Beyond Expectations
25.10.
Home. Is where I want to be
Work then flight. Preparations were like this paragraph, hastily at best. I wasn’t entirely sure if we would accomplish everything we set out for. I wasn’t certain we had a precise goal come to think of it. Just go and do. Leaving home was inopportune in some respects for me, but when are you ever going to find yourself in the Middle East nowadays? Let’s goooo.
25.10.
But I guess I’m already there
We arrived at 00.00 in Tel Aviv. After a long wait at baggage claim, we made our move out and got cabs for to the hotel at around 1am. We were all exhausted from the trip and though there was no time difference between Helsinki and Tel Aviv, my body still felt somewhat jetlagged. The first night’s hotel was pretty crummy. I had to request another room as the smell from the bathroom ravaged the whole room. We then decided the only reasonable thing to do, would be to go big (not home). After a walk down some of the sketchier parts of town, we arrive under this bridge, where a group of people were waiting around the corner to enter a dilapidated building with the word ‘Bloc’ half written on the facade. This must be the place. After a quick brief on the smoking policy by a short haired, military femme fatale, we were in. The naive melody pulsed through the room. The place was packed and the warmth from outside was replaced by the body warmth of the dancefloor. Somehow, all of us joined this night and experienced the place in whole. What a great start to our stay.
26.10.
After a too short amount of sleep, we were off to grab some hangover nourishment. Though it was Shabbat, we managed to find a delicious pizza place. We mumble our way through the day and shuffle ourselves around town and eventually to the train towards Haifa. Looking back, we should have done more that day, but the weather was not on our side, and we were not feeling the most energetic to say the least. Once we arrived at our place in Haifa, we were surprised to see the upgrade. I had a walk with Iines at night to completely run out of energy and then headed to bed as the next couple days would be pretty intense.
27.10.
I find you, or you find me?
I woke up refreshed. After a lovely morning workout and breakfast, I hit the beach. The sun punched out and rain suddenly took over. But that did not stop me from enjoying the crystal-clear water. I finally started to take advantage of the natural resources of Israel. The true beauty of the country. Speaking of which, later in the day we met locals during our Technion workshop.
This was my first sober interaction with locals, and I wanted to make an impression. After a few hours of fantastic lectures, we got to pitch an idea we had in 1 minute. I went with my Beer Now idea and caused some commotion. My ploy was to attract some interesting people to my team that liked a bit of adventure in life. This is when we were put into teams and I ended up with Noga, Ayob, Avi and Juhana. Couldn’t have asked for a better team. It was the right amount of experience and innovation and we ran through each of our ideas in a napkin pitch. Then we voted for the best idea, which was the solution for helping patients take control of their sensitive data such as biometrics and other medical statuses.
I bonded with Johannes and Luis while heading back to the hotel. Noga gave us a ride to a nearby shop and we picked up some drastically required assorted goods. On the walk back home, we talked about what we are currently working on and it dawned to me how insanely busy Johannes was with WeHost. The guy is consumed with his dedication to his job and he’s not afraid to show it. All of us really inspire each other once we dig closer. Luis for example is a father and sacrificed plenty to be on the trip. More than some will know. I realized these brief human moments were what the trip was really about. More than that, it’s what life is about.
Later on, many of us headed into a more pubby area of town and grabbed some beers with Jan, Pirkka, Helen, Vera, Iines, Sera, and Ilja. Conversation ignited with one of Jan’s idea to talk about a moment that you’ll always remember. Jan’s was when he was in the midst of a shooting in downtown Helsinki. You gotta ask him about that, I won’t do justice to that story. We were also moved by something Helen said. And soon thereafter, we concluded that we carried something with us. An unrelenting force that makes our lives spectacularly unique in the light we use to parry darkness. We ended the night in a club with some warm locals, 90’s music and 00’s beer.
Simply divine nite.
28.10.
Life doesn’t stop and I should not expect an exception. I had a slower morning as I went to the beach and cleared my thoughts on some more personal stuff. It’s crazy how much things change as you are away from a place. It was snowing in Finland while I was enjoying the rays at the 26˚C beach next to our Haifa hotel. It is important to keep in mind why we do the things that we do. For me it isn’t about money or power, but it’s curiosity that leads me to be who I am and what I do. It is the feeling of genuine kindred that solidifies as I joke with someone or get to know someone deeper.
