Around the Globe

A night out in Melbourne

2009-08-04T17:55:00.003+04:00

For a few days I've been ranting how crew control have been changing all my standby duties and availables into either XX=rest day or OFF. I don't really like complaining about my schedule, I just let it be. I was really grateful when they changed my last standby of the month to a Melbourne flight. Another good thing about it is, the supposedly Moscow turnaround on a Airbus 320 I had was also eaten up by the Melbourne block.

I had no plans to go out in Melbourne, until I saw a friend of mine from Brisbane post a status in facebook that he, and 2 other more of our friends, will be in Melbourne for the weekend. I right away sent him an IM and made plans to meet them. It was all good timing since I was arriving on a Saturday night. Straight from a 14 hour flight, grabbed a light dinner and met them at Seven Nightclub. OK, skip what happened to Seven, it wasn't really fun, we ended up going to Amber Lounge. It was all good. New Friends. Good Music. Booze. Poles and cages. LoL! After clubbing we grab some Mc Donald's and then back to the hotel. Arrived the hotel just before 6AM, Melbourne time. Basically, I was awake for more than 24 hours. Oh wait, I had rest for about 2 hours in the crew bunks in the aircraft. LoL! Going back, I pretty much slept the whole day until wake up call. And then, another 14 hour trip back to the sandpit. LoL!

Jed, Rommel and JR.. Brisbane boys..

Summer in Paris

2009-07-23T16:41:00.002+04:00

Summer in Paris is amazing! The combination of the warm sun + cold breeze of the air was just perfect. The last time I went around in Paris was during winter season and I didn't like it that much. I hate the heavy clothes, though I totally love wearing boots. What made this trip to Paris more fun was that I was flying with a good friend, Tina. She's been around Paris more than enough that she knows the metros which was good because it's a bit confusing.

Our first stop, St. Michel and Notre Dame de Paris. We didn't go inside the church anymore because there were too many people. Plus, we only had a few hours coz we only had 26 hours layover. Buhoo!

St. Michel

Notre Dame de Paris

Next stop, Eiffel Tower. Honestly when you're there the Eiffel Tower is not so wow as you would expect it to be. But in pictures, it's just beautiful. I wanted to hang out more in the garden area but we didn't have enough time since we still had to go to Champs-Elysees. We didn't even have time to visit the Musee de Louvre. We thought of going back near the area before we head back to the hotel but we got too tired after so we decided just to go home.

Summer in Paris

The Eiffel Tower

Kid at heart

with Tina

Our last and final stop, Arc de Triomphe and Avenue des Champs-Elysees. Shopping district of Paris. We were walking for about 2 hours just lurking and window shopping. Ahihihi! I'm totally proud of myself. I was able to control and not spend anything for myself, though I did buy something for someone in Louis Vuitton. LoL!

Arc de Triomphe

Louis Vuitton at Champs-Elysees

Time to go home..

By so far.. this is the best Paris layover I have had! I wonder how it is during spring in Paris. It must be more wonderful!

Harry Potter Movie Date

2009-07-23T00:51:00.004+04:00

I have only watched in a movie house here in Abu Dhabi twice. First time was over a year ago and the second one was when I watched Transformers 2 a month ago or something. The first movie I watched here in Abu Dhabi was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Ruthie.

So, this was the third one. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was a date with my favorite girls minus a whole lot more. LoL! Summer is freaking hot here in the UAE so we all decided to wear either shorts or skirts. We looked like we were ready to do a dance number. LoL! It was nice to pretend like a group of high school students who just finished and passed a major exam... Hahaha! The movie was not as amazing as I expected it to be. Less magic, more talk, and according to my friends who have read the book, it still wasn't enough explanation. Next movie to watch in the cinema, Twilight: New Moon! I have had the chance to see the preview and I can't believe how Jacob has evolved. He is so much hotter now! LoL! Can't wait for November for another movie date with my girls. :)

Geri . Janice . Me . Tina . Noemi . Ashbel

Popcorn + Nachos + Sodas + Good Friends = Perfect Movie Date!

with Harry =)

New York

2009-07-23T00:31:00.004+04:00

Ever since I got trained for Business and First Class, I've only done JFK flight twice. The first time, I didn't go to the city, just in the nearby mall of our hotel to go shopping. But the last time, I went to the city and slept over at my high school and college classmate's place, Katsy and Christina, although Christina wasn't there.

Arrived the hotel around 5:30pm and left for the city around 7:00pm. Met Katsy at 66th and Columbus. Had dinner at a lovely Japanese Restaurant and walked for a few blocks. Katsy introduced me to Pinkberry, frozen yogurts, which I keep on craving for these past few weeks. Damn! I wish I have New York soon. LoL! Went back to their place and just talked and chit-chat til the wee hours of the morning. The next day, we woke up early to watch Transformer at the iMax theater. Transformers is amazing! Totally worth watching in iMax theater. After the movie, met up with Bree and Carl at Shake Shack. BEST BURGERS in the east coast! Had our lunch at Central Park, had another round of pinkberry's frozen yogurt and then back to the hotel. Nothing much happened but seeing Katsy after one year was just fun. Plus, now I know how the subway works! =) Ahihihi! Til next time Katsy

Yummy Burgers!!

Shake Shack for lunch at Central Park

Casablanca

2009-07-03T03:05:00.007+04:00

After 2 years in working in Etihad. They gave me my first Casablanca flight. I had no plans to go out in Casablanca since I've heard horrible stories about the place. The food's not good, the people are aggressive and all sorts of negative things. And for most of the crew I've known, they dread Casablanca flights. Well, maybe it's me and how I perceive the world, but I had fun in Casablanca.

Yes, I did not have plans to go out in Casablanca so I did not bring any proper clothes for anything. I had with me my "just in case I go out" clothes, which is a pair of jeans, my chucks and a regular top and my PJ's and that was it. I knew someone in the flight so I asked her before hand if she was going out but she said no, so yeah. But when I got in the flight, the crew was just fun. Some of us decided to meet up just after we arrived the hotel to have some drinks and party. Supposedly I was on detox for a month but I just couldn't. So went out with 5 other crew and partied in Casablanca. The next day, originally having no plans of going out, I stayed in my hotel room and slept the whole day. Bad hangover. BTW, we finished 3 bottles of vodka, so technically, it was 2 person per bottle. LoL! Not really how you should be exploring a place but hey, who doesn't like to party. Maybe on my next Casablanca, I'd actually go out during daytime and look around the area near the hotel. Besides, there was a souk just a block away. All in all, Casablanca wasn't that bad or maybe I was just lucky I flew with a good crew. Anyhow, what matters is that a had a great time.

The Return: 2 Years in Etihad

2009-06-24T00:19:00.002+04:00

Today marks my 2nd year anniversary in Etihad! Thus, my return in the cyber world. Yes, I do check my e-mail everyday, I check my Facebook, my Friendster and all other social network but unfortunately, I have failed to update my blog.

It has been a year since I have last shared my experiences in flying and in general, my life. And now, I don't even know how to begin.

Well, I've been promoted to work in business and first class cabins. It's so much better than working in Economy. It's a bit more stressful because I have to make sure that all my guests are happy. But then again, it's better than handling hundreds of people. I like it because it is more personal, you can actually have a good conversation with the passengers. So far, I have not had a problem with premium cabin guests, which is good.

I've flown to more destinations. Let's see: New York, Brussels, Dublin, Melbourne, Milan and a few more I don't remember. I've flown to New York several times. I even had the chance to attend a friend's wedding. I'm happy to announce that we will start flying to Chicago on September, which means I have a good chance of seeing my cousins there. =)

There's only 2 layovers I have not done with Etihad, Bejing and Casablanca. One of which I will be doing tomorrow, Casablanca.

I've had 2 vacation leaves since my last blog. I spent half of my first vacation leave in Los Angeles and the other half in the Philippines. And on the second one I just decided to spend it all with my family in the Philippines, in my province with my beautiful and handsome nieces and nephew.

Unfortunately, I have stopped taking beautiful photos. Not totally, but I only have a few good shots these days.

I have come to enjoy the partying here in Abu Dhabi but it only lasted for a few months. Now, I'm back being a home buddy especially that I have my own TV and PS3 in my room. *grin* I still occasionally drink with my friends but only in our apartments. I got tired of all the clubbing.

I cut my hair really short! After a decade of having a long hair, I suddenly felt bored with it. So, I decided to chop it off. Plus the fact that I always get lazy to put it on a bun for a flight. Now, I just have to wash and blow dry and viola, good to go!

My parents came to visit me here. But it was only for a few days. We went to Dubai, Grand Mosque and went to a dinner buffet Shujah Yacht Cruise. They'll most probably go back here on October-November to watch F1 Grand Prix. I got my dad and myself tickets already. =) As for my mom, she'll like the shopping. Ahihihi.

As for those who are asking how to apply, you can send your resume/CV at www.etihadairways.com Currently, Etihad has stopped hiring in Asian countries. They are more focused on hiring eastern europeans and arabic speakers. But I'm pretty sure they will start hiring all nationalities again soon. I guess, they are just trying to balance crew members nationalities especially that we have opened new destinations such as Athens and Istanbul. Best of luck for those who are applying!

So, what else? I think that's about it. So, thanks for visiting my blog! I'll try my best to update it more often.

Busy Bee

2008-05-07T19:18:00.007+04:00

I am a busy bee!.. or when I'm not, I'm just really exhausted from work. So pardon me if I am not able to update my blog. I am

only human. I need my beauty sleep. LoL!

Recap

Second Half of Feb:

Geneva flight with Queenie, Jennifer and Charity. I was lucky enough to have 3 other Filipinas in the flight. The layover was about 30 hours, so we had time to rest and at the same time go around. I wanted to go to the Alps, but there was not enough time. Maybe next time I would be able to get the 50 hours long layover.

Charity . Me . Queenie

Jennifer . Myself . Charity

Swans in the middle of the Lake

Shadows

Beautiful Swan

Finally, after 8 months here in Abu Dhabi, I've crossed out one of the "things to do in UAE", desert safari. Dune bashing, sand boarding, camel rides, wearing abayas, belly dancing, ATVs! Sheesha? LoL! Don't smoke so, X! I was just fun and exciting. What made it more fantastic was the great company I had. Ruth, Jeca, Patrick, Mike, Edsel and Karen. Thanks for the fun day guys! Oh, I would recommend that 7 people in a group for a desert safari. You'll all be in one car and you can shout, scream, laugh throughout the dune bashing. LoL! If not, you'll have to share the car with strangers. LoL!

