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I'm Back!

Person1: “It’s Sofala!”
Person2: “who?”
Person1: “Sofalaaaa!”

Ok, so what happened to this blog and where was I?

I was being a "lazy trashcan filled with poop". I thought that I didn’t have enough readers except for a few who got lost in the net.

Then, the scenario above. In my own miniscule-pretend-universe, I am popular. LOL. Yeah. And so, after I had strangers coming up to me, asking if I was Sofala...

...why yes my dear, I am THE Sofala. hehe ^_^

So I'm back!

I’ve managed to save my posts except for the lovely comments that came with it.

So please, If you want me to know that there are people out there who have nothing else to do but read about my worldly life, please wipe your butt on the screen and leave your scent. I promise I do read all your comments, so a line or two will let me know that you’ve dropped by.

See yah!

Brisbane, Australia

I was excited to go to Brisbane even when I was sick that day. I forced myself to regain my strength quickly because I couldn't pass up the chance to hug a koala. I think it's the only place in the world where it is legal to do so! Yay!

I went out alone armed with a map from the hotel. I walked a few distance before I reached the bus stop that would take me to the Koala Sanctuary. A Few elderly ladies were waiting with me by the bus stop and I saw them holding a map to the same location I wanted to be dropped off to. So I sat behind them in the bus and thought I’d just get off at the same time they would. I was afraid I might not know when to get off and might get lost.

The trip going to the sanctuary was satisfying. There was a sense of belongingness as I watched the trees line up closer and closer together. The houses that were scattered here and there reminded me of the embroidery that I used to do back in high school: houses that were almost hidden in their garden; plants, bushes, and vines climbing up the roof, scattering flowers all over the place. There were small houses painted in yellow, with white little fences and huge trees that added a sort of enchantment to the place.

Finally we reached a small round clearing, barricaded with more plants, wooden signs and the smell of freshly-torn leaves of eucalyptus.

I sighed, wishing I was with someone who could take a decent picture of me in that place. Then I panicked, as I thought there would be no one to take my pictures with the kangaroos! Then I just settled with “begging” strangers to do it for me.

I noticed this girl who was alone as I was. She had a camera in her hand and was figuring out how to snap a picture of herself by the wooden welcome sign. Like fate has brought these two lost little girls together, I offered to take her pictures if she takes mine. Hah! And it seemed natural that we would go together around the sanctuary, relying on each other’s helping hand. She was a nice gal. I learned that she had saved enough money from her previous job to backpack around the world on her own. She told me of her travels and that her next stop after Brisbane would be New Zealand. She was easy to talk to, like long time friend that I’ve already known. I really admire her adventurous spirit and her calm demeanor.



The kangaroo reserve was like a dream. The kangaroos roamed and interacted freely with people in this wide open plain. It was naturally enclosed by beautiful flowering trees. I had fun feeding the kangaroos and seating beside them. They were not scared at all, and I wasn't with them. They're really funny animals that like to scratch their bums.



We were able to do a lot: take pictures with the kangaroos, watch a sheep-herding show, feed colorful birds, and hug the koalas! The koala I held was very lethargic, with huge eyes, and an I-could-care-less look that was so cute I wanted to cry.
There were even koala babies that looked like stuffed toys. I wanted to take one home with me!

After a day in wonderland, I went back to the city with enough time to walk around. I noticed this street artist who had a plastic tube in his mouth. I figured he was breathing through it to avoid inhaling the fumes that come out of the spraypaint he was using to create his Art. It was genius! He had a knapsack where he kept his oxygen tank, and another sack to put all his paper garbage after he’s done. He’s like a walking Art studio. Being inclined in Arts myself, I watched him paint for a good two hours before I decided to head back to the hotel.

Singapore

Singapore is incomparable! I love it!

It is in this place that I was able to dream of a wonderful future. *sigh*
I have friends who were working here, and I’ve contacted them and told them of my arrival. They met up with me and it was just like the old times again!

I remember worrying that I might get lost or my friend might not show up at our meeting place. I worried for nothing because I was taken directly to the address that I showed this nice taxi driver, and I stood in front of 7-11 for a few minutes before I saw my friend finishing up his cigarette by the bus stop. Apparently, he was waiting for me there, thinking I got on the bus. Heck no, I always take a cab when I’m an alien.


I was hungry so the first thing we did was EAT. If you love eating, Singapore would definitely be a paradise. I was drooling the entire time. But first, we had to go up the establishment were my friend was working so he could leave his things and tour me around. He pointed out to me the place where he usually buys his lunch and I decided to have a try. It was a small cafeteria-like place and there were trays of fresh vegetables, seafood, dumplings, and meat on the table. To order, you’d pick the ingredients you want and you put it in your bowl. My friend ordered 2 lime juices for us. It was going to be perfect with the spicy food we were about to devour. Oh my Goodnessss! Food like these make me realize how much I love my life! Damn! This is why the Emo effect is hard to accomplish; I'm just having too much fun.


