standby me (going nowhere slowly)

Hello's

So....ja...
With the ending of the Holy Month of Ramadan (a Muslim thing, where they -even us in public- are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke or swear during hours of sunshine)I thought that finally I could go out for a party (all clubs closed during the month of Ramadan). But no. After my return from New York, for about 11 days I lived like an owl. Slept during the day and stayed up at night. The first few days, I recovered from jetlag and then after that I accustomed my bodyclock for what was to come... standby. I am on reserve this month. Which means, I don't have a roster. But I get rostered for hours of 'standby'. Where I have to be at home and wait for a call if they need me. And seeing that most of my standby was put anything from 10pm-8am, I changed my sleeping patterns. And thus began a vicious cycle. Of either watching the sun go up, or the sun go down, but never seeing a bright day. Headaches. Everyday. Luckily my flatmate was up with me at the same times, and sometimes we'd go to the beach after midnight. I got called out once, for Nagoya (Japan) and got ready excitedly and picked up, to find at arrival that the freakin' bus driver didn't put my suitcase in the bus:( This led to me being offloaded and put on airport standby (you wait at the Crew Center and if anyone fails to pitch for their flight, you go in their place). This standby month happens every 7 months. So every 7th month, I have reason to hate my job. You have no life. You can make no plans. It messes with your psyche.

Some good news is: that I got accepted for an upgrade to Business Class!!:-) My training is next month for 5 days. Also, I got relicensed. I had to pass 2 days of practical and theoretical exams last week in Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP). Also, have applied for a facilitator's position and have been shortlisted. Emirates runs this award programme, to motivate and inspire people in the company. And I have applied to facilitate this. Wish me good luck. Interviews will be Pop Idol style, haha.

A few days ago, Goldfish (a South African dj band) played in Dubai and Paula and I went to watch. The event was HUGE!! It was truly spectacular. We were up till 5am and the next day I flew to Johannesburg. Goldfish was on that flight, whoohooo!! In fact, they were right in my area. They missed their Cape Town flight. I dragged them to the back, introduced them to the crew and had a photo session.

Haha. Pookie flew up to visit (on very short notice). Au, that was awesome! I feel blessed and fortunate to have a man like him in my life:). Had a wonderful time.

So....ja.. Just thought I'd keep you updated while the cycle continues. Hooohooo!

Toedeldoe
Hugs,
A

a legal alien (New York & Connecticut)

Hey there,
how are you doing?

So, just after I landed in Dubai from Cape Town, I went to New York the next day and stayed there for two and a half days. My flatmate, Paula joined me as a passenger and stayed in my hotelroom. It was RAD, a mini-holiday. This time around, I saw a little bit of nightlife, went to a few pubs and spoke to Americans that always guess us to be British. It rained, and saw the steam come out of drains.

We also went to Connecticut (just outside New York) to go visit a friend of mine (Tony) and experienced the suburbia side of America as seen on movies (man, everything there feels to me like living in a movie). Tony showed us the beach, we drank some beer in a pub (I had the most amazing beer ever - Blue Point. It is an ale and the aftertaste is blueberry), and we had a braai (whoohooo). We did some groceries shopping for this, and it was again such an awesome experience, finding different and interesting things. Then to my amazement, Tony took us to the self-service check-in counter, where we scanned and weighed our own stuff. It was cool! Even experienced the self-service petrol station:).


Back in NYC, walked around for many, many avenues, popped into the Apple store to see what that is all about, went around Time Square again, and ended up in Wholefoods at Columbus Circle where Paula and I went crazy. Everything there is organic, healthy and supercool. We bought bags full of turkey, bacon, chicken (all vegetarian), interesting kombucha drinks, I found Blue Point there and bought a 6-pack, a few organic facial products and some sushi for lunch. It was WONDERFUL!! Paula even took me into Abercrombie & Fitch (the American "lifestyle" clothing shop). What an experience. You walk in, and EVERYONE who works there, is beautiful, happy, dancing to the loud banging music, smells of strong perfume and by the time you exit, you remember that it was sunlight and normal life outside, hehe.

So, new respect to America (I used to be a bit negative towards it)
Best of luck to them in choosing a new president.

