Down with the Flu :(

Yup, it's that time of the year when the seasons change and people get sick. I have been healthy up until now, and after being in Dubai for exactly 6 months, I get the flu!

 

 

I came back from my flight to Birmingham on Wednesday morning, slept after the flight and when I woke up, I could feel my throat is sore. I immediately took some flu meds which I bought while I was back in SA (As the pharmacies in Dubai don't sell it at all) and took it easy for the rest of the day.

 

By Friday I was still sick and it was just getting worse. I then had to call in sick for my flight to Glasgow (was actually looking forward to go) for the first time. I felt bad, but I knew that going on a flight will just worsen the situation. Crew Control then put me on home standby for Saturday night and yes you guessed it: I got called out for a flight departing at 03:30am to India. Only a turnaround but still, 4 hours and 3.5 hours flight back. Overall a 9hour duty+

 

Thought I was going to faint when they told me at the briefing that I have been pulled out as a Gr1 (meaning Business class crew) I mean come on, I have only just been flying for 4 months and now they want to put me in Business class which I know nothing about. It was probably one of the worst flights, I was sick, the sfs kept on pushing me and overall it was too stressful for me to cope with at that stage.

 

It was a great opportunity, however I think I would have dealt with it better if I wasn't sick. I should have just called in sick for my standby but I didn't want to get into trouble as I had a meeting with my manager set up on the Monday.

 

Went to the doctor yesterday, was told I can't fly until at least Thursday and I have my flight to Johannesburg SA on Friday morning. Now I just hope these meds will start to work so that I can fly home :)

My mother is flying to Dubai this afternoon to see my graduation which will be tomorrow. I am not particularly looking forward to tomorrow as it will be a super long day....

 

But, on the bright side, after tomorrow, I have my wings :) Probation period is over, and now I can start to breathe a bit!

 

 



Being Cabin Crew - the story behind the story

❝ BEING A CABIN CREW

Here’s something I got from my experience as a cabin crew:

If you’re traveling away with any airplane, no matter five-star Skytrax or low-cost, international or domestic airlines – whatever. You will meet males and females dressing in their magnificent uniforms welcoming you with their warm smile.

*They are ‘CABIN CREW’.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They have trained to help you in any emergency, not only to work as YOUR waiter/waitress to serve you Coffee or Tea.
And they are praying so hard that Nothing is going to happen to you during the flight.

*Sometimes you see them smiling all the way during takeoff and landing.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
Deep down inside they cry, thinking about their sick and old parents, young son/daughter, breakup etc..

*Sometimes you see they are with brand name items.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They shop mainly to forget home.
And they have to keep their gorgeous look.

*Sometimes you see them walking so fast at the terminal gate.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They want the day to end fast, so it continues to another day, making one day closer to their annual leave. And then they can spend their time happily with their family/lover.

*Sometimes you see them sitting on jump seats, although service is over, they do not close their eyes.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They feel so sleepy, till they can sleep without closing their eyes.

*Sometimes you yell at them, because you cannot get your choice of meal.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They feel guilty, but they cannot do anything about it.
In some cases, they even offer their own crew meal to you.

*Sometimes you tell them to carry your heavy bags and stow them in the overhead compartment.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They are not allowed to do that in case they get injured. Besides, they are human and mostly woman. What if all the passengers ask them to carry their bags?

AND WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW IS:
They really wish to be in your position,
traveling with their whole family,
sitting next to their lover,
cuddling with their young sister/brother.
And when they see you outside the aircraft,
they think about what it feels to be on ground.

So PLEASE, if you are a PASSENGER, please be nice and patient with the CABIN CREW, as we are to you. ❞

Melbourne = WOW!!

It was wonderful to see my family in Melbourne!! I got the opportunity to see my aunt and uncle and also my 3 cousins for the first time in about 6 years!!
And what made it even more special was the fact that I got to see my sister whom I haven't seen since I left SA to join Emirates back in November 2012 :)

They have a lovely house, live in a great area, a little bit out of the busy city but wow, once you drive into the city, everything lightens up! It's just such a pity I couldn't stay there longer, would have loved to go explore the city with them!

I think my sister will enjoy it there, and maybe she can settle down in Melbourne for a while. It really is such a cool city because you have these old vintage buildings but at the same time you have modern buildings and also clear blue sky and fresh air!

My trip to NZ, Auckland was also very nice! I am just thankful for a wonderful team of crew otherwise these 5/6 days would have been terrible! The area where we were is also very "old" so you have all these small little shops next to each other on the side of the road - so cute!
I went out with the crew the night we landed in NZ to this vintage pub, had some amazing chocolate mousse and iced coffee - so yummy!

Also made friends with another South African girl who flew with me, she's also Afrikaans and we had a great time together especially on the flights :) Overall, I had a wonderful, memorable 5/6 days, now back in Dubai for 2 days before my next flight.

My graduation will also be this month, and I fly to Johannesburg 2 days after that, so a good month is lying ahead :)


me, my sister in the middle and cousin Jeni on the far left: 

 




MELBOURNE BELOW: