Work wants me to move to the Holy Land.

[Harabec]

Around here...we help for free.
lets see...
1. Internet access is cheap, reliable and you can get it everywhere. hmm...not as cheap as US rates, I think, but its nothing to worry about.
2. EVERYTHING has air conditioning - we can't live without it.
3. If I'm not mistaken, a basic 1.6L Mazda 3 (new) will cost about 2.4K NIS (~$500) per month. Since it includes everything (maintenance, insurance, probably fuel also) its a pretty good deal.
Intel guys will know more.
4. Supermarkets won't be a problem. The price is listed on everything (in shekels) and most people know decent english in case you need to ask something.
5. I'm sure finding a place will be easy, either in Kiryat Gat or in the surrounding area.
A 3-bedroom apartment can cost anything from $350 to $800 (Tel-Aviv area) and more - it ALL depends on the location.
6. You'll find fitness centers in every town. Israel is so small, everything is close.

 

[sygyzy]

I think many ATOT's confuse *any* area of the middle east with Iraq.

 

[madmaxr6]

Originally posted by: Harabec
Around here...we help for free.
lets see...
1. Internet access is cheap, reliable and you can get it everywhere. hmm...not as cheap as US rates, I think, but its nothing to worry about.
q]

What speed is it and is it DSL or Cable

Also i would be bringing a dog with me how are people about dogs there? I mine is it hard to find a place to rent if you have a dog and such.

 

[ForumMaster]

well considering i live in Israel (20 minutes from Haifa as a matter of fact) and have also lived for 6 years in the states, i think i can give you a good picture of what it's like: basically the same. seriously. English is found in almost every place. all signs are in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Haifa is very nice and so i tel aviv. there is sand, but only in the Negev.

prices are a bit higher. you'll just have to live with it. but there is plenty to do here. it's not different. you can find here anything you can find in the states. and there are plenty of places where you can buy non-kosher products should you want to (there is little difference to be honest). there is the difference of working on Sunday that you'll have to get used to although most people don't work or have a short day on Friday. only on Saturday, some services may be closed such as the trains.

to recap: don't worry. there is little difference between israel and the US. israel has a better healthcare system btw :laugh: (in regards to Sicko) and a better public transportation system. other then slightly higher prices, it's pretty much the same as the states. good luck!

other then that...

i see now that ThePrescense has suggested my advice. nice. anyway, my mother lived in qiryat gat. I've been there too. just know that it can get hot. but then Arizona isn't exactly cool either. it's not too far from Tel Aviv which is no different then any other modern city. there's an advanced public transportation system (trains and buses) that will let you get anywhere you want quickly.

Qiryat Gat is OK. personally i prefer the cooler weather of Haifa but hey, that's what AC is for.

 

[Harabec]

Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

1.5 hours? :shocked:
I drove once from Eilat to Metula. Took me a hell of alot longer than that.

 

[Harabec]

Its expensive since our only option is cables through HOT (no ADSL). Thats 50NIS for the infrastructure, plus 30 NIS for the ISP (Barak).
Sucks...but there's nothing I can do about it.

 

[madmaxr6]

Guns Do not worry me i was a Marine for 6 years after College. I worry more for my family and my son. I want them to feel at home when we make the move.

 

[madmaxr6]

I just can not live without my internet. No internet and i go bonkers. I get very unstable. BTW how is the online gaming over there. How much are DVD'S and how much for a Decent T.V. What about Cable T.V. Are T.V. Shows offered in english.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: madmaxr6
I just can not live without my internet. No internet and i go bonkers. I get very unstable. BTW how is the online gaming over there. How much are DVD'S and how much for a Decent T.V. What about Cable T.V. Are T.V. Shows offered in english.

Dude, there's Blockbuster.
The internet works fine.
It's not that different than life in the US.
Chill.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Not wanting to thread crap, but it just struck me how totally different I must be from 99% of the rest of Americans. While I'd be thankful for being offered an opportunity wherever I was working, there's next to no chance that I'd ever actually move for a job. Place is VERY important to me, work is utterly meaningless.

Most people I talk with though seem to really care about career and such, and consider it almost a requirement to be willing to move to the ends of the Earth at the whim of their employer. It's an idea so totally foreign to me that I honestly can't even begin to grasp it.

 

[FlashG]

Originally posted by: ForumMasterthere is the difference of working on Sunday that you'll have to get used to although most people don't work or have a short day on Friday. only on Saturday, some services may be closed such as the trains.

I kind of miss having Sunday as a day of rest in the US.

 

[Aimster]

Israel is full of Arabs who had sex with Europeans who popped out hot children.

