeah, no, you just look out for the car in front of you, the cars behind you will do the same for you. AWESOME. Somehow, it works. Rule #1 about India: Don't question, just surrender to the madness, accept and enjoy.

Then of course there's cows, this relates to all of India of course. Poking their heads into stores? Sure, what, they're not allowed to browse? Perched on a hill that you yourself barely made it up? Makes perfect sense. Bumming on a Goan beach? Why should humans alone have all the fun? In the middle of aforementioned busy roads? Hey, they're holy and they'll do what they want, get it yet?

Apart from that, Mumbai is colourful, diverse and very very interesting. It has a mix of Indian traditions, along with colonial landmarks and modern western influences. You'll see beautiful women clad in the traditional Sarees, Punjabis and others which on a complete side note I cannot spell right now because Wikipedia is down (I could cry...), alongside men & women in all the latest western fashions. The same applies for everything else. In case you had any doubts (I didn't..) all the modern luxuries are available here, although we did notice that apple products are not as popular here, which suited me fine as a stubbornly anti-apple-fangirl personally. Oh yes, and another thing about India: everyone really is obsessed with cricket (*yawn*), much more so than Aussies I reckon. Hockey is also quite popular there apparently. The sport that is, not Joe Hockey (ewww...)

Mumbai highlights for me:

1. The sea is always a highlight for me. I can't say it's the cleanest (pollution levels in India are pretty awful...you can never rid yourself of the pollution induced dirt under your fingernails, I gave up), but it's still pretty to look at. On our 4th day in India prior to the JDC program starting we took a ferry from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, an hour long boat trip, very serene and calming, and especially beautiful on our trip back to the mainland as the sun was setting.

2. Mani Bhavan - Where Gandhi had lived, currently a museum. I learnt a lot about his character, actions, the quit India movement and India's quest for independence there. As a political enthusiast I was fascinated, and as a humanist I am completely awe inspired by the man. What struck me the most: there was a copy of a letter Gandhi had sent to Hitler, pretty much on the eve of World War II appealing to him as the man capable of preventing the war. As we know, that didn't *quite* help so much, but as the granddaughter of holocaust survivors I certainly appreciate the gesture. Particularly given it originated from a man in a country with its own problems to deal with and quite removed from the situation. This was however, just one of many things I learnt about Gandhi, with relation to his visions on issues like women's rights which were well ahead of his time, and generally his humble, forgiving and humane approach to all. Really inspiring stuff.

3. Food - Ok so yes I did get food poisoning. Pretty much everyone who goes to India does. But I still love Indian food and it was very very yummy. Even if I can't stomach it at all right now and probably won't again for a while....And Mum, if you're reading this: YES, I ate the street food. YES, I know everyone advises against this. SURE, I could have been more careful than I was, I KNOW my stomach is not conditioned to it etc etc etc. BUT....I didn't get sick from street food. Against advice given to me, I didn't eat only steamed food. I didn't eat only in places where I could see the kitchen. I did eat fried foods. And that was all fine. The food there is fabulous and delicious. Ultimately what we estimate and what others have since told me about their travel experiences is that you need to be more careful of western food because chances are restaurants don't know how to properly preserve western food they prepare = a recipe for getting sick. Anyway, forget all that. Food = two thumbs up.

4. Shopping - Anyone who has ever being in my room knows this is an illness for me. I have wayyyy too many clothes/shoes/jewellery/bags/stuff (internet readers....please don't rob me :p) already. I promise I was good. I didn't go crazy. But shopping is hella cheap. And there's a lot of beautiful stuff. So who can resist??

5. Mumbai trains - they are crazy! People jump on, people jump off, the train is still moving, personal space - what is that anyway? But, it's fun! The city trains have male compartments and female compartments, and the female compartments are wayyyyy more fun. And either way, Mumbai traffic is so crazy that a train is MUCH faster than catching a taxi, even if for tourists catching a taxi is still so cheap compared to home, definitely compared to stupidly expensive Sydney taxi fares. Anyway, tacking onto highlight no. 4, travelling in the women's compartment means the prospects for more shopping! I didn't actually buy anything, but you can probably buy ANYTHING on the train if you want. The men's compartments are always way too full for that. But for the women, if unlike me, you're not too busy creepily admiring how pretty all the women's sarees and stuff are and once you move past the jealousy of how bloody good they are at making crazy colour schemes work, and accessorising with awesome scarves you can do a LOT of shopping on the train. You can buy wallets, handbags, nail polish, hair accessories, random toys and sometimes even food (if you dare). It's pretty fun going through the stuff all the sellers have to offer, some practical, some completely random, and I also really liked how they just pass it all around for people to browse and noone steals anything, there's a complete trust thing going on, and it works.

