Midnight thoughts: Friend

What is a friend? Often we call people in our lives friend but do we really think on what that word mean? According to the dictionary a friend is “Friendship is the cooperative and supportive relationship between people, or animals. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship that involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis.” This is one of many definitions however the one that I find myself most related to. Some people in our lives are just visitors, they enter to the show at some point, stay for a while, maybe few scenes then they do there exit. Some would even stay for a longer time but at some point they will the there big finale. Friends will stay there forever.

Why I`m talking about this now, well the past few weeks opened my eyes to many things. But the most eye opener scene was when Philip has arrived to the airport in Trieste. I think that we haven’t spend any time together, just us with no pressure of time for at least 10 month. But as soon as we met up again it was like we have never separated not even for e minute. I like him especially and mostly due to the fact that he is real and honest, I can count on him to tell me what he think even if it’s not what I want to hear and from the bottom of my heart I appreciate it.  My friends my true friends and the one that I consider as such, are similar to him, not only with those characteristics that I have mentioned but also that he respect me as who I am which means a whole lot to me.

What happen to me lately? Well, school is nothing-special same thing different day, but it turns to be more and more interesting, we have started the consulting project which we are working for companies in the area, my team is working for illy, can`t elaborate much on this at the moment but the fact that we are doing a real research regardless on what will be the result it seems to be interesting.

Other then that, last week we went skiing with the school, we were about 15 students and maybe 15 alumni, we went to Austria stayed in a nice hotel on an amazing lake, just three days of snowboarding, drinking and partying. We had great time with some great people. The snow wasn`t the best but as coming from Israel who am I to complain. After the first day one skiing I went with my roommate Jose and couple of others to the roman thermal spa, where they had a pool of hot water out side, so basically you head is freezing and the body is in hot water. The feeling was amazing, it was not long before professor Pilotto which organized this trip as many other events of the school, challenged us to stand outside in the snow in minus 5 degrees just to jump in after to see how really nice the water are. Off course we did it, off course it felt great but it was freezing and I`m not sure when and if I will stand on the snow wearing just a bathing suite......

As part of our program we suppose to do internships or be working from May to September while writing our thesis (did I talked about it before?) so the word of the day that every one is speaking about in school is “did you get an interview?” or “any news about internship”, I like it, cause I`m looking for things that I think that I would like to do in the future and I get to be exposed to interesting position and companies that I don’t know about. However naturally it leads to a competition that I don’t like (I should get used to it in the business world no?). I believe that there is room and place for everyone and that each will find his special place to work and grow I will be happy to hear about everyone of my classmates that will make it big. And me?  I dream big and aim high this is the only way I know to success, I will and am doing the best I can to pursue my dreams as Aerosmith sings “Dream on, dream on dream until your dream come true

I said a lot today in the post but didnt write much, there is a lot of things I want to tell and talk about but I`m waiting for the right moment. Egypt off course is a major topic but I`m not sure how I feel about what is happening there and how it might effect us. By us I mean Israel, the world and the business world. 

good night for now, 

IT.

Holiday is over. oh is it?

Holiday is over and we got back to school three weeks ago, however it feels like we never had an holiday I`m sure am ready for another holiday to come.
We started this semester with full power having to present a country analysis for the political analysis class. Some part of the paper and research was interesting but mainly it was a pain in you know what. But at least its behind us.
I had to present two presentations on the same day, the first the country analysis of Turkey, which we have done in a group of four, never easy to work in a group and especially in international composition groups. Different styles different standards different everything. It sure was a challenge to have this presentation and paper made in the best way possible. The second presentation was my presentation about Israel, had to present my classmates what is Israel, another challenge that is not easy and even complicated.
Off course, the easy way was is to present the history in a boring way, and the conflict from my own perception. However, as I did several times in the past I have presented my Israel.  Thus means, what I love about it, where I grew up, views that I cherish and then several facts about Israel that usually people don’t know. Facts about things that Israel had contributed to the world and was never acknowledged for.  I love the face on the audience when I expose them to facts like that the Disk on Key  (Flash Drive), the cell phone and most of Intel mobile chips were invented and even made in Israel. I believe that the world needs to know the importance of Israel in terms of contribution and innovation. This might one day change the way the worldview of Israel. We are not only conflicts and wars but we also and mainly bring important things that everyone is using daily. Every person that use a cell phone camera should know that this technology is available due to Israeli development and innovation.
Now, the race for internship or a full time job had begun. Constantly we are all looking for a placement in late May. Through the school or by ourselves we are searching and scouting for good opportunities. The question is what I want to do and where I want to do it? On one hand I think that I would like to go back to Israel in June, find a good full time position that I will enjoy and will start building my career. However, I`m saying why not living the dream in Europe for a little longer? We shall wait and see which offers I will receive and what will be the best one for me to do when time is come.
February and March should be awesome, all me weekend are booked and there is some traveling coming around the corner. MIB on the snow, is the school annual ski trip to Austria, then Philip is coming for a visit, the two Ultimate Frisbee tournament and then a carnival in Cologne (with Philip again) and the Maya`s visit to Trieste. It sounds amazing and yes you have a reason to be jealous, I`m leaving it to the maximum and I love it. A year of such probably will not come to me again so I`m exploiting this one.