Karen . Peaches . Jeca . Ruth

Sand Boarding

Sheik and Sheikas! LoL!

ATV Ride

The Belly Dancers!

Camel Up-Close

Dune Bashing

My birthday was coming up and I was suppose to spend it here in Abu Dhabi. Oh, wait, no not in Abu Dhabi. In the sky, to Jeddah! Wah! How horrible right? So, a few days before my birthday, feeling down and all because of my schedule, went to the mall alone, and bought myself a birthday present. LoL!

The Birthday Gift

March:

my birthday. Crew control just loves me. I was called from standby to do a Manila and lucky me my dad was in Manila, he was suppose to go home to our province already but yeah, I convinced him to stay one more day, well actually two days, in Manila. I'm my daddy's little girl. Ahihihi! We had dinner in Dampa a.k.a. seafood market. Yummy yummy food. Seafoods are my favorite! Crabs, shrimps, baked mussels! *drools* A simple dinner with my dad and sis-in-law, Joanne, yet it seemed like the perfect birthday. My mom, siblings and Dave were not with me but it did not matter, the thought of being in Manila on my birthday was just awesome! I'm still thankful I was able to spend it with family. And oh, the sweetest/nicest crew I've ever flown with. The captain was kind enough to allow me to be dropped off infront of our condominium since it was on the way. The cabin manager had a "debriefing"/surprise for me and they gave me a gift. And when I arrived Abu Dhabi, Jean and Ruth had a cake for me.

Yummy food!

flightmates

birthday cake

Singapore-Brisbane adventure with Ruth + Grace and Kat. Ruth and I have been requesting Singapore-Brisbane for the last 4 months and we finally got it. It was sooo fun! In Singapore, we went to Sentosa Island, Merlion's Park, Espalande, Clark Quay, Orchard Road, Sim Lim Plaza and other more places. We even had the chance to visit my cousin in their lovely condominium and slept there overnight. In Brisbane. Just when we arrived, Ruth's aunt picked us up from the airport and straight away went to Gold Coast! The Spit, Surfer's Paradise and then off to Toowoomba where Ruth's aunt lives. I can't really express my thoughts into words right now, so I'll let the pictures do the explaining. LoL!

Ruthie . Gracie . Me

Merlion

the most fun thing we did in Sentosa!

Gold Coast

Mandy . Peaches . Ruth

Surfer's Paradise

I scream for ice cream! LoL!

with my cousin's family

Jump shot!

C Clinic

Clark Quay

The Hard Pancakes

Merlion's Park and Esplanade

The Surfer

To be continued...

The Greatest Love Story

2008-05-04T07:12:00.002+04:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted something in my blog. But this was just something I had to post. It's not related about my travels and adventures but it's definitely worth sharing.

Team Hoyt

I first saw the video at my high school batchmate, Issa's multiply site. I cried when I first saw it and on the second time and third and fourth.... There's so much to learn from their story. I hope that by posting this blog/video, I will be able to contribute to the goal of Team Hoyt and to inspire and touch the heart of someone as much as it did to me.

www.teamhoyt.com

Stress-Free

2008-02-25T13:30:00.004+04:00

I guess I am lucky with my roster. Another standby that turned into a Manila flight. I almost did not want it because my parents nor Dave was in Manila. But, in the end, I'm still thankful God gave me the flight. I had to feel how it is being home again. After 15 days of Leave, going back to Abu Dhabi was like starting all over again.

It was the day after Valentine's Day and a few days after a good friend's birthday, Rosy. Since my parents were not around, and apparently, there was a rally in Makati area. The only people that I was able to bug was Rosy and Katsy. My aunt and cousin from Chicago was also in the Philippines but because of all the fuss in Makati, we were not able to meet one another. And so, Rosy, Katsy and myself went to Glorietta, I bought a new set of MAC brushes, a pair of havaianas and a birthday gift for Rosy. After which, we went to TGIF and had dinner. According to Rosy, everytime I arrive and meet them up, she commits the sin, gluttony. All we do is eat, eat and eat like there is no tomorrow. LoL! It has only been 2 weeks since we went out together but it seems like we never ran out of stories to tell one another. This and that, who and what, where and when. Work, love, life and of course, gossips! LoL! We wanted to watch a movie but Katsy had to go home early and Rosy was going to meet her cousins so maybe next time. Oh, this is my first manila flight that I slept in the hotel room alone. I was convincing Ate Joanne, my brother's wife, to stay with me in the hotel but she was tired and lazy to commute. LoL! I was planning to go to the Mall and have my hair and nails done the next morning but I decided not to and just rest in my room.

A stress-free Manila flight. Eveything was just spur-of-the-moment. No important appointment or date. No to-do list. It was nice. Different from the usual Manila flight I have. Being called on standby isn't that bad. Though I was not able to see my family or Dave. I was able to bond with my friends.

My Favorites

2008-02-18T01:58:00.004+04:00

Meet the dogs of my life. I love them so much and they love me back unconditionally. I was so glad I was able to spend time with them again during my vacation leave. If only I could bring one of them here in Abu Dhabi, staying here would be so much easier. At least I wouldn't feel alone at times.

Choknut, the number 1 dog of my life. She's my dog. Not really, she's my mom and dad's dog but she loves me more! LoL!

Twix, my brother and his wife's dog. Husband to my Choknut! Hahaha!

and of course, Lala, she's the pup of Choknut and Twix. My mom gave her to Dave and so she's our new baby.

Peewee is Lala's brother. He's now with my sister-in-law's family. (L-R Peewee and Lala)

Oh, all photos are taken by mwah. with my 400D. bwahahaha. yes, i love my new toy!

I am definitely an UNFAITHFUL blogger

2008-02-10T22:23:00.000+04:00

OK. I've been totally unfaithful to blogging for the last 2 months. I think it has been two month. So much has happened. I don't know where to start. December and January was just hectic. December, I had a busy roster. Only 8 days off! I was either, sleeping, doing chores or celebrating the holidays. LoL! And of course, January, my well deserved 15 days vacation leave.

Now, the big question is, how do I even begin? I have been browsing through my files and I found half a blog entry about the month of December saved in a word document file, which I was trying to continue, however, I just end up deleting whatever I was typing. Came into to a conclusion that I would never finish that blog entry. Why? Because I barely remember the details of my trips for that month. I had 2 Manilas, a London Heathrow, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and Paris. All of which, I either went out shopping, sightseeing, taking photos or I met up with family and friends. Aside from that, we had our own mini Christmas parties and I went out clubbing with colleagues/friends. So, the easiest way for me to share what has been happening to my life for the past 2 months is through still photos. I always upload all my photos to my multiply site. It's like my shrine/haven/photo blog. Yes, I know, It's being lazy. At least I'm trying, right? No promises, but this time around, I'll try to update my blog more often. I don't really have a good roster this February anyways. LoL!

Here's the link to my multiply site:

http://peaches.multiply.com/

Only photos when I became a cabin crew/flight attendant are free to be viewed by the public. Before that, everything is set in private/for my contacts only.

Oh, I just want to share highlights ever since my last blog.

Dave and I have a new baby, a shih tzu from my mom, and her name is Lala
I have bought a Canon EOS 400D, bought a lens as well while a was on vacation leave in the Philippines
My eldest brother Lemon got married to Ate Ness last January 18 (Ate is a tagalong word which is an appellation for an elderly sister)
My sissy Janice/Nini/Sofala is now in Dubai working for Emirates. Congratulations Nini!
Crazy night outs here in Abu Dhabi with my Etihad/AUH "family"
And of course, VACATION LEAVE!

So-called Christmas Drama

2007-12-24T08:36:00.000+04:00

I have yet to write an entry about my whole of December but just allow me to rant about working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day first.

This is my first Christmas that I will be spending away from my family. Last year, I was suppose to spend it in Los Angeles with my sister, cousins, aunts and uncles, still with family but not quite. I made tons of explanations and excuses to my mom just so that she’d allow me to leave after Christmas. And of course, I was successful. I left for the US, 2 days after the holiday. But this year, my hope of spending Christmas with my family is all just but a wish. Yes, I do have friends here in Abu Dhabi and ever since we have arrived here they have been my family. But, it’s different.

Right now, I’m on standby, I don’t even know if I’ll be spending Christmas Eve in the sky or will I spend Christmas Day in another country. With who, I don’t even know. I would rather get a short or medium haul flight today and be back tonight and celebrate Christmas Eve with my friends. Tomorrow I have Jeddah, fine by me; at least at the end of the day, I would be home and I could spend the rest of the day with friends. But being on standby today, you never know, they might just call me anytime for a layover and I would end up spending Christmas with colleagues I would meet only during this flight. Yes, I am thankful for this job. I wanted this. I have a great roster for this month. Lots of layovers, and few turnarounds but somehow, I still find myself drowning in self-pity. I was never used to being away from my loved ones, what more during the holidays. I’ve been trying to distract myself from the thought of Christmas but I just can’t. I’ve been trying to look at the bright side but I still end up in tears.

This probably is my most tear-jerking entry I will have for this year. I made a choice to be here and I will stand by it. I am strong and I will be strong. Sacrifices have to be made. I know in the end, this is for me and my loved ones. For now, I’m just thankful I have my friends here in Abu Dhabi I could call my family, and that the people I cherish the most; my parents, grandmother, sisters and brothers, niece and nephews and my special someone, are safe and well. For these reasons, that should make me valiant enough to get through this challenge.

OK, enough of the drama. I just wanted it out. Well, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Enjoy the feasts! Have fun! Eat, drink and be merry! Hahaha!

Jakarta, Dehli, the cancelled Manila, Manila on days off and Paris

2007-12-08T15:16:00.000+04:00

Ola everyone! Ahihihi! Is it that obvious that I am getting lazy to blog? Honestly, I am getting lethargic. I don’t know how to create a good entry. I feel like my blog entries are getting duller than ever! However, I will still try my best to compose a decent and interesting entry.