So yeah, let's call that part I. When I next have a streak of motivation I'll move on to part II - The JDC program and Jewish India. Stay tuned and I hope you enjoyed reading :)

FINE. Since everyone else is talking about it...

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:38:00 +0000

....so will I.

Same sex marriage, that is. Nothing new from me really, everyone who knows me know that I support it. And to be honest, there has been so much talk about this in Australia in the lead up to Saturday (for those unaware - the issue will be debated at the ALP national conference on Saturday, considered a fateful moment for the campaign for marriage equality in Australia), that I am actually sick of hearing about it and wish it wasn't a topic of conversation anymore.

Sounds harsh, I know. I mean no offence to anyone as I do feel strongly on this issue. Don't mistake my annoyance with indifference or trivialisation of this issue, that is not what I mean.

My issue is this: I am impatient, and I get bored very easily. I have never been diagnosed but I wouldn't be shocked if I actually have ADD. Actually, I'm not really impatient. I just hate hate hate wasting time. And what it has now boiled down to for me is that I can't believe we are still having this discussion, on this issue.

Now that we're on the topic of things I hate (strong word, I know), you know what else I hate? "Cliqueyness". Exclusivity. Always have. I find it a big turnoff, when people feel they need to exclude others, even if it's not me being excluded. It demonstrates a lot about the character of an individual or a group in my opinion, and I just don't like it.

I have never felt the need to be part of the "IT crowd" and if I've been in an environment that has an "IT crowd" my default reaction is disdain. And notwithstanding that view, I am blessed with a wide social circle of wonderful people, all of who have been hand-picked carefully to be part of my life - but never to the exclusion of others!

So where am I going with this? Well, the closer this Saturday gets, the more media coverage, political debates and commentary I am exposed to on the issue of same sex marriage, the more I have a heightened sense of exclusivity, between those able to marry to the exclusion of others who are not. And right now, I can't say anything more clever or sophisticated than it just pisses me off. It just seems to me like one group of people excluding a group of others from what they have. To me, it seems quite simple, that this is what it boils down to. The way I look at it is this: Leaving prejudice out, how would you explain to a 5 year old child why supposedly one group of people can marry and another group can't? I would imagine it'd be something like "because boys should marry girls, and girls should marry boys. Girls can't marry girls, and boys can't marry boys." Followed by a standard child's response "But why?" Children see through a hollow response with amazing clarity when they don't think they've received an adequate response. I have listened over and over to arguments opposing marriage equality and it always comes down to the same reaction, like a child, "But Why?" I haven't heard a compelling argument as yet.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I respect that. And I doubt that writing this will change any minds on the issue, I'm not writing with that intent.

I just can't help but think what a waste of time it is talking on and on about this issue when, at the end of the day, I don't think it's anybody's business. And just in case I haven't pissed anybody off yet by writing this, let me go a step further. I think dreadlocks look awful. I think girls who wear very short skirts look skanky. I think as a girl having a full sleeve tatt is unfeminine. I think a lot of things about a lot of different things to do with lifestyle, dress sense, appearances, behaviour etc. But I think what I think because it's just not what I would do. But....I know people who have dreads, girls who wear short skirts, have full sleeve tatts. And they are not feral, or skanky, or unfeminine. They are beautiful, and interesting, and unique, and what I would hate on me I love and appreciate in them, for who they are and how they choose to express it.

I could never picture myself being romantically involved with a person of the same gender. Doesn't do it for me. I also don't fully understand how a person can be attracted to both genders, and I can't at all wrap my head around the concept of genderlessness, I don't get it, at all. But I have some amazing friends who are in same sex relationships, or same sex attracted, or bi-sexual or very passionate about gender theory and social constructs that surround it. It is part of what makes them who they are in this world, and it is part of the package of people I know and love. And like people with dreads, or short skirts and many tattoos, it doesn't affect me, at all.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not drawing a parallel between choosing how to wear your hair, or get inked ( I have a tattoo as well..), or where you shop and being gay or bi, which I don't believe is a choice one makes. I am just saying, none of these things affect me personally, like, at all. Trust me, I LOVE a good whinge and if they did affect me personally in any way, I'd whinge until I'm blue in the face. No really, I would. Any poor bugger who's had the misfortune of being on the other end of the phone when, as a consumer, I've been overcharged or ripped off, or otherwise feel I've been wronged will tell you I will not let it go until I'm happy with the outcome I want. Any friends who've overheard me on said conversations will have a good laugh knowing what an angry me on a mission is like.

