THE Josh Aronson

Sorry had coursework which kept me busy 

I had an exclusive article today which kept me busy, sorry 

It has been a bad day. It started out yesterday, after our teacher never showed up for a zoom lesson, this morning we found out why when we were updated that he died in a tragic motorbike traffic accident which occured yesterday. When my teacher, Yaron Aher, first taught me and heard that I work for Maariv, his face lit up and with pride and he said that he used to work there. He used to be deputy manager of Maariv. He was so patient with us but said something that resonated so well with me. He said, I, Yaron, am crazy, and if someone's not crazy, there's something wrong with him! R.I.P. Yaron, you are now in heaven doing markerting for God. Today I alsp went to do my driving theory test. I was so confident but alas my second theory test, I also failed. I don't know what I have not learned properly to fail, I really thought I had aced it, but alas I didn't pass and will have to rebook. I'm hoping that the 3rd time is a charm. It's been tough today, but I will ...

This past weekend, I dined on Friday night at my Uncle's home. My Uncle is Dayan (Judge) Steiner of the Manchester Bet Din (Religious Court) and we spoke about the different aspects of Judaism and the effect of journalism on the rating of places. It was a fascinating conversation and I promised my Uncle that I will send him a link to some of my articles. The next day, I sent my editor proposals for articles. I had 16 proposals, and as Murphy's Law dictates, everyone else was also sending their proposals in one go at the same time. So my editor requested that I send them during the week, and depending on space avaliability, they will go in or may not at all. This is one of difficulties as a journalist: you work so hard for articles and in the end they may not be published. In the evening, I went to do a surprise birthday party for one of our friends. She was so surprised! It was really nice and we had pizza and drinks and pleasant conversation, which was good. During the party ...

I think I worked too hard in Malta, I was way too tired today . I slept most of the day  Sorry. 

Hi from Frankfurt airport lounge. Because I am flying back today from Malta, and because I have to write up the articles about the reason I went to Malta I won't be posting a blog today, so sorry to you all.

I flew to Malta on Lufthansa.  As I am autistic I contacted the airline and requested that they add the DPNA code to my booking.  For those that don't know what the DPNA code is, it's a fantastic code which tells the airline crew that the passenger is autistic, which they have to accommodate if they can, including leaving an empty seat next to the passenger if possible, and other provisions.   On my flight from Manchester to Frankfurt I noticed that the trolley as it went by me stood right next to me as the crew was leaning over to speak to the passenger in front of me, and later as they were cleaning up stood right next to me.  Now, under the DPNA, they are meant to give me space and not stand in my face, so after the flight I went up to the purser, the head attendant, and asked her to put it on her notes and gave her my card in case someone wanted to speak to me.  I was pleasantly surprised to receive the following whatsapp message yesterday. "Hello Mr Ar...

I woke up to the view of the beach this morning, my hotel is on the beach which is pretty exciting.   Today is the first day of the conference so I'm excited to see how it goes.  Last night I met the PR team I work with for the first time, people I have worked with for a while but never met face to face. The organisers of the conference gave us a great present - chocolate in the shape of their national bird, the falcon. I'm quite proud of myself, I landed in Malta, was picked up by a chauffeur in a fancy car, checked in and saw that I still had time to catch 2 of my 3 lessons in university, so, instead of looking at Malta, I turned on my computer and "went into class".  That way I was able to do a bit of studying which should help me have less to catch up. The convention is going great, so it's a great opportunity to meet people I have worked with or have heard of but don't know personally. I also have met new people who are incredible.  I am looking forward t...

Yesterday I was walking down Bury Old Road, when suddenly I heard a shout "hey Aro". It was John...., the Irish lifeguard from the Jewish Centre's swimming pool when I was a kid. I haven't seen him in years. He was so happy to see me, he knew all our names and if we were naughty he would say "Aro Oooooott" and we would have to have a 5 minute "timeout" out of the pool. So I was walking down the road yesterday and met him. Even though he hadn't seen me for years, he recognised me straight away, and his face lit up when I told him I was now married and a journalist.  It's so good to see people you haven't seen for a while and catch up and hear their news, although I think John embellishes a lot of his stories, including that he has swum the channel sea or that 3 of his relatives are journalists. Last night I went to the Barmitzva of a son of a friend of mine and saw a lot of friends there, it was nice to catch up with them. Social lif...

