Time flies

So it’s unfortunately been a very long time since my last blog. The main reason being that my roommate moved out taking her internet connection with her. Coupled with my absolute despise of the Dubai service industry, has resulted in Jessie remaining internet challenged.

With so much time passing, it leaves the question where to start…

May Madness

Mother Russia loves you

My first few rosters have been very tumultuous, never remaining the same for very long. This is a result of being at the bottom. If the plane is not full, sorry for Jessie…bumped! This is the reason how I came to having not one but two Moscow flights back to back in the month of May.

Ever the traveler, I was excited to visit Russia, despite the horror stories told by cabin crew regarding the flights. The flight was a busy and difficult flight, no secret…Russian’s love to drink. They love to drink not only the free booze on board (which results in constant call bells) but they also like to bring their own from duty free. Upon clearing meal trays a 500ml empty bottle of whisky/ vodka appeared on several trays. Fortunately the flight is not too long, just over five hours, and none of our passengers got disruptive.

Making new memories

I was blessed with an awesome 9 day Bangkok, Sydney and Christchurch flight in the month of May. I have visited both Bangkok and Sydney in happier times and loved them immensely, so the trip held mixed feelings. Although emotionally quite difficult, the trip was wonderful. My cousin Nicky now lives in Bangkok, so I was able to spend some quality catch-up time over a delicious Thai dinner and a Chang beer.  We also did a quick walk through of the Patpong night market, famous for its lady boys and ping pong shows. 

The next day was spent doing a small bit of sightseeing and large bit of pampering. A Thai massage in preparation for a long flight was definitely a must. The thing about a Thai massage is, although it’s relaxing it also kinda feels like a workout, as they bend and twist your body in ways you didn’t think it could bend. You definitely however feel relaxed and calm afterwards though.  

Next section was Sydney. It’s quite a long flight, 9 hrs. Everybody arrived at the hotel and made promises of meeting up in 3 hours to have lunch and sightsee… I woke up 6 hours later. Not being able to get hold of anybody I decided to not mope in my room feeling melancholy but to rather go take advantage of the good wine and watch the sun going down over the harbour. A pleasant way to spend the end of the day. I was even asked out to dinner. I accepted because dinner alone isn’t much fun. The guy was nice up until the end of dinner where he went and powdered his nose with a bit of coke. A polite and swift get away (nothing like an early flight in the morning excuse), and I was snuggled in bed by 09:30…I was awake again at 12:00…Jet lag!!!

Bleary eyed and exhausted the Christchruch turn around was only doable because the passengers were polite and undemanding. All the crew were suffering badly from lack of sleep and happy to finally get back to Sydney later that day.

Sydney, famous for its multi-cultural people, meant a Korean bbq was a must. I went to dinner with two crew members and stuffed myself full with the food I’ve missed so much.  An early start in the morning as I was going to take the train to Berowra to visit the Langmores (long time family friends). My stay was much needed, nothing like feeling at home and some good family time to refresh a homesick and tired traveler.

Heading back, last stop in Bangkok. I again met up with my cousin and was treated to a good old fashioned SA braai. I squeezed in a massage and a quick nap and was ready to return to Dubai.

A very enjoyable trip but nine days of travel can really take it out of you…

Just in time June

2 home flights!!! Excitement was immense, but stress high. Trying to squeeze seeing everybody into 2 two 24 hour lay overs is quite a challenge. Needless to say I was exhausted on both return sectors of these flights but it was worth it. Nothing better than hugzies with friends and some good old family time.

Manchester

Sandwiched between my 2 home flights was a Manchester flight, not a very popular flight among crew. The English you’ll be shocked to hear…like to drink J  On the upside they like to drink so much they will usually get up and come to the back to fetch order and collect their drink so less running up and down the cabin like a headless chicken trying to answer all the call bells. Although rumour has it that this flight was unusually easy for this sector. 

Unfortunately the crew wasn’t up for going out so the night out included 2 trips to Tescos and drinking strongbow in the hotel room with a fellow batch mate…a pretty dismal start was made all better by the awesome Primemark in Manchester, wow…Shopping madness…just not enough time in one layover to take full advantage J 

A pleasant surprise

So unsurprisingly my rostered Germany flight was changed. I say this because I have had about 8 Germany flights rostered and have not gone once. What was a pleasant surprise however was that instead of the usual crappy turn around as a replacement I was given Seychelles.