So seriously, why am I still talking about this? Why is anyone still talking about this?

I believe in G-d. I believe that there is only one judge in our lives and that is G-d. If I am wrong about my views on this, or any other issue, G-d will be my judge. And I believe that He will be the judge of others, on this or any other issue. Now you may not believe in G-d. That's cool too. Doesn't change anything, really. Who are we to judge others on matters that are completely harmless and victimless and are just none of anyone's f***in' business, really?

So yeah, can't we just legalise this already and then, oh I don't know, talk about the stuff that ACTUALLY affects all of us?

PS check out this video of a child's response to a married gay couple. Game of Ping Pong anyone?

PPS In the interest of disclosure: I am a member of the ALP right.

Gilad Shalit to be released...personal reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:57:00 +0000

More to come after it actually happens, but I just wanted to share some of my thoughts at this moment.

A little over 3 years ago, when kidnapped Israeli soldiers Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were returned, no longer alive, from Hizballah captivity in the last prisoner swap undertaken by Israel, I wrote a note on facebook about their return to Israel, in coffins.

Reflecting on this now, while hoping accounts are true and Gilad Shalit who is about to be released from Hamas captivity after 5 years is ALIVE, I remembered this note because of the third last paragraph, about the sanctity of life and the honour of those who serve their country, and the duty to bring them home.

I wrote that note when I was very sad and pained that day. You can read the note at the bottom of this post. I hope in the next few days to share a different type of emotion. We are all waiting to see Gilad back home. An entire nation has been hoping, praying, dreaming, campaigning for this day to come.

Last year, when visiting Israel, I was happy to have the opportunity to take part in one day of the March for Gilad Shalit, in the Netanya (my home town) leg of the march. It is hard to put down in words what that day felt like. 15,000 people were reported to have marched that day. For 6 hours, in the middle of the day, middle of summer in the harsh Israeli heat. Young and old, secular and religious, from all walks of life. I have not been back to experience the recent social protests this summer in Israel, but it was said there was a sense of unity and mutual vision. That's what the march last year felt like. Gilad's father, Noam Shalit, led the way. Everyone was united and in high spirits. Those who couldn't march greeted us along the way, residents of the small towns along the route, handing out water and fruit, all voluntarily, to encourage the marchers on their way. Gilad Shalit was everyone's son, brother, friend, everyone came out to show their desire for his return. It was very special and inspiring to see so many people come out and share solidarity about one person's ill fate to be held captive.

15,000 marching for Shalit, July 2010

Later in my trip, while visiting Jerusalem, we visited the protest tent for Shalit outside the PM's home. It was late in the evening and the Shalit family were not there that evening. But still, people flocked there, and the tent was constantly visited by supporters, messages of support hanging up everywhere.

Shalit protest tent, Jerusalem, July 2010

And already, voices are piping up saying the price of his release is too heavy. 1000 terrorists for one person, what will this bring for Israel's future security? I don't know the answer to that. Military experts can speculate, in a much more learned manner than I can, and maybe they are right. But I think today, like most people, I choose to go with my heart, not my head.

Yes, I know the price of terror. Everyone who has lived in Israel during any of the wars or intifadas, as I have, knows the price. I can recall every single attack that happened in Netanya during the second intifada. The panic, the franticness, the cellular lines crashing, trying to do the call around, finding out where everyone is and are they ok. When you find out your loved ones are ok, relief is almost instantly replace with guilt, because someone else's loved ones aren't ok. If it's not anyone you know, it's someone that someone you know knows. Every time. Netanya, a coastal city on the Eastern border of the Mediterranean sea, was hit very hard in the height of the second intifada, being located a mere 14km's from the West Bank, the Palestinian territories. Some things never leave your memory, and I remember exactly what it was like in those days. The well known Passover Massacre, carried out by the current Palestinian governing party, Hamas, took place at the Park Hotel, on the street I lived in at the time, in the hall where my cousin had held his Bar Mitzva approximately 6 months earlier.