Take me to the Mr. Lion!
It may not be in Sentosa, but Mr. Lion is Mr. Lion.

..and look, Lion Junior.






Is this Durian???

Welcome to Esplanade!
Singapore looks a whole lot better with this structure poking out in the middle of the city.

After a day of LOOKIE! LOOKIE! We plopped down the cushiony seats of Starbucks - facing lion junior, under a bridge- with very cold frapuccinos.

Ahhh... life.

Jakarta, Indonesia

I am amazed as to how this place totally resembles Manila. We were staying in Jakarta for 3 days so I was hoping boredom wouldn’t hit me again.

When we got there, I was reminded of Mauritius as we turned to an off-beaten road and into an old hotel with a resort ambiance. Behind the hotel is a round pool with turtle gargoyles spouting water from its mouths. The garden was very pretty; plants of varying flowers were sprawled all over the entire landscape. It’s like there were tiny secret gardens everywhere...so romantic. The Koi ponds are lovely, with the cascading flowers on the Gazebos and Trellises framing around them. I had such a serene feeling from walking amongst the myriad of plants and trees.

It was a very lazy late afternoon. The sun was about to set, and I was full from the juicy cheeseburger I had ordered from room service. I decided to walk around the garden and maybe relax by the pool. Some of the crew were already there, discussing where to go: volcanic tours, Safaris, or white water rafting. I signed up for the latter hoping it’ll be a blast- a change from my usual quiet escapade. However, my dream of a little adventure shattered the next morning when they said that the water level was too low to raft safely. We were all bummed out as we separated ways, looking for things to do.

I was with a Filipina crew and we decided to just go to the mall because there was a free shuttle from the hotel. It took a little while before we reached the city center and I was still thinking of Manila looking at all the buildings and flyovers. The Mall is a mix of Shangri La and Glorietta. And the shops and ‘tiangges’ also looked the same. I saw Quickly and rushed to it, thirsting for a choco loco drink. You wouldn’t believe the currency they had here: 1 USD = 11,150.66 IDR. Everyone's a millionaire, and so was I!

Wahaha! I tilted my head back and made a fan out of my allowance.

“Inday, bring out the slaves from their cell! It’s time to gather cocoas for my drink!”

I stood from a distance and pointed at the drink I wanted. Poor girl, she was hurrying about making my drink. She must have been hyperventilating when I left.


When we got back to the hotel, I was hitting myself on the head for not bringing a swimsuit. The pool looked so inviting. Nevertheless, I had a great time in Jakarta even if it was a very quiet stay. All I had to do was sit and sway with the wind like a cucumber... make that like a bamboo. ^_^

Why I work as Cabin Crew

I have recently received a comment from a previous entry, and I would like to share it with my readers- if there are any others who are just as curious. I’ve pasted the comment below followed by my thoughts regarding the matter. I hope you would learn and understand a lot more of my thoughts in this kind of career after reading this.

Hi! I'm a half-hearted aspiring flight attendant. Based on your entries, I see you as an articulate and bright girl which makes me wonder why you chose to be a flight attendant? Don't get me wrong. I'm not belittling you or whatever but I would just like to ask your opinion about something that has been bothering me for a long time. See, I came from a reputable university (and I mean it). I graduated with latin honors and am currently undiecided whether or not I am meant to be in the industry that most people think I should be in (wont mention that here though). Anyway, so my question is that... every time you go on your flights and serve meals and attend to the needs of your passengers, doesn't it make you feel that all the efforts to finish school are put to waste? coz i know that some of your contemporaries are not even degree holders, right? where does brains go into a career that seems to rely more on beauty and charm? again, i'm not here to mock FAs coz as what i said earlier, I am seriously considering a career as a FA. I know I shouldn't be worried about what other people think but I do worry about these things esp because I know that a lot is expected from me. I do want a stable career. And I'm just not sure if being a FA could promise me that.

Thank you for taking the time to share with me your thoughts on this. It’s interesting enough to know that someone is thinking what I’ve also been wondering about before I became a flight attendant.

For one thing: Yes, I have a college degree under my belt. But there is no way that I’m going to start comparing myself to my colleagues here in Emirates. It is true that most of them have not reached the educational achievement that I’ve had, but it doesn’t make me any more superior than them. Working here, with different people of diverse nationalities, it would humble you to know how much you actually don’t know. It may sound cliche to you, but it is true when they say that learning takes you to a higher playing field when taken outside of the classroom walls. In every industry you get into, there will always be something new to smack into your head that outsiders have no clue on. People only see the uniform, but they will never know what it's really like until they become one. There is so much more to this job...