Being the lucky SOB I am, I ran into Peter Kelly on the lobby of the hotel as I was planning on heading downtown to grab some essentials. My views on him drastically changed over the course of a couple days and I was happy to have a chat with him. He is very good at what he does, and he’s got a track record to show for it like his time in Australia. Ghita joined and we discussed education and Aalto and plenty things to allow for a sparkling conversation. Anyway, I squeezed my way into a Gett with them, with my sticky fingers I clutched an executive lounge key, though I never got to use it…
Then was the second pitch for the Technion workshop. This was after the Israeli Prof Ido Erev and Pistol Pete lectured a bit. We got to see the absolute flash of a pace the Israeli network system operates. Peter mentioned a news article and by the end of the lecture Neta-li, an MBA student and former military intelligence officer, connected the writer of the news piece to Peter. True proficiency in execution. What masters.
Then it was time for the second pitches for the napkin doodles we did at the bar. I honestly thought Noga was gonna pitch, but then the buck landed on my side of the table.
When I improvise a pitch, I get that fight or flight instinct. I must knock it dead or it will knock me dead. Since the solution was familiar to me, it was a comfortable explanation of the implementation of blockchain into medical data records. I sold the plan and we bid our Israeli counterparts farewell and Peter Kelly too!
We setup new roommates for Tel Aviv and took the train to our next adventure. And somehow the trip was only starting.
29.10.
I can’t tell one from another
Thanks to Peter, we met Liora who presented the history of Israel and the Startup Nation. Before her lecture we moved the carpet into our room as Adi our ‘landlord’ reminded us we should be careful not to spill anything on the carpet. That shit is expensive.
By some stroke of luck Liora arrived right as a father took his daughter to school, so we got front-row parking for her. Liora’s lecture was a good way to start the day as the overview of the current Israeli situation in startups and innovation. She talked with passion and ease. I could have listened for days, but we gave her some chocolate and headed out.
From there it was a race to catch our bus and we arrived late as we missed our bus stop! The button didn’t work! Alas, we managed to book it pass a side-ditch and got to the place for a nice 20 min meeting.
Met a soldier on the bus. She was on her way to check the base where foreign volunteers would come in for what I could only assume was military training.
We rested and proceeded to SpaceIL. Alina Colton was there to greet us and talk a bit about the history of SpaceIL. Soon after, Kfir joined us and steered the convo towards the founder’s perspective and the future. We got to take pics with the Beresheet model and then parted back to the hotel. That night we decided to take Helen’s suggestion and eat some Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine. This as the type of plate that required you to share and simply tear bread from the community's platter and grab what you wanted. We got tons of food.
In the night we explorer the city a bit deeper with no particular plan.
Some of us headed back to the hotel and some continued to the night’s maturity. I found myself on the beach for a night swim with Iines, Sera and Vera. The swell setup for perfect bodyboarding waves and with each periodic pull and crash, I would time my launch to cut through the buttery fluid and project myself closer to shore. Like a happy Sisyphus, I returned to the outer body of water to catch more moving water. Good nightcap. You should try it.
30.10.
Abandon all hope, ye who enter
Next day, Jerusalem.
On the way there we caught a reasonably charming train where I met Julia. There’s no Israeli look since many are immigrants coming back home to Zion. She initiated asking about the duration of the trip. And we then found out she lives in Munich, a city close to my heart. I told we were a group of students from Helsinki and to my surprise she studied abroad in Aalto University few years back. What is crazy is that I went to Hochschule Munchen, her cum laude. After piecing my mind back together, we exchanged numbers and she went to the airport, while we headed deeper in the trails.
Arrive by train and meet the modern station and center. Straight outta Switzerland; a super Euro-looking city. We ate at this lovely local joint in the mall. With some of the best customer service, the cook prepared a delicious pasta meal, hearty enough for heated day ahead of us.
My non-immersed thoughts of Jerusalem were of ancient dunes with hidden gems. Now, my immediate thoughts are of a postmodern tension with quite chic amenities. A stronghold capital for not only the local area, but in relay globally. They say defense is the best offense, so makes sense for Israel to want a slice of the historical magnus opus.