Jakarta:

A lot of Indonesian crew wanted to swap my Jakarta for their Manila and other European flights; however, it was going to be the first time that I will be able to fly with my batch mate and good friend, Julia so I ended up not swapping with them. Just when the roster for November came out and we found out that we would be flying together, it made us look forward to the not so interesting Jakarta flight. Jakarta is almost like Manila flights, around 8 hours long, quiet and sleeping guests, not so much to do flight. The only difference for me is, when I have Manila I get to see family and friends; Jakarta, I sleep in the hotel and do nothing. LoL! Julia and I did not work in the same galley. She worked in the AFT and I was working in the FWD. Hence, we only got to chat once and for a while throughout the flight. Although Julia and I were freaking worn-out because of the flight, we went out straight away. We knew that if we went for a snooze that we would end up waking up in the middle of the night already! LoL! And so, Julia and I went to the mall to get some DVDs. It took us some time to find were the DVDs were located and when we finally did, we got stuck in the same stand for the next hour and half. They had everything Julia and I was looking for, TV series such as One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Will & Grace and a lot more. They also had new movies that I’ve been wanting to watch! I bought around 11 DVDs, Julia got more than 25! Talk about DVD shopping! LoL! When we got back to the hotel, wanting to unwind before going to bed, we decided to go for a dip in the swimming pool. When we got there, suddenly, Julia and I didn’t feel like swimming anymore so we just went to the wellness center or something like that. Whoa! It was wonderful! They had a Jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam room! Awesome! It only took 5 minutes in the Jacuzzi for me to feel the need to go to bed already! LoL! And just when I got back to my room, Zzzzzzzz!

The next day, we had free buffet breakfast. Julia and I met up with the other crew and stayed in the restaurant for about 2 hours. I love the selection that the restaurant has. So far, the best free breakfast buffet I’ve had here in Etihad. Right after breakfast, Elis, Julia and I went to our rooms, got a pillow and slept/relaxed beside the pool. The weather was not that great but it ok. Stayed by the pool for about 2 hours and we went back to our rooms to prepare for the flight going back to Abu Dhabi.

Breakfast Buffet

Elis . Me . Julia

Dehli:

My only comment on this flight! Que Horror! :o

The cancelled Manila flight:

For a couple of days, Abu Dhabi had serious problems with the weather change. Fog was very thick. You barely see anything in the road nor can you see the runway in the airport. For this reason, a lot of flights, incoming and outgoing, has been either cancelled or delayed. Some Etihad aircrafts even had to divert to other destinations. Fog here in Abu Dhabi usually clears out after an hour or two, but on the night of my Manila flight, it did not clear up until the next day. It was the worst fog Abu Dhabi Airport has ever had. We were suppose to take off by 2am but nothing was happening. I, together with 12 other flight mates, were stuck inside the aircraft until 5am. Due to legalities, we were not legal to operate that particular Manila flight anymore. We went back to the office and waited for another 3 hours doing nothing, and finally we were just sent home by the crew control. In replacement for the cancelled Manila flight, they gave me 3 days off standby. For the first 2 standbys they did not call me. On the third one, they changed it to Peshawar. Light load going and back so it was not that exhausting.

Manila on days off:

Going home on days off is such a big risk. Abu Dhabi to Manila was not a problem but Manila to Abu Dhabi was always a full/overbooked flight. Since I travel using ID90, means that I only pay 10% of the ticket fare, I am the first to be offloaded when the flight is full. In other words, I am the last priority to be given a seat. I almost did not want to go home. I wanted my parents to visit me here instead. But they couldn’t. I didn’t know they had other plans; they were going to Vietnam and Cambodia with their amigos and amigas! And because I was upset of the cancelled Manila flight, I gathered up my courage and went home anyways. My mom picked me up in the airport and straight away, we went to greenhills to meet up with my brother, Ahia Lemon and his wife, Vanessa. [Ahia means older brother in Chinese] We had dinner in Tender Bob’s. I missed my brother so much. It was our first time to see each other again since I left to work for Etihad. He was going back to our province that same night so we didn’t have much time to bond. But it was good enough, it was better than not seeing him at all. Oh, Ahia Lemon and Vanessa recently had a civil wedding, which I was not able to attend, and on January 18, they will be getting married in church. And I’m one of their bridesmaids. I’m really excited. Ahihihi! After saying goodbyes to my brother, again, my mom and I went straight home to get some rest.

Next day, when I woke up, my dad was there already. He just arrived from the province early that morning. My grandma was in Manila as well. She’s 92 and she still travels from one province to another. Whoa! :o I love her so much! She’s the best grandma ever! Seeing her makes me smile. Had breakfast with them at home and then off to POEA to get my exit clearance whatever. Then next went to DLSU-Taft, my Alma matter, well not really inside the school but beside it. I’m proud to say, I’ve finally got my Animoism shirt! “Reign Supreme, Animo Team!” And then I went to SM Mall of Asia. I had my hair cut and got some hair treatments. I feel so bad for my hair. They’ve been suffering from too much hairspray and hot water! After pampering my hair, I bought myself a new luggage. Something I would use on my days off. And then went back home to change for a night out with friends. Ahihihi! But first, I had to attend a family affair. A relative’s death anniversary. I saw cousins I haven’t seen for over a year. Tito Martin was there as well. He is a friend of the family. He used to be like a second dad to me and my siblings. He was a good friend of my parents. I’m happy that I was home for that occasion, a not so happy gathering, but it served as a reunion to us. After the dinner, I met up with my friends. My mom dropped me off at Joseph’s place near La Salle again. Waited for Teeney and King and then we went to greenbelt. First stop, Krokodile grill. Everybody knows that I hate beer but because I love Teeney, I drank a bottle of Red Horse with her. Originally, I was suppose to meet my Iskul Bukul friends but they were a no show! Buhoo! You guys suck! Only Teeney was present. King aka Carissa, Joseph and Gold, their siblings, had to leave early because they had classes the next day. So, I ended up being with Teeney’s friends. They were really nice, but the thing was, I felt so old with them. They were so young! My gosh! We went to Temple bar, danced for a while, had some more booze and before heading home, we went grabbed something from McDonalds. I got home around 4am in the morning and by 9am I was up already. I still had another day before going back to Abu Dhabi but I did not want to push my limit so I came into a decision to give one day leeway. And so I was back in Abu Dhabi, Saturday night, with nothing to do. Man, I could have still partied in Manila. LoL! I just went to Etihad’s clinic the next day and had my vaccination then for the rest of the day, I slept.

Teeney . Peaches . Silver . King . Gold

Teeney and I

Paris:

Throughout the month, my most awaited flight was the Paris flight. Recently, I’ve heard almost all the crew complain about having minimum rest in Paris. I was supposed to have the same schedule last month but they took it out and gave me Sydney instead. This month I got lucky. I got 24 hours layover in Paris. I was so excited that I bought a whole new outfit, including my most beloved Louis Vuitton bag. It was a night when we landed in Paris. We were staying in a hotel near the airport which was 30-45 minutes train ride away from the city. It was really cold when we arrived Paris. According to the captain, it was 8 degrees Celsius, but I doubt it. I’m sure it was cooler than that. I wanted to go out right away but everyone was feeling lazy, plus, our cabin manager warned us about taking the train during night time. He said that if we wanted to go to the city, it would be better if we took the taxi. Hell no, taxi would cost like 40 Euros! So, I let it pass. Went to my hotel room, slept like a baby until the next morning! Originally, I was suppose to go out with Gayle, a Singaporean a flew with just recently. However, she wasn’t feeling well so she ended up not going with me. Instead, I went out with Tosporn and Sherwin. Tosporn has been around Paris so he pretty much knows how the tube/metro/train thing goes. We got the whole day pass which allows us to go in and out of the metro and the city buses as well.

Our first stop, Arc de Triomphe. Speechless. It was right in the middle of the city. Well, not really but if you go on top. You’ll see Paris 360 degrees. Hay. I didn’t try it though, it was too expensive. Maybe when I’m with my special someone. Next is walking in Avenue des Champs Elysees. Shopping center of Paris. I was trying to avoid the nice stores but when I saw the LV building, I couldn’t stop myself. I just had to go in. I wanted to buy a wallet that matches my bag so I asked around. And yeah, I was successful, in controlling myself not to buy. LoL! Note to self: Save more money. Stop buying things. LoL! We had lunch in a café by the street. Yummy pasta. Walked and walked until we reached the bus stop. And because I had killer boots on, my feet were starting to ache. Took the bus going to the Eiffel Tower and as we were getting close to Eiffel Tower, I felt as if it was only a dream. I never thought I’d actually see it. It was too good to be true. All I could say was, WOW! It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I was so thrilled to be there and seeing it. Surreal. I only had one thing missing with me, my special someone. Oh, it could have been perfect! Someday. After the Tour Effiel, we went back to Avenue des Champs Elysees and took a bus going to Musee du Louvre. Because the bus system in Paris is really confusing. We were dropped off a bit farther than we expected. We didn’t have much time left as well, so we were already in panic. We walked and walked and walked and after 15 minutes or so of walking , we finally reached the famous Da Vinci landmark, Musee du Louvre. I wanted to go in but to my surprise it was closed. Musee du Louvre is closed every Tuesday! Ugh! Of all the days in the week, it had to be close on the day I was there. Argh! Anyways, I still wanted to go to Notre Dame but my feet was giving up already, literally shaking and hurting so bad, and we didn’t have much time left as well. So, we went back to the hotel. Rest for about an hour. Then again, the most dreadful part, going back to Abu Dhabi. LoL!

Arc de Triomphe

Avenue des Champs Elysees

Eiffel Tower Up Close

Eiffel Tower

Musee du Louvre

Busy month? I would say yes. Exciting though. Lots of new adventures. New amusing stories. Until my next entry. Adios!

