Beijing, China

PEK…

Peking?.. PEK! Ohmygosh! I’m going to Beijing!


I thought of all the places I wanted to go to: the Ming tombs, the Chinese opera, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China!

The flight wasn’t so bad. Though, most of the time, the cabin smelled of aged cheese. I wonder why they raise their feet on other people’s seats - and no one seemed to mind?!

Since we have arrived late in the afternoon, it was already too late to plan any sightings. A Brazilian colleague, Karina, wanted to go see the opera, but I figured I’d save my energy that night for our agenda the next morning. We actually wanted to go to the Great Wall of China; it was forecasted to rain, so we didn’t take the tour package to go there. We decided to go to the Forbidden City instead, since it was close to the hotel. We can just take a cab going there. Besides, there will be other Beijing flights, so we only had to see at least one heritage sight this time.

Waiting for nightfall, with nothing to do, I went out and explored a bit by myself. The people from concierge said there is a shopping mall nearby, but I walked far off the direction they told me. I didn't notice, because it didn’t look like a mall at all! It was like an old building with plastic strips for doors. You know, the ones hanging on fridge trucks? Yup, those were used for the entrance. I slipped by it, and found a wet market inside. There were stalls of fresh vegetables, seafood, meat, herbal medicines, and that sort. I figured I’d want to buy some food that I could eat in the hotel, but I was afraid to buy anything from there yet- they were selling live worms! I ended up buying a steamed bun and a health drink from 7-11 which was also nearby. The 711, I realized, actually sold more hardware stuff than food.

The next day, I met up with Karina to go to the Forbidden City. It was a sunny day after all! Damn those forecasts! Anyhoo…

It wasn’t far as I’ve expected. We got off at this red arch which I thought to be the entrance to the City. But the other tourists there said we had to take this cart ride going to the south entrance, so I hopped at the back of the cart and enjoyed a short but pleasant trip with a good view.

The entrance was grand and magnificent. We bought the ticket and this audio tour in which they’d give you this sort of I-pod thingy that walks you through the history of the place. The city was vast; though I wanted to see everything, I could only walk straight from end to end. There were sensors which trigger the audio contraption to play. It told me where I was, what the place was used for, the royalties who resided there, and other things I couldn’t remember. It sparked my interest to learn a bit more about the city. It was like being in another world, in another dimension. I loved being there. Surely I’d want to go there again!

I didn’t notice the time pass by so quickly; I was completely immersed in the Forbidden City’s magnificent history. Every time I reach a building, I’d hope for the audio thingy to talk me through what I was seeing.

“You have reached the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It is the ceremonial centre of imperial power, and the largest surviving wooden structure in the country. Look up, you will notice 10 gargoyles on its roof ridge, signifying it’s importance among all of the other buildings.”

…amazing….

“This is the Palace of Earthly Harmony...”

...let me guess… this is where the magic happens?...hehe

“…In the Ming Dynasty it was the residence of the Empress. However, the Empress moved out of the Palace following the Emperor's move out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity…”

…whoopsie…my bahd…

“However, two rooms in the Palace of Earthly Harmony were retained for use on the Emperor's wedding night. The wedding ceremony would be held in the main room, and afterwards the Emperor and Emperess would retire to one of these rooms. Between these two palaces is the Hall of Union.”

Woot! Mr. Emperor!

Reaching a smaller archway, revealing a building on top of the “man-made” hill, was a compact garden with beautiful trees and plant ornaments.

“This is the Imperial Garden. In some days, the Emperor would come here, and choose from among the girls lined up in this garden, as his next concubine.”

*cough*

We’ve finished the tour of the Forbidden City by arriving to the north gate of the palace, the Gate of Divine Might. Looking over my shoulder, I promised myself I’d go back to this place again some time in the near future. After handing back the audio pieces, Karina and I took a cab and went to Silk Market to do some shopping.

