I got tagged in this by my wife @techslut, so here are some facts about me you may not know.
What's the challenge?
As simple as the title says: write five facts about yourself.
Here are five random facts about me, which you may not know. I've tried to keep these interesting.
1. I've had a circular career path.
I have had an interesting career path. I started out as a programmer but decided it wasn't creative enough and I wanted something more artistic so, I went to art school and got my B.Ed. When I graduated, I went to work as an assistant to a professional photographer. I worked there for a while and then realized that the career advancement options were non existent and so struck it out on my own as a freelancer doing graphic design. I wasn't very good at chasing down clients though, so after a few years I got work at a small advertising firm, working as a graphic designer in their studio. A few more years went by and I noticed that my paycheck wasn't getting any bigger and no vacancies were being made at higher paying positions and so I looked for a new job again.
As it turned out I found myself working as a programmer back at the same company that I left 13 years before.
They remembered me and hired me back with little programming experience in the intervening years. I have now been working there for a year and a half.
I wonder where my career path will take me next.
2. I design traditional Jewish wedding contracts - Ketubah.
When I got married to @techslut I thought the wedding contract given to us by the Rabbinate was very straight laced and dull. I wanted to design our own wedding contract, something that will be more reflective of us. I asked if it was OK and was told that as long as I do not mess with the text and keep the laws of Judaism I was free to design as I wish. In Hebrew the second commandment has an addendum that is not often mentioned in English - Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; [Exodus 20/4]). That means that officially I was not allowed to include any images of creatures or beasts, real or imaginary in my design. Since we wanted (and got) a fairy wedding, I designed our wedding contract in a flowery, vintage look. I also hid among the foliage countless fairies, butterflies and one squirrel. I think it came out lovey.
I used that experience to start a small business, offering personalized wedding contracts to couples. I soon found out that a lot of people don't even get married through the Rabbinate (because they don't want to or can't), and so I started offering designs that were personalized to include the text that the bride and groom (or bride and bride, or groom and groom) wanted as well as the design they wanted.
My most memorable Ketubah was for a pair of friends of mine who had a Pastafarian wedding. They designed their own text and It was the most unique wedding contract I got to do.
Interestingly, my most sold design is still my original one. Most people don't notice the fairies :)
3. I had a fairy wedding.
Like I said earlier, we really wanted a special, fairy wedding. I found a troupe of actors and performers that actually provided such a service called Jovle and so we had a few fairies (one of them playing the harp) traipsing among the guests. They also threw some 'magic dust' around.
Oh, and there were two guards asking guests at the door for the password. It wasn't as well received as the fairies since it was pouring rain and the guests didn't really feel like playing '20 questions' to get in.
Still, it was a wonderful wedding. I particularly remember us walking down the aisle, with a fairy holding my soon-to-be-wife's train and this wonderful tune in the background.
4. I have a black belt in kung Fu.
I was bullied as a kid and so when I got a bit older I started practicing kung fu to master my fears and my body, to be able to defend myself. After my army service I used my black belt experience and my instructor credentials to take a job as a camp councilor with the Jewish Agency. I worked at Camp Harlam during the summers of 2003 and 2004 as a martial arts instructor and as a cabin councilor.
I had some of the best summers of my life there so if any of you are considering working as a camp councilor for a summer, I can heartily recommend it.
A few years ago I felt like I could really get back into shape and so I started taking martial arts classes again. This time I tried Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu and finally settled on Pakua. I have restarted as a White belt and am soon going to take the test for the Green belt.
5. I wrote poetry as a teen.
When I was in high school we were introduced to Yaffa Zins, an accomplished poet. She invited any of us that wanted to come to her house to discuss poetry. Over the next few years I was a regular visitor and I wrote and read quite a few poems. Interestingly, it seems I wrote in English almost as much as I wrote in Hebrew. The picture is from my old poetry notebook, recently rediscovered at my parents house.
Here's another one of my poems I felt like sharing with you:
Beauty’s Weight
Beauty has its own weight have you ever noticed that?
Like a large weight has been laid on the fabric of existence,
It pulls you inward,
Downward.
Colors are more vivid in the presence of beauty,
The light too enamored to leave.
Sounds hushed and the air caresses its source,
As the very molecules succumb to this, almost magical, magnetism.
And have you noticed how time itself will slow down,
As thick as molasses, when in the presence of beauty.
Its hurried pace slowed to a crawl, to preserve, and not to mar, or destroy.
That is why it’s so dangerous to gaze unprotected into such
Brilliant sources of beauty, such as the sun as it rises over a snow-covered peek,
Or setting over the lucid ocean.
Why, with merely a glance into your eyes,
One.
Might.
Freeze.
Apart from poetry and stories I also write Filk, which is like sci-fi/fantasy folk music. There is a small crowed of filkers in Israel and we gather on occasion to sing and share of our creations. There were even seval competitions for original creations in various conventions and I even won a few.
An example of a filk could be something like this:
Sweet Soul of Mine
(To The Tune Of Sweet child of mine)I'm just dead and seems to me,
There's nothing to live for actually
And everything is bleak and morose
Under smudged gray sky.
Now and then when I look around
There's nobody there to make a sound
And if you'll wait too long then I might appear
And you'll die.
Oh, sweet soul of mine.
Oh, yummy soul divine.
(In case it's not clear from the text, I wrote that after reading Harry Potter, and the song is from the perspective of a Dementor. I'll spare you the rest of it.)
Well, that is definitely more than enough facts about me for one evening :)
I don't know that many of you, and @techslut already tagged most of the people I DO know, so I'm just gonna tag a new acquaintance - @nirgf.
Good night.
I don't think I knew about the poetry, though it doesn't surprise me. I knew everything else, of course. You may remember me as that drunk dude from your fairy wedding video.
I do remember
Thank you for sharing!
You and @techslut are such special beings and the more I read about you guys the more I like you, even though I don't think I've ever met any of you in person, it already feels like I have :)
<3
Very interesting,
It takes courage to move from a programmer to an artistic job.
I wouldn't have guessed the fourth thing, I study martial arts from age 6, I practiced Kung Fu Wing Chun before my army service.
cool. I hope you kept at it :)
Awesome article
Wow, the career path is surely running in circle. I wish you best of luck for future, I too am a Web developer @mrlightning. Its nice to get tagged for those 5 things about you.
Well, consider yourself tagged :) It is interesting to learn about other people.
Bummer, I knew all that.
:)
really interesting and the wedding scenery must have been amazing and felt like a dream!
i used to practice kung fu too, but Shaolin Kung fu where we haven't any belt system and in general i believed there is not belt system in kung fu ( everyday i learn something new!) what style did you practiced?
interestingly enough, the kung fu style I practiced was also named pakua.
I didn't know at the time it was also a separate system. I believe that the belts were given since it was a youth class and sponsored by the city. The upper ups must have felt that the kids needed the belts to have a feeling of accomplishment. My black belt certificate and instructor diploma bear the city crest :)
aa i get it now! meanwhile ba gua from what i have seen seems really amazing i hope you keep it up!
Thanks, I intend to :)
Wow you have very interesting life!
You helped me to decide to be in the summer camp.
But, what I need to know to be in the camp?
Depends on what job you intend to do. If you like kids I would recommend being a cabin councilor - it really gives you a good connection with them. They ask questions that are not usually asked during 'official' activities. That was part of the fun. Not just being there for them but also learning about their lives and point of view.
Sounds good, I will try to register in the summer.
Thank you very much for the advice!
you're very welcome :)