ROI: Live from Kfar Macciabiah

I've come to Israel to attend ROI120, a leadership summit sponsored by the Center for Leadership Initiatives, a project of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation.

The best aspect of the conference are its participants, who hail from 29 differant countries (40 from the US, 40 from Israel, 40 from Europe/Latin America/other). I suspect that they were not chosen based on prestige or pedigree, but rather on being innovative/risk-friendly. They are wonderful people to be around professionall- young people with passion, vision, and sincere interest in changing the world through collaborative projects, organizations, artwork, and discourse. The geographic diversity brings together whole sets of Jews who would not otherwise know each other: i've met young jews from Austria, Luxembourg, India, Mexico, etc. Artists, journalists, bankers, storytellers, technology entrepreneurs... even comedians!

It is almost impossible to get any sleep- there are too many people to meet.

On Eagles Wings: Arriving in Israel

I arrived in the Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, at roughly 4:00am. The LOT Polish flight was a grey journey: old plane, odd meal, full of random poles/russian/israelis...nothing special.

Was greeted by passport control officer who joylessly cross-examined me... my complicated and somewhat evasive replies were met with a frusturated plea/assertion of authority: "you know, I am the customs officer, so it is MY job to ask YOU the questions." She then proceeded to take my boarding pass (I later returned to retrieve it).

The "new" Ben-Gurion Airport is quite impressive, I get the impression that the number of carriers which now fly to Israel has doubled or even tripled since last I was here in 2003.

This was an Israeli arrival unlike any other: in previous trips, i'd been with a group from a New York El-Al Flight: this time I arrived alone, from Poland.

After an hour or two of wandering around the airport, I took the first morning train to the Tel Aviv Bus station, and walked a few blocks to board the 35 bus. The bus moved through a working class neighborhood (an Israeli later referred to the area as slums, the first time i'd heard this phrase uttered in Israel), with morning commuters who treated me and my suitcases as tolerable nuisances. They moved me around based on the boarding and exiting of other passengers, and the bus driver pointed out Kfar Macciabiah, the site of the conference.

I arrived at roughly 7:30am, checked into the lovely hotel, took a shower, and went promptly to bed.

Back in Warsaw

I took a 14:00 train from Gdansk to Warsaw, and arrived back in city slightly after 19:00, to the setting sun- the nicest weather i've seen in Warsaw.

Am flying direct to Tel Aviv tonight, from 10:55 to 3:55. I am very curious to see who else will be on a flight from Poland to Israel: for Jews, from the old world to the new.

Polish Trains

Polish Trains were a pleasure, I took

-the intercity super-express from Warsaw to Krakow (lovely, new cars with AC and free tea, with a laptop plugs).., back.

-the first class warsaw->gdansk, (long ride, not as modern a train)

-the express gdansk-warsaw (very long ride, poorly air conditioned, no free tea, old dining cars with tableclothes and frequent unexplained stops).

On no occaisons did I engaged in conversation with other passengers. Most refused to move when I passed through aisles, but when I moved for others or held car doors open, I got smiles and thank yous.

All in all, traveling by train poland is a pleasant experience.

The Warsaw Convention: JFK-WAW

The Swiss Air logo is lovely.

It may be the most impressive aspect of the airline. I flew out of a frenzied JFK, on a packed and remarkably small airbus plane that became airborne more than an hour after the scheduled takeoff. It took an hour to serve dinner, which was not bad- the flight attendants were tall, blonde, friendly, and flirtatious. The entertainment was limited; watched part of The International, which was accompanied by Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on the surprisingly small 5-8 movie selection. The bathrooms were especially clean and well-kept. There was almost no room to walk around in the back of the plane, and I had a sleepness night.

They do give you Swiss chocolate as you exit the plane, the Zurich airport is a masterpiece of planning, transparency, and minimalist style (almost entirely glass, which seems to be the new style). The flight from Zurich to Warsaw was unremarkable.. it was easy to distinguish the poles from the western Europeans upon boarding the plane.

Chopin International Airport does not make an impression, with one exception: there seems to be no passport control or customs. After picking up my bag, I walked through two sets of doors out to the waiting horde of blonde/white haired, fair-skinned people of similar height and facial features, standing silently.

I took a taxi to the city center, a smooth and grey ride for 41 zloty, roughly $11. I attempted conversation, noting the make of the car (mercedes, good car), which was met with silence. Remarkably, when I handed the man a 50 zloty note and asked for 5 back, he handed me a 10 back, noting he didn't have a 5. We looked at each confusedly, before I suggested he use some of the change sitting in his cigarette tray. He considered this, and then did so.

It was the easiest and least complicated arrival in a foreign country i've ever experienced.

Broke and Inside a Soccer Ball

Saturday morning consists of checking e-mail. Three lines stand out:

I'm in the abu dhabi airport right now connecting to Cochin. There's this huge room which serves as the main lounge in this terminal - it feels like I'm inside a giant soccer ball.

Sent from my iPhone

-T played soccer at Stuyvesant High School.

we are all broke

-British Journalist, responding to my complaint about international travel during a recession.

I don't have able to study because I am very poor

-Cambodian Tuk-tuk driver for whom i've been doing business development.

Moving on at the Movies

Saw the new Pixar film "UP" in a Georgetown theater (Washington, D.C.)  As with most Pixar productions, it was excellent and suprisingly moving. It explores loss (death and other), escapism, and adventure.  Early on, there is a brilliant montage in the film that expresses enormous emotional connection without words- really strong filmmaking. 

The film spoke to me deeply, I'm looking forward to taking flight in thirteen days.