I was surprised that it looked very much like Greenhills, with the tiangges (bazaars) around. It would have been heaven for shopaholics if they were Chinese, but you wouldn’t be buying anything here if they raise their price a hundred times over once they know you’re a foreigner.

You see, I was going to buy a strappy sandal, which would probably cost around a hundred pesos (us$3) in Manila. But I was shocked when they asked Y580 (us$86) for it. I managed to haggle it down to Y50 (us$7)! Believe it or not, I didn't buy it. No matter how good of a haggler you are, it’s stupid to waste your energy in bargaining extortions such as this. Forget it.

Anyway, I ended up buying some vegetables in the marketplace place again when we got back to the hotel. I wanted to take them with me back to Dubai. This time though, I didn’t even bother to speak. I just picked up all the things I needed, shoved Y50 in the seller’s basket, and I ended up with a bargain! Yup, If I didn’t talk, they’d think I’m a local, doing my regular shopping after work. So I only spent Y8 (us$2) of my market money. hehe

Being half Chinese, but speaking nil, I’m an alien in sheepskin in this country. I really should be thinking of studying Mandarin formally. Seriously.

Going back to Dubai was fairly easy as well. I even got to hold this cute baby boy who wanted nothing more than to sleep in my arms. Awww, such a sweet sweet boy. It's times like these when I feel that I have the best job in the world.

CapeTown, South Africa

“Attention reserve crew 388***, Please report to the Cabin Crew Briefing station”, came a raspy voice, amplified from the speakers all over the Emirates Briefing Center.

When they pulled me out from standby, I was frantic to know where on earth they’re going to send me to this time. The suspense was getting to me; I really don’t know how to handle things when they come as surprises.

Putting on my red hat and dragging my handbag on top of my trolley, I hurried to the station eager to know if I was going to do a quick turnaround or another layover in God-knows-where.

“You are going to CapeTown,” a man bulging in his white polo said, as he handed me the voyage report containing the flight information I needed.

In my head, I didn’t know whether I should be happy or dread the trip, as I have no clue what CapeTown was like, not as a destination, but as a flight with yet an unknown passenger profile. This is one of the newest destinations of Emirates and I have yet to receive details of how the service usually goes. I had no clue whether the passengers were going to be demanding, passive, or just a plain bunch of sleepy people.

As I scurried to the shuttle bus, the purser held me in immigration for a moment to introduce me to the flight deck crew. After which, I was introduced to the rest of the team as we rode along the airport runway.

Girl 1: “ayan na sya…yung pull out...koreana pala eh” (there she is, the one who got pulled out..so.. she’s korean)

Girl 2: “ah ok naman, mukha naman syang mabait eh” (oh, alright, she seems nice)

There were 3 filipinos huddled together in one seating row, looking at me. No wonder other nationalities call us the Filipino mafia, we always stick together anywhere.

“Hi, alam mo ba kung gaano katagal yung flight?” (do you know how long the flight is?) I asked the Filipina beside me, who I later discovered was one of our SFSs (senior flight steward).

“Oh, I think it’s going to be around 9 hours” she quickly replied.

“ah ganun ba. Ang tagal pala noh, akala ko sandali lang itong flight.” I snickered. (oh, It's that long- I thought this flight was going to be a short one.)

“…”,

she looked at me, seemingly puzzled, then her eyes widened,

“ hayyy pinay ka pala! anu ba yan, nag English pa ako!” ( You're a Filipina! And here I was talking to you in English!)

We let out hearty laughs and she introduced me to the other Pinoys.

The flight was difficult; the passengers liked to drink a lot and have almost depleted all of our liqueurs in the aircraft. I even had my skin peeled off my palm- from opening bottles of wine. Ouch!

Going to our hotel, I noticed a vast plain with plenty of scrap metal boxes littered randomly. Turns out, there were more shanties there than in Manila.