More to come in the future, hope you enjoy reading this, I`m definitely enjoy writing.
IR.

2011 is here

Wow those pasts few weeks were amazing... words cannot describe.


But before that I would like to say something about 2011. As most of you read in my Xmas email I wish that each and every one of you will find a way this year to make a change. One change of one-person life can change the world. It doesn`t has to be something big, but a little change help some else and this world will be a better one.


Myself, I have started to work on a project for volunteering in 2011; I hope it will come out and that it will make a change. I cannot say more about it know, but I`m sure and believe that you all will hear about it in the future in this why or another.


What I have been doing since the holiday started on Dec 21st? Wow, A whole lot. My parents arrived to Trieste on the 19th for ten long days but amazing and unforgettable. Sometimes we forget who are those two persons that we owe everything to them. The person I am today, my values, my experiences my beliefs my passions are all thanks to them those two amazing parents that always supported me and always helped me to find the right path for me. So first I want to say: Mom, Dad thank you.

We traveled around Trieste and walked around and enjoyed not only the beauty of the city but the company of each other, Bologna, Travisio Kransjka Gora (Slovenia), Grado, Koper (Slovenia) and off course Trieste Trieste Trieste. It was great to show my parents the school of which I`m studying at, where I live and how I spend my time around this town in a very different life style. I must say that it was also nice to enjoy the restaurants of Trieste that with my parents I would be able to eat there.... yes yes too expensive for a student :)


Then a day after they have left Shira my very best friend has arrived. Not only I have missed her so much even though we spoke almost every day it is not like having her around. The laughter the good times the fooling around really really amazing times. For new years evening we have planed to go to Kravavec a ski resort in Slovenia where I have booked us a room for two night. When we arrived and asked the information where is the specific hostel is, the lady said that we need to go on the cable cart and then to walk for about ten minutes on the ski slopes to the rooms. We did as she told us and found ourselves carrying all our bags, food and wine across the slops....
 

we felt ridiculous. However, soon when we got to the place she said the guy there told us: no, the rooms are down in the village about fifteen minutes drive, so we went down and drove our little Fiat Panda to the house, which was in the middle of no where next to the owners house not even in the village it self. Though the place was new and it seems like they have just finished building it, we decided this is not for us. Then we have taken a decision to go to Kransjka Gora the original place that I wanted to spend new years, its a nice town in the border of Italy and Slovenia where the slopes are ending right in the center of the village and there are two bars and on Pizza place. The problem was that according to the research I have done except of one hostel the entire town was booked. That specific hostel wanted 60euro from each just for new years evening dinner, which we didn’t want to pay (we ended up eating kebab cause the whole restaurants in town was fully booked). At the end Shira walked in to the hostel and was able, probably by using her charm to get us a room for 35 euro per person for two nights with breakfast. Not a bad deal. The room was crapy and cold and we could hear everything that is happening in the hostel but it was good enough for us. The countdown we have spent in the freezing square with fire works and live music and screaming in Slovenian and off course after few beers it all started to make sense. Hello 2011.


On the first and the second of January 2011 we snowboarded, enjoyed a nice and not very big resort but I think it fit us perfectly. They also had night snowboarding. They had projectors on the slopes and the feeling was amazing so quit and peaceful I loved it.



The entire time with Shira was amazing and she left today back to Israel, now I have a paper to write and some time to relax until second semester starts on the 10th of January.


I wish you all a great year, and make a change it will come back to you.


Good things happen to good people.