Yet, as I said, 15,000 people from Netanya joined the march that day. My former fellow residents, who like me had been scarred emotionally by the effects of terror, whether personally losing someone or not. The pain and trauma is shared by all. The parents, grandparents, siblings, friends of those we have lost, what would they give if they could get their loved ones back? Those we have already lost, we can never get back. But Gilad Shalit, we can get him back. We want him back. We all want to see him alive, hopefully. Smiling, hugging his parents once again. We want to add him on facebook, though he doesn't know what facebook is. We want to write on his wall, welcome back, through our smartphones, though he's probably never heard of an iphone before. We want to see him catch up on everything he has missed, let him know we've been thinking of him, all of us.

Yes, this is not a strategic argument. It is purely sentimental. But that is what humans are, or should be. We have a heart. Can't wait to welcome you back, Gilad. We've been thinking of you.

A Very Sad Day.....

on Thursday, 17 July 2008 at 03:32

It's a very sad day today in Israel. After 2 years of uncertainty, the fate of the 2 kidnapped soldiers Udi Goldwasser & Eldad Regev who were kidnapped into Lebanon by Hizbollah terrorists has finally become known as the two were returned to Israel today, in coffins.

I think it's shattering. You might think, they've been gone for 2 years now, surely the family has prepared themselves for the likelihood of this outcome, surely they must have built up thick skin to deal with this possibility. But I doubt that very much. I believe that no matter what you keep telling yourself, trying to prepare yourself for the worst, it's human nature to always keep that flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, it isn't so, maybe they are still alive. And when you find out that your worst fears and thoughts are a reality and that flicker of hope as been completely extinguished, that's a big, big crash. I don't think any words that you say or any thoughts that you think, any scenarios you conceive can ever prepare you for that. And to say it's tragic, to say it's distressing, to say it's terrible, doesn't begin to cover it. No words can.

And I don't claim to understand and sense the full weight of what that actually means. But with the hope of the soldier's families came the love, support and hope of the whole of Israel. And with that hope being put out entirely, I believe any Israeli, or any decent, compassionate human being who has followed the period of their captivity feels that little knot in their stomach, feels a share of the overwhelming pain that the family is no going through, finding out this terrible outcome. There is no comfort in that. I don't believe that closure in knowing the fate of your loved on, or the fate of these brave men who endangered themselves for the good of others, for the good of Israel, provides any consolation at all. How can there ever be closure when they never got to say goodbye? When their deaths were untimely and unnecessary?

I feel it is a very bleak day today. And it serves as another spine-tingling reminder of the kind of evil we are faced with. To face people so cruel, so ruthless that they make no attempt to spare the lives of those held captive. And feel no guilt in withholding the fate of their captives from the world, including the red cross. They hold no value for human life, a kidnapped soldier can just as well be dead or alive, as long as they are in their hands. As long as they can serve as pawns, like a game of chess, to satisfy their demands from the enemy, Israel. Their life, their intellect, their loved ones, their contribution to the world has no meaning whatsoever, they are just chess pieces, dead or alive, it's all the same.

And to those who may say that Israel is foolish for agreeing to "play the game" to negotiate the return of soldiers, whether alive or dead in exchange of terrorists, to those who say Israel therefore gives the incentive and the drive for more kidnappings, think again. I am extremely proud that Israel can set itself a part in such a way. No soldier will ever be left behind, ever. To Israel, a soldier is not just an instrument of war, that plays his/her part whatever that may entail. Sure, you swear to devote yourself to your country, in life or in death as duty requires. But in doing so, you can trust that in Israel, your actions will not go unrecognised. A soldier is a living, breathing human being, with a support system, a hunger for life, potential to realise, thoughts, plans, desires. And when a soldier is killed in duty, we owe it to them to let them rest in peace, on Israeli soil, where we can thank them , cherish them, and honour them for their courage and willingness to give in belief of their contribution for the good of the rest. And in agreement as well as disagreement in the rights or wrongs of the objectives they set out to achieve in their duty, paying the ultimate price is deserving of honour. A soldier is not less valuable and important in death than in life. For what they have given, we owe them in return, for following through what they believed to be right for the greater good of everyone. A hefty price is a worthwhile price to pay for the honour of a fallen soldier. It is an enlightened nation, that which values life by honouring death, that will do what it takes to bring their soldiers home, dead or alive to receive the honour and respect that they deserve. Because we do care, all of us.

I am proud to be a citizen of a country that fights for their people to the end. Through life and death, no human will ever be faceless again, no one is left behind, every human is important, whether deceased or living.

My thoughts are with the families of the fallen soldiers today, may they rest in peace and may their families find comfort in us all to try and achieve the unthinkable and somehow, some day, pull through this devastating atrocity.

יהי זכרם ברוך.