How, when I call Salford Royal Hospital's appointment line, did I start at 5th in the queue and go down to 8th in the queue?  I then went up to first in the queue and then ended up at 2nd in the queue.  It doesn't make sense....almost an hour and a half waiting on the phone.   After two hours I just gave up.  That got me thinking that in life we wait for good things to happen.  Good things begin to happen, but sometimes you crash and things become difficult, but if you wait, eventually good things will happen again. I started this morning by trying to arrange a meeting while I am in Israel which could change my life, I hope it happens.  I then chased some leads in stories and did a few errands.   Later I have a meeting with a PR company that is doing a small piece on me for a NGO they represent. If you wait long enough good things can happen.  When I first became involved in the Shekel organization, I was determined to get out of there a...

Sorry, time got ahead of me today 

I'm working on a project which I can't talk about yet. We have a dedicated Google Doc document, where all the participants upload their input. I was curious to check on other input so went into the document, to discover input from only one participant. All the other input, including mine which I worked so hard on, had disappeared. I asked that participant in a group chat and they said: "I thought it was individual docs and that was examples so I deleted everything else. " Luckily I had backup and put my input right back up. We are judged on capability on our input, so imagine if I wouldn't have checked, the boss would have seen only one participant and probably gone on further, not realising other participants have worked. That just goes to show that if you're unsure just ask. It's okay to have doubts, by asking you get clarity. Another lesson is "If you don't ask, you don't get. As my wife Esther is visually impaired, she is entitled ...

Yesterday in the UK was Remembrance Sunday. I wore my poppy, a Manchester United poppy of course, proudly. I honoured the memory of my great uncle Sergeant George Kesten, my grandmother’s only brother, who died aged 19. George came to the UK when he was just 17 years old on the famous Kindertransport. When he heard what was happening in Europe he volunteered for the RAF. As he spoke fluent German, he was placed in the 101 Squadron , an elite squadron whose activity was to scramble the Germans’ radios. On 4th November 1944, his plane was shot down and he was killed in action.   Obviously I never met him, but always heard stories and was proud of my great uncle, a hero who served the UK. I am a proud British patriot and will always be there to serve my country if needed. It was only fitting that my synagogue brought in a new Torah scroll yesterday on Remembrance Sunday, as those that died for our country are remembered just like the legacy of the holy torah scroll is remem...

I apologise, my stomach issues are acting up again so I am feeling very weak. It was either my blog or zoom university. I chose university due to its importance.

Yesterday exhaustion just hit me.  The whole day I was drained, just barely able to do anything, yet I managed to write an article and also had some phone meetings.  A guy has to do what a guy has to do.... I had a carer assessment to see if I'm capable of looking after Esther in her needs, so that I can receive a "carer's allowance", a bit of extra money that will help  with our living expenses. I was talking to my mate the other day about aspects of life, and ended up talking about  how to be effective.  I told him to always help others and to look out for opportunities in life; to have a job that helps people, as kindness always pays, sometimes not at once, but years later we can be repaid for that kindness out of the blue. I'll never forget how I helped someone and was a bit offended when they didn't really thank me.  Years later I was in a bit of trouble at the airport as my passport was damaged.  I thought I would be sent back to my last destinat...

I have three flights booked.   Yesterday morning I woke up to find that the 1200 Euro compensation that I recieved for delayed flights under EU261/204 had come in, so I used that to book 2 flights I needed for exams and meetings in Israel, 1 in December another in January.   I was excited, and thought that was it, but then I got a message, "Josh can you cover our conference in Malta in November?".   Um,  let me think ....  somehow I think I won't say no ...  I love flying , I'm a gold member on Virgin Atlantic and El Al because I love flying so much. Somehow I get my serenity when i'm in the air . While others hate the bustle and hassle of flying,for me it's a treat and I anxiously wait for the next time I can fly. One thing I haven't done yet is fly First Class, and it is one of my dreams.  I  have flown Business Class and I love it.....  I think my passion for flying probably started when I was a young kid and was flying with...

