Monday 8th December

Ok, so now I am starting to feel like one of the team. I feel that people are getting to know me better, and starting to accept me.
Some of my colleagues were wary at first, even said I was too quiet maybe for this operation, but I always start like that at first. Those who know me know only too well that I am not the shy retiring type. Believe it or not I am quite shy and nervous when I meet new people. Often that means I make silly mistakes because I am trying too hard and am quite keen to impress. Truth is, the last thing I want to do is start with a new company and try and tell them how I think it should be run as that would only serve to alienate me from them.
Sure, I have ideas, and I am not arrogant enough to assume that they are the right ones they are just simply that, ideas. But I will hand them over, as when the opportunity presents itself, to those who are better suited to judge if they would work out here.
It is a steep learning curve for me. Even my comfort zone, the thing I know best of all (i.e. Flight Time Limitations and Crewing) is a world apart out here that it has taken me a week to get my head around it. Ask me anything on the UK FTL and I can generally qoute the actual wording from the official CAA publication, ask me about the Indian FTL and you get a fairly good answer (now, after a week), but I would still need to refer to the actual document.
The key thing for me is that those around me seem to be understanding of my naivety which is the best thing. Already I no longer feel the need to hit the ground running but know that I am to be allowed to make mistakes, as long as they are not through utter incompetence or laziness of course. I have never tolerated that as a manager myself and would not expect those above me to do either.
Today I did suggest one of my ideas and it has been quite warmly received it seems. We worked together as a team, tweaked the document to make it more applicable, and there we have it, I have made an impact.
Now I am just sitting here in the villa typing this and chilling out with a cold beer....I hear the weather back home is in the minus figures? It's still winter out here if that makes you feel any better...only difference is it averages about 30 degress celcius! All the Westerners are in shorts and t-shirts (at work it shirt and tie of course), but the locals are dressed up like Eskimos as they really feel the 'cold'!!!