My Departure to Dubai

My flight to Dubai was quite amusing. It came to me as a shock when we left earlier than expected. Our aircraft started to taxi down the runway a little past after midnight. And I felt giddy more than ever.

A few hours before departure, I was clinging to Ben, trying to relish the last few minutes I had with him. He bought me some chocolate drinks - which I gulped down in mere seconds. I remembered, the last time we were in the departure area, I was holding back tears, wishing not to go. This time though, I felt different. I was more aware of my situation, of what I was embarking on. I was, in a way, more prepared than I could have ever been. This time, I wanted this to happen.

Having 3 new colleagues with me on board, I felt more confident and ready to take on Emirates. I tried to absorb the working conditions inside the cabin, and took note of the plane interior. And like a friend said, you could really feel the difference. This was after all, Emirates. Aside from the excellent entertainment system they had, the lighting was extremely soothing to the senses. It was a play of colours, changing dramatically from blue to green to yellow to orange to pink… and so on. The ceiling even sported tiny lights of varying sizes, trying to reflect the night sky outside. Only, the seats could have been a little bigger.

For real entertainment, the touch screen I had in front of me detailed a list of all the things I could do. WELCOME TO ICE, It said. ICE stood for Information, Communication, and Entertainment. I watched cartoons just to lighten my mood. Halfway though, I got sleepy and dozed off until they served snacks. The crew gave us a menu of what was available. I chose the cold selection which consisted of roast beef, cheddar cheese, chicken drumstick, creamy pasta salad (placed on buttered wholemeal bread) and garnished with black olive and tomato wedge. There was also a coconut and sago pudding with tapioca served with tea or coffee. The picture I took of this meal did not do it justice. It was yummy!

After dozing off again, I woke up to breakfast. I failed to take a picture because I was extremely groggy to even know where my camera was. LOL. I had fresh fruits and Daing na Bangus. The latter is a Filipino dish which is milkfish with lemon butter sauce served with garlic fried rice. For the sides, it also had eggplant, tomato wedge and longanisa sausage. For dessert, it was cinnamon raisin roll and a croissant served with butter and preserves. I decided to skip the coffee and had apple juice instead. Breakfast was heaven!

Just when we were about to land, a male cabin crew member approached us and confirmed if we were the newly hired flight attendants. He had this amused smile on his face like he was the first to know it. Maybe he was just as excited for us when he gave us pens and timetables.

Stepping out of the plane for the first time in Dubai, the cold air immediately stung my lungs and made me quiver. It was near dawn when we reached the terminal via a shuttle bus, and I thawed inside where it was toasty warm. Even while balancing with two carry-on luggage, I could have fallen asleep where I was standing if I allowed myself to.

As informed, we met with a marhaba, a lady greeter wearing yellow vests and gray skirts. We were then asked to wait for a few minutes for the other newly hired air hostesses to arrive. Not a moment too long, a strikingly beautiful blonde girl appeared, strutting in her killer boots with this lovely sleek ensemble. She was French, of course. We were then joined by four Thai girls who flew from Hong Kong.

We were directed to the Marhaba lounge were we met with an HR officer, who I assumed to be Kenyan. She asked for our documents and gave each of us manila envelopes. It dictated where our accommodations were and some information about the upcoming induction day.

It was unfortunate that I and my new friends were not going to live in the same building. I didn’t know Emirates had so many residential areas scattered around Dubai. My place was far from the others who were mostly dropped off at the city centre. However, I found my new place nice and clean. I have a Filipina housemate who I have to share the common rooms with, but we get to have our own bedroom and bathroom. She wasn’t there though when I arrived, and I have yet to meet her because she’s on a layover. It didn’t take very long for me to adapt to my new home. I’ve even taken a liking to my bedroom. I feel extremely comfortable in it as if I’ve had this kind of sanctuary before.

There were these packages waiting for me in my bedroom. It was a starter pack containing some kitchen utensils, bed linens, and cleaning materials. I also had this food pack which was really helpful. I was hungry, and I got to eat some before I unpacked my things.

Everything seemed to occur like that in a dream. Either I’m insensitive for not missing Manila already, or I’ve just very well accepted Dubai as my 2nd home.