Singapore/Melbourne trip

View from the plane after taking off from Melbourne
Some of the crew

So my rosa for Feb is ok i guess, not as good as the past 2 but could be worse!!

I had a Singapore/Melbourne/Singapore trip on 1st, then i did have a turn around but i changed it to Frankfurt on 7th (which is where i am now!) then i have a turn around on 10th, a johannsburg on 14th.....ive already been there but its a different hotel this time so i wont be scared! then i have another turnaround on 19th and then i did have a 45 colombo layover and Bec was on it too, but now she has managed to swap a few of her flights to get home so she is no longer on it and as ive already been and theres a bit of trouble there at the moment i swapped it for a Gatwick....its a bit more allowance and more flying hours even though a shorter layover.

Then i have a few days off and a Zurich on 28th.

Singapore was good, i was soooo tired arriving into singapore i just slept most of the time (knowing i had a second day there) then in melbourne it was just a 17 hour layover and i had seen it twice already so i just stayed round the hotel. Back in singapore we all went out for few drinks at a club and then stumbled into a bar which was just closing bu they opened again just for us....'are you Emirtes crew?' ...'yep'........oh come in, what can we get you?' so im guessing they get alot of crew in there! i soon realised it was a Newcastle supporters bar so couldnt resist taking a couple of pics just for my hubby! The next day i went out to look at the shops, went to this big market place....it was just crazy!! ive never seen anything like it! sooo many people round, so many lothes, bag, food stalls etc i didnt know where to look! it was so hot in there too so i had a quick look round and then had to get out! i walked accross the road only to find one of my best friends......Starbucks! yey....in need of a coffee after feeling like a sardine in the mad market i sat down and people watched, oh and had a nibble of some banana cake!

After my coffee and cake i walked round the mall....bumping into another friend.....Top Shop! but dont worry Gav.....i never brought anything!

Back at the hotel i chilled out watching the tv and had a couple hours sleep before the flight back home.
I never took many pictures as its very much high buildings, shops etc which i saw, if i go there agan i think i will go to the zoo or do the night safari which is supposed to be very good.

Mum over in Dubai!!

Haha, im not sur mum liked the bird??!
In the desert!
Me sand boarding!!

Burj Al Arab at night

Smoking sheesha
Bec

Madanat
Beach at Le Meridien

Mums first night
Just finished the Duck!
Haha, this is my fave photo!!

Ohhhh afternoon tea darling?!!
View from Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arab

I had such a great tim when mum was over here! She arrived on the Saturday morning (26th) so i met her at the airport and took her back to my apartment. We went to the Madanat area that afternoon for a walk round, some coffee and a bit of lunch. We had a really nice aftenoon. That night i took mum to Ginsing in Wafi City at Pyramids. Had a nice meal and a couple of cocktails then went over to Irish Village for a couple of drinks and stopped off at Double decker and then Longs bar for a coupe more! mum got chatted up by some lebonee guy in longs bar! was funny, he wanted her o go out for dinner and meet his parents! haha.
The next day we spent the day at Mall of the Emirates shoppng, seeing ski dubai etc. We got back around 7 and booked into the Shangrila hotels Shang Palace (chinese) for 9pm. I said we should have the Duck as me and Gav had it when he was here in December, was soooo nice and mum really enjoyed it too!
Monday we spent the morning at the cinema watching PS I love you......we were both wiping our eyes all the way through the film! it was good but sad too.
After re-applying our make up! we got a cab to Burj l Arab...(7 star hotel that looks like a sail) where we wer booked in for afternoon tea! oh yes darling!! haha
It was soooo nice inside, we had great views too. We decided to go for the champagne afternoon tea, so they brought out champagne and mixed berries with the nicest cream ever!! then they brought out this big tier thing which had sandwiches on top, then rolls, then cakes then pastries!! everytime we finishedone plate they were there asking if we wanted more! they brought out the tea too and then when we were done eating all that they brought out the fresh scones with clotted cream and jam and then lots of funky chocolates!!we were stuffed!! so much for eating healthy!!!
We got home around 6ish and were a bit tired and too stuffed to move really! so we had a nap and when we woke up we both couldnt be bothered to do much that night so we just took a walk along my road and stopped at a cafe to have some late dinner.
Next day we took a swim in my pool on the floor above and went to the deira city centre mall, got a new camera!! its pink and dead good! then we were getting picked up at 3pm for the desert safari! wahoo!
It was sooooo much fun! they took us round the desert in the car things and me and um were holding on for dear life! at one point i thought we were going to topple over! then we stopped for some sand boarding......now this is quite funny!! i went down....thought id fall but i actually suprised myself by making it to the bottom and thinking i was pretty good! then it was mums turn! oh how i wish i hadnt given her my camera!! She stood on it and the guy held her hand to help her and thn he siad ok go and lightly pushed her down......but she nearly dragged him down there with her! she didnt want to let go! anyway she soon found out he didnt really want to follow! she stared off ok and then started wobbling and half way down finally went head in the sand!! it was so funny! hehe.
After that we went to see some camels and then they took us to the area where we would spend the rest of the evening, a big area with small tables and cushions, and hena tattoing, buffet, sheesha, bar etc. So we had some tea and arabic dates and then tried on the local dress.....ok so im not posting a picture of this as me and mum both agreed we both looked horrendous!! then we tried the sheesha......for those who dont know its like a big bong thing with a pipe and filled with a flavour (lots of flavours to choose from) and you smoke it. Ive tried it before in Kuwait, very nice. But this was mums first time!! Oh and by the way incase Nan you are wondering if im making your daughter into a drug addict....its not a drug!! I think mum liked it, infact by the picture im going to post it looks like she is a pro!
The next day we spent the day at the madanat area havig lunch and then went on to Le Meridien hotel to have a drink at baristi on the beach and after took a walk along the pier.
That night my friend Bec joined us and we went to the madanat area again. We sat on this big poofs and had sheesha, wine and some nibbles. We stopped at Trader Vics fo a cockatil and then i took mum to the Grosvenor House hotel to Budda Bar....very trendy bar/restaurant. After we all went to Jumierah Beach hotel to 360 bar, its on its own pier, very trendy and great views.
To end the night we went to the Apartment club and were pretty merry by the end of the night!
The next day i was quite hungover and very tired! i had to have as much sleep as possible before my flight.....to singapore....i was being picked up at midnight that night. So mum went off to the mall for the afternoon to let me get some sleep and we popped out to TGI fridays when she got back to have dinner.

