Little lessons

When you start a new job I always think it takes a while before you get the hang of how it will work out, before you get the "feel" of the place. I'm glad I had a little time out between my most recent job and this new one or the leap from one to the other would have been enormous. An educational institution is very different from a small, struggling business. It's tempting to blurt out, "Do you know how tough it is out there in the real world? Do you not know how well off you are? Does the word recession mean nothing to you?"

And I'm adapting to the difference between working predominately with straight-talking men contractors and politically correct women. I can imagine the fun the contractors would have if they witnessed our little morning tea this morning to celebrate a team member's birthday.

The little party was held in the Health Centre so I suppose it was to be expected that blowing out candles would be a major issue, when there is the dreaded Swine Flu to be considered.

But one of the nurses had a resolution to the dilema. The same number of candles were put on the cake as the number of people present. Each person had to remove a candle from the cake, make a wish for the birthday girl, then blow the candle out.

Quaint idea, huh? It took a while, I had to rush off early because I had another appointment. It didn't dawn on me to allow more than half an hour for a morning tea.

And that's just one of a myriad of little things I have yet to learn.