Kuala Lumpur and Karachi

2007-11-20T00:21:00.000+04:00

Starting the month of November was fun. First flight of the month is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out hotel in Kuala Lumpur is amazing! Great ambiance, beautiful lobby, wonderful rooms, awesome view, a flat screen television, a comfortable bed and pillows, bathtub and shower and the location of the hotel was just fab. It was only 2 minutes drive “buggy”/golf cart away from the famous Petronas Towers/KLCC Mall, how convenient is that?!? We reached the hotel around 4 in the afternoon and straight away went out to get some food and check out KLCC. There were a few of us that were supposed to meet in the lobby after 30 minutes but only 2 of us came. And so we went to the KLCC mall. The mall was humongous! So many stores, so little time! LoL! I particularly liked this store called Vincci. They had a great selection of shoes and they were cheap too! I ended up buying just 2 pairs. I wanted more but of course I had to control, I was just starting the month for goodness sake! LoL! We ate dinner at the food court and then went back to the hotel to rest.

Petronas Towers

The next day, woke up early to have a breakfast buffet. The restaurant was great but they didn’t have pork. Buhoo! That was what I was looking for. LoL! After breakfast I went to Kuala Lumpur’s central market with Dahlia. There wasn’t really much to see, it was more like a big tourists’ mall with all the souvenirs and cultural stuff that I can find all over Asia. After an hour of going around the mall, Dahlia and I went back to the hotel. Oh, we actually passed by KLCC first then went back to the hotel. Dahlia drove the buggy back to the hotel. We were the only passengers so the hotel personal said yes to Dahlia when she asked him if she could drive the buggy! When we got back to the hotel, we went up to the rooftop; they call it the “Sky Bar”. WOW! The view was amazing! You could see the whole Petronas Towers and the park in front of it. Plus, there was the bar, a spa, a jacuzzi and a swimming pool. It was perfect for a chill out lounge. I wish I had my friends with me, I’m sure they would love the place! Stayed in Sky bar for a while and went back to my room. After an hour, Uma and I decided to visit Aquaria. Obviously, it’s an aquarium. Hmm, nothing really impressive to see, it wasn’t really new to me, I’ve seen something similar in Singapore already. Oh, just this big frog that freaked me out big time! And because of that frog, I was jumpy the whole time Uma and I was walking through the pathway. We ate lunch in the food court near the Aquaria then went back to the hotel to get some snooze. Left the hotel 6:00 in the evening and took off for Abu Dhabi by 8:45pm. Arrived Abu Dhabi just about after midnight local time, slept the whole day. Woke up in the evening and I was off to Karachi.

Kuala Lumpur's Central Market

Aquaria; Can you see the shark?

When I first saw Karachi in my roster I was so disappointed. I did not want to do it. But then, I heard from other crew that they sell good leather jackets in the airport duty free and that got me excited. I’ve been wanting to buy a leather jacket but they are so expensive! They told me it was real, good quality leather. So, it made me look forward to my Karachi flight. Oh, I did not do anything in the flight! Light load, well no load. I was assigned in Diamond First Class and we had no guests, and I’m not really trained for Diamond or Pearl. Pearl business class only had like 2-3 guests so they did not need my help. I went to visit the Coral Economy Galley as well, and they had everything in control! So, I had really nothing to do. We only had an hour ground time in Karachi and there are currently political ramblings in Pakistan so I wasn’t sure if the captain and cabin manager would allow us to go out to the duty free but luckily they did, BUT, for 15 minutes only! We rushed to the duty free, saw the leather jackets, started trying them on, and viola, in more or less 15 minutes, I managed to buy 2 leather jackets. LoL! Now, let me see, where to wear them? Hmm. I wonder. LoL! I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Ahihihi!

Manila Homecoming

2007-11-09T00:04:00.000+04:00

After 4 months of waiting I finally got to go back to Manila. I would have loved it if I had the chance to go home to Tuguegarao as well but it was better than nothing. How do I exactly start?

Well, I got to go home twice this October, and it was back to back.

After Sydney, crew control was nice enough to give me 3 days off so I had the chance to go home to Manila. I never thought I would miss Manila. I was sure I would miss my family, friends and Dave but Manila itself, I was sure I would not. But I was wrong, the traffic, the side street vendors, the rainy days. I missed it.

Day 1: My mom and dad picked me up in the airport. It was raining really hard but it was all good. I missed the rain. Right when I we arrived our condominium; I gave them my “pasalubongs”. Unpacked my things and unwind for a while. After taking a nap and a shower I was off to Greenhills. Dad decided to stay home and rest. Mom was going to meet her high school classmates and I was to visit Janice’s place. The rain was terrible which caused horrendous traffic; it took as more than an hour from our place to my mom’s friend’s house in San Juan. Good thing Janice’s place was near my mom’s friend’s house already so we were in Janice’s place in like 5 minutes. Last time I was in Ninni’s place was last April; I actually lived there for 2 weeks. I was ecstatic to see everyone there, Ninni, Brian, Chester, Inri and of course Dave. I decided to wait a while before going out to eat because of the traffic. It was just like the olden days, hanging around at Ninni’s place, the only difference is Dave was there and so was I. It was always either Dave was there and I was not or vice versa. We went to Gerry’s grill for dinner, my favorite restaurant. I missed the sisig, calamares, baked mussels, kangkong, shredded adobo, yummy! *drool* Being around my closest friends was great. It was like no worries, that I had no job to worry about. We laughed like there was no tomorrow! After dinner, I was suppose to pick up my mom right away and go home to rest, but when I called her up she was enjoying her time with her friends and so did I and so we both said that we can just go home a ‘lil bit later. We went back to Janice’s place and just hanged out. It was more comfortable anyways than staying in the restaurant. We talked about everything! Not seeing Inri and Janice for 6 months! My gosh! There was so much to catch up with! Around 12 in the evening, mom called me to tell the driver to pick her up already and so he did, she wanted to see everyone as well so she went to Janice’s place as well. She wanted to talk to Janice about her experience with Atlasjet Airlines. And so, it took us about an hour or more before heading home. We got home around 2am and woke daddy up and from there we all could not sleep. We all stayed up until 3am, until they drank their sleeping pills. LoL!

Brian, Dave and I, Inri and Janice

Dave and I

Day 2: We woke up 9am, and since there is just so much to do and mall open at 10am, by 10 I was in SM Mall of Asia already. LoL! First in the list, get a manicure & pedicure/foot spa, facial and have my eyelash permed. I went to my favorite spa clinic, Let’s Face It! I stayed at the spa clinic for 3 hours to have everything done. I also wanted to have my hair cut and a hot oil but we didn’t have much time because I had to do my groceries, shop for things I needed and go to a designer to have myself measured for a gown for my brother’s wedding on January. Next stop was Shoe Mart, I bought new undergarments, hairnets, stocking, pins and a lot more. It was a Wednesday, so our car wasn’t able to be of use because of this coding rule in Manila. Good thing, Ate Vilma and Kuya Allan was there. Ate Vilma and Kuya Allan are good friends of the family. They picked us up in Mall of Asia and drove us to New Manila to the designer, had my measurements done and choose the design of my gown then we went to Greenhills shopping center. I met up with Dave in Greenhills. He was going back to Tuguegarao that night so I did not want not seeing him before he left. We just went around the mall. Looking for the perfect bag for my PSP, unfortunately, they did not have what I want. We had dinner at Italianni’s with my parents, Ate Vilma and Kuya Allan. I paid for dinner, and it was just fulfilling to see my parents overjoyed that I, their youngest child, can already treat them in an expensive restaurant. As a child, I was always scared of not pleasing my parents. I wanted them to be proud of me and that night I did. I wanted to cry when my dad kissed me in the forehead and thanked me for the dinner. I knew they were both proud of me and I that made me extremely happy. I would love to do it over and over and over again just to see them be proud of me. It was also the first time Dave and I in a expensive restaurant, I always wanted to eat fast food, the oily French fries, burgers, barbeque sticks in the streets and Mc Donald’s chicken nuggets, my favorite. Right when we finished dinner, we went to Chester/Janice/Brian’s place for Dave to pick up his things already. We brought him to the bus station and said our goodbyes. I felt so bad saying goodbye to him again. I won’t see him for quite some time again. I almost didn’t want him to leave but he had to, he had to enroll in school.

Day 3: Last Day, the only thing I was able to do was open a bank account for my savings and get my Jollibee! LoL! I missed Jollibee, I wish they’d put one up here in Abu Dhabi soon. I know they have one in Dubai but I barely go there. Expecting the flight to be full, I went to the airport early hoping to get a sure seat, but no, it was too overbooked so I had to wait for the captain and the crew to ask for a jumpseat. I was with another cabin crew, her name’s Sugar; she’s really nice and pretty. We talked to the captain together and yes, the captain was nice enough to allow us to sit in the jumpseat.

My Parents

with Kitchie

Going back to Abu Dhabi was a bit tiring. It’s not really comfortable trying to sleep in a jumpseat of an airplane. Good thing there was an extra passenger seat, Sugar and I exchanged every once in a while. I arrived the flat around 9pm in the evening. Slept pretty much the whole day, and I was off back to Manila for my flight. This time around I wasn’t a passenger, I was a crew already.

Touchdown in Manila was 2:00 in the afternoon; we were in the hotel by 4pm. My parents were waiting for me already. I slept for a few hours and then we left for San Juan, to have dinner with my Ninang Wilma, my godmother, and her family. It was her birthday so they had a mini birthday celebration at their place. I was so tired that I fell asleep in the couch. I was suppose to meet a couple of friends but complications and all I was unable to see them. Instead, I made plans with Inri and Janice again. Faye also just arrived from Hong Kong so it was a mini reunion as well. I haven’t seen her since last year. She works as a dancer in Hong Kong Disneyland. My parents dropped me off in Oyster Boy in Greenhills where I was to meet the girls. Ben and Al were also there, Janice and Inri’s boyfriends. It was my first time to meet Al, he’s a basketball player and he’s freaking tall! I also met Aira for the first time and I heart her already. She’s so fun to be with. Being with the girls once again was fabulous. Fun, fun fun! Although it was liquor ban, we were able to get some booze! Dara and Ken also came later on the night. Just to see me. That’s why I heart Dara so much, she makes ways just to see me. LoL! I got back to the hotel 3 in the morning already and to think I had a flight the next day. Whew! Superwoman! LoL! I asked my mom and dad to sleep in the hotel with me. Good thing I didn’t wake them up when I came in. My mom woke me up around 10am because I had to get all the groceries I wanted to bring from our condo. My luggage was so heavy! I had longganisa, bangus, daing, puto-pao, and canned goods! It was crazy but they don’t weigh our luggage anyways so what the heck! LoL! Flight was great, full but it was ok. After 8 hours, again I was back in Abu Dhabi! I was dead tired. I slept right away. Well, after bringing out all the frozen food I had with me then I slept.