What a treat. Although the layover is very short, 15 hrs, you squeeze as much as possible out of it. A couples paradise, the resort was beautiful. We all dropped our bags in our rooms, threw on our cozies and headed straight for the beach. If I got 3 hours of proper sleep before the return, that’s a lot. The girls were all trigger happy… I have an immense amount of photos for such a short period of time.  Beautiful white beaches, and lush green scenery, everything you expect from paradise J

Singapore

My last flight of the month was Singapore. Hearing only good things of the destination, I was quite keen to go. Balmy temperatures, lush green surroundings and not a piece of litter in sight. As cities go, it’s pretty nice.  My favourite part of travelling is getting to taste the local food, especially when it comes to Asian destinations. Singapore did not disappoint, some delicious sweet and sour pork, fried noodles and spicy morning glory (a green vegetable popular in Asia), I went to bed with a full tummy.

Next day was spent visiting Universal Studios on Sentosa Island so I wasn’t able to really sight see but with there being 5 flights a day to this city I figure I’ll visit again. Having never been to a Universal or Disney themepark, I was very excited. A fun filled day on the rides, the biggest disappointment being the longest wait in the queue was for the most disappointing ride…typical! A boat trip through Madagaskar, tubing in Jurassic park, a walk through happily ever after, a mummy inspired rollercoaster with a story…all in all a day well spent.

So a new month awaits, will hopefully update more often to avoid the novel writing J

xoxo

April travels... and lessons learn't

So April has officially past and despite some schedule disruptions,overall April's flights went well. I was blessed with all lay-overs (besides the infamous India Supy flights).

My first lay-over was to Jakarta, this destination had mixed reviews from crew I had spoken to on my Supy flights. Overall the expectations were not set high. However I was pleasantly surprised. Despite rumours of the hotel being haunted and of the rooms being damp and smelly, I found my room to be rather nice (maybe I have low standards from previous Asia travels). I will admit it had a slight creepy feel, and my radio, after I switched it on  when I arrived and didn't work, switched itself on half and hour later. But otherwise no ghost sightings, lizards were normal sized and I actually didn't see that many. Unfortunately I did not wander from the hotel, our arrival in the early hours of the morning meant I slept till noon which did not allow enough time to get to town and back in traffic.

But I lazed by the pool and relaxed so all in all enjoyable despite a very unpleasant and rude SFS in economy on our return trip.

My second flight was scheduled to be Munich. This however would be a learning experience for me. Don't get too excited over your roster as it has the potential to change. I was changed 5 times for this flight, Munich- can use - Manila - stand-by and finally Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur turned out to be a lovely lay-over and the food was amazing. Crew were friendly and even the flight deck joined us for dinner.

Tropical weather, so clear skies during day and down pours during night. I nice change considering Dubai never gets rain. Very pretty to see and the twin towers are an amazing sight at night.

.

The last flight of the month was also to change. I was scheduled to Frankfurt but then was put on stand-by. My stand-by was then also cut down by 4 hours, and I wrongly took this as  a sign that I wasn't going to get a flight.  So was very unprepared when 10 min into my home standby  I was phoned for a flight to Zurich. Chaos ensued as I tried to quickly pack a bag, iron my uniform, shower and get to the airport on time. Upon arrival to the airport I quickly rushed down to drop my dirty laundry from the previous flight and in my haste did not pay much attention to the location that I had left my overnight bag. Running back to check-in during the 20 min check-in time, and I couldn't find my case.

Panic set-in and I quickly started asking around. Fortunately there was a lovely ground staff employee who obviously had seen this particular scene played out several times. I checked-in and we then went out in search of my bag which was exactly where I left it, at the second and not first entrance. In my defense both entrances look identical :)

The Flight to Zurich went well, we had a lovely SFS on-board and I ended up being with four of my colleagues that I know from training. I also got quite a compliment to, the SFS mistakenly thought I was Grd1 (business class cabin crew) just helping out economy :)

Zurich was very nice, sadly due to incorrect weather reports on the portal we all sweated in our winter clothes in Zurich's lovely spring weather.  Quaint European style buildings were dotted on  a lovely and green back drop, with beautiful river running through. Cute little clothes stores and cafes lined the road, and provided some good window shopping (Salary is very bad this month).

And so the month of April is ended, lessons have been learnt and I am down a watch (the strap cam loose while I was in the toilet on the airplane and  I decided it was best to flush, you'll be surprised how many said I should have fished it out). My new roster starts.and I am off to Moscow tomorrow :)
xxx

Taking Flight

So training has come and gone, and it is finally time to put what we've learn't to good use. The impending Supi flights were causing quite a stir within our group, and the facebook page was a buzz with nervous conversations. 