Anyways, for now, I'm on standby for the rest of the month - which means I don't know when I'm going and I don't know where I'm going. It's a crazy life:)

Loving it

Toedeldoe,
till next time

A

howzit my bru (Cape Town)

On the 28th of September, I returned from a 9-day holiday in Cape Town. 28th Sept 2007, exactly a year ago, I left South Africa to join Emirates. Can you believe it, a year has gone - my first anniversary. How nice to land and find out your country is without a president, hehe.

Apologies for the people I didn't get to meet. I honestly didn't make an effort, as I wanted to see my Pookie and my mom and just needed a holiday. It was great seeing the ones I did though. So, Pookie and I zipped around town with our bikes (me on the Yammie this time:), ate out a lot, had a fabulous National Braai Day with a whole bunch of people we didn't know, he showed me a few new venues in gorgeous Cape Town (like Juleb), I did my usual shopping (things you don't find anywhere else - like All Gold tomato sauce) and we had the Rubik's Cube party (getting dressed in 3 different colours, then ending up in one colour by swapping with others). It was marvelous fun as usual - Cape Town is just absolutely the best there is out there:) As much as I love it, I'm not sure if I'll go live there again, or at least soon. It is lovely visiting.

That's that.
How are you all doing?

Loving life, grateful for everything and focusing on abundance
Hugs to y'all
A

Ps. no photos, didn't even take camera:)

Hakuna Matata (Dar E Salaam, Tanzania)

Jambo
and karibu my friends

I just returned from a short and very sweet trip - to Dar E Salaam, Tanzania. One of those experiences which showed me once again that you do get what you ask for and guidance is always around. Internet research didn't help me much on what to do there and the hotel concierge said everything is far:( But I was hungry to explore and didn't know where to go. So I just walked out of the hotel, to be swept off my feet by a cheery Rastafarian called Simba (which means Lion in Swahili by the way). He took me to a stinky, dingy fishmarket and I ended up sitting with him sharing dinner in a chaotic place (that they call a restaurant) while learning a bit of Swahili. I greeted everyone staring at me (as I was the only whitie ofcourse, hehe). The food was rather, well, unique. I got on REALLY well with Simba. He caught on to my sense of humour almost instantly and his English was superb!

With an allowance of 78500 shillings, I felt like I hit the jackpot (but just sounds a lot, heehee - although I only paid 100 shillings for a boatride)... Which lead me to the other side of the Peninsula (looked like an island from the view of the hotel) where I went to Sunrise Beach. A jampacked dala dala (minibus taxi as we know it, but this one is African style man) dropped me in the middle of somewhere, and I just followed my nose down to the seaside (1km walk) where I spent a glorious day with Jimmy (another Rasta that I met on the beach). We went for a dip in the gorgeous lukewarm ocean, a long walk along the beach (which we almost had to ourselves), fresh coconuts and playing with (few) days old little baby goats. It was wonderful!

I hope to go there again soon. Dar E Salaam has a lot to offer (apart from Kilimanjaro)... you just have to listen around. And it is really beautiful. Zanzibar is only 2hours away by boat...

I won't have any more news till next month... will be coming down to Cape Town soon..

Asante
You all take care now

Kwaheri,
A

Alta in Malta (Malta)

Bongu!!

Finally I got to go to Malta!!! (Malta is in the Mediterranean sea, near Italy) and at first it was everything I thought it would be (after meeting Maltese in Dubai, and doing a bit of internet research), but MAN, did this place blow me away! It is a strong mixture of Italian and Arabic (the language especially) and the buildings are built from limestone, which gives the cities this distinct colour (boring yellow, clay-brown) but not boring at all. To me it felt like Venice and Mauritius combined (and is now my favourite layover) The weather was gorgeous again! Summer, hot and sticky. No wind. Just perfect. The hotel we stayed in in Sliema was LEKKER! We had our own balconies and I spent mornings reading my book there (we had a two-day stay).

