My Israeli Sojourn

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Written @ Ben Gurion Airport – Visitors’ Lounge – Tel Aviv, Israel

January 21, 2009. 5pm

Someone has said it rightly - "you have to see it to believe it". I had an example of this on my trip to Israel. I came across something, which I would have never believed, if I trusted what I had been watching on TV all my life.

On a cold, but sunny day in first week of January, I was informed by my Project Manager, that I have to travel to Israel for some workshops with the client. Being a Business Analyst I always look forward to such meetings. My first feeling was of excitement. But Israel!!!

As the idea sank in, my initial feeling of excitement was replaced with doubt and fear (psst. dont tell anyone). I was a bit scared with the thought of traveling to a country which was at war. I could imagine damaged houses, soldiers with AK-47s on the roads, fire and fumes bellowing out of buildings. All the Aaj Tak kind of “breaking news” flashed in front of my eyes.

The ongoing war was just one thing on my mind. The other thought bothering me was the kind of people I would come across. Will they be hostile, fundamentalists? Do they know English? Do they indulge in any after-office partying? With the World War II history behind them, what must be their feelings about people from other countries? Will I be able to extract “requirements” out of them? Believe me, I was not even sure whether I should go or not.

To add to the above apprehension, I came across an interesting list of Do’s and Don’ts:

• DON’T ask for milk in coffee on Thursday
• DON’T go outside the hotel alone
• DON'T discuss the Arab-Israeli situation
• DON'T bring up the Holocaust
• DON’T go near the Israel borders

Before I could give any second thoughts, I was on the flight to Tel Aviv. Just before landing in Israel, in a height of stupidity, I found myself looking out of the airplane window to see if there are any Hamas rockets flying below the plane!!!

After quite professional & swift customs and security check-up, I was out of the huge airport. The entire perception (or I must say prejudice) was shattered when I came out of the airport. I was awestruck. Was I really in Tel Aviv or in Toronto? The Arabic signs on road side reminded me that I was in fact in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Well-tarred six-lane roads, various luxury cars and huge glass covered skyscrapers welcomed me towards the city. (I was also traveling in a Mercedes C Class taxi). I went direct to the client office for the workshops. The client premises were well designed red colored buildings with a 10 feet fountain at the entrance. The interior of the offices was better than many MNC offices I have seen. The conference room had all modern amenities and equipments.

I was given a warm welcome by a senior manager. I quickly realized that the guys were very professional and knowledgeable. We developed a good rapport with them immediately. There was just one technical guy who knew their entire system end-to-end (Billing-CRM, OSS and Network elements). No wonder Israelis are known as some of the most intelligent guys under the sun.

Over the weekend (which is Friday and Saturday in Israel) we went for a party. We went to a restaurant serving continental food. I was impressed to hear their knowledge of different items on the menu and their taste for great food and wine. Over the dinner we discussed their favorite hang-out places, hobbies and other interests. The guys turned to be quite “cool”.

After they broached the topic, we discussed their feelings about the Holocaust. (I was surprised to hear that some of them even had German friends). We even discussed what is driving the Arab-Israel conflict.

The next day we hired a taxi (whose driver’s name was “Israel”) to take us around the city. He took us straight to Jerusalem!! Once we reached there, I realized why the place could be easily termed as the most important place in the history of man kind. Jerusalem has a Church, a Synagogue and a Mosque with a common wall!!! I was awestruck (again!) when I was told that I was standing at a place where Jesus Christ was crucified and whose history goes back to 3 thousand years. And most importantly the buildings were exactly the same as they stand today!!!

On our way back, we came through West Bank – with a 12 feet wall on the left of the road – the border between Israel and Palestine.

During my 7 day stay in Israel, each and every perception I had about the country was thrashed to pieces. I realized how Israel has a modern and open minded society, how technologically advanced the country is! I was amazed to see how much development a country of just 7 million people can bring about (India’s population is 1100 million). I was impressed by the manners and etiquettes that are built into each and every individual. I realized how much catching-up we have to do with this country.

The lesson I learnt from the trip was that, in today’s world, we should not carry any mental baggage or prejudice. We should respect different cultures and societies. Only an open mind can appreciate and understand their qualities and build good vibes with people from different backgrounds and geographies.

And most importantly don’t always believe what we see on TV.