Merry Christmas & last blog for 2013!!

 

 

 

 

I was meant to fly to Kuala Lumpur on the 27th but that didn't happen. Good thing too, because I am sick again - flu! I think it must have happened while I was in London. They searched our bags at the airport (each and every crew member) - we had to get off the bus and go into this building and it was raining with strong cold winds blowing. So tomorrow I am on home standby for a few hours. Will probably get called out for a turnaround.

 

My one South African flatmate is moving out today - she is moving to Tecom building (so happy for her, it's a stunning building)

So now one room is open in the flat and I am quite curious to see who our new flatmate will be :) hopefully she will be from South Africa as well!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas for those who celebrate Christmas! I was all alone in the flat, but that's the sacrifice you have to make when you are flying - you will miss most birthdays, you will miss Christmas and New Years with family.

 

 

 

I am looking forward to 2014, it will start off with a bang and lots of excitement!!

 

 

 

Thank you to each and everyone of you for reading my blog, it has reached almost 93000 hits! May you all spend the last day of the year with the ones you love, and end the year on a wonderful note and happiness in your heart!

 

much love x0x0x0x

 

 

 

Booked off sick for days, a Legend died, Crazy month, happy times

http://instagram.com/marykebz     <----- Follow me on Instagram :) I will be posting throughout the month so easier to keep track of what I am up to!

Think about this!!!



So a lot has been going on in my life the last month or so, actually the last 6 weeks! I am going to try keep it short, otherwise I will be writing pages and pages, and therefore I might end up boring you :P

I fell sick with flu on the 2nd of December, had 5 days off and decided to go back home for 4 days. I got more sick and finally went to see a doctor who said I am not fit to fly (not even as a passenger) because I had severe ear problems and if I was to fly, I could burst my eardrum and you could end up losing your hearing permanently so it's not something to take lightly.

Stayed in South Africa until the 17th, flew back to Dubai, then had a flight to Nice in France on the 19th. That was unexpected, for it is a city which I have always wanted to visit. Just my luck: It rained from the moment I got there, so could not do any sight-seeing :( meh!

I am now on Home Standby, for another 5 minutes - fingers crossed I don't get called for a flight eeeek! I have London tomorrow, which will result in me landing back into Dubai the morning of Christmas day. So spending my Christmas and potentially New Years in Dubai. Not fun.

A legend of South Africa died on the 5th of December: Nelson Mandela - the first black leader of SA. He was a world icon and I was privileged to be in the country at the time when he was announced dead. Went to see his movie: Long Walk To Freedom a few days later and what an amazing story! I learned so much about my country's own history which I never really knew or understood. So, if the movie is showing in your city, do go watch it, you won't be sorry!

While I was in stuck in SA, I celebrated an early Christmas with my family :) was so blessed to see everyone together again (my brother and his wife is currently visiting from Perth)

I realized again, that money isn't everything in life and it can't always buy happiness. I am considering my future and things might change soon, I want to be home with the people that matter most to me and I want to have my normal life back.

Below, some pictures of the last couple of weeks:

Dinner with my fav person in the world

Nelson Mandela

Prawns at Ocean Basket - delicious!!!

My brother, my Dad, my Sister and Me

Puzzle completed, was so much fun!

Me and my loooove

View from my room in Nice, France

Nice, France

 

SEP Recurrent Exams

It has been a crazzzzzzzy few weeks! Can't believe I am writing my first blog for this month and the month is almost over!

Anyways, here I am again ;)
So my holiday was amazing, probably one of the best holidays I've experienced in a while, even though I was so busy for most of the time.

I ended up swapping my one flight for an extra 2 days off, so I had 11 days in total. Went to Clarens in South Africa for a wedding which was absolutely breathtaking beautiful. There is no place on earth like the landscape and nature of South Africa!! (Whoever hasn't been to SA, if you ever are thinking of planning a vacation, SA is definitely worth it)

We stayed at this cute little guest house, surrounded by mountains, in the heart of this little town. There were all these small shops where you could just go walk around and buy things, things which are unique to South Africa and "Afrikaners"
Me being Afrikaans speaking, let me tell you something: We have the BEST food recipes. Our type of food is very homely, meaning most things you could buy there was "home-made". It was just amazing, loved every minute of being in Clarens.

Moving on: For the next weekend, we went to Marloth Park, which is right next to Kruger National Park - that's where you will find the "Big 5"
For those of you wondering what that means: Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino - magnificent animals!

It was my fiancé's dad's birthday on that weekend so we went to surprise him for the day. They are retired and have a house there, it's so peaceful and relaxed. The animals come up right to your house like giraffes, zebras etc.

