What a difference a week makes..

So one more week has past and I can hardly believe that we have only been here for two in total. It feels like months already! We have achieved so much in such a short time that I am amazed when I look and see how little time we have had. There is a saying here that is "if you achieve one thing today, thats a good day"and we must have been having a few of those at least!

I started work finally, and I have to say it has been a lot of fun. Its way too much information all at once and by Thursday afternoon my head was ready to explode. S and I seem to be rather well known already, and I am a little cautious that this could be a bad thing as well as a good thing. Obviously it is a little different to have two pilots in one family and not only that but working for the same company and starting within a week of each other. It has created quite a stir! While this might be good for future promotions, getting a few favours or generally just standing out from the thousands of other pilots, it does make you more well known should you make mistakes too. Its a fine line and we are going to have to tread carefully! S is enjoying the somewhat heightened 'awareness'. Had he started alone, no doubt his shining personality would have stood out (yes he does read this..), but being half of "the couple" definitely shows him what it is like to be a female in a new company. The female pilots are always the ones whose names get remembered, we stand out slightly because we are a minority, the uniform is different, there are special considerations due to your sex etc etc and being a married couple has done much the same. Now that we are here we are getting talks on the benefit scheme (but that is different for us because we are married pilots..) and the staff travel benefits (different for us because our families overlap) and the accommodation choices (once again.. you get the picture!). For me it is not much different from in other companies and I have actually gained something this time instead..  I am no longer standing out on my own because now we are standing out together. It's rather nice.

Some of the usual stereotypes are still here, on meeting the chief of Fleet, he barely noticed me standing there and after welcoming the other guys, turned to our tour guide and asked "she's not joining too is she?". In the Uk that would have been a little insulting however with the culture here I didn't mind at all and waited patiently to be introduced, I knew it would happen, and that he wasn't intentionally being rude and so there was no point getting worked up over it.

During the week we attempted to do some more flat hunting, at one point walking 40 minutes in 38 degree heat with a humidity of 86%, I can assure you it is not pleasant, nor is it funny when you finally find the building and once again go into the flat to find the "sea view" is a sea of cars. I am less than impressed with the estate agents here and cannot understand how they get paid 5% of the rent for their "services" when they do not even escort you to the apartments, don't return your calls and specifically show you places which have features you say you don't want. Despite the struggles we have prevailed and we have put a security deposit down on a flat!! It is a lovely place, overlooking the ocean with restaurants and shops lining the walk below it and even a supermarket with a pork section! I can't wait to get our furniture out of storage and make this town feel like home. We have to wait for S's residency visa, which should be ready today, and then try to get a cheque book sorted before the landlord requests the first cheque. It will be very very close and I just hope that we can get everything we need by the time the repainting is finished and it's time to pay! I am now on the hunt for all sorts of home appliances. When we made a list of the items we need we realised the start up costs are going to be fairly high, but it is a small sacrifice now to get good stuff which we take with us in the future instead of buying cheap and having to replace it all.

After the last few days, I feel that working women should be awarded an extra day off per week, how are we supposed to go to work, come home, go flat hunting and still make sure the shirts are washed and ironed and the house is clean?! Today is my first day of the weekend and if I was a man I would be 'chilling out' after my stressful week, or watching TV and relaxing. Instead I have done two loads of washing, tidied up the flat and swept the whole floor with only a dustpan and brush. My back aches, my knees hurt and it is only mid day. I am so grateful that I don't work a standard week usually and now have the utmost respect for anyone who does! I might award myself an hour in the pool, after all, I've had a stressful week too!!!