Peaches, Faye, Aira, Ben and Janice, Inri and Al

They missed me

with Dara and Ken

It was great being back in Manila. Really! It was totally worth it. I didn’t care if it got me tired and all. Seeing my family and friends was awesome! Nothing compares to the time I spent with them! I can’t even find the right words to express how happy I feel!

PS: My mom has our pictures together in me in uniform. I’ll post them as soon as I receive them.

Frankfurt. Sucky Turnarounds. Beachcapade with Tina and Ruth. Sydney. finally MANILA!

2007-10-30T23:10:00.000+04:00

I have a reason for the uber late blog. After Frankfurt I just had several turnarounds so nothing really special to blog about. I didn't want to blog about Frankfurt alone so I tried waiting for something excting to happen. And I got what I wanted. Things got exciting and busy! Thus, the late blog!

It has been more than 2 weeks since my Frankfurt flight and I barely remember the events that happened. Let me try to recall. I remember arriving in Frankfurt late in the afternoon. I changed immediately upon arriving the hotel to grab dinner in this mini resto called Asian box with some colleagues. Our hotel was in the airport. I bought chocolates to bring home for my Manila flight in the grocery where I had to pay for the plastic bags that I would use. Went back to hotel and slept the whole night. The nexy day, I went out with Salinee. We rode to train to go to the city. It was so hard to understand the railway system in Frankfurt. Everything was in German! Argh! We almost got lost and all. We ended up in Hauptbanhhof station. The weather was fab so we decided to walk through the city. I saw the biggest euro sign ever and this amazing church. I forgot what it was called but we went to this tourist must see area. Then walked back to the same train station we came from. Back to the hotel. Slept for a few more hours then back to Abu Dhabi. Sorry for the not-so-detailed story about Frankfurt. I should stop doing this, blogging too late because I forget details already. LoL!

My Frankfurt buddy, Salinee

The big Euro Monument

Hauptbahnhof Train Station

Note to self: Even if the entry will be short. Write 'em down already before you forget everything about it! =D

Turnarounds are ok, but I hate it. I'd rather have layovers. I mean, you finish the duty in a few hours and get paid for two days ain't that bad but you don't get to go anywhere! You stay inside the aircraft the whole time. You wait for guests to board, serve them meals/drinks/sandwiches, deboard them and then wait for the new set of guests that are coming! Wah! I totally despise it!

And then there was my beachcapade with Ruth and Tina. Tina, Ruth and I all had our 2 days off at the same time. We went to the mall to pamper ourselves, applied for internet, went to the uniform store to have my skirt fixed and claim our overcoats. We actually accomplished a lot from our to-do lists. But the most memorable one is our trip to Abu Dhabi's public beach. All three of us were so excited because it was everyone's first time to go to the beach here in Abu Dhabi. I actually ended up buying ipod speakers because we wanted to have nice chill music by the beach. But to our surprise, the beach was full of err... hmmm... how can i say it, ummm, the smell. People were by the beach in their jeans and long sleeves, a lot of those people were just there to stare at those people in bikinis. It was so messed up! No restrooms, no showers, no nothing. Wah! I thought I was already well adjusted here in Abu Dhabi but i guess not! And the worst yet funniest thing we experienced was walking for about an hour just to get a taxi. Apparently, since the beach was a bit far, taxis do not go to the area unless they had to drop someone off. We also tried calling up Al Ghazal Taxi but again, the operater told me that they are not allowed to pick someone up in the public beach. And so, Ruth, Tina and I walked! My Gosh! What an experience! Totally memorable. Good thing I was with Ruth and Tina, if not. I would have died right there and then. LoL! AND.. we have all decided, never ever to go back to the public beach! We would rather pay fees in the hotels.

In the beach with Ruth

and Tina

Then there was Sydney. I was actually called on standby for Sydney. I had 2 days off before the flight and enough days off after so I was legal to do a Sydney flight. Flights to Sydney is like a flight to Toronto, 14 hours in the sky! It was a full load and I like answering call bells to keep me up. I was really nice to the guest. But, there was this one fake blonde who was such a pain in the ass! Not only does she looks funny with her blonde wig, fake eyelashes and super long nails that already bends like eekk... She's was such a bitch. I'm sorry to use the term but she was. Right when she wakes up, she wants her coffee, NOW! Not after 1 minute.. but NOW! or else she'll scream at you like crazy.. complain, complain and complain as if she was in diamond first class! Argh. Anyways, I really can't escape guests like her, there will always be one like her. LoL!

oK, after 14 hours of flight, yipee, I was in Sydney. I've been wanting a Sydney flight for the longest time so I would get the chance to buy my UGG boots! LoL! I blame my cousins in Santa Clarita, California for my desire to buy such pair of boots. Tee Hee! And yes, I finally got my own pair of UGG boots. It was the first thing I did after resting for about an hour or two in the hotel. I also tried to calling my friend Miggz but too bad I was unable to contact him for some reason. I also tried calling, Tsarina, a family friend but I was also unsuccesful in reaching her. So, my last chance was to call my aunt's high school classmate who is also a friend of my mom, and I was able to find her! Good news, she invited me for dinner at their place. Bad news, she sprained her ankle just the day before so she couldn't bring me around. Bummer. I've already told my flightmates I won't be going with them because I assumed at least one of those three people I was trying to contact would be able to bring me around. I don't blame them, the trip was known to me a day before the flight so I didn't have much time to tell them I was coming. I was thinking not to go around but what the heck, I was in Sydney. My hotel was right in the middle of the city. I could see the Opera House from my hotel room for goodness sake. And so, I went out on my own. Walked in the beautiful The Rocks Village. I saw the Sydney Opera House. And yet another structure that made me WOW. In my personal opinion, the Opera House is better seen during the day than night. You don't really see the beauty of the building during night time. I also saw the Harbour Bridge. It was nice walking around Sydney. The weather was great! I mean, totally perfect for a walk. The combination of the sun burning through your skin and the cold breeze was just the right thing. I also got to try to ride their public bus to go to Tita[Aunt] Pinky, the friend of my mom I was talking about. It was ok, I didn't really have a hard time. She lives in Coogee Beach, it was nearly the last stop. Her house was awesome! It was on top of the hill over looking the ocean. Totally totally BEAUTIFUL. I would love to have a house just like theirs. It's a weird feeling because it was actaully my first time to meet her. My mom made me call her and I don't regret doing so. She was really nice. I didn't feel like it was just our first meeting. It was like she has known me for ages. Her husband and son was welcoming as well. Dinner was fantastic. Tita Pinky's son and his friends, brought me back in the hotel. Slept until 6am then around 8:30 went down to the restaurant to have breakfast buffet. I love the toasts! I wanted more but I was too shy because I've already had like 4 or 5. LoL!

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Going back to Abu Dhabi was excting. Not because of the flight, because I was trying to catch the flight going to Manila! ^_^ I had 3 days off so why put the 3 days off to waste. It was my first time to go back to Manila sa I was praying really hard that I would be able to catch it. Good thing I had packed my things before Sydney flight already. Imagine this, touchdown in Abu Dhabi was around 11pm and my Manila flight was leaving 2pm, so I had to be checked in an hour before. Deboarding passengers and getting through immigration would take about 30 mins. Taxi would take about 20-30 mins from the airport to my building. Changing and preparing took me only 10 minuted. And viola, I got back to the airport, 10 minutes before the counter closed! hahaha! I felt like I was the cartoon hero, Flash. But it was all worth it. For the first time in 4 months, I was a guest/passenger. LoL! But the greatest thing was, after 4 months, I would see my family, my friend and my Dave once again. I know some will kill me for saying this, but I'll be posting my Manila homecoming next time. Maybe tomorrow. LoL! Of course. I have to make another entry for my first ever trip back to Manila since I left for Abu Dhabi. Tee Hee!

Sick in Jakarta, Riyadh and Medina. Animo Lasalle

2007-10-07T14:45:00.000+04:00

Yes, I got sick in Jakarta. On the way to Jakarta, I was feeling totally fine. Guests were nice and the flight itself, though long, wasn’t tiring at all. We got to Jakarta around 1 or 2 in the afternoon local time. I was supposed to meet Elizabeth and Bree 4:00pm but I felt so tired, I couldn’t even stand up and get myself a bottle of water. So, I called Elizabeth, told her that I won’t be joining them anymore. Buhoo. I knew right there and then that I was going to get sick and I missed my chance to buy DVDs! Argh! I slept the whole afternoon and woke up around 9:00 in the evening. Just when I woke up, first thing I hear is my stomach growling. Being the lazy me, I just got room service. Read my new book, Can you keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella, same author of the famous Shopaholic series. I’m proud to say I finished the book in less than a week. I’m not the reader type so that was an achievement. And I want to start reading books again. OK. Back to Jakarta, after about an hour or two. I slept again so that I would have a good rest for tomorrow’s flight, hoping that I would feel better. To my surprise, when I woke up the next day, my throat was worst than yesterday. It was so dry and itchy! I couldn’t miss the free breakfast buffet so I still forced myself to go. Called Amalia so I had someone to be and can I just say, wow. I just have to say, it was a beautiful breakfast buffet. Yummy! I tried drinking hot tea with honey for my cough but It didn’t even help. I was still coughing bad. Going back to Abu Dhabi, I felt more and more sick. Flight wasn’t hard but my throat was itching so much. Tried gargling warm water with salt. Drank a lot of hot tea with lemon slice. But none helped ease that coughing! And I started having colds as well. Just when I arrived Abu Dhabi and rode the bus on the way back to my accommodation, my phone rang and it was OCC(Crew Control) telling me I had a flight to Riyadh the next day. Argh! Being new to the company, I was too scared to call in sick so I went to the Riyadh flight. My gosh! It was the shortest flight I have ever had but it felt like to most tiring of all! Landing was horrible! I couldn’t hear, I felt like my ears was going to pop! Now I know what they mean when people told me not to fly with flu! By the time I got back home, I had a very very bad headache already. I felt like there was a big rock on my head! Took some medicines and slept the whole day. I had two days off after so I just stayed home and took some rest so I would feel better.