A New Year - Personal Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:28:00 +0000

A new Jewish year started today. The year 5772 to be exact. Like most people I know, I don't closely follow the Jewish calender throughout the year, and could not tell you on a given date what the hebrew date is on that day. However, the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana, is a special day, and one I love to celebrate. So, the Jewish new year is as good a time as any to reflect over the last 12 months. I kind of feel compelled to write this, perhaps as a cathartic exercise, who knows...

The last 12 months have been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. Incredible highs, and difficult lows. I have had some amazing, memorable, experiences and some challenging times too. What has there been?

12 months minus 9 days ago, on 8th October 2010 to be exact (as I said, not so good with the Jewish dates), I graduated from university. It was a fun day and I was very lucky to have my Dad, his girlfriend and my half sister come all the way from Israel, as well as my Aunt from Italy, to celebrate the occasion with me. This was important to me and meant a lot. While I have made my choices and have no regrets, and that includes enduring the distance between myself and my family (for now..), family is still VERY important to me. To my family, if you're reading this, I know I am not always the best at keeping in touch and am perpetually busy, but I do love you all very very much. When I moved to Australia nearly 5 years ago, I didn't know whether I could last without having family around, and while I have managed, it has definitely been one of the hardest things for me. So having family here for my graduation was a big thing.

On GRADUATING....looking back 12 months on. I feel I have learnt a lot, but still feel like I am looking for the opportunity to take my first step into a career pathway. Unusually for me, I have had 2 jobs in the past 12 months, and have realised neither were the right ones for me. I have learnt from this though and I think I am now at least slightly more sure about what I'd actually like to do professionally. The two positions I have held have helped me get to that and for that I am grateful. Last year, as a 27 year old university graduate, I could not help but look at others my age who've been there and done that to try and "study" what the next stage - the professional, careerist stage- of my life SHOULD be like. What I have learnt is there is no one way. Some people know all along what they want and are able to pursue it down to the last detail, almost flawlessly. I admire those people, who know what they want and and just go, go, go till they get it. Others, like myself, are not so sure, have several career interests and have to go through the process of picking one before heading down the career path.

I have had to remind myself, repeatedly, that latest research shows that people will change careers an average 5-7 times in their working life (!!) I always thought that was surely wrong, unusual and not something I can imagine actually happening. Truth is though, again looking at friends my age who finished their studies some 5 years earlier than me, I can already see the first career changes taking place. Realising this is actually quite comforting. While I do plan on hopefully following one path for a while yet, knowing that things are not as fatal as they seem, that it is ok to make changes if you feel things aren't what you wanted is reassuring as I try to navigate my way through the early stages of my professional life.

TRAVEL, of course. What is a year in the life of me without travel. There has been the usual domestic travel - twice Melbourne, once Canberra, pretty much an annual routine by now. This year I have added the Hunter Valley to that mix, a first for me. However, most of you who know me, will know by now that it's all about international travel for moi. I have been VERY fortunate to have been able to travel internationally at least once a year, every year, and this year has been no different. What has been different is destination. For the first time since I moved to Sydney, I have not been, and have made no plans, to visit Israel this year. This has been hard, I miss it very much, but circumstances have dictated it to be so.

Instead.....this year I went to Vegas! I was incredibly lucky to have been sent there on a work conference in April this year. Yep, work. Not to worry though, plenty of time for play too. Vegas, what can I say. Surreal, fun, incredible, everything you can imagine it is and then some. 3 days of conference plus clubbing, drinking, partying with workmates who are friends and a helicopter trip landing inside the grand canyon too, for good measure. Just amazing. The grand canyon is huge, rugged, and stunning. That, and not somewhere I ever thought I would get to go, so again, I count myself lucky.

The most meaningful thing that came out of this business trip for me, however, was what came after. Kind of like a two-in-one epic WIN experience. Following Vegas, I got to fulfil a long time DREAM and fly to New Yorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkk, concrete jungle where dreams are made offffffffffffff. The second part of how fantastic this was is that it just happened that it was Pesach (Passover for the non-Jews). You may think, why is this fantastic, when it means that the one time I've finally made it to New York the rules of Pesach meant I could not enjoy all the food NYC is known for - the bagels, New York style pizza, sandwich bars, etc. This is all true, and was kinda frustrating, albeit as good a reason as any to ensure that I must return there one day. Well, the reason that the time was fantastic is that Pesach in Israel = week long holiday for the students (my little sis) and the teachers (my Mama). So, off they went, my Mum and two sisters and met me in New York for the week. This meant, for the first time in 5 years, I was able to spend at least one of the Jewish holidays with my family. Jewish holidays are important in my family. We always get together and celebrate them together, and it's always a special occasion. One I had not experienced for a long long time. Holidays without my family never gets easier, no matter how much time passes. So spending Pesach with family.....I do not have the words to express just HOW MUCH this meant to me. Whenever I hear people belittle the holidays, say it's not a big deal, who cares, etc., I feel a little pinch in my heart. How easily some people take for granted what they have, and others don't.....but maybe that's just me.