We were welcomed by the hotel staff with these colorful candies and yummy guava juice- a nice treat indeed. It was decided before we took a rest, that we Filipino Mafias would go together to Table Mountain the next morning. It was good because the others were taking the “package tour” which was unreasonably priced for us thrifty Pinoys. LOL. And it turned out that our own little adventure was way better than the packaged tour, because by the time they went to table mountain, it was already too foggy to see anything. We were lucky we went out earlier and saw this amazing view!



Good thing I brought with me this thick winter jacket; it was freezing cold up there! We took this cable car going up the summit. I was too scared to look anywhere so I just focused at the station on top. The summit was flat alright, that’s why it’s called Table Mountain. I couldn’t put into words how spectacular the view was. It was heaven. The clouds were at my feet, and the rising sun made everything look like gold. The sea beneath the clouds is sparkling like bright jewels, and the mountain beyond, called the devil’s peak, sharply jots out of the fluffy clouds.




We descended about an hour or so. We were famished so we decided to eat at the waterfront. There were some lovely restaurants by the bay, mostly selling fish & chips, but we decided on a steakhouse. This is South Africa after all, where steaks are a national pride. We had to have a bite of it.

Looking out at the ocean, I couldn’t believe how wonderful the sky was. Humans are not deserving of such a wondrous sight.

We should be grateful for each moment. For each moment, a miracle is created.

April Drama

After endless worrying if I’m ever gonna get home soon, I’ve finally been granted the bids I’ve been eyeing out since I’ve stepped in Dubai: Manila Flights!

For the entire month of April, I’ve flown in and out of manila three times! Lucky! Lucky! Even if it were only for 2 days layover for each flight, I was so happy to be immersed again in my own native tongue.
But for the first flight I did, I was greeted with somber news; my pup died. *sob* She was a loving friend to me, always cheering me up despite my scowls at her. For 6 years she lived so carefree. I wish I could have done more for her. There should be a doggie heaven; if not, then I’d gladly share mine with her – if I go to heaven that is. I can’t believe she’s not going to be there each time I come home, to jump up and down on my feet, begging to be picked up. I just love stuffing my face into her furry coat. Rest in peace my beloved Chatu. No other fluff ball can ever replace you in my heart. I wish I could give you just one last hug...I love you so much...I will miss you always...

*wails and hugs a tissue box*

okay...

On the lighter note, I finally got engaged!
I’ve been together with Ben for 88 months now, and I think it’s a dream come true to finally confirm our love for each other.He is my pillar, my strength, my reason for moving on through tough roads. He is my pride and my joy. He is God's gift to me. What can I say, this is bliss.

After all those Manila flights, I was able to use my vacation leave this month of May and use the ticket that the company provided for me. I spent all my days with my bunny and we went food tripping like we used to. I’m so excited to make the wedding plans with him. I’m a giddy girl, if I had a tail it’d be wagging like crazy.

Frankfurt, Germany

I thought it would be difficult for me to tour around the place since they said I had to use the train to get me to the city center. .Good thing I was with the rest of economy crew who also wanted to go sight seeing. We started early and walked a couple of blocks before reaching the station. Looking around, it was deserted and we felt like aliens as we briskly walked down a street. It was like being in that movie "The Silent Hill", where at any moment, monsters would come out of the buildings.
We actually got lost. Not knowing what train to get on,it took a lot of fussing with the map and a stranger helping us before we were able to know where our stop was. When we got off the subway, I smelled heavenly baked bread. I wanted to buy some, thinking I could chow down while we strolled around. I remember hitting myself on the head for forgetting my wallet. Dear Diego rescued me, lending me 20 euros, and I bought cinnamon rolls from it costing only 1 euro.

The place was buzzing about, a direct opposite of the eerie feeling of walking on the outskirts of the city. There were a lot of interesting stuff to see. I laughed when I saw a shoe hanging on top of a tree. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of it. We went straight to the plaza as I told them I wanted to take pictures.