So off I went to the city called Valetta (on the bus I met 2 Afrikaners - WOOW) and just got lost in its identical streets. I was in awe that people live like that. Almost like Venice, just without the water. People sitting outside on the street chatting to neighbours, fat aunties gossiping the day away, a man talking out loud on his phone and gesturing aggresively, laundry hanging, even the streetlamps hang from a wire in the middle of the street above everything else. The buses and public transport are oldschool (Cuban style). It is amazing! I walked down to the harbour and watched the sunset. Men (as gorgeous as ever) flirt openly. Just like the Italians. I would go live there:)

The next day, another crew member (Swedish) and I took a boat cruise to the island Comino. At Blue Lagoon we swam and snorkeled the afternoon away in crystal blue water. Also took a speedboat to the stunning caves that surround these islands. It was something out of a movie. With these experiences, I simply am so grateful for having this job:)

I explored some more around the hotel's area in Sliema and St.Julians. There is actually a little beach just down the road (as in 30meters away). Ag, Malta is so cool.

I was going there again on the 8th (it's a rare flight to get, especially the 2day one), but someone was desperate to go home, so I swapped her flight for mine. So next I'm visiting a place in Africa. Keeping the news for later:)

Caw for now
A

love you long time (Venice, Italy)

Ciao signore e signori

I went to Venice twice this month, with a visit to my sister in Joh'burg in between and thought I'd write the news in one letter:)
I love Italy!! The best place to do people watching:) So often you'll see an old Italian lady just watching people from the window or balcony of her first floor apartment, the sound of bikes and scooters, flowerpots, laundry, a couple having a passionate argument in Italian and being sunkissed in that gorgeous weather.

And yes, Venice is magnificent! Romantic, with a slight arrogant humbleness, expensive and just ultimately unique and beautiful to the eyes!! Pictures and movies do illustrate it well, although it is definitely worth going there to see for yourself. The doves are almost like the cows in India - you have to walk out of THEIR way. Haha. And tuna sandwiches are big!! I know it might be silly to mention now, but one day you'll laugh when/if you see it and remember my words;-) These guys are not shy with their fillings.

A bunch of us went into Venice all the way to San Marco. Saw the Basilica di San Marco, walked over Rialto Bridge and did all the usual things tourists do:) Venice is blooming awesome! No wonder so many architects and builders try to copy it. And it is so rich with history and left with all those stunning buildings which are constantly being restored..

On the way there on the watertaxi (there are actually stations where you get on and off, it's like a bus station), we would see men on their little boats or sometimes even just standing at the stations or anywhere possible - fishing. A funny sight.

Back at the hotel (we stayed approx 7 kms away in an area called Mestre), I decided to go to the Italian supermarket again. I'm becoming fanatic about different countries' shopping venues and styles.

Wonderful and fabulous!

Ciao!!
A

08_08_08 (Beijing, China)

Hallo

Yes, I was there. In Beijing on the day of the opening ceremony. And we met judges and opening participants on our flight and the spirits were high. Even though the weather in China was very misty, we organized a tour to the Great Wall, which gave it a mystical effect;) After being physically attacked by hawkers afterwards, we went for lunch and then our tour guide offered us a free tour to the Tea Garden. Here we were taught how to drink and taste tea as it were 20yr old whiskies. There is a certain way you hold the cup and things you do and sounds you make while sipping. It was a lot of fun, funny

We drove passed the Olympics Stadium, which I thought was a stunning design (but what do I know) and we saw new area expansions which are called the Olympic area, including new buildings - one of them called the Olympic Torch building.

During our flight there was a lot of amazement and enthrallment as we flew over the mountains of Pakistan, bordering China (when I googled it, it came out to be the Karakoram mountains - not entirely sure about this). These mountains are really gorgeous. Brought me right back to fond memories of flying over mountains from Leh to Delhi (the Himalayan mountains)

And another excitement is our move to our new Head Quarters (HQ) and Crew Briefing Center (CBC) (crew tend to talk in abbreviation mode at all times, haha). It is a huge building with lots of things going on. It feels futuristic with all the thumb scanning, card readings, announcements on big screens (from where the bus is picking who up, to where your suitcase will be coming out) and a lot more superb organizing. This company amazes me with it's operations.

Anyhoo, this is it for now. Got a lot of flying this month.

I hope you are all doing great and loving yourselves
Looking forward to hearing from you

Huggies,

A