1:7 Life in Tel Aviv ... working 9 till 5

Tel-Aviv is a microcosm of London, with a beach and sun of course. I have moved into an apartment in the centre of the city. The roads are slightly dirtier, the glamour of high society may not exist, but what is present is a sense of freedom in this city. I can walk the streets and feel alive. Maybe this is due to its geographical size, as here I don’t need to rely on transportation. I can wander the streets at my will. Even more so, this new found freedom derives from the fact that for once, I can be a Jew on Jewish soil in an environment that doesn’t press religious expectations; here I simply can be one as I wish.

As with every major city in the world, life can be silent and lonely in a place so bustling, noisy and overpopulated. When embarking on a new life in a foreign country, I was never quite aware of the effect this transition could have on my emotional wellbeing. Coming here, I felt stripped bare of all thing comforting and familiar. My slate was wiped clean and I could finally understand the person I was in England, my character, and all my flaws. I could have easily slipped into my boyfriend’s life, but I wanted to do this myself, the one chance I could fully understand my life so far. If I am to establish an independent life here, the only person I can rely on is me.

Work

I was fortunate to find a job quite early in my search, in a financial derivatives pricing company. I decided to put a pause on my somewhat small journalism career, an industry that doesn’t carry the prestige and pay in Israel that it does to its Western counterparts. So I decided to press on with the finance.

Despite the familiar corporate foundations to this company, the Israeli work culture was definitely something that would take a lot of adjustment. Only in Israel can the CEO get away with walking around in flip-flops and socks. No formality is applied to dress and time management. Even dialect amongst colleagues seems ‘non-business’ like, with shouting being a means to and end. A country whose economy has grown from its superior on technology on a global level still resides in operating within a system of ‘balagan’ ( Hebrew for chaos/mess) and disorganisation. Something has to give here.

Thursday’s end of week ‘happy hour’ at work consists of another common theme to every social dynamic in Israel … eating. At my place of work, on times of celebration, such as meeting sales targets, we would be invited to drinks and canapés at work. The first form of celebration at my new work place consisted of a table of food ... hummus, meat, falafel, pita bread, an array of salads. My ‘English’ expectations of wine and a few nibbles had been trashed. Any form of social gathering here seems to imply eating, and a lot of it. I partially believe it to be an influence of our Jewish roots. Eating has always seemed to be a top priority throughout my life. In Israel, this food-devoted culture seems to have extended into the workplace. But of course, I am not complaining, even if my tuchus is (‘tuchus’ is Yiddish for buttocks).

Enjoying oneself and devoting time to relaxation seems more prominent here than in London culture. Although on the flipside, this emphasis placed on life outside the workplace leaves the work environment feeling quite empty and flat. People seem to lack the drive and ambition that has been the driving force for my life back home. In London I was defined by my work, yet here I feel loss and this identity is no longer important to the people I am surrounded by. Work doesn’t seem to be an important feature to ones identity, but rather what ones hobbies are, what one enjoys to do in the evenings, or more precisely, after work. This may be a positive aspect to Tel Aviv life … I have learnt to discover that there is more to life than a job, that life can be fulfilled through so many more means … painting, photography, dancing, watching the sunset on the beach with friends. Something that was so important to me has required to take a back seat ; and through this, I am learning to enjoy life in different ways. Yet, I can’t help but feel slightly incomplete; maybe the London girl in me is still around. I am a career woman G-d dammit! One step at a time … I am considering joining a knitting group … out of work hours are so fulfilling!