Certainly I could remember in high school a Social Science project- a hand-sewn Germany flag. Who knew that one day, I’d be strolling around the country, a thousand miles from home.

Even before we landed, I knew I wanted to have my picture taken with the Germany flag. So when we got to the city hall of Frankfurt am Main, I became trigger happy, snapping pictures all over, posing tirelessly in front of the Römer.


The Römerberg Plaza was so cute. It reminded me so much of Prontera, a fictional city from an online game I used to play. They had these little stores on the first level of these doll-like houses and some lovely coffee shops just outside.
I was standing outside a souvenir shop when diego wanted me to snap his picture with this bronze statue of a fish, with water sprouting from its mouth. He posed sideways, pretending to pee. Tourists… tsk. ^_^









I was happy to settle down and have coffee with them outside the plaza, choosing a seat where the morning sun would hit us. The air was a bit chilly; it was a nice feeling to be out, warm and toasty in the sun. I ordered a sundae and they ordered cappuccinos. I’ve had enough of coffee on my flights, I wasn’t about to miss out on eating ice cream loaded with heavy whipped cream. Yum!

Mauritius: My First Operational Flight

My first operational flight was to Honeymoon Island! Yay!



You could very well taste the icing circulating in the cabin;we gave so many cakes to newlyweds that we had to give away champagnes too! We can’t let them alone with all those sugary goodness without love potions to chug ‘em down.

Since it was my first layover in another country, I felt that the 5-hour flight was too long – or maybe that was just the excitement in me dragging the time. Gahhhd! I just wanted to tear off my uniform and head for the water!

When we got out of the aircraft, the warm, moist wind swept my veil, making my skin feel clammy and sticky. This was the same feeling as being on one of the beaches in the Philippines. Nice.

The resort we were going to stay at wasn't very far. We were greeted by this local guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt, holding a tray of drinks. It was a deep amber concoction with a little cherry skewered on the glass. Yum! I gulped it down as my eyes wandered around.

The view was breathtaking! I couldn’t put into words how it was like to be there; standing beside a Mediterranean inspired fountain, tropical plants abound, a deep aqua infinity pool that made an illusion of continuity to the sapphire waters of the ocean. And it was lovely how coconut trees framed every seating area- I just couldn’t believe how many species of birds were frolicking around 'em!

Though my body was aching and I felt limp from fatigue, my mind was immediately restored to a cool, relaxed state. When I entered my room, I fell in love with the interior. It was simple, yet something about it recaptured my interest in interior design. It had this charming balcony where there were plenty more coconut trees barely blocking the beautiful shore of Mauritius. I took it all in, before changing into a more comfortable attire.


I met with some of the girls, and strolled around the sandy resort. After taking pictures, we felt famished and conquered a table just outside this quaint restaurant. We were informed that we could order anything we wanted in the menu, anything at all, and our company will pay for everything. I love my life! Waah! I’m so lucky! LOL


I ordered steak, octopus, fruit platter, and some yummy colorful drinks! I ate so much, I almost ordered everything on the Menu! And how could I forget this fat bird that wasn’t afraid feeding off my feet just to get the crumbs falling off my plate. I thought it was adorable so I kept feeding him bread crumbs. Lucky little birdie!

I spent the rest of the day dozing off in one of the hut-like gazebos just along the shore.

For a moment, I sure felt I was back home.. sweet home in tropical Philippines

First Flight as Emirates Cabin Crew !

My first observational flight was going to MCT (Airport code for Muscat). It was going to be a short one hour flight going, and another hour coming back. We call it a turnaround- when you fly to the destination and head back to base again the same day.

I am not required to work here; I’m only to “observe” what the real thing was like. I had to learn what really happens on board, how the flight service goese, and how my duties are supposed to be executed. I had to learn from the current crew, and get the feel of what the job entails.


When we had our briefing ( a meeting of the cabin and flight deck crew before a flight ), I approached my purser (head cabin crew) and informed her that I was a SUPI - a first timer- and might mess up.