SMACHOT - Hebrew for Joyous occasions. I love them. Can't get enough. In the past 12 months, I've been to 3 weddings, 1 engagement and 3 of my friends have had babies. I love sharing in the happiness of others.

FRIENDSHIPS. I love people...Some might say I'm too social, as I almost always prefer the company of others over being alone - a rare occasion for me. Not because I am not comfortable being in my own company, just my extroverted and social nature to always seek to spend time with others and meet new people. It has been an interesting year for friendships. I have made some incredible friends who I hold very near and dear, and experienced some hurtful let downs too..I've come to realise I've lost close friends I thought I'd have forever, and also regained close friends I thought I'd already lost forever. I've met some very special, beautiful, warm and inspiring people, and some people I thought may be a big part of my life, but turned out not to be so. In the absence of family nearby, or a long term partner, friendships mean a lot to me and I work hard to develop and maintain them. My friends are my rock, my support system, my source of smiles and laughter. Sometimes they are also a source of let down and tears being shed. My friendships bring out a range of emotions, mostly good, sometimes bad, but they are what keep me going in life.

COMMUNITY. Something I find increasingly important as time goes by. I believe everyone needs to be a part of a community of some sort, whatever that may be. I believe myself to be a part of two. The Jewish community, and the Inner West community. I attend a lot of Jewish events and volunteer a lot of my time within the community. It gives me a sense of pride in my identity, and a comfort in being accepted for who I am without the need to explain who I am and what it's all about. Being one of only 0.5% of Jews out of the entire population, the sense of familiarity is comfortable. The more I learn about our Jewish community, the more I learn about what different individuals and organisations within the community are doing, for the good of our community and for the greater good, particularly around social justice and charity, the more inspired I am to be a part of it. When I experience all the opportunities the community creates for enrichment through spiritual, intellectual and cultural events and experiences, the more I count myself lucky to be able to take part in it.

I love the Inner West too. I love the diversity, the quirkiness, the individuality - even when the individuality is expressed uniformly. I love the casualness and the lack of judgement, the live and let live attitude which you just don't get in Bondi these days, where I used to live. I love the art and the culture, the never ending creativity and passions people have, what others refer to as the "inner city trendy lifestyle". It is a wonderful lifestyle and I make no apologies for it.

This year, through an almost comical, adverse, chain of events has also seen the creation of a real sense of community of INNER WESTERN JEWS. A previously disparate group of individuals who have made the Inner West their home, and all happen to be Jews. It is often the case that a sense of crisis tends to bring people together, and this is what has happened to Inner Western Jews this year. We banded together to oppose BDS, and came out not only victorious in our initial aims, but came out stronger and more cohesive as an actual community. Call us hippies, lefties, fringe-dwellers or whatever you like, it is an open, accepting and wonderful sprouting community and I am a lot richer for being a part of it.

LOVE. Ever elusive....it's a rocky road, but I still believe in it, still looking... :p

CONCLUSIONS. Always look on the bright side of life, it's my motto. My hopes for the next year: Keep enjoying the positive moments, the friendships and the good experiences. Cherish the small things that make me happy, if it's a free Ben & Jerry's ice cream at Broadway shopping centre, a sunny day spent at the beach or a lazy day spent sleeping in, whatever it is. Learn the lessons from the low points, expectations unmet, let downs, heartbreak, may they keep making me stronger. Continuing to pursue my passions - personal, political, social, whatever they may be. Keep challenging myself to new experiences, striving for success - professional, social, romantic....And the usual - exercise more, rest more etc.

If you have bothered to read this far - well done for reading my self-indulgent rant. I am thankful for what I have, what I have lost and what I am yet to work to gain,and if you are reading this, chances are you have played some part in all of that, in a small or big way.

SHANA TOVA!!!!!!

Dick Smith threatens to "out" rich who don't donate to charity

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:56:00 +0000

According to this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Now, I know he means well, and I am ALL for giving to charity. But seriously, Dick Smith is in my opinion....shall I say....true to his first name.