I thought I was feeling better already, so I went to my Medina flight. I guess not. First, I forgot my ID at home so I had to go back and get it. Second, my ears and my nose were still hurting during descent. Medina flights are chartered/special flights. We only have it during Ramadan and from what I’ve heard during December. Since it was a chartered flight, we had no guests going to Medina. So, we had the chance to use the IFE and watch movies. On the way back to Abu Dhabi, flight was full. Good thing I was in a B position, which means I don’t really have a whole area of responsibility, because I couldn’t concentrate in working because my ears and nose were hurting. I was double ending with another crew but from time to time went inside the galley to blow my runny nose and ease the pain. Decided to call in sick for 2 days, and here I am blogging. Just got back from Etihad’s clinic to get medications and sick leave approval.

And yes, once again, my alma mater, De La Salle University-Manila, champions of the UAAP men's basketball! Wuhoo! ANIMO LASALLE!

My entry is a bit scattered. Can't think straight. I want my bed! I want to sleep! LoL!

Toronto, Canada

2007-09-28T13:40:00.001+04:00

It has been almost a week since I came back from Toronto. So, what is taking me so long to blog about it? Nothing really, I’m just overwhelmed of the thought I was actually in Toronto and I’ve finally seen Niagara Falls. I don’t know how to start this entry. Too many storied to tell, too many things I want to share and I can’t organize my thoughts! So in advance, I would like to apologize if I jump from one topic to another! LoL!

OK! Here it goes. I requested this specific Toronto flight with my good friend Ruth. She’s one of the few people I spend most of my time with during days off. She’s one of those I consider to have become my family here in Abu Dhabi. I am glad that I had the Toronto flight with her. Imagine working with people you’ve only met once for 14 hours! Whew! When you think about it, it’s not that bad, anyways, it will always happen. But being with someone you know makes it just better, way much better.

Abu Dhabi to Toronto

So, 14 hours of flight, what do you do? A LOT! We had to do 3 services, 2 hot meals and one is called mid hamper treats. The mid hamper treat is like a basket full of candies, chocolates and chips. We also serve fruits, sandwiched and juices. Mid hamper treats service is my personal favorite! Not because most of the guests are sleeping during this service but because we can also grab yummy chocolates and snacks from the baskets if there are any left. LoL! And because the flight is ultra long, we get 4 hours of rest, a big help to rejuvenate our energy and strength! Two days layover in Toronto! Wuhoo! I’m ready to explore!

Yey! I'm in Toronto!

Day 1: Rest. Eat. Relax.

Upon arriving Toronto, I felt like I was back in Los Angeles. [Oh, I stayed three months in LA in the beginning of this year, for vacation.] Not entirely the same but the ambiance, the mood, the environment, it was similar. I just knew that the layover was going to be a good one. Ruth was going to meet her relatives and so I came into decision to tag along with her. I was a bit hesitant at first but I then realized that it’s only every once in a while that I get to fly with a friend in a good destination. Right when we got to the hotel, I changed and fixed my things, ready to go wherever I had to go. Ruth’s uncle and cousins picked us up from the hotel and from there we went to their home in Mississauga to eat lunch! Finally, real Filipino dishes! Shrimps, pancit palabok, bibingka and even halo-halo! YUM YUM YUM! I have never eaten so much food for months! Relaxed a little then passed by to Ruth’s cousin’s house and then went to the mall. I wanted so many things to buy but tax in Toronto was shocking! A whopping 14%! I controlled myself not to buy anything expect for a Stilla lipstick from Sephora. Sephora is love. Not like the love I have for MAC make-up but close to it! LoL! After going around the mall went back to the house and took a nap. Snoozed until dinner time and after dinner went to a café called Demetre were I found the best crepe I have ever had in my entire life! It was like heaven! LoL! I’m a sucker for sweets and this just blew me off! LoL! We immediately went back home because Ruth’s cousins had classes the next day and we had to wake up early as well.

Crepe and I! LoL!

14 hours of flight and still alive and kicking!

Day 2: Niagara Falls. Meeting Tita Goya and friends.

Above all things that I wanted to see in Toronto, It was my visit to Niagra Falls that I was looking forward to the most. We had to wake up early because it was about an hour or two drive to go to Niagara. We didn’t have the leisure of time so we had to make the most out of things. First thing we saw when we got to Niagra was the Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow Bridge is the borderline of Canada and the USA. You could actually wave, Hello Buffalo, NY! LoL! But nothing was more amazing than the falls. The US side was already wonderful but the Horseshoe Falls in the Canada side was just mind-blowing! It was such a beautiful sight. I wanted to try the Maiden of the Mist, a boat that cruises near the falls, however, no one wanted to do it with me and when I saw that the boat didn’t really go near the falls, hmmm, I changed my mind as well. Instead, we went to a tunnel behind the falls. I found the tunnel trip more exciting and interesting actually. The tunnel had two paths, one going behind the falls and the other beside it. They gave us rain coats to wear and at first I was clueless what it was for since I thought we were just going behind the falls. To my surprise, going beside the falls was like going under the rain! The wind was blowing hard towards the terrace where you could take pictures! I was super excited that I didn’t give a damn if my camera was getting wet but misfortune came and my camera died on me! Argh! I charged it before I left Abu Dhabi and I’m still confused why my battery didn’t last me that long! I’ve charged it again lately and the battery is ok! Tsk! Good thing, Ruth was there to save me! LoL! So, I owe Ruth half of the photos I had taken in Toronto! After paying a visit to one of the most famous place on earth, we had lunch in a casino nearby. Once again, I pigged out for it was a buffet. Food was ok, I expected more selections but the food was great and I still ate a lot! LoL! I slept all the way back to Mississauga.

Beautiful Niagara Falls

Jump for Joy!

Behind the Niagara Falls

In between Ruth and Rhea(Wife of Ruth's cousin)

Ruth’s cousins were suppose to bring us to downtown Toronto where I was to meet Tita Goya, a very good friend of my parents in the Philippines [Tuguegarao], but they didn’t have enough time because it was Ruth’s aunt’s birthday celebration that night. I really wanted to meet up with her so she picked me up instead. It was great that she picked me up. Finally, I was with someone I’ve known for a long time, before I even joined Etihad. It felt like I was back in the Philippines, in my province, with my family. We had dinner in this restaurant called Richtree, it was like a market wherein there was a wide selection of food, too wide that I couldn’t decide what to eat so I ended up ordering this very scrumptious salmon steak! After dinner, we met up with my Tita Goya’s friends in a cheese and wine café. Ambiance in the café was really nice. Candlelight tables, soft good music was playing in the background, it was a good place to hang out with friends, old ones if you get what I mean. LoL! But nonetheless, I enjoyed the place but most especially the people I was with. We actually got carried away with our stories that we didn’t notice it was pass midnight already and my wake-up call was 6:40 in the morning! So, I had to say goodbye to my Tita’s friends and to my Tita Goya as well. Promised them that next time I would have a Toronto flight I would spend time more with them. Arrived the hotel around 1:00am and went straight to bed.

Toronto to Abu Dhabi

I woke up about almost an hour before wake up call. Watched a little bit of cartoons and then I started to get ready for the flight. 15 minutes before checking out, Ruth and her cousins were knocking on my door and had Tim Horton’s coffee and pecan pie with them. I must say, Tim Horton’s coffee is better than Starbucks, and the pecan pie was really good. Ruth and I said our thank you and goodbyes to Ruth’s cousins, hoping to see them again in my next Toronto flight. Flight going back was supposedly shorter than going to Toronto, 12 hours and something, but just our luck, there was no visibility of the runway in Abu Dhabi so we had to divert to Dubai. We didn’t leave the airplane but the guests, because of the long flight, were already impatient. We were on ground for about an hour! Whew! After almost 20 hours of being on work, finally, Abu Dhabi! I have never been happier to have landed Abu Dhabi! LoL!

Before I end my entry and forget about it, I’d like to thank Ruth and her relatives for allowing me to tag along with them. I had so much fun in Toronto because of them. And also to my aunt, Tita Goya for picking me up all the way at Mississauga just to have dinner with me. LoL! Why do I feel like I’m making a speech as if I have won an award! LoL!

OK! Back on track! I will miss you Toronto! I will see you again soon! Hopefully! Ahihihi!

And yeah, I had a Jeddah flight yesterday. Tsk. I really hate medium haul flights. So little time so much to do and they are the worst guests. I don’t know why but it feels more tiring than long haul flights sometimes.

Those days..

2007-09-25T00:40:00.001+04:00

I recently recieved an e-mail asking me if I wanted to continue my portfolio website. My Site will be going down this 26th September 2007 already, which means no more http://www.peachesvalera.com/ by tomorrow. Yes, I decided to discontinue it. Why? Simply because I don't model anymore and I have no use for it. Besides, my multiply and flickr are still alive. LoL!

i miss..

Johannesburg: Safari Experience

2007-09-18T00:24:00.000+04:00

Last Wednesday night I was on standby and I was hoping not to be called because I felt so tired already. I just finished cooking my dinner and then my phone rang. It was OCC, they told me that they will send me a cab in 30 minutes and that I will be doing a Jo'burg flight. I was upset and thrilled at the same time. Upset because I was called on standby and I wanted more rest. Thrilled because it's Jo'burg, South Africa. Though we were only to stay in Jo'burg for 24 hours, I knew I would love it there.

