...but noone said it'd be this hard.

I just got back from work (12 AM - President's Day), and I am really upset. Most probably not the best time to write a blog post, as I am sure I will write stuff I disagree with in the morning, but I feel compelled.

I have not read back over my blog, but I can recall many blog posts about how much I hate working late hours. Well this is another one. If you don't like it, skip it.

Working late hours, especially on days where you are literally busy from morning until night running around like a dog, calculating things that never add up anyways, is terrible. 'Nuff said.

Now I am tired and must go to sleep as, guess what? I have another long day tomorrow!

(This was going to be a longer post, but I've worked too much today to put any real effort into it.)

The custom of not learning X-mas eve is one I am really really good at. You know how it is recommended that you pick one mitzvah to devote yourself to? Well this is mine.

Actually I did accidentally learn last night as my computer music was on random and a shiur popped up from R. Schreiber which was excellent. So in truth, I am not even good at nittle nacht. How sad. Maybe next year.

(And yes I do believe the idea of nittle nacht is ridiculous. I can only imagine it began when one chasid was chiding another about not showing up to seder the night before and him coming up with a ridiculous excuse like, "Um, of course I wasn't in seder last night. It was Jesus's birthday, idiot..."

X-mas in Israel was unremarkable - rightfully so. I worked. (I think I did that in the States too.)

I've been busy this week - Baruch Hashem life is great. Work is terrific. I finished reading "The Happiness Hypothesis" (thank you A. Gruenspecht for that going away present), I will most likely have some things to say about the book in the future. Parts were very interesting.

A friend from YU (E. Figdor), who gave me all the advice I needed for my move (and more), is over for shabbos so that should be fun.

Since it was a slow post week I decided to leave you with some food for thought on salary comparisons between US and Israel. It looks like social workers can't use that 'ole parnassa excuse anymore. (www.tayku.com). Teachers salaries will most likely come up in the near future, and American doctor salaries will most likely go down in the USA (especially if Hillary is elected.)


Israel USA
NIS USD USD Variance
Teacher 7202 28447 44700 -36%
Doctor 18695 73845 199000 -63%
Engineer 13082 51673 85803 -40%
Soc. Workers 10237 40436 41000 -1%


Shabbat Shalom! (That's what they say here...)

Sources:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/831203.html
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/001737.html
http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2006/04/on_doctors_sala.html
http://forum.java.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5165386&tstart=0
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_HC07000039.html

Work this week was absolutely terrible. My week literally consisted of: wake up, daven, go to work, work like a crazy man, go home, sleep, and repeat.

This was my first full week in Israel but it felt exactly like New York. The only difference has been the food is better, the taxi drivers meaner, and the weather hotter. The only thing that reminded me occasionally that I'm in Israel is the exit sign that says yetziah.

On the one hand, adjustment is made so much easier this way, but on the other is this really what I moved here for? This was supposed to be a lifestyle change. If things keep up like this I may be back sooner than expected....

Part of my thought process on coming to Israel was that I was told Israeli’s don’t work hard. It now makes sense why they wanted someone from New York… This is definitely not the lifestyle change I had expected. Essentially my life has moved from working occasional 48 hour days in New York to regular 14/15 hour days in Tel Aviv. And there is VERY little downtime here because there are only two junior and several senior staff.

The funny thing is that although the work is essentially the same, I find it much more enjoyable working in Tel Aviv. I have things in Tel Aviv that I could never have in New York such as a mincha and maariv in the building and having numerous kosher restaurants within walking distance…
I really still have a hard time believing I’m working in Tel Aviv.

I also love being able to email people that I know have blackberries at 3 AM without having to wake up to do it.