Giving to charity should be a moral obligation that one feels upon him or her self. Trying to coerce others to donate money to charity using threats of embarrassing them is not only unhelpful, but really, quite condescending. No one likes a whinging, know-it-all goody goody, no matter how generous and well intentioned you are.

Don't even get me started on moral absolutism as a whole. I'm sorry, but the world is just not that black and white. Smith claims he has approached the major charities and done research to prove that Australia's wealthy don't donate in secret, and this can be seen by the lack of tax deductions sought for charitable donations. Now it is probably true that the wealthy know how to work their annual tax statements to their advantage better than anyone else, but....it is still possible that they are just not claiming their deductions. And excuse me for casting doubt on the supposed depth of Dick Smith's "research".

Now, I am not advocating for the rich here. My first point is that Dick Smith is a whinging pain in the arse.

I do have another point though. Let's look at this issue from the point of view of taxation vs. philanthropy. Once you dig below Smith's whiny little bitch rant, that's what it really comes down to, isn't it? I don't claim to be an expert on this, but I do have my own opinion on the matter.

In layman's terms, it's like this. The right wing in any given country, in times of economic hardship, argue for tax breaks. This goes to the so-called principle of "trickle-down economics". If the wealthy prosper, the economic effects will trickle down and all of society will benefit as a result. Now I am hardly (IE: not at all) a socialist, BUT, all you need to do is look at statistics of income distribution to question the validity of this argument.

Take Australia as an example. According to the ABS, in 2009-2010, the households in which those with the lowest 20% of income live accounted for 15% of total household net worth. Those in the second lowest quintile accounted for 13%, the third quintile accounted for 14%, the fourth quintile 18% and the households in which the highest 20% of income live accounted for 40% of total household net worth. In theory, equal income distribution would mean that each quintile would account for exactly 20% of total household net worth - proportionate to their representation on the income scale. Clearly, this is not the case (and in Australia, it's not too bad compared to some other places).

Ok, so I'm going off on a bit of a tangent here. I'll let others draw their own conclusions on what this means about the theory of trickle down economics. However, in times of economic hardship as we are seeing today, with talks of a double dip recession as a result of the GFC, the question of who needs to contribute what to alleviate the situation is being discussed repeatedly. The rich, and large corporations, get accused of being greedy and exploitative. I am not going to get into that.

Let's assume that the wealthy do need to contribute more, whether through taxes or philanthropy. Super wealthy American businessman Warren Buffet argues that the rich should be taxed more, basically because they can afford it. The counter argument, presumably Dick Smith's point, is that if more rich Australians committed to philanthropy, that wouldn't be necessary. He cites philanthropy standards in the US as an example of what should be, but isn't, in Australia.

My view is this: I don't disagree with Dick Smith, only with his coercive method of proposing to change the situation. The argument against raising taxes on the rich is that it is more government intervention, "big government", which goes against the liberal economic view that government should intervene as little as possible, and the market is the most efficient way of achieving equitable outcomes. In a perfect world, I might be inclined to agree. In a perfect world, no one would need to be coerced into contributing more money for the greater good, either through higher taxes or attempts to force philanthropy. That would certainly be ideal.

However, in the real world, it doesn't quite work that way. I am a realist. I think that unfortunately, people can't be trusted to always consider the greater good. We live in a selfish world. I would absolutely LOVE to be proven wrong on that. Therefore, at least until it can be proven that society can self organise to contribute generously within their means, without a need for higher taxation for higher income brackets, I feel it is a necessary action. Whether that means the mining tax, raising income taxes, or whatever is seen as the most efficient way to do it.

Back to Dick Smith. Here's a suggestion: Why not take a page out of Warren Buffet an Bill Gate's book? Instead of threatening people like Smith, Buffet and Gates last year announced The Giving Pledge. They have been setting an example and lobbying others to donate to charity and pledge to give away significant chunks of their fortunes to charitable causes. Isn't that a much nicer way to go about things? Surely Mr Smith could embark on a similar initiative down under? Or does he really think that Australia's wealthiest are greedier than the Americans?

Oh, and one last thing Mr Smith: NO ONE likes someone who thinks and acts like they are better than you. True story.

Max Brenner Protests in Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:33:00 +0000

The image here is a photo taken tonight by a friend in Melbourne - of police in anticipation of a scheduled protest by anti-Israel activists outside Max Brenner Chocolate Shop in Melbourne.