Flight was 8 hours, light load and very polite guests. We arrived Johannesburg, 10am local time and were in the hotel about 11am. My colleagues and I decided to rest until 3 in the afternoon. Ning, Nina, Jannet and I went to Mandela Square, it's a big mall which was about 2 blocks away from the hotel. Bought some souvenirs. I soo loved this small music instruments. It's like a tiny drums made out of real animal coat. Everyone was telling me that Jo'burg is known for their steak so I just had to eat some. We ate in the best steak house! I was too excited to order and eat, I forgot to take note of the name of the resto. LoL! I can remember where it is located though. Ahihi! I ordered the Argentinean Style Rump. It was yummy! Best steak I've ever had in my life, juicy and a lil bit smoked which was just perfect! *drool* The price was not too expensive as well. It was just like eating in Friday's. We were suppose to pass by the grocery after we ate dinner to get some water and some snacks but to our surprise, groceries in the mall closed at 6pm! whoa! And so, we just asked the chauffer of the shuttle of the hotel to pass by a gasoline station so we could at least buy some bottled water. I was tired from going around so I slept early and for me to be able to have a good rest for the next day's flight as well.

The famous Nelson Mandela Statue

Ning, Nina, myself and Jannet

Following morning, woke up 5am, two hours before our wake up call! :o I couldn't go back to sleep so I just started to watch a movie. After a while, I remembered I wanted to have a dip in a hot tub, and so I did. It was very soothing. I was in the bathtub for about 30 minutes and then I heard the phone. I thought it was the wake up call but then I realized it was too early for the wake up call. It was Roisin, our Cabin Manager, telling me that our flight got cancelled. Immediately I thought of calling my colleagues and ask them if they wanted to go to a Safari trip. Called the concierge to ask them about the tours and packages they have. Too bad we couldn't join the whole day safari anymore because they left really early, so we did the half day safari instead. I really wanted to do it the day before but everyone was unsure since we didn't have much time, so this was my chance to convince them.

It was I, Ning, Nina, Satinder and Yasmina who went to the safari. The rest of the crew has done the trip so some decided to go back and take some more snooze and the others joined the city tour. We went to a preserved area called lion's park. I couldn't be more excited and overjoyed. I have been dreaming to do a safari trip ever since I decided to apply as a cabin crew. I wanted it more than a euro trip. The park was just beautiful. For some time I was just speechless of what I was seeing. It was more than I imagined it to be. I like nature a lot and it was just wonderful. We saw jackals, zebras, ostriches, antelopes, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, buffalos and of course lions, lionesses and their cubs, there were also some white lions.

Different animals

Clockwise: Top Left: Lioness with her cubs, white lion, Athena the cub, sleeping lion

I was most amazed by the lions and how they looked. Yes, I've seen them in photos but never in real life. The lions' mane makes them look bigger and stronger. It was WOW! The closest we can get with the lions was around 5-6 feet away. Oh, we were inside a van of course. LoL! They were sleeping under a tree so our van stopped right beside them and of course, it was opportunity for us to take photos. We opened the windows and we could even hear them breathe. It was that close! I just loved it! They looked cuddable, I just wanted to get out and pet them. But hell no, I was still in my right mind. LoL! We also had the chance to pet some cubs. There were 3 of them and they got their names from Greek Mythology, I could remember Athena and Achilles. Could not remember the other cub’s name, she was not in a good mood, she just had a shot. I also got to meet Gambit and Purdy, the giraffes. Don't know who's who but one of them was a show off. He was always near the stairs, he loved being fed and taking pictures! LoL! Oh, funny story, there was a cheetah who thinks he's a lion. He got injured and was placed in the same area as the cubs, a different cage though. Trainers tried putting him in front of the mirror and he went like crazy! He didn't know it was his own reflection since he thinks he looks like lions. He's scared of the other cheetahs so they have to introduce him to them slowly. It was really funny seeing him run away from other cheetahs. I stayed so long inside the cubs’ world! I couldn't stop petting them and looking at them. They were so cute! It was prohibited to carry them because a year ago, a cub died because people often reacted when the cubs act as if they will bite you and of course people would let go of them and let them fall on the ground. I felt bad when I heard the story so I was ok giving them tummy rubs. I almost didn't want to leave the place! But yeah, it had to end. Back to the hotel, ate dinner with colleagues. Once again, yummy steak. *drool* Went to sleep and the next day back to Abu Dhabi.

Athena, the friendliest cub!

With Gambit or Purdy?

United Etihad

Satinder(Indian), Ning(Thai), Achilles the cub,

Peaches(Filipina), Nina(Ukranian) and Yasmina(Swedish)

Definitely this Jo'burg trip of mine will be unforgettable and will be hard to beat by other destinations. I'm planning to go back to do an overnight safari. Maybe with my parents, I know they've been wishing to go to Africa. I think it's the only continent they have never been to. Ahihihi!

Kuwait, Dhaka, Beirut and Munich

2007-09-12T21:15:00.000+04:00

It's been a while since my last entry and I don't even know how to start right now.

Two layovers and two turnarounds. My turnarounds were ok. Nothing to comment on. However, Dhaka was unforgettable! It showed me the not so glamorous part of being a cabin crew! It was, by so far, my worst flight! The whole experience was just traumatizing! It made me want to resign! I won't go into detail anymore but it was just bad.

But then again, there was Munich. Hmm.. yeah, ill stay as a cabin crew. LoL! Munich was wow. I loved the structure of the buildings, the shops and the pretzels. Beers were sold everywhere as well. LoL! I want Munich again for October so I'd get to see the real OKTOBERFEST! Though, Etihad has this habit on putting us crew on a hotel far from the city proper, I still had fun going around the small town we stayed in. I went around with Sabrina and Serena, they're both Singaporeans. I was the only Filipina crew so being around other asians were the closest I could feel at home.

View from my hotel room

With Sabrina

It was a light load in the Coral Economy Class on the way and back so it was not tiring. We had a stretcher case going back to Abu Dhabi, a 14 year old girl. Don't really know the details, i only know that she suddenly collapsed 6 months ago and now she is totally parallyzed. The main attraction going back was not the girl though, it was her doctor! LoL! The doctor was German and he was just sooo handsome! LoL!

Munich Airport

OK. I admit. I'm starting to get lazy on updating this blog. But a promised myself when I created it that I will update it regularly. Note to self: Keep your promise!

First Operating Flight: London Heathrow

2007-09-01T17:55:00.000+04:00

Finally, after a week of waiting, I got my license already. I also received my schedule for September already and buhoo, still no Manila. I have Dhaka, Munich, Toronto and Jakarta for my layovers. They did not give back my Geneva! *sob*

Streets of London

Anyway, I was off to London Heathrow. I know that almost everyone expects me to go around London and see the places since this is my very first Europe trip but I did not. I was too tired and exhausted from the flight. Coral economy class was full and the aircraft that we used is the big one too! Super dooper tiring. We only had roughly around 24 hours in London. We arrived London at around 7ish in the evening local time and because we were all too drained and sleepy, we all agreed to just go to our rooms and sleep. I passed by the crew lounge for a while and checked some things online. I bumped into Princess, my batchmate. We didn't really have to chance to chat since she also had to rest, her return flight was in the morning mine was in the evening.

with Kelly in the bus

Going to Hounslow

The next day, I went out with Kelly and Rex. Kelly is terrific to be with! She's has been working for Etihad for more than 2 years already and Rex is an aircraft engineer, they're both Filipino. We went to Hounslow to go shopping! It's the ghetto area of London according to Kelly. But I heart primark and poundland! LoL! I was expecting that I would spend a lot in London but no, I only spent half of what I brought with me or less even. The captain was in the area as well, he was alone so Rex invited him to go with us instead. We ate lunch in a Chinese buffet. Yum yum yum, and the best part, PORK! LoL! I miss pork like hell. Since Abu Dhabi is primarily compromised by Muslims, pork is only available in one grocery and it's hella expensive too! Going back, I was so full, I ate like there was no tomorrow! LoL! Oh, the captain treated us for lunch. Ahihihi! His name is Tyrone and his Jamaican, such a nice captain. After lunch, we went back to the hotel to rest.

Poundland is love...

Chinese Buffet with Kelly, Rex and Captain Tyrone

Flight back to Abu Dhabi was tiring as well. Full flight as well, but the aircraft was a bit smaller. Turbulence was bad as hell! I got dizzy for some time! Everytime we started the service, it would get bumpy! It was quite irritating. Usually going back seemed to be faster than going to the place but this time around, going back to Abu Dhabi was taking forever! Arrived this morning and to my dismay, air conditioning in the building is messed up! Argh! I couldn't sleep well! I was having messed up dreams as well! Whoa!

First Layover: Bangkok, Thailand

2007-08-23T01:53:00.000+04:00

I have been to Bangkok before and I knew I'd love the shopping there so going back was not an issue. I was so excited to shop in Chatuchak, Pratunam, Phatpong and all those places. But, Abu Dhabi to Bangkok, we got delayed for about an hour and half! Argh! By the time we got to Bangkok and arrived the hotel, it was around 10:30pm already and everyone was tired and exhausted so we all decided to skip the night market. Buhoo! Instead, I got 2 hours of Thai massage. It was wow! I have been wanting to have a massage for months! Finally I got it. The hotel was not so nice, I just had to compare it to the hotel in Bombay. LoL! We only went to MBK the next day for like 2-3 hours. Didn't shop that much because I knew it was a bit more expensive in MBK compared to the other markets! Ahihi! I know I'll have another Bangkok flight anyway.

This was the most Bangkok looking photo op place I saw! LoL!

In the cabin

Oh, the flight going to Bangkok and going back was just fine. We had no problems with the guests because most of them were sleeping. Good for us cabin crew. LoL! I got to seat in the cockpit once again with Jess, she's my batchmate. The captain and first officer were funny, they were really nice to us. I also met another Filipina crew, Queenie. I was with her most of the time in my stay in Bangkok, and guess what, we have no picture together! Not even in the aircraft! Tsk. We were always like, "later" and then we totally forgot about having a picture together. Ahh! This was my first Boeing 777.

In the cockpit

with Hee Jung aka Jasmine

I just realized that I have never really toured Bangkok. I have never seen a temple in Bangkok. I have never seen an elephant, or are the elaphants in other parts of Thailand? Whatever. I have only been shopping and shopping when I'm in Bangkok. LoL! Oh well, shopping there is just great! *grin*

Peaches, Supattra, Giselle

Nabila, Fredic(Cabin Manager), Supattra and I

Right now I'm kind of bummed. Since we arrived here in Abu Dhabi late, my Geneva was taken off my roster/schedule. I was excited about it too. *sob* Apparently, I'm not legal to fly. First because I don't have enough rest hours, and secondly, I still don't have my GCAA license. Geneva was supposedly my first operating flight. I guess not. Hence, I will just sleep, sleep and sleep tomorrow! LoL!