So in short, it was a good holiday. I was sad to come back to Dubai because I knew I had my SEP recurrent exams waiting for me. I literally had 4 days of studying before I went for the exams. 2 Full days back in Training College, written and practical exams. I passed all of them without any problems! Best feeling! Now I have 2 days off and then I am off to Johannesburg on Friday :D
I swapped my Casablanca flight to go back home. Will have Casablanca again in the future I'm sure - but couldn't resist not going back home on a weekend.

<3

Rainbow in Pretoria after some rain

 

On our road trip back from Clarens

 

Clarens sign

 

Ah, lazy days...

I love my days off! It makes me feel like I am on holiday :P except, I'm not, and I'm in actual fact stuck in Dubai....However, I do still love them!

This will probably be my last blog for a while since I am about to go on leave in a short while. I only have one more flight to complete then I will be going home...sweet home!
Next flight is: Manila. Meh, not really in the mood, but have to get it over and done with. Then I can finally relax for a few days!!

Oh! My roster for next month came out a few days ago... The lineup isn't looking bad AT ALL.

1. Guangzhou (China)
2. Johannesburg
3. Casablanca (Morocco) - New destination :)
4. Lisbon (Portugal) - New destination :)
5. Johannesburg

Extremely happy with the fact that I manage to get 2 Johannesburg flights for November :) I need to enjoy these moments because I don't have leave planned again until January so going to miss home so much!

I had some lunch with 3 of my batch mates a few days ago at Mall of the Emirates. We ate at a restaurant called "The Cheesecake Factory"
Such amazing food and the restaurant is so pretty.
Other than that I don't really often go out :S On my days off I just want to relax and not be around people. I am so happy with my own company and I don't think that's a bad thing as this job can get very lonely.

I am going to a wedding next weekend in Clarens (SA)  Looking forward!! I managed to finally get a dress (have been looking for a while)
This time it will be Navy Blue (first time I bought a Navy Blue dress)

I hope the previous 2 blogs helped a bit for those who are attending open days soon! Good luck to you all, and hope you all get the Job x



 

Emirates Assessment days - Basic Tips

The Assessment day is the biggest of all...

The key is remain composed at all times. You want to freak out, but you shouldn't.
If you get short listed during the Emirates Open Day then you are one step closer getting in. :) So now you should just up your game.

If you think you had to dress to impress during the Open Day, then if you are invited to attend the Assessment Day, you should know by now that you really need to look your best.

It will be another looong day, longer than the Open Day. Again, take some snacks and water. You will be divided into groups (depending on how many people are at the Assessment day - we were in groups of 15)
There will be an introduction about the Emirates Brand hosted by the Emirates Recruitment ladies. You will have the opportunity to ask them questions about relocating to Dubai etc.

After that you will all leave the room and have a break. Then they will start the assessment by order of group number. During each assessment once you leave the room, each and every one of you will receive a folded paper/letter - when you open it up you will either find that you made it through to the next round, or that you have been cut from the line. That can be extremely nerve wrecking believe me!! Your heart beats so fast it feels as if it's going to jump out of your chest.

The first assessment will be about testing your height, then you will be called to sit down with one of the Recruitment ladies, she will go through your CV and ask you questions based on your past experience. She might also ask you why you want to work for Emirates.  Remember to smile and be genuine in your answers. You will feel like a wave is about to crush over you but you should try and stay calm.

If you made it through to the next stage, you will feel how the groups are getting smaller and smaller. It's really stressful and you feel like you can't go on, however you need to be strong and motivated to push through.

The next stage you will have a chance to have some role play. They hand your group a scenario and you need to work together with your group to find a solution. Here both of the Recruiters look at each and every one of you and make notes in what they observe. After that your group needs to explain to them how you managed to work out a plan to solve the scenario. Here it can be tricky. Try to not be bossy and run the show - they WILL cut you. They are looking to find girls who are soft-spoken and not "bitchy and trying to run the show" Don't try and be the leader of the team but also don't jus sit there and not participate. They need to see that you are able to work as a team and still have respect for the other team players.

After that if you are through to the next round you will most probably write an English test (if English is not your first language)
After that they will give you another note and that will tell you if you are through to the Final Interview which will be held the next day.

Basically to sum it up for you: We were 450 at the Open Day, 78 made it through to the Assessment Day, and only 21 of us made it through to Final Interview. Out of the 21 they chose 9 girls to join the Emirates Family.

Did you know that only 4% of the World (all the other countries who apply for the job)  gets chosen to work for Emirates as Cabin Crew?

That is a scary thought isn't it? But really, if you want this, you need to give it your very best and work hard. It can be achieved and if you fail the first time, don't give up. Try again.

 

Emirates: Tips for Open Days & Interviews

Want to join Emirates? Then DO! Never give up on your dream. I know some people who work for Emirates because they never gave up on their dream... some of them tried 6 times before Emirates gave them the opportunity they needed, craved!