It is absolutely disgusting that police resources should have to be utilised in this way due to the bigotry of those so blinded by hatred of Israel that they have prevented members of the public from dining at Max Brenner - whose only 'crime' is that it happens to be a Jewish owned business.

This goes far beyond the legitimate right to criticise Israeli policy, singling out a Jewish business is never OK and highlights the true agenda of anti-Israel activists, who amongst their boycott calls also suggest a boycott of Westfields Shopping Centres (see my post on this here).

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the communists
and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me -
and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.

The German anti-Nazi activist,
Pastor Martin Niemöller

Last night in Newtown...

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:48:00 +0000

Generally you'd expect that sentence to end in something like "I drank too much/met some weird people/something crazy happened" etc. Not what I'm about to say.

Last night in Newtown I co-organised an event. We hosted Sulaiman Khatib from the Al Quds Association for Democracy, a Palestinian ex-combatant turned peace activist. Though not in the hateful socialist and resistance group sense, or the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) sense, but a REAL peace activist.

Based in Ramallah, Khatib has the courage, together with others to speak out and challenge violence and advocate another way: bringing Israelis and Palestinians together, out of an understanding that fear and hatred of the other is best resolved by getting to know the other, understanding we are all human, and we all want to live in dignity and be able to thrive as human beings.

As an Israeli, this is significant to me, because Israelis seldom have the chance of meeting Palestinians. And in Sydney, when all you hear about the conflict from the Palestinians so-called perspective is screaming radicals with a mad look of hatred in their eyes, the majority of whom are not even Palestinian, it is partly a novelty, and partly a breath of fresh air. Sulaiman is here as a part of the AFL Peace Team, a joint initiative with The Israeli Peres Centre for Peace, bringing together Israelis and Palestinians in the one team to cast aside differences and focus on commonalities through sport. He brings an inspiring message, one that doesn't sugar coat the complexities and problems faced by the Palestinians, but at the same time, a rational message, one where Israel is not to blame for all the world's problems, and not all of the Palestinian's problems either. Basically, bringing to Australia the realisation of the majority of moderates on the Israeli and Palestinian sides, that we don't want to hate, we want the day to arrive when peace is possible, we want peace and we want to focus on achieving it, not on hating one another.

This is what the BDS crowd in the comfort of their far-removed, middle class Aussie lives don't understand. Spreading hatred, separating the two sides only leads to polarisation, and withdrawal of well meaning people who have to "pick a side". It's a natural psychological reaction to then toughen your stance. Easier to dehumanise the conflict and distance yourself emotionally from the "other side" when you don't know them and don't have to face them. The fears, the suspicions, the fighting and loss of lives in Israel and the Palestinian territories is tragic enough, without the BDS movement trying to import the conflict to otherwise calm communities where people just want to live their lives in harmony.

Last night in Newtown was an achievement. In that hall, 7 months ago to the day, a group was founded. To provide a voice for Jews and their friends in the Inner West, and have our voices heard. In opposition to BDS and in favour of dialogue and bringing people together. We wanted to fight the policy introduced by Marrickville council in late 2010, to boycott and disinvest from Israeli companies and products with which the council does business. Councillors said they didn't even know there were any Jews living in the area. By last night, some of those BDS advocates, including from council, knew we existed. They sat in that same hall where it all began, for us, and listened to what we had to say.

Where any minds changed last night? Probably not, that wasn't the purpose. But last night it was clear that our views and presence cannot be ignored. Approximately 80 people came together from within our tiny Inner West Jewish community, with less than a week's notice, and the message was clear. We have a voice. We want to understand the Palestinians and support grassroots efforts for peace. We are not extremists, we are not haters, we want to talk and we are willing to listen. Loving Israel, is not something to be ashamed of. Being a Zionist is not a dirty word.

Last night in Newtown, our voices were heard.

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Dee) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +0000

This is officially my first blog post, so welcome!

Bit more about me:

I like: useless trivia facts. Sleeping. Ice Cream. Socialising. Politics. Activism. Technology (but not apple). Dress up parties.Karaoke.Mad Mex. Travelling. In any order..

What I'm doing right now: listening to some mind numbing electro music. I like electro music - but I've never been to a rave!

Notable mentions of recent times: My team won pub trivia tonight. I feel this validates my existence for a while :)

I have a black sense of humour, and most people don't pick up on my cynical delivery.

I tend to find blogging a bit narcisstic, (refer: "about me"). Don't know what that says about me, but I'm giving this a go!

Ok, enough for one night. More insightful stuff to come....