Cairo, Egypt - Second Supi Flight

2007-08-18T16:46:00.000+04:00

No! I did not see pyramids. Buhoo. We arrived Cairo early in the morning so I could not see anything but pitch black! LoL!

Cairo, another threatening flight but I guess I'm getting lucky. I had another great CM and crew, even better. From the briefing room until we rode the bus to go home they made me feel welcomed. I also knew one person in the crew, Tom. We went into the same college in Manila and we were in the same organization, Santugon. It was minimum crew so I had to do the whole service. On the way to Cairo, load was not full so Hanna and I did double ending cart, one cart with two cabin crew one on each side, one serving drinks the other the meals. Hanna was nice enough to make me do the meals. We had around 30 minutes of ground time to rest and then we were off back to Abu Dhabi.

Peaches and Hanna

Pearl Zone galley with Komora, he is hilarious!

Going back to Abu Dhabi, it was a full load, I had to have my own cart. I did the whole service. From giving out headsets, menu cards, refresher wipes, giving out the meals, hot beverages, etcetera. It was a bit scary but everything went well, thanks to my colleagues who were helping me. There were a lot of kids, I mean a lot. There were at least 2 kids with a mom or a dad! And they kept on pressing the call bells too! Argh. But of course, when you go to their seats you still need that smile on your face. Lol! I'm glad that I got through a Cairo trip without thinking about resigning. Hahaha! When we arrived Abu Dhabi and before leaving the airport, our Cabin Manager Alex acknowledged how I was during the flight. He even asked all the other crew to give me a round of applause. It was really nice of him to do that. It made me feel good and that it is right that I am here. I can't thank the crew enough for making my supi flight memorable. I had a so much fun in my Cairo trip!

Tom and I

Tom, Peaches, Hanna and Marcela

Supi Flight in Bombay

2007-08-16T14:56:00.000+04:00

For the past few days, everyone has been telling me how Bombay flights are like hell. All the demanding passengers, how the load is always full. But lo and behold, going to Bombay, the back part of the aircraft was empty! Wuhoo! Pearl zone was packed though. Got to ride in the cockpit. Captain Andrea and FO Sabri were really nice to me when they were even joking around with me in the cockpit. Sucks cause the first time I was in the cockpit for take-off going to Bombay I forgot to bring my camera with me and the second time was take-off again going back to Abu Dhabi and all the photos came out dark! Argh! Hopefully they would let me ride the cockpit again during daytime so I could take more photos! LoL! This was the best shot I got in the cockpit, and I'm not even in the picture!

The Cabin Manager, Attreyee was also kind to me. She was a bit busy because she was called on stand by so she was rushing all the papers on the way to Bombay, however, later on that flight she showed me around the aircraft. The crew I was with was amazing. None of them were snobbish. They all kept on asking me if I was ok and if I had questions they would answer them willingly. They'd asked me to do little somethings but never asked me to do the whole service. It was a full crew so things went smoothly except for the IFE system on the way back.

In the galley, waiting for guests to board with Carrie and Inuna

Rikke, me, Carrie

AUH-BOM-AUH was a split duty. We had to go to a hotel for about 3 hours to rest. Oh my gosh, the hotel was just WOW. The bed was comfy, I actually slept like a baby for a good hour and half. The rest of the time I was watching Ice Age 2. Ahihihi. I didn't take photos around the hotel lobby anymore, I was too lazy and I'd rather sleep than go around the lobby.

It was a full flight on the way back, 240+ guests in the coral zone and 20 in the pearl zone. I helped the galley operator prepare the meals and requested drinks for coral zone. A lot were complaining about the IFE so our Cabin Manager had to reset the whole IFE system. Problem solved. Basically, everything went well just like on our way to Bombay. No major hassle.

May and I

Peaches and Naz

To sum up my first flight, I had a blast. I expected it to be so bad but no, it was entirely the opposite of what I though it would be. Now for another challenge, next flight to Cairo. Yikes. Another flight that a lot of people keeps on telling me a hard flight!

5 Days Off

2007-08-13T21:26:00.000+04:00

Waiting for my first flight seems to take forever! I think all my batchmates has gone for their supi flights already except for me! Ugh! I just want to get it over and done with.

I don't want this dull moments because it just makes me think about the people I left behind in the Philippines. How I all miss them so much especially the man i left behind, figuratively. There are nights that I find myself with tears in my eyes. I usually don't think about it, to avoid the sadness but I guess I really can't just ignore it. I reminisce the times we spent together on my last days in the Philippines. How he made it special. Sigh.

I recently found a song that best describes how I feel for him. I really do miss him. I really miss my dave.

Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

When I see your smile
Tears run down my face I can't replace
And now that I'm stronger I've figured out
How this world turns cold and breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one

I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

It's ok. It's ok. It's ok.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter
I can show you I'll be the one

I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

Cuz you're my, you're my, my true love, my whole heart
Please don't throw that away
Cuz I'm here for you
Please don't walk away,
Please tell me you'll stay, stay

Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be ok
Though my skies are turning gray

I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

Going back. I'm still thrilled and excited about my supi flight. I've heard different type of stories from my batchmates. Some not so good and some had fun in their trips. So far, most were asked questions during briefing so I guess I should prepare for that.

Wings Day

2007-08-10T13:05:00.001+04:00

Finally, after 6 weeks of rigorous training, I am done! I got my wings yesterday and it felt really good. I can’t believe that this is really happening. Everything was just a dream but here I am. I’m in the Middle East working as a cabin crew for a very promising airline and I’m glad that I am.

I will surely miss training. Waking up every day at 6 in the morning, the SEP training with Ian, Thea and Cynthia, aviation health with Yvi, service training with Shivani, Shaheen and Claire, the cafeteria food and the people, the bus driver who would pick us up all the time, the guard who would open the doors for us as we enter, the trainers who always had a smile on their face, fellow trainees in the hallways, wow, I will miss all of those.

But then again, I’ll be flying already, more escapades for me to venture. I’m totally excited for my supi flights, a bit scared because they changed my schedule. In my previous blog, I was supposed to go to Amman and Bangkok, but now, I’ll be going to Bombay and Cairo. I still have the Amman and Bangkok though. A lot of cabin crew are telling me that Bombay and Cairo are hard flights; they told me that guests are very demanding. It scares me a lot but it is better that this will be my supi than to experience these hard flights when I am operational already, right?

I'm somewhat sick right now so I actually have to rest for my supi flight because if I don't get well, I just might not be able to go.

Etihad Airways: AB-Initio 169

2007-08-10T12:17:00.000+04:00

AB-Initio 169

August 9, 2007

Brian, Laura, Ashbel(Grace), Princess, Max, Aica(Angelica), Julia, Angela, Sean

Susan, Fairlight, Lynx(Analyn), Peaches(Florenia), Jess(Jacinta)

"We will change the way you see the world"

Haute Couture Uniform

2007-07-23T17:32:00.000+04:00

First day in uniform

Going inside the academy

AB-Initio 169 in uniform (minus Susan)

I am super doooper excited for my first flights!! I got my roster already and my supi flight will be in Amman. It will be a turn around flight and I will be just observing the crew so nothing really to get stressed about. However, my next flight will be in Bangkok and I think I will do the actual thing already! wah! Scared and excited for that! I'll also have a Geneva, Baharain and London Heathrow flights.

Weekend!

2007-07-12T16:47:00.001+04:00

Another week has passed! Finally, weekend! This week got me so stressed. We had 3 major exams on Airbus 330 and Boeing 777! I feel like I'm once again in college, the only thing different is I now get paid to study! LoL! Yesterday was fun, we visited our neighbors in Dubai (Emirates) to use their Boeing 777 door trainer since our training academy is still not up. Hopefully in 2-3 months time our academy will be up and ready for our new recruits. Going back, Emirates Aviation College is beautiful! They have all the things to train their cabin crew well. I have really nothing to be bitter about coz I know we will be having the same things soon anyways. Won't be able to use it til my recurrent though. OH! I found out that on the 19th I will be getting my uniform already! Wuhoo! Totally excited for that. And that our wing graduation will be on the 16th of August. Still a long way to go til my graduation but it's alright, taking one day at a time.

I'm really happy I'm here in Abu Dhabi working for Etihad Airways yet I feel sad coz I really miss my family, my sweet kitty dave and my friends. I really can't take that away can I? It's the risk I took and the sacrifice I have to make. To be away from the people I love the most. Oh well, that's life. Just might as well make the most of it!

Photos are free to be viewed on my Multiply site by the way!

Two Weeks

2007-07-08T22:22:00.000+04:00

Two weeks and two days since I arrived Abu Dhabi. Everything is doing well. I've quite adjusted with the new surroundings I have. The place, the climate, the people I am with.

Started my first week of training last week. It's interesting, sometimes boring though, depends on the topic we are learning. It's pretty cool to learn things new things about aeronautics, aircrafts and all the other stuff we have been thought this past week. I also had my first written exam today, I think I did pretty well. I passed the 80% mark so I will proceed to the next level. LoL! We also went ditching today! I expected the activity to be more fun but I guess time wasn't really cooperating with us. We had to finish the whole drill in like less than an hour. Buhoo!

Oh, I bought myself a camera! It is acually the first thing I bought that cost more than a 100 dirhams from very own salary. Feels good that I can buy things I want from my own pocket and not from my parents anymore. Hmm.. so what's next in line? LoL! I don't know yet. I just might save them up.

Ok, laziness strikes again. I'll continue my escapades again soon!

Life in Etihad Airways

2007-06-29T22:38:00.000+04:00

Being in a new place, new environment, new job, I decided to make a new blog and share to everyone my life that would be in Etihad Airways.

For some who just found my blog now, I just recently moved from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi to work as a Cabin Crew at Etihad Airways. Etihad Airways is an national airline and the flag carrier of the country United Arab of Emirates.

I just started my training last week and so far things are doing great. My training will last for 8 weeks, after that, I'll be off flying around the world! Hopefully I'll get a good roster on my first month, wishing for a Manila flight. Ahihihi!