We arrived at the campus of the Hebrew University, were we would meet Prof. Leo Joskowicz, Luis’ lead. The long walk in the dry warmth tired a good number of us. As we walked further in the uni, we noticed many students heading out from what appeared to be a party. To our collective delight, there were over 50 people in a grassy area, with DJ and some mats and cushions for resting.
I talked to a group of biology and chemistry students who mentioned that this happened every Wednesday. Slight variations in theme, but generally a similar vibe. Not unlike the comparison between Israelis and Finns. I pulled some of our team together including Pauliina and Juhana and we began looking for more locals. We clicked with this group of student laying on some couches. There was plenty of space for us and we populated convos between each other. One was a third-year chemistry major and looked forward to working for some companies around. Another dude was 18 and was planning on carrying 4 years of military service before continuing his computer science major. So, there were plenty of contrasts between the education systems I have seen.
Speaking of education, Prof. Joskowicz mesmerized us with his experience in medical innovation and feasibility studies. I thought I would regret coming in when the discussions outside came in a foison of flavors. But this guy was captivating in his way of explaining the due diligence and preparation before even launching a startup. Mad props to him.
Pirkka asked me on the way to old town, what my expectations were. I landed in the line of religiously grandiose and desert antediluvian relic. I am glad to say I wasn’t entirely wrong, but I wasn’t entirely right.
We came in by the Damascus Gate, a junction clashing capitalism and ecclesiastical doctrine. There we met Joakim, Helen’s friend. He spoke softly at first, but what he had to say was furthest from soft. He led us into the area where we went to a Germanic church with a view of the landscape. Joakim explained to us the prolonged situation between Israel and Palestine. How escalations of intimidation lead to attacks and occupation of land in the West Bank. How Israeli snipers kneecap protesters, essentially rendering them useless, but not taking their lives. Psychologically playing on paranoia to break people different than you. Every side with their regrets and history. None with a single solution.
Our tour led us through main points and shops in old town. I picked something up for my girlfriend and my mom (don’t tell her it’s for Xmas). And we ended the tour at the Wailing Wall. Unquestionably one of the most bizarrely zoned location with great metaphysical significance to majority of the world for some reason. A valid attempt to describe what we do not understand and likely never will. I approached the wall by myself and watched as devout followers pontificated to a higher being. I touched the wall and closed my eyes in an effort to evoke this uncanny spirit. I focused and maybe due to my acute sleep deprivation I lost sense of my hands. Almost as though something was pulling me in, my limbs sank into the wall and my inner perception spun away. I meditated like that a while. Took a beat back and regrouped with the others. Idk what that was, and I can write a whole novel about that particular moment. But I need to process it more.
We dined with Joakim in a restaurant with a traditional Middle Eastern kitchen. The conversation was cultural and even political at times. He talked about how he met Helen in a church conference in Novi Sad, Serbia and what he may eventually do after he heads back to Sweden. Oh right, how silly of me. Allow me to explain, Joakim is what Israeli intelligence would refer to as an activist. He lives in Bethlehem where he records the life in what some consider Palestine, others see it as a potential land. I think much of confusion and misperception from our world maybe be a symptom of human communication. Kinda like that game “telephone”, where you see someone making a sign and you must convey the message to another person. And so forth until the nth iteration is a distant broken interpretation from the original.
We headed back heavy in thought and relieved to see the bed.
31.10
We started Thursday off at Impact First, meeting Cecile Blilious, Dana Rubin and their associate Natali. Cecile was especially good at directing conversation into a holistic sense. Her confidence in the impact model came off as passionate but realistic. Also, it was great to put a face to the emails between Dana and I. Dana was a key contact that we made via Alon and only started to demonstrate her reach.
Throughout the day I was still growing concerned of my pitch at the embassy event, which was set to take place in some hours. I practiced a bit the night before, but there was a definite need for more effort on my part…
We bolted to the Peres Center of Innovation where a tour showed us a more startup side. Pretty neat to see SpaceIL, Zebra Medical and some of our researched companies on the top 50 Israeli startups display. We caught a glimpse of the sun outside and took some pictures at the conveniently placed THINK BIG letters. From there Jan, Johannes and I left for the hotel to grab some gifts and dress up for the pitch of my life.
They were thought crazy by those who did not hear the music
The others were already at the embassy waiting for us and the other guests to arrive. On the way in, they requested our passports and security made itself present to us once again. They led us to the elevators that lifted us, to what seemed like heaven. The view was pristeen as the golden hour established the scene for us. We made some conversation and saw some recent familiar faces like Alina, Dana, and Alon. Pirkka and Pauliina then kicked-off the evening once the Finnish ambassador, Kirsikka, joined us. They presented the findings from our impact investment survey, which many of us worked so tirelessly on. They killed it and made for a hard act to follow, me.
It was my first time publicly proposing Teraloop, so I wanted to do good. I stumbled in the beginning and even needed to back up. I took a breath and let my altered personality take over. All the practice in the world cannot fully prepare someone for a real-life presentation. A wave of concentration and social mastery took over me as I jested and informed everyone what I have been working on over the past summer. I hope I did not come on too strong in my affection for the company and the mission. Since college, I wanted to aid the development of sustainability, but it be unfair not to credit my elementary school self for thinking that no issue was too big for me to get involved. Maybe it was inside me all along. And just like that, if the room was not warm yet, I lit it in flames with my presentation, allowing the flames to sublime any remaining ice that plagued me in the trip. Ablaze, I landed on my feet and carried on with the night. I have Iines to thank for sending me a video of the pitch, which I’ve yet to watch…
Some of the audience got in touch with me after and I thought the night could not get any better. With the amount of times I was wrong this trip, one can make an endless list.
One the way out to our hotel, I got an email from Ilan, the CEO of Chakratec. He wanted to meet, after what I can only assume was a bit of chastisement from one of their investors. I had mentioned during the event that I would love to hear back from him, as I made contact a couple weeks ago. And now I had him calling my Israeli number and setting a time for Friday to meet up and chat. Another prime example of Israeli efficiency.
The group was still buzzing from the expensive wine and the overall success of the event. We precariously cheered to our imported Napue gin and credited everyone for an already fantastic trip.
Deja vu always refers to another, distant memory as if attached to a moment that defines us. That night in my opinion is the type of night that defines that everlasting, deeply rooted memory that affects our future emotions and behaviors. We just didn’t know it at the time.
We all headed to a club called Sputnik, where locals came to rage and range to and fro for different musical styles. Met a guy named Gal and his buddies. We exchanged some ideas and I moved on to meet another group led by Julius Caesar himself, David. Oh yeah, did I mention it was Halloween and I went as a clueless tourist?
As inviting as Sputnik was, we had but a few hours before the beginning of the end, so we left in search for more. Appetite is a dangerously good vice.
We found another club with a name that escapes my memory. Something to do with milk. Anyway, some of us wait in line as the bouncer judged the level of parity acceptable to enter. I left for a moment to find Vera and Jan. We participated in extracurricular activities and redirected to the aforementioned club. To our surprise, everyone was still waiting not so patiently outside. I distinctly remember Juhana saying that he will “buy the club and fire those assholes.” I love seeing the sincerity being poured out and I felt as though something else was awaiting us. Again, that itch appeared, asking to get scratched.
We made way to a food place nearby in order to reconvene and formulate a new plan of attack. Fortunately, we ran into our future friends, Guy and two other dudes. One more chiseled than the next. They were pretty down to earth and even invited us to their place. We stood our ground and proclaimed we wanted to party. Where to?
And as if unlocking a secret level in a game, they mentioned Alpha.
Two rooms there:
Loud and Rowdy,
Otherworldly and Ghoulish.
The first was a pinnacle of hedonism and joyful beats that picked you up, dropped you in and shit you out to a renewed subscription of life. I danced like a vapid fuckboi.
The second was an excessively dark, portal to what I could only think of as abstemious’ hell. The guttural cacophony composed tracks to make you find your own limits. A certain amount of laissez-faire was required to remain on that dancefloor. And the nightmarish pulse enthralled us, trapped in a visceral notion for the night. Blind to ethics I was back to a trance, similar to the previous night in Jerusalem. This time however, it was in the name of catharsis.