The can use on our rosters caused havoc, and resulted in 90 odd abinitios phoning in to find out what it meant, sadly several answers were acquired which added to the confusion. But slowly and surely each roster was allocated flights and the nerves were now the result of the  fast approaching briefings and safe talk.

Before every flight there is a briefing and in the briefing the Purser will ask each cabin crew member a question from either safety, security or medical. Needless to say even when you know the answer the pressure renders you into a babbling idiot. Fortunately there is a safe talk book which has now become my best friend, and will hopefully aid me in looking less like a a retarded turnip in the briefings.

I was so nervous for my first supi I gave myself 2 hrs prep time, this was the best plan I have ever made. My hair on the day would just not behave. On a usual training day it took me approximately 3 min to do my hair however on that day it took over 30 and a good portion of a can of hairspray. On the upside my supi flight was at a similar time as my my building friend Fabio's flight so we got to keep each other company on the bus and calm each others nerves (well a little).

On arrival to the airport you wait for your e-gate to open which will allow you to go through and check-in. Your e-gate opens 2 hours prior to departure and closes exactly 20 min later, if you don't get through during that time...sorry for you-Off loaded! and marked absent.

Bun in place lipstick on and legs shaking I gingerly made my way through to the e-gate, only to have it beep at me menacingly. My e-gate card was not working, panic was averted by the queue of my other group mates forming at the service desk. I quickly joined the back and made my way through to check-in with plenty of time to spare. 

Briefing was alright, only a few jokes at my expense and thankfully I was spared a question. I think I looked so nervous and made such a fool of myself during my entrance they took pity on me. 

The flight was to Mumbai and it went pretty well. It was very chaotic and non-stop busy. Passengers know what's available on the flight and want to take full advantage of every goody possible. This is all good and well, but when you have someone tugging on your arm during the middle of service and asking for a blanket, it can cause quite a predicament...If I was Chuck Norris I could totally run and do a somersault through the air over the food cart, cart wheel, hurdle over bar cart grab a blanket and return...reality not so much. Fortunately crew were friendly and willing to help a newbie out.

And so several call bells later, complete depletion of blankets and pens, first supi was complete. Although I was feeling super tired it felt  good to  actually do real work.

So here I now sit, 2 supi flights down, on the eve of my first operational which is also a lay-over. I will be going to Jakarta, which is apparently a difficult flight, but none the less an exciting adventure. Rumours from the cabin crew is the hotel is haunted and the lizards are ginormous...I'll update on both topics upon my return. So uniform is ironed and bags are semi-packed, come tomorrow I'll be a real cabin crew :)

To sink or swim…theatrical flair is a must

First day of training started off with a bang. We were taken straight on to the simulator where we were given a dramatic evacuation scene performed by our trainers.  Little did we know that we would be not only seeing this scene over and over again but playing the parts all week. 

All simulator performances need to come with a side of exaggeration and heaps of assertiveness. Anybody feeling a little shy soon learnt that being quiet just meant you would end up doing repeat performances until you got it right J So needless to say I am now quite comfortable making an ass of myself in front of a group of my peers.

With the simulators came heaps of theory. For the past two weeks we have been doing safety and emergencies procedures.  It’s by no means rocket science but does require a lot of memorization. All checks need to be learnt word for word. The beautiful airplane equipment naming people seem to have a sadistic side, as the names seem to be deliberately long and hard to learn.

We had had a doors test on the first Thursday.  It was a bit rocky to start but after 10 seconds of staring at the door to figure out the third check everything else went well. This was only the beginning; there were many tests and exams to follow.

Our days are pretty long, I’m up at ten past five and we get home from college at four thirty but with the added bonus of 2-3 hours of studying…I’ve gotten lazy since doing my honours and it’s been an adjustment.

So needless to say with the hectic workload for the past two weeks there has been a dramatic drop in partying, well this coupled with my rapidly depleting finances…can’t wait for payday J

Through the training we have a daily report card which you get to see to identify where you need to improve. Mine have been generally good, that is except for the infamous missing clip day. I washed my hair in the morning and pinned it back with a clip but later in the day the clip slipped out of place and a strand of hair was lying to the side of my face. There are quite a few girls with fringes so this stray hair was by no means the most disobedient hair do out of the bunch. However I was asked to please clip it back, which I promptly did, only to find this little incident on my end of day report card. Alas this stray hair will continue to haunt me as after receiving my SEP report at the end of the training the infamous stray hair was again mentioned…oh gosh!

