Expats are Expats
Expats are expats. They often come fully equipped with expat friends and expat bars. You can spot them by the clothing or the accent; here in Thailand it's the face.I spent last night in an expat bar with a food journalist who has been here for 3 years. It was different from expat conversations in Israel.
I didn't hear one complaint about the country, the people, the food or the culture. If someone moves to Chang Mai, Thailand it's because he wants to. For better or worse, with Israel there is this quasi-obligation. 1 part religion, 2 parts nationalism, and topped with a sprinkle of guilt. So it's not uncommon to hear "I'd never move back to _____, but sometimes the _____ here is...."
Maybe in Israel, olim are part expat and part refugee.
posted by YS @ 1:15 PM
A blog is a writer clearing junk out of his head by bouncing around the room of chipmunks that we call society.
7 Comments:
Perhaps the type of Jews who emigrate to Israel are more likely than most to be people who are generally dissatisfied. Living in the world successfully has to involve some level of accommodation to others and accommodation to others doesn't seem to be a strong trait in the type of Jews who move to Israel.
I have found that most people who move to Israel move for very positive reasons. The olim from poorer countries DO recive a better life and you rarly hear from them yearnings for the old homestead. The olim from western countries often take a pay-cut and a life-style cut upon make the move but do so out of the ideological/religious reasons I wrote about. Which is fine, but from these folks stem much of my observation.
btw I have an additional blog. I just uploaded some photos from my 2003 trip to the W. Bank. I'd be interested to know if you ever visited the same areas I did. It's at
http://thoughtsopinionsrants.blogspot.com
you're right about "ideological/religious" reasons. It's usually people who are ideological/religious who have the most trouble getting along with other people.
Unless they're Quakers maybe...
:S WOW, you sound closed-minded, rude and arrogant. I think it's the ignorant smugness that bothers me enough to post to someone I don't know.
Maybe you're not really like that and these little comment blips aren't giving you due credit as t your qualities, but... well...
In fact, I feel really mean pointing it out, but sometimes people don't realise how they sound. I'm done.
I'll go harass some other blogger now.
I have become somewhat familiar with "ys" who doesn't get insulted easily although perhaps you do, Jess.
I don't like false "niceness" when there are life-and-death issues at stake. Sometimes you have to call things what they are. Yes, there are some people who are very religious without being intolerant and rigid--but not many.
"there are some people who are very religious without being intolerant and rigid--but not many"
A pretty sweeping statement. I've found intolerance comes in all flavors, colors and sizes.
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