She greeted me enthusiastically, introduced me to everyone, and told me not to worry. It wasn’t about learning fast, but to enjoy the experience and absorb as much knowledge as I can. After all, experience requires time.

In the briefing room was an oval table with blue office chairs around it. The purser was at the end of the table with two SFS (senior flight stewards) flanking her side. Everyone looked so serious with their thick red manuals opened, and their faces buried in them. I sat at the far end and reviewed the safety and emergency procedures along with them.

“Hello everyone! Who is our supi for today?” bellowed the captain as he stormed in, with the first officer lagging behind him.

“It’s Janice.” Purser smiled.

“Hello captain,” I said as I hesitantly raised a hand.

“So you’re the baby eh? Everyone, please take care of her, make sure to teach her the good stuff. Don’t show her any wrong shortcuts that you guys got used to doing.”

There was a burst of giggles from the girls and some sly remarks accompanied by stomps on the ground from the guys. Ugh..

We carried on with the information exchange, what to expect of the flight and some important details about it. Then we went through immigration, and boarded a shuttle that was to take us to our aircraft.

I got to ride inside the cockpit for the take-off. Though the view was amazing, I felt bored. So when they asked me to come in again for landing, I politely refused, reasoning out that I could learn more if I stayed in the galley. Really now, I just wanted to stuff myself with chocolates from the crew meal.

It was an easy flight because I didn't do anything. I just helped out with the service so I could learn a bit. I’d rather make mistakes now than later.

After the flight, I dragged myself to my bed, and slept early for my next supi flight to IST (Istanbul, Turkey); another turnaround, which was then changed later to RUH (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

The flight to RUH was easy than expected, the same flight time as MCT. I was with a fellow supi this time, who was also my classmate back in training college. It made it all better knowing I was with someone to be blamed for in case of mishaps. Haha.

Now, I have to prep up for my operational flights. This time, it’s real.. and the pain will be intense. Nothing exists in the sky but me, the passengers, and some silly bird’s poop on captains window.

Emirates Graduation and Celebration

Our class decided to go on this safari as a last hurrah together before finally getting separated and flying to all parts of the globe. I was really excited to ride a camel and experience the Arabian night dream.

We took this shuttle, going out of Dubai and into the edge of the desert, where we switched into four-wheel drives that could take on the harshest dunes.

We had the craziest driver ever! I was shrieking all the way- around and through the dunes. It was so funny to see myself letting lose of all the fears and troubles I had as we dove into sand drops- getting almost buried in the middle of nowhere.

It felt like a very long roller coaster ride as we finally stopped on a very high slope where we could see a panoramic view of the Arabian Desert and the majestic sunset melting into a mellow gold beyond the horizon.

It was fantastic. I felt that the world was mine for the taking- just me and the sand bugs.

Then we settled into this sort of camp where tall branches were used as forts. Just outside were camels waiting for our butts on their humps! Yeah!

They had cute faces – like puppies. But I heard they bite,so they had this muzzle on, and I just felt so sad for them.

When do I get to ride ‘em?! haha

When I made the attempt to hop on camel’s back, it gave a long grunt which triggered doubt whether I should still go on or not. But even before I could get a grasp of what was going on, the camel immediately stood up and walked in reverse! I was freaking out! I never knew it was so high up sitting on these animals! There were no seatbelts! It was extremely uncomfortable knowing I could fall off anytime, what with the rough terrain and the unpredictable behaviour of these creatures,I was hanging on for dear life!

It was a short merry-go-round but it felt like an hour to me. I stood there for awhile beside the camels trying to catch my breath, when I realized, I was stepping on camel poop! All the while I thought it was plant produce! Gaaah!

Finally, we settled down on this huge carpeted area with low tables all around. We watched a belly dancer bare the essentials as we ate our dinner- Arabian style.

…truly an unforgettable Arabian night.