But all exams are done and dusted, our whole batch managed to scrape through. Lots of celebrating over the weekend. I also managed to work on the tan a bit and cleaned my apartment so a fruitful weekend. Now it’s a countdown to pay day…going out in Dubai is an expensive past time I’ll be eating two minute noodles and bread for the next week I think.

First day of training started off with a bang. We were taken straight on to the simulator where we we a dramatic evacuation scene performed by our trainers.  Little did we know that we would be not only seeing this scene over and over again but playing the parts all week. 

All simulator performances need to come with a side of exaggeration and heaps of assertiveness. Anybody feeling a little shy soon learnt that being quiet just meant you would end up doing repeat performances until you got it right J So needless to say I am now quite comfortable making an ass of myself in front of a group of my peers.

With the simulators came heaps of theory. For the past two weeks we have been doing safety and emergencies procedures.  It’s by no means rocket science but does require a lot of memorization. All checks need to be learnt word for word. The beautiful airplane equipment naming people seem to have a sadistic side, as the names seem to be deliberately long and hard to learn.

We had had a doors test on the first Thursday.  It was a bit rocky to start but after 10 seconds of staring at the door to figure out the third check everything else went well. This was only the beginning; there were many tests and exams to follow.

Our days are pretty long, I’m up at ten past five and we get home from college at four thirty but with the added bonus of 2-3 hours of studying…I’ve gotten lazy since doing my honours and it’s been an adjustment.

So needless to say with the hectic workload for the past two weeks there has been a dramatic drop in partying, well this coupled with my rapidly depleting finances…can’t wait for payday J

Through the training we have a daily report card which you get to see to identify where you need to improve. Mine have been generally good, that is except for the infamous missing clip day. I washed my hair in the morning and pinned it back with a clip but later in the day the clip slipped out of place and a strand of hair was lying to the side of my face. There are quite a few girls with fringes so this stray hair was by no means the most disobedient hair do out of the bunch. However I was asked to please clip it back, which I promptly did, only to find this little incident on my end of day report card. Alas this stray hair will continue to haunt me as after receiving my SEP report at the end of the training the infamous stray hair was again mentioned…oh gosh!

But all exams are done and dusted, our whole batch managed to scrape through. Lots of celebrating over the weekend. I also managed to work on the tan a bit and cleaned my apartment so a fruitful weekend. Now it’s a countdown to pay day…going out in Dubai is an expensive past time I’ll be eating two minute noodles and bread for the next week I think.

Getting into the flow of things...

So second week in Dubai and its started to sink in that I'm not on vacation and I am actually living here. So have been attempting to eat healthy and forced myself to gym once for some horribly moderate exercise.

Induction is finally over and we will officially start our training on Sunday. Very excited for it although it will be some very busy weeks ahead with lots of studying. So taking this into account I will be taking full advantage of this weekend. Weekend is Friday and Saturday in Dubai so having a puza Thursday does not require you to crawl into work the next feeling like death :)

For induction this week we were split into two bigger groups for Wednesday and Thursday and the 2 groups swopped activities on either day. What we did on Wednesday the other group did Thursday and vice versa.

So because we were having corporate induction on the Thursday our day was longer than the other groups. So weekend plans were entrusted to our Italian building mate. After getting out of the induction I made a call to check that he had actually organized something and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi Fabio

Fabio: Ciao Jessie

Me: What are the plans for tonight?

Fabio: Don’t worry Jessie I have made plans.

Me: Really? Good job, what are the plans?

Fabio: We might meet people from other batches maybe somewhere in Dubai.

Me: So…maybe we meet people and maybe we don’t and this might happen in Dubai?   

Fabio: Yes, I’ll phone you later.

Gotta love Italian planning.

Anyway it turns out there was more to this planning. We had a planned meeting time of nine which became nine forty five because Claudia, my Romanian building mate, works on her own Claudia clock J We went through to a club on the 4^th floor of the Address Hotel on the Dubai Marina. It was ladies night so cosmos for free all night. Needless to say my head is throbbing as I write this post.

It was a big group of people from our training, probably around 30 of us in all. Everybody looks so different, all the girls looking so much prettier being able to let their hair down from the ugly bun and scrunchie and minus the hooker red lipstick.

Dubai has an awesome night life and we have vowed to try a different club every weekend…whether this actually happens will yet to be seen.

So another week down, will spend today lazing on the beach and tomorrow getting my work done for Sunday. Not such a bad life in Dubai J