Advice?

As some of you may know, this past week has been spent on "use it before the holidays or lose it" vacation time, and it has been surprisingly recuperative (more in the sense of not knowing how much recuperation I needed, as opposed to adding positive recuperation, if that makes any sense). I have gotten all too accustomed to not being in work culture, and now find myself with no small amount of trepidation at returning to it in just two hours.

What I'm looking for are possible ways not to feel invisible and beholden to the collective ideas and expectations of others, specifically my (conservative, all-masculine, if not actually all-male, aggressive, competitive) work culture. I suspect I'm least visible there than just about anywhere else, and yet I spend about half my waking hours in that environment.

So, suggestions?

For all my game geek friends

Go check this out; it's a hell of a good read, and thoroughly thought out. I give it high marks.