Yesterday was a crazy day. I planned to stay home and relax, but when man makes plans god laughs.   It started off with Esther discovering she needed a spice for cooking, so I went to Tesco.  I can't just go shopping for 1 thing, so I bought a whole lot more stuff - almost 70 pounds in shopping.   Then came the next saga.   My younger brother went with his whole family to israel for his brother in laws wedding. They were supposed to arrive back on Sunday Evening on Easy Jet, but the incoming flight was delayed so long that outgoing flight was cancelled. My brother and family were placed in a hotel overnight and were supposed to fly the following day, i.e yesterday, at 14:00. However, that flight was also delayed and only took off at 18:21 with 2 hours of that delay sitting not knowing what is going on, and some of that delay also sitting on the plane on the tarmac due to a technical failure with the radar at Ben Gurion Airport.   I felt ...

My Editor hasnt sent an edited copy of todays blog, she's prob packing for her trip to Australia ...., since its important blog , I"ll save it for another day once its edited. Sorry 

Yesterday, I changed into pyjamas and went to bed. Esther went out to friends. One of her friends was supposed to drive her home, but suddenly I got a phone call. There was thick fog and her friend was scared to drive. I got dressed and went out to pick her up. It was such thick fog, I couldn't see a thing and it got my brain thinking. In life, we sometimes can't see what is right in front of us and in order to move forward, we just have to navigate blind, hoping we get clarity eventually.  In order to go through, we must be reflective with our fog lights on. What gets us through fog in life? Our wits and our initiative. Years ago, I went to the Blind Museum in Holon in Israel and I, as a sighted person, was supported by the guide, a blind man. This gives me a bit of insight now about Esther's life, as Esther is vision impaired, so there is a lot she can't see. Every snippet in life can be important for future use,  it's how you see it. Earlier today, a telemarkerte...

Today I had a driving lesson. My instructor was talking about the need for constant observation while reversing. I thought that is true also in life. We have to be constantly looking out for obstructions in all paths of life.  Yesterday, I was talking to someone who said it's a small world, so I told her a story: My father told me that once he was in a 'Nesher' shared taxi from Ben Gurion airport to Jerusalem and a rabbi asked the driver to stop on the side so he can quickly pray the afternoon prayer, the driver, a typical Israeli, said no way and grumbled. The rabbi said no problem and prayed in his seat. As they entered Jerusalem, the driver asked each person where they needed to go and when the Rabbi gave his address, the driver said: oh wow do you know so and so? The rabbi answered: yes, he's my next door neighbour and study partner. The driver said: that's my brother! The rabbi said: oh wow, it's a small world and the driver answered: no, it's a big wor...

I fell asleep in my bed, as I was super exhausted. It's been one of those weeks where everything happens. Lately I recieved some good news, remember I told you I have stomach pains and have been waiting for an appointment with a professional? Well it finally happened and end of November I have an appointment with the gastro specialist. Also, I finally recieved a notice that my flight delay compensation has been approved and the money should come into my account soon. That's great news and I am looking forward to using that cash for things I need. As it stands, the election results were not in my favour and this is a source of great concern, disappointment and worry. Hopefully the double envelopes which are counted tonight, 500 thousand in total, will change things around. I believe.. I have a driving lesson tomorrow, so looking forward to continuing my journey to independence. I've started catching up on the show, Two Broke Girls. I love comedy and love the show and what i...

Today I have been home avidly following the Israeli elections. It's strange being at home as I usualy am outside campaigning and convincing people to vote, soaking up the vibes of the elections. Unfortunatly, I can't afford the flight back to Israel this time, so I'm home in Manchester. Seeing the messages and countless pictures of the voting gives me FOMO (fear of missing out)! I love my country so much and love my political party Meretz so much. I put posts up on my social media asking people to vote and am just chilling and praying for a good outcome. Yesterday, I spoke to my parents who moved to Israel, who both are not allowed to vote as they came on a visa to Israel due to my father being Dutch and thus he can't have a second citizenship. My father is so impressed with the goings on: "It's like a festival!" he said to me. Yes, Israeli elections are holidays and the streets and campains are crazy but unfortunately there are also incidents of cheating,...