I am going to share my experience with regards to the Open Day, and give some tips which you might find helpful.

One thing you need to understand and accept: If you want to work for the best, then you need to be patient and wait, because as soon as you start applying for the job, it becomes this long waiting game. It took me about 6 months from applying to actually moving to Dubai.

Before you even apply for this job, take time and use it to make your CV look neat and presentable. Get a full length and head and shoulders photograph taken of you with a professional photographer. Be clothed professionally.

If you are shortlisted you will get the opportunity to attend the open day. On that day, it's make or break for you. Be there way before the open day starts, you do not want to be late for the open day.

- Get a good night's sleep the day before; don't go out partying because you will not look fresh in the morning.

- Get up early and take your time to make yourself pretty.

- Don't overdo your makeup ladies!! Emirates is looking for women who can look beautiful naturally.

- 2 weeks before the open day, start hunting for a nice outfit. You want to look professional and my personal opinion is this: Go for a pencil skirt (make sure it covers or touches your knees). Colour to be black or navy blue. Get a long sleeve suit jacket that matches your skirt. Wear a white button-up blouse and skin colour stockings with a SLIGHT heel. You do not want to you wear your highest stiletto's that you love wearing out on a date or to some club.

- Hair: Up is better, trust me. Choose to either wear your hair in a slick pony tail or nice ballerina style bun.

- Makeup: Less is more. The only thing you can apply without worry is Dark Red lipstick, this is what will get your attention with Emirates.

On the open day, remember that you are there to try get in with one of the biggest airlines in the world. Therefore, cellphones are a no. Forget about your phone for the day - you can chat to your boyfriend/fling/sister/aunt/brother/mom etc once you're done.

Take some lunch and water because it might be a long day. When I attended my open day, there were 450 other candidates just like me.
Remember to take your CV and photographs with you. On the day, you might be required to do the "height test" - this will be conducted without shoes on.
Last but not least, remember to SMILE, that's what will get you in if nothing else.

Also, try mingling with the other girls, don't go stand on your own and be shy. I am a very shy person but on the day I had to get out of my shell and make it happen. If you can do that, you won't regret it, believe me.

I really hope this helps a bit, I will do another blog soon when I have some time for tips on the Assessment day (after all, that is the big one)

"Flight Attendants never die"; dealing with Jet Lag, & coping with home sickness.

So there is this saying:



This saying - I can definitely relate to!!! Truly, we are like freaken robots, or like the energizer bunny: just keep going without ever burning out (although we probably do, but we can't show it whilst being on the aircraft)

Seriously, I didn't know a person could be this strong, determined and always manage to push forward. Believe me, most days I just want to crawl up into a ball and be left the hell alone. I get so tired of dealing with different people from all over the world on a daily basis - it changes you as a human being. I suppose if "It's for the better or worst", that is entirely up to the individual.

I am back from my little vacation (you all know I went home) - sometimes I get tired of traveling to different places, so it makes sense for me to go home and relax with my family and my pups. Nothing in the world can even come close! It's funny how you take small things for granted, and once you leave your little circle of comfort, only then do you realize how important it actually is and how close it is to your heart.
That being said, I had a lovely time back home, I wish I didn't have to come back! For real, the more I go home, the more I wish I could just stay there and not come back. It's like living 2 separate lives!!

BUT, I know I can't just stay - life is waiting for me in Dubai. And, I know that next year I will be back home permanently and you know what?! Then I will also miss this lifestyle and all the benefits. So for now, even though days are up and down like a yo-yo, I just have to remain strong and keep going. Nothing more, nothing less. At the end of the day I am only human and yes, I am a very emotional person, so for that reason I need to push myself a bit harder.

I came back from Manchester this morning, got into bed at around 2:30am and only slept for about 5 hours. I am so sleepy, but I have to make the most of the day otherwise I will end up sleeping until 11am then I won't sleep tonight. This is the joy of having to deal with "jetlag" - boy oh boy I don't think we can ever master it.... every other crew I talk with, have huge problems with their sleeping patterns. Many of them can't even go to sleep when they return from a flight at 7am in the morning. So luckily for me, when I am exhausted I sleep, even if it is just for 4-5 hours.

On a different note, here is my lineup for October:

1. Manchester
2. Lagos
3. Lagos
4. Hong Kong
5. Manila

I must say, I am not too thrilled about the roster, I want to try swap my Hong Kong and Manila for something else (might not be so easy) and I have Lagos back to back. It's not an easy flight and the destination is bad. But, the money on those two trips will make it worth my time.

Happy thought: I go home again on the 31st of Oct for my fiancé's stepbrother's wedding - it will only be for 6 days but it's still something amazing to look forward to :)

I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read my blog, it means the world to me - the blog has reached almost 70 000 hits #Very happy!!!!

x0x