I’m not religious, but I was converted that night.
1.10
Early bird eats the worm
After driving my body to exhaustion once more and making new friends on the way back, I decided to wake up in 3 hours. I blinked and I was on my feet again. One thing on my mind, beach. While there, I recharged my batteries by the sun and the glorious water. Iines and Helen joined for a while and then Helen and I hit the mall in attempts to locate a football jersey from the local team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. The labyrinth of the shopping center did not provide me any value, so I left alone for another spot guided by Google maps. I took a bus and hopped out once I saw an outdoor bazaar with a plethora of knockoffs. There I acquired an Israel national team jersey, legitimately crude in nature, but honest. Still, to my dismay, I did not find the jersey and my bucket list was still left unfulfilled. I made the executive decision to go to the outskirts of town to a football store, as a last-ditch effort to buy the infamous item. Again, I came up short. And with not much time left before my meeting, I rushed with a Gett back to the hotel and changed from tank top and swim wear to informal drapes and headed to meet Ilan.
I surprisingly made it with 15 minutes to spare and calmly inhabited a bench with my name on it. I just sat there. Pondering jerseys and the fact that I had not even managed to play football with the locals during the trip. And though my fortune was nowhere to be seen, a turn for the better appeared as I ran into Ghita! She was simply passing by to her next hotel. Another instance of right place, right time, I suppose.
I met with Ilan, who was in many ways traditional. From the way in which he carried himself, to the way Chakratec conducted business, it was apparent that the veteran had earned his marks. Quite a great way to finish off the day for Shabbat.
I set course back to the sandy home I made myself and ran into Sera and Vera. We hung out and enjoyed the sunset. Then left for the dinner in Jaffa.
The Islamic neighborhood of Jaffa gives of a distinct vibe of nouveaux appropriation, with familiar clothing stores taking shape inside historic edifices with Arabic scriptures carved on the outer walls. The place we went to eat was a nice evening walk away and I discussed with Ghita my thoughts on the trip. I think I have been quite hard on Josefiina and Ghita. My academic life has always been a certain type of rule-of-thumbs that blocked your learning in easily digestible sections. Aalto Fellows was a whole nother beast. It forced me to color outside the lines and pushed me to the far edge of my comfort zone. The instructions are hazy as fuck and that’s the point. We are the ones who determine our success and ambitions. Though we had an idea of what the trip would be, our expectations clouded our judgement prior to the journey, and I realized how presumptuous I am. Many of the events we participated, I hesitated, only to appreciate the moment and prove myself wrong time and time again. And though our objectives were initially unfocused, we hit the nail on the head and accomplished a pilgrimage for times to come. These are the people you must remember. These are the moments you must live to know.
With that, Iines and I were off and on our way to the airport.
2.10
Though I have a few unrequited desires from the town, I must say, my luck likes fucking with me. At the security point we got interviewed and were awarded the friendly 5 out of 6 in the security threat level. Joakim explained earlier to us that a 6 is considered “activist” grade and you would be called in for intense a laborious questioning. A 5 just meant they would wipe the ever-living surface area of my bag and computer. No suspicious materials were discovered. On the way to our gate, we splurged a bit with some Israeli delicacies. And to my amazement, I uncovered the last large Maccabi jersey in their stock. I would pay for that jersey with my soul, had they asked.
sudo passout.exe
HOME
3.10
We safely arrived home and departed back to life. With the memories as our souvenirs, we glided back into the daily grind.
I probably would have died if I had stayed any longer. That city is the toxin I had the luxury of falling for.
28.11
It’s been a month now and the experience still brings me smiles. Makes me want to give back also. Like the sort of sadistic competitive sense you’d find unexpectedly. Some connections are still ongoing, and others are nice to see from virtual pages. I plan on going back someday. I’d say as holiday, but I’d be lying if I didn’t wish I could return in business.
Additionally, it was really interesting to see the western media’s lack of interest in the recent bombings of Israel (even in Tel Aviv!)
I also recently saw a couple of people from the group, Helen, and Pirkka and soon we will see everyone again in the graduation party we got coming.
I look forward to the future and to further dive in a career path personalized for me.
Thanks to everyone involved.
AO