Let me ask you, what made you notice this career in the first place?



Yes, I do the dirty work- the kind I wasn’t used to doing: I kneel down and collect someone else’s garbage; I wipe up after someone who just had to leave something nasty behind; I swallow the hurt and the tears when someone bites my head off for something I have no control over. I have to do a lot of those things which I despise and never would have thought of doing in my lifetime. I felt that I was just beating myself up for nothing at all. Yet something about what I do makes me proud of myself...damn proud.

Some people may think differently of this career, but I know it is something I’ve grown to love. There are people out there, who value what I do. A lot of times I feel no different from anyone inside the plane. Regardless of social or professional status, I’m still as self-sufficient, morally conscientious, and personally dignified as any 9-5 desk-bound workers. I am learning everyday, and I’m progressing in every aspect of how I want my life to be.

I doesn’t feel like I’ve wasted my time earning a degree to be stereotyped as an airplane maid- there is nothing wrong with that term. As when service is given, in whatever type of job, it is still service rendered, hence, a servant.

I am no different from any other servant.I am just the kind who is earning way too much, traveling way too much, and enjoying way too much. I am not tied to a desk with a mountain of paper work waiting for a measly pay at the end of the month. I have no stain of shame or regret whatsoever. I’m doing this, because I decided to.

Sure there would always be days when I just feel like tearing my hair apart and throwing the towel in. Then, there would be days when I feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world. This is like any other job after all, imperfectly suiting imperfects. I'm not saying that I'm going to grow old here. In my opinion, it's not a kind of career to last me a lifetime. But I am here to enjoy my youth, to learn as much as I can about my world, and to save up until such a time when I feel like settling down back home again. I's such a simple plan, really.

So, I think in whatever career you choose to pursue, it will always be questioning yourself whether or not you are happy with what you do - not only with what you are capable of doing.

Oh, and yeah, I'm earning way too much! ^_^

Sydney, Australia

It was sunny, but the air was freezing! I couldn’t judge Sydney fairly because as I've told you in my previous posts, I hate cold places! It was too late when I found out it was winter. Next time, I won’t forget to check my destination’s weather report.

I didn’t bring a freakin’ coat! Good thing I had this turtle neck -a friggin' turtle neck! I know!!! I don't like wearing them because they choke me, and I don't have much neck to cover anyway. But they always come in handy so I keep them in the bottom of my cabin bag for cases as this. It got a bit warmer as the day went by. It's just that my itty bitty frame could crack so easily from a chilly gush of wind. You know...whoosh... and away my body goes.

All I had for footwear was this Nike ballet shoes. The hell was i thinking bringing ballet shoes?! *sigh* It wasn’t a problem for long though because I bought myself one of those fuzzy UGG boots! Yay! I should have chosen chocolate brown over the black ones though. But who cares, my feet were warm!

I was supposed to meet my cousin here; for some reason she did not contact me in the hotel, and I didn’t have her number! Oh well, I'm in Sydney, might as well make the most out of it.

Our hotel was convenient, being in the middle of the city. I was able to walk around without having to worry about getting lost. And because I was with a fellow crew, Kanukporn, the sweetest Thai girl I’ve met, I had fun going around town. And eerr.. I just love how her name rolls off my tongue like that.

After taking a short sightseeing of the Sydney Bridge and famed Opera house, we headed back to the hotel for a morning snack in this hole-in-the-wall Chinese store. I had bacon and egg sandwich with ketchup and Mayo! Yum! Plus a Gatorade to perk me up. I HEART Gatorade! Moving on, we went to different surf shops and I bought this cute board shorts for my hunny (no Sponge Bob prints). I love shopping!

I passed by the Darling Harbor and we went into this mall where I ate again. Yes, I was pigging out. It is one of the best reason why I am still a cabin crew. I don’t put on weight, maybe that is also one of the best reason why they hired me as cabin crew. hehe. Kidding you.

I took a lot of pictures. Actually, Kanukporn insisted on taking them. She had been here before and she didn’t want hers taken anymore. All she wanted to do then was to buy an iPhone. So I scooted her off to wherever she plans on going and I targeted a bookstore to purchase what I’ve been searching for. Good thing they had a copy – the only one left! I don’t know if it’s even a good read, but it’s been recommended by a fellow crew. AROUND THE WORLD IN A BAD MOOD. Hah! Figured.

All in all, Sydney wasn’t so bad. I just really don't like cold places. And when I’m freezing, I can’t think much because my brain shrinks to a prune. Only ask me questions that can be answered with a shake of a head or a shrill “yesss” through gritted teeth, any more effort and I’d throw ice cubes at you. But surely I’d be looking forward to going back again, uhhmm, come summer time.