Love

Itamar

Freezmasanuka

We should all remember the 43 brave men that lost their life in the fire in Israel and also hope that those who lost their houses will be back on their feet soon. It is unacceptable how the government in Israel acted before, during and definitely after the big fire. No ministerial responsibility, everyone is throwing the blame on another desk. It could have been much worth with out the assistance from the rest of the world. Turkey, Greece, US, Egypt, Italy, Russia and many other countries put politics away and decided to help, I appreciate that. Now we must fix things we must make sure that in the future the forces will be ready to react on time. And if some must go and leave the office please do so.
I`m sorry but I had to start with they, I have a lot to say about it, also about the peace talks in the Middle East and the Palestinians demand from the EU to recognize them as independent country. Not that I against them having their own country, but they have to be ready for it and not make a one sided declaration. First it will be against former agreements between Israel and the Palestinian authority and second they just can`t handle it, YET. Once day I will write more about it.
FREEZING, yes it is freezing. How would I describe this to you? Well, think about the coldest experience you had so far, go it? Ok, no add to it a wind, but not a summer breeze gentle wind but A WIND. Here they call it “La Bora”, good. Now, top that with a little bit, I`m lying, A LOT of humidity and you get cold the cracks through your bones and slap you on the face every morning.
I need to climb a little hill to get to the bus every morning, not too far something around 250m walking, but when its cold and windy it is almost impossible and it doesn’t matter what you wear the wind finds a way to come through and to remind me ---“ LA BORA”
I have purchased a good North Face jacket, paid good amount of money for quality and brand name that I know that will last and that will make me wormer then other. However, I have noticed that one of the stiches is open, where they have the special glue to prevent water to come through the zipper. I went straight back to the store where I got it, luckily I had the receipt; very rarely I actually keep those.  At the store, they say they must send it to North Face and that it will take about three weeks…. Now freaking way, 3 weeks? I would die here without it. Few days after I went there with Nicola my Italian friend in order to make it easier on the language skills both the sales person and mine, and their they told us four week, after dome flirtation with the young lady and Nicola saying things in Italian she told me that I will get a new one within ten days. It has been three days and I`m freezing here.
Hanuka is passed and Christmas is almost here, which mean that the long three weeks holiday is around the corner. My parent are arriving this Sunday and I am a little bit excited, though it will be weird, I can not remember the last time I have spent ten days with them. Then Shira is coming for ten days that will be a blast, we wanted to go to Serbia, rented a car and booked an hostel, but then I found out that we can not drive a rented car to Serbia, insurance policy and stuff so we will do other great things around here, maybe some snowboarding again. I went last week for one day and despite the fact in was foggy it was awesome (or Oseme which is 8 in Slovenian). I didn’t snowboarded in the past four years but it feels like I have been doing this every day.it is so much fun.

School? Who cares about it? No I’m kidding. School is busy very busy.  Grades came in and I’m happy with them, except finance and accounting they are around b+. We got couple of exams before the holiday and a big paper to hand in right after for political analysis class. No complains here nothing that it is not manageable.

stay worm, have fun.

Marry Christmas and happy new year!

3 month in Italy

Wow, it’s been 3 month since I got here. So much happen in those 3 month in to be honest, it feels like much more. Italy is home now, I do not miss Israel as I expected though I do miss some things and people from Israel. Relax, its not that I will not go back, but at this point right no Italy is home, and I love it.

I have been improving my Italian slowly and getting some more confidence in speaking though I still don’t have a wide enough vocabulary to hold a full conversation, Damn, I can ask for beer or to say what I`m doing here, but it is an improvement.


School is busy and demanding, we got a lot of work recently and it’s been harder and harder to balance between schoolwork and social life. It should slow down after the 29th of November but it is all relative so we will see how it goes.



We got one assignment that I didn’t like in particular, not because I don`t like to be criticized or to give criticism but because I think this is too early for us. We need to write a peer evaluation about 3 classmates, how they act in a working team and stuff like that. The problem is that we didn`t do enough team assignments in order to assess this, its very complicated and writing with out being biased from the after school social life was very challenging.


Its `s getting cold here, temperatures are drooping at nighttime and with a little wind it is hard to cope with it.  The other day I was waiting for the bus about 15 minutes and by the time I got home I was shivering, thank god that the apartment is over heated, I guess know I know why they do it like that. We have a centralized heating in the building so we cannot control the level of it. 


November its the big birthday month, its seems that every one I know celebrate on November. We celebrated Natasha`s BD last week with a crazy night of drinking and partying in a nice club in Trieste. Finally we found one that we weren’t the oldest (!!!) people in the club. Now Alex, and tomorrow-celebrating Caroline and then heather. We cannot forget Roxanne`s BD party that turned to be an unforgettable night with the Portuguese friends of ours.


Few weeks ago we went to Rugby match between Argentina and Italy. Joao, Manu Jose and myself rented a car and drove to Verona. Fun drives about 3 hours give or take. We got to the city at about 1am and went off course to see Joliet, actually we went to take a picture touching Juliet tits.... some would say that this is for good luck in some fields of life....