Go.

 

[Harabec]

Originally posted by: madmaxr6
Guns Do not worry me i was a Marine for 6 years after College. I worry more for my family and my son. I want them to feel at home when we make the move.

How old is your son?

Prince - I think it really depends on how you view life and yourself.
For some people it would seem like an adventure and they would jump at the opportunity to move to a new place.

EDIT: THIS one's for Aimster.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Israel is full of Arabs who had sex with Europeans who popped out hot children.

Go.

Aimster, there is really no reason to go there in this thread.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

1.5 hours? :shocked:
I drove once from Eilat to Metula. Took me a hell of alot longer than that.

Eilat is a little out of the way though

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

1.5 hours? :shocked:
I drove once from Eilat to Metula. Took me a hell of alot longer than that.

Eilat is a little out of the way though

So is Metula. But it's one end of the country to the other.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

1.5 hours? :shocked:
I drove once from Eilat to Metula. Took me a hell of alot longer than that.

Eilat is a little out of the way though

So is Metula. But it's one end of the country to the other.

Yeah, but he said side to side, not end to end

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: ForumMaster

Originally posted by: Harabec
Both Cable and DSL are available - I doubt anyone's using dial-up these days.
I pay around $20/mo for a 750Kbit cable connection.

As for the dog, it *might* be a problem in an apartment building, some people don't like animals.
If you find a nice place with a closed yard (either in town or in one of the villages) no one will bother you. Lots of people have dogs.
Just need to make sure it is marked, vaccinated etc. so if it ever wonders away, someone who finds it can call you.

really? that's high. we pay around $20 for 2Mb ADSL from bezeq. 5Mb is something like $30

i think. and it will be kind of hard to get used to at first, that everything is so close! when we were in the states, it wasn't uncommon for us to get up early, drive 3 hours to NY, and then 3 hours back late at night the same day. here, you can get to the other side of Israel in around 1.5 hours using the train.

and yes, you'll have to get used to the security and the fact that there are tons of soldeirs and each and every one has a rifle on them. but hey, that's a good thing! Refer to this thread to find out why!

anyway, if you need any more info, i'll be glad to help.

1.5 hours? :shocked:
I drove once from Eilat to Metula. Took me a hell of alot longer than that.

i don't really consider eilat part of israel i must admit. i hate that place. it's like vegas: it has an artificial feeling that really makes the city feel uncomfortable for me. what i meant was taking a train is very cheap and easy. the public transportation system is much more advanced in israel then in the states.

i can easily take a train from say, ashqelon, and get to haifa in 2 hours. from tel aviv to haifa, it's only like $6 one way.

besides, for driving, when they finally finish building road 6, it will be very fast. we once drove from haifa to some friends who live about 30 minutes from eilat in around 2 hours!

edit: you're right lonyo, but you know perfectly well what i meant! hell the widest part of israel is probably around 135km which you can do in an hour an a half while the most narrow part is a mere 15km!

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: madmaxr6

Also i would be bringing a dog with me how are people about dogs there? I mine is it hard to find a place to rent if you have a dog and such.

You better do some checking on the dog thing. Many countries require that pets remain in quarantine for an extended period (sometimes up to a year). It's expensive and hard on teh pet.

I do not know about Israel in particular though.

Fern

 

[ThePresence]

Sorry for bumping a ~year old thread, I was searching for a post of mine and this thread popped up.
Just wondering if the OP actually moved and what the experience is like if he did.

 

[JS80]

how does the whole income tax thing work?

 

[sandorski]

Oh Israel. I thought this was gonna be about Kansas. :Q

 

[KevinH]

Originally posted by: Harabec
Around here...we help for free.
lets see...
1. Internet access is cheap, reliable and you can get it everywhere. hmm...not as cheap as US rates, I think, but its nothing to worry about.
2. EVERYTHING has air conditioning - we can't live without it.
3. If I'm not mistaken, a basic 1.6L Mazda 3 (new) will cost about 2.4K NIS (~$500) per month. Since it includes everything (maintenance, insurance, probably fuel also) its a pretty good deal.
Intel guys will know more.
4. Supermarkets won't be a problem. The price is listed on everything (in shekels) and most people know decent english in case you need to ask something.
5. I'm sure finding a place will be easy, either in Kiryat Gat or in the surrounding area.
A 3-bedroom apartment can cost anything from $350 to $800 (Tel-Aviv area) and more - it ALL depends on the location.
6. You'll find fitness centers in every town. Israel is so small, everything is close.

Those prices sound great. ESPECIALLY housing! I would have figured that housing is expensive considering the density of the country.