Twitter – On the Job, Promoting International Understanding!

I wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post a couple of weeks ago on using Twitter to find a job (link is to archive on my own site, original JP edition here). I thought it was a pretty good article, and so did Mikael, who is visiting from Sweden (he blogged about it in Swedish!). He sent me a direct message on Twitter, and asked if he could meet me to discuss how social media was being used in Israel (I’m not an expert, but I play one in the newspaper )

Only one problem – I got his message a week before Pesach, which of course is crazy time around here, like everywhere else. Since he was based in Jerusalem he naturally wanted to meet me there, but I had already done my Jerusalem thing that week and wasn’t planning to go back.

So I invited him out here – to “the ranch.” Because I live in an area that is uh, disputed, I thought it would be interesting for Mikael to get a look at a side of Israel that I figured he hadn’t ever seen. And, he accepted. So last Friday afternoon, Mikael and his wife drove out here for a Shabbat dinner (sans challah, of course – and I don’t think they finished their piece of matza!). We saw the sites – particularly, the top of the hill, where you can see the whole country, practically (that’s not them in the photo, btw). Our Swedish guests even came to shul Friday night – a very gutsy move, if you ask me!

Of course, our guests said they had a great time (I hope they really did!) But we Shamahs had a blast! My kids were very excited over the whole idea of visitors coming from so far away, people whom they would otherwise never have probably met (the couple is from northern Sweden, a destination that is definitely not on the way during our usual annual hegiras to family in New York and Los Angeles!). We discussed lots of subjects, including politics (can Israelis hold a discussion on anything without including politics?), the kids’ school, Judaism, and why synagogues have a mechitza (I sensed that Mikael’s wife wasn’t too happy about being on “the other side,” but they were too polite to make an issue out of it!). One of my kids even tried to talk to them using Swedish “TV accents” (you know what I mean!), but they were very cool about it. Kids!

And despite my plea in a phone conversation before their visit (I said “your presence is present enough for us” – good line, huh?), our guests insisted on bringing gifts – an album of photos by Swedish photographer Sune Jonnson, and this very pretty trivet!

So, even though we didn’t get to discuss the details of how people in Israel use social media, I think the entire evening was an object lesson in exactly that. If not for Twitter – Mikael’s interest in it, my writing about it, and his DMing me using it – we would never have had the opportunity to meet them, much less have them visit our  home. And anyone else from exotic (or even less exotic) locations who wants a taste of “down home hospitality” are invited to drop me a line (leave a comment or write me at ds @ newzgeek.com!)