Christmas is almost here; the streets are full of light and Christmas trees. Christmas stores starting to show up in every corner offering verity of decoration for your house. I love it, it feels magical like some thing big is about to happen and everyone is taking part in it. I look forward for Christmas, my parents will be here and we will try to get much of the atmosphere of this holiday. It’s going to be a great holiday, 10 days with the parents followed by a week with Shira in Trieste and road tripping..... Maybe New Years in Belgrade (if we will make it there :) with Asja and Dejan and other friends I look forward to it.


In the mean time keep it worm, here it is FREEZING.

Surprise

This chapter is being written in the airport in Rome while waiting for the flight to Tel Aviv.
I will post it only tomorrow after I’ll meet my mom and this just in case she will read it tonight it won’t destroy the surprise.

This is the story; my mom is retiring from work in the middle of the coming month (Nov) and also celebrating her birthday on the 8th of November. So, together with my dad and my sister we have decided to have a family dinner to celebrate those two occasions. We have been planning this for about 3 weeks and my mom has no clue that I’ll be attending lunch tomorrow, and I’m sure that she will flip. Just yesterday she asked me for my home address in Italy so she can send me a package, she has absolutely no clue.

More then that, this is a chance for me to relax a little bit, to enjoy the things that I miss from home and for sure get some sun, though on today’s news they said it might rain tomorrow and if so I will be highly disappointed.
Can’t wait to have Krembo (Israeli thing, you won’t understand), Goldstar beer, go to the beach and off course to meet Shira and other friends. Its going to be very busy five days and I hope that I’ll manage to do it all in a short time.

What about school? Well, school is going well, we have started the International Business class with proof. Yusaf Akbar, a great lecturer with a lot of knowledge and not like many other professors you can feel that he has the international experience, and he actually has. He is from London, family origin in Afghanistan, lived in Singapore, teached in the US and now in Hungary and he has been around a lot. His performance in class is scintillating, this is a kind of professor they makes me to keep studying more and more and to forget for a minute that there are some lecturers that are teaching not in order to pass knowledge but in order to have a stage to say what ever they want. I have missed his second lesion and I look forward for the next one.
Other then that we had few exams recently and they all went well. Finance as I assumed is not my field was never related to the numbers, but I did my best and passed it with a decent grade. Micro Economy was an easy one, very general with a lot of freedom in the answers as long as you back them with good argument. But then there is Accounting, I have totally understood the material and how things works, I have even calculated the ratios correctly in the exam (except one case where I have just copied to wrong numbers from the balance sheet) after doing everything correctly and getting "numbers" to give me the right answers, and as Alessandro my teammate the engineer said when you have numbers there is no need for words, in this case I think he was right, I have added my creativeness to the solution which the professor didn’t liked much, the meeting with him was interesting due to the fact that I had to explain him how and what exactly I did. I wasn’t wrong but my solution was very different from other students according to him. If the company should follow my advise or not, this we can never now :) but I try to follow my truth also here, I believe that the extra that I have put in that exam from myself in the real world this is how great things happens. If for everything there were an answer in numbers then it would have been too easy and very very boring. Bottom line, for the time I have invested in the exam, which is accumulating to about 3 hours total, I’m more than happy with my C+ grade.

What else? So on the weekend of the 16/17th to October I went to an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Bologna with my team Vertigo. It was a lot of fun, camping out in the rain, playing 5 games the first day and another 3 in the second day (it ended up to be less then we knew before) and in the second day after a night of pouring rain, the fields we’re absolutely a swamp. Playing in mud up to our ankles, the disc is so heavy from the mud and there is mud everywhere, nothing and no one stayed clear. But we had a blast. We finished 12th out of 24 teams, right where we were seeded in the beginning. Now the indoor session has started, on last Monday I went to Gorizia for my first indoor practice, it is weird to play Ultimate indoor but it sure demands high skill of handling a disc. I think I might start lovin it.

Other then that, the winter starts to show its signs (or it is the autumn here) but the top of the mountains are white already, the wind is blowing strong (on Monday it was 140 KPH) and it is freezing. Waiting to the bus in the morning more then 5 minutes turns to be not a simple task.