It was great having mum here, we had such a good time and it was great for her to see where im living.

Melbourne Aukland!!

Me and first officer....we thought he looked like Loche..off Lost
Purser and 2 SFS's

View of Aukland



Cant remember their names! indian, canadian and brit!

Park in Melbourne
Room in Auckland


Auckland Bridge

Parliment of Victoria....Melbourne



So, i have new flatmates! two girls from the UK who are lovely, havent had much chance to hang out with them as they are new abinitioso in training, but i went out with Hannah on thursday for a night out and had a great time...very hungover the next day!
20th Jan......my trip to melbourne (Australia) got there after a 13 hour flight at 630 am local time....7 hours ahead of Dubai....so my body clock was a little messed up!! We got to sleep on the flight for about 3 and half hours in the crew rest compartment (CRC), which is underneath, with beds. Got to wear my lovely blue emirates PJs!
When i got to the hotel (Hilton) i went to sleep for about 4 hours and woke at 2pm, and went out at 3pm.....i ws on my own as most people on the flight were seeing family or friends, i didnt really mind though, it was nice doing whatever i wanted to do!
I walked through the park and into the city centre, lots of high rise buildings, trams, etc. I looked round some shops and stopped off at starbucks for a coffee fix, popped into a souviner shop and got myself a cute kuala bear and boomerang! Then i found a sushi place and sat and ate my favourite food!
I headed back to the hotel about 6pm, it was so relaxing just walking through the park and taking it all in. Went to bed about 9pm as we had a 6am pick up for our Aukland flight.

Got to Aukland about lunch time, i went straight out....alone again, i was going with another girl but she seemed to just want to sleep all the time! i thought, im not coming all this way to sleep!!
So i started walking into the centre and went staight to the Sky Tower, a tall building with great views of Auckland. You can do a Sky jump from the top, like a bungy, i was going to do it and signed the forms and then realised i left my purse at the hotel!! so i booked to do it the next morning. So while i was there i went to the viewing area at the top and took some pics and had a coffee in the cafe at the top. I had a nap back at the hotel before getting ready for dinner. The hotel was lovely, the rooms were like apartments! i had a kitchen area, living room, bathroom and bedroom, not forgetting the 2 tvs which had me hooked watching the auzzie top 10 shark attacks on discouvery!! yep im a geek!
That night a few of us met up for dinner in a nearby restaurant, had a very irish feel to it, we had their famous mussels and a few glasses of wine.....new zealands sauvignon blanc.
I went to bed about midnight and woke up at 320am and couldnt get back to sleep!! my body clock was so messed up! anyway i went down for breakfast and for a walk about 8am and finally got back to sleep at 10am and slept till 3pm to get ready for our pick up......so i never did the jump. Anyway i would prefer to have done it with someone, so i could share the experience with!
We were back in Melbourne around 9pm, i called my friend Becs room to chat with her, she was there too, she was doing the aukland early the next morining, so she couldnt go out. I just went down the supermarket and got a magazine and ordered myself a hot chocolate to try and sleep!!
Thankfully i had a great night sleep, so i was up at 9am for breakfast in the hotel, then went for a walk down bridge road where there are lots of boutiques, so just had a browse, then i went for a walk to the park again and to the city, got some sushi to take back to the hotel with me and got some make up too. I just relaxed in the jacuzi and sauna in the afternoon, though i was trying to have some peace but some american guy wouldnt stop yapping away to me! he was from LA and a commentator for the bbc coverage of Tennis in melbourne. Anyway i knew it was time to leave when he said.....'wow, what colour are your eyes?'.....Hazel......'They are just beautifull'......cheese!
The flight back that evening was good, just half full and everyone just wanted to sleep. Was a 14 hour flight and we got 4 and half hours rest. Back in Dubai now and mum is arriving tomorrow morning!!! im so excited!! I have lots planned, afternoon tea at the Burj, desert safari, nice restaurants, shopping etc!! I get my rosta tomorrow and get paid too, so its a good day!!

Venice

On 14th i did have a Manchester layover, but someone wanted to swap with me for a Venice layover on 13th!! somehwere i have always wanted to go!

We got there about 1pm, we went straight out, the hotel was a little way from the centre so we had to get a bus and then as its all canels we took a boat into the centre.

It was very cold and raining which made it hard for me to take any decent pictures!!

We had a quick walk towards the cathedral and were so cold and getting wet that we had to go inside so went into an italian restaurant. I had some lovely wine with spagetti bolognaise with meatballs! yum!

After dinnerwe walked round for a while looking at the different shops all sellng lovely masks for the masque parade, so i had to get one!!

Soon it was time to make our way back to the hotel and crash out!

In the morning i went to the hotel breakfast, a lovely buffet, and i justchilled out reading my book.

I really want to see more of Venice and in the summer months next time, so hopefully i will get another layover there or even use my discounts to have a trip over with Gav.