Fong
Good, well balanced posts.
The bottom line is when you come to the sandpit you have to accept that you are nothing more than a cost base on some bean counters ledger sheet. Nothing more, nothing less. The company doesn't care what you think about their policies in any form or way. They do what they do, whether you like it or not(mostly not). Be it DEC's, no bonus, pay rise etc.
Pick the battles you can win and ignore all the rest of the things you have no control over. The only one getting angry, wound up etc is you. Ignore the rumors, bitching, whining etc and get on with living your life. Only you have the choice whether to make it work or not. If you came here with your blinkers on (all you ever want or need to know about the job is on prune - in between the country bashing, Boeing v airbus drivel etc) then it's your own fault.
Think about where you came from. Are you better off now? If not and you're desperately unhappy then vote with your feet. Sound familiar?
Otherwise, go to work, get the job done then turn your phone off and spend what off time you have with your family, or if single there's enough to keep busy with.
Traffic here is getting worse. But then I spent my life in traffic back home too.
The DEC thing. Live with it, it's always been there and always will. Is it fair on the guys here - absolutely not. I don't like the policy any more than the next guy. But when you leave here are you going to go back to being an FO at Korean! China Southern etc? Or are you going as a DEC? How do the FO's there feel about it?
Live your life on your terms. Nobody is entitled to anything, especially here.
I've been here more than 10 years and am still very happy with my decision to come. My kids have both done schooling here and the life that they lived in Dubai from a social, educational, cultural exposure pov is the biggest gift I could ever have given them.
Does it mean that there were not challenges? No. Is everything just dandy and tickets boo? Absolutely not! Do I like the fact that our rosters are constantly tampered with, manual insertions day before leave etc, absolutely not!
There is no Utopia out there gents.....just your own reality. Ask the guys who've been to Korean, Turkish etc and come back. This job has many challenges but it's far from the worst gig out there.
Life is about choices. Only you can make them based on your own personal circumstances. Nobody has the right to criticize anybody else's choices. Walk in their shoes first. Everyone is here for different reasons and everyone's dreams, wants, needs etc are different and personal. Respect their right to their choices as much as they should respect yours.
Good luck with all your choices, whatever they may be.
I'll put on my flak jacket now.....
Last edited by jumbo1; 28th Feb 2014 at 14:13.