What is it about airports that I like? I can’t stop looking at people that are around me and wonder where they heading to or what they are doing.  I love airports and I love to be traveling I cant explain you the feeling. Some of you may think you know what I’m talking about but trust me you don’t. When I travel by myself, which I do often, it is pure thinking time for me. So many thoughts are running through my head right now. Plans for the future things that I have done in the past. Things I want to change and things I want to have. Where is this lady running? Who is waiting for her? And why this macho man in the other table got tears in his eyes? I want to know it all

Oh wow, I’m excited about going home. I miss Noga and Ayelet, be nieces. On Wed my sister told me that Ayelet was crying cause she found a present I gave her when she was in the hospital and it made her miss me and to realize that she will not see me until September next year. I have been dreaming about the moment where I see her face an that moment when she will realize that it is I and start run towards me. Omer and Dror are growing up rapidly they are my nephews both very young but with in those two month Omer started to talk... it will be funny to see him being man. Maybe I should start and train him with  Barny Stinson skills (SUIT UP KIDO).

Since San Diego 2009, I have this master plan in my head. To start my own international company. I run ideas about it with my good friend Max, he is from Russia and I believe that this two ends of the spectrum societies that we come from will be beneficial to our company. We have a great idea, money I believe will not be an issue but we need to wait few more years until we will get it all together. But every time we talk about this is makes more and more since to me, and I believe more in this idea. We can ask about it as much as you want, no, I will not tell you what it is.

let the finger roll

Its been a while now that I was thinking about writing again but I wasn't sure what exactly I want to write. On the one hand I have so many things to say and to share but then I`m not sure what should be interesting enough for people to read. However, today I have decided to just let my fingers roll on the keyboard and to see what will come out.


Its exams time at MIB, the system here is a bit different form what I know there is not real exam period. Every class last for about three weeks twice or 3 times a week sometimes, between four to six hours a each session. Few days after the last class there is the final exam. If usually in a normal world, you have a class that last for about 3 month (a semester) and then an exam you have enough time to understand the material and also to do some exercises. In this case we are not even getting back the papers we handed in during the classes so we can`t know if we are right or wrong. However this is the Italian way and it might feet to my previous post . Tomorrow is the 3rd exam in less then a week, I`m sure it will be fine though they want/need is to pass. This is a private school after all for good and bad.


what happen in the last 4 weeks since I have last wrote? well a lot actually.

at the beginning of the month there was the Barcelona here in Truest, this is the European largest yacht race. for a week the city center around Piazza D`Unitte was decorated and full with people and pavilions of variety of publishers. Concerts in the Piazza and thousands of people in the streets and in the bars. At the day of the Barcelona it self which is the official race (a huge triangle in the bay) we went to Optician, this is a little town up above Truest where there is a beautiful over looking point on the bay. We could actually see the boats setting in one line and when the cannon fired the race has began. It is a unique experience I have never seen so many boats in one bay racing together.



 The winter has started to show in the streets of Truest, the locals are calling it autumn but trust me it is freezing some days. When the rain and wind are combining power together, it is almost impossible to walk in the streets, the cold is entering the bones and according to all professionals (the locals) this is nothing to compare to what we have ahead of us.


What about Achmadinigad? does any one in this world is about to do something about this ? how dare he to stand few kilometers from the Israeli borders and to claim that he will destroy us ? I want to see what would other nations react if this would have been them, the Lebanese I can`t understand also. for so many years they were under Syrian control with no strength what so ever about what will happen to their country, then they vote for Hizzbullah and now Iran so why we need this entity called Lebanon if its never standing by it self ?   such a beautiful country with some great people (from the number that I was lucky enough to know) with so many things to offer to the world and they go hand by hand with the axes of evil. I have read today that Iranian planes will be able to fuel only in Germany and Austria until the end of the month and then even those will be closed for them. The reason is to prevent of making business with Iranian companies, I dont really think that this will solve it do you people not aware of the internet that has made the world smaller and there is no need for traveling in order to do business ?

Achmadinijad is irrational, and nothing we will do or say will stop him from talking and planing on destroying the world. He was bold enough to blame the US for planing and executing 9/11. He treats is own people as they were animals. A revolution is much needed in Iran but this is not ours nor to US job to make it happen, if the people of Iran enjoy the way they do now let it be. They must know this,  Israel is going no where, neither the US or Europe, it is them that will suffer in the end of the day.


I was asked recently by the career development department at the school which are the top five companies I wish to work for, and in which field I wish to built my career path. I dot know I really don`t. One of the reason of which I`m here now is to explore future options, it is so hard to think far ahead, by far I mean a year ahead. I have no clue. I would let the time to decide for me, where what and with whom I will do things.



I miss Israel a little bit, I miss the food, the family, the friends the atmosphere I miss Krembo and I miss want to travel abroad.








good night.