Dusseldorf

A little merry on Gluwien
Me, Alex and Alex

One of the Gluwien bar stalls

Me and the Captin

I got back from Dusseldorf just after midnight this morning, it was a good trip, easy flight there and back with nice passengers.

We got there about 1pm and had a couple of hours to sleep before some of us met up in reception to get a tram into the centre. There were lots of Christmas markets and as we were a little cold we made our first stop to be at the Gluwien stalls (mulled wine). It was verrrrryyy nice and had rum in it too, so it had quite a bit of a kick to it! We wondered round with our gluwien looking at the different stalls, i didnt buy anything this time though. Then we stopped to get a sausage thing....cant remember the german name for it but its basicallya hot dog....a big sausage though! By the time we had scoffed those down we were runninglow on gluwien so me and a couple of other got ours topped up! we ended up staying at the same bar for the rest of the evening enjoying the gluwien and christmas atmosphere.

We went back to the hotel about 9 and got a bite to eat at the hotel before heading up to bed.....i slept very well!!

The next morning our pick up was at 1250pm, the flight was again very good but i was very tired and couldnt wait to get home to bed!

I now have a few days off as i have a US visa interview on 11th, so im just going to do a few things round the apartment and a bit of christmas shopping along with catching a few rays.

My flatmate Lucy moved out on 6th, so ive been claring out some old stuff in the kitchen and i also put up my Christmas tree!! Its only 5 foot but its quite cute and ive deorated it nice with the little ginger bread from Vienna on it too...(no havent ate them yet!)

My other flatmate Sharon is leaving on 12th so i think we will spend a bit of time together the next couple of days. Oh and i think i will be able to move into the ensuite room from tomorrow!! yey!

So my next flight??....................Birmingham! yeah! on the 14th, arriving at 1900, im sure mum has already informed you all, so i hope to see you either on the Friday night for dinner or the Saturday for lunch!!

See you soon! xx

My apartment....

I thought i would post a couple of pics of my apartment.....well atleast my living room, ive completley changed it from when i first moved in.....it was pretty deserted and not too inviting!!

Vienna Trip

I got back from my Vienna layover just after midnight this morning, i absolutley loved it there! Its so beautiful! The flight there was really good, the passengers were really nice and werent demanding. It was just under full on the way there, about 6 hours there, we got there at about 1230 in the afternoon, vienna was 3 hours behind of Dubai time. When we got there we got to the hotel which was the Marriott, lovely hotel with really nice christmas decorations. We were given an allowance of 71 euros. Me and the sfs (senior flight steward) arranged to meet in about 2 hours time giving us time to have a little sleep. We went out about 5pm, it was dark by this time and very cold! about 6 degrees, was not bad at first but then my hands started to feel like they were going to drop off! i didnt have any gloves! We walked around the main part of the city, the hotel was really central. We looked round the christmas markets which are quite famous there, the things on sale were lovely, lots of hand crafts, christmas decorations, lots of ginger breads to hand on the tree and alot of ginger bread houses! yum! but they looked too good to eat and destroy! i brought a few of the ginger breads to hang on the tree and got a couple for some people back home. While we walked round we had some mulled wine which was gorg, it was quite strong though so if i had more than a couple i would have left there hammered! warmed me up though! After walking round we were quite hungry and my hands were developing frost bite so we went to a restaurant for some dinner. I had a traditional schnitzal, very nice, and we sat there chatting away, the sfs was really nice, Sam from Middlesborough.

After dinner we went back to the hotel where we sat in the loby/cafe drinking a hot chocolate before going back to our rooms and to bed. I went fairly early, about 9pm, but i had such a good sleep, the beds were just superb! you just sunk into them.

I woke up the next morning about 8am, went down to breakfast which was nice, a big buffet, too many nice things to choose from.

After breakfast i went out into the centre again on my own to take some pictures of Vienna in the day, i only took one the night before because my hands were so cold i could hardly press the button! i was a right little tourist taking pictures on my tod! i stopped off at the park opposite the hotel on the way back and got someone to take a picture of me!

We got picked up at 1pm afternoon to go to the airport, i love walking through the airport on a layover, everyone just turns to look at us, im tottering along in my uniform, red lipstick and hat in place loving it! haha we dont get that in Dubai as we have a seperate place near the airport for briefing and then the little bus takes us to the plane.

The flight back was great, half full! the passengers were pretty much all asleep after the meal service so we were just sat in the galley nattering away and eating the food from business class. Then we served ice cream about an hour or so before landing, it was hagen daz! ummm, so we were all scoffing on it!

I would definetly go back to Vienna, its so beautiful, the buildings have lovely architecture and it just has a really nice feel to it, besides, the flight was sooo easy!

My next flight is on Friday to Dusseldorf so i will update again when i get back.

Love and kisses Lis xxx

December rosta and Cairo turnaround

Hey all....

So i was due to have a Karachi turnaround yesterday at 10am (Friday) and i woke up had a shower etc, my pick up was at 720, they pick us up 2 and half hours before the flight and we have to be in the briefing room 1 and half hours before at the latest. So i called evita after my shower to check if there was any delays etc. (Evita is a automated phone system where you can hear your rosta, hear any delays, call sick, any changes you have etc.) Anyway it said i was being notified of a duty change, it was another flight...a cairo (known for being a bit of a nightmare flight!!) but it was departing at 0850! earlier than my original, so i was rushing around and cursing and had to jump in a taxi as i missed the pick up cuz i didnt know i was supposed to be on it! i got there in time luckily but everyone told me they are actuallysupposed to call me to tell me, especially if its earlier than my original flight! so now im unsure if im even going to check evita right before a flight now! i dont want that stress agan!
Anyway it turned out to be ok, i think its proberly because my expectations of the flight were really low, so it wasnt as bad as i thought! they were very demanding and i had the odd rude passenger but i just carry on and dont let it get to me! My sfs (senior flight steward) said he was doing an appraisal on me, in my 6 months probation i have t have about 4 done on me, he didnt have to do one but said he wanted to as he was really impressed with me, he said i was doing really well for my 3rd opperational flight and i had no problems...yey! so that goes back to my manager and also onto the crew portal (an internet system whichwe all have a log in for and where we can swap fights, see our rosta, put in for leave, bid for flights etc) where i can see what he put and comment if i like.
So i have 2 days off now and i got my rosta for Dcember while i was in Malta, its not bad, im in the process of swapping some flights though.

I have a Vienna layover on Monday, then a Dusseldorf on 7th, then they gave me another dusseldorf on 14th but i have swapped it with a Birmingham (its just waiting to be approved by scheduling), then i have a few days off after that to have my US visa interview, then on 18th i have a Columbo and at the moment i have a jakarta on the 22nd which gets back at 5am on 25th...xmas day!! but im trying to swap it for 2 turnarounds so that im in dubai more, as Gav is here from 22nd, its been accepted by someone but im just waiting for crew scheduling to approve! fingers crossed! then i have a dacca layover on 29th but amazingly someone agreed to swap with me for days off instead! again it needs to be approved though. So if all goes well with my swaps im quite happy with my rosta!
Gav will come on 22nd and leave early hours on 31st, so its going to be really nice having christmas dinner togther and just doing the usual christmas stuff (but in dubai!!) I just need to get a tree now! yey!

Malta Layover....

Hey everyone!

I got back from my 2 day Malta layover early hours this morning, really tired now!! It was a really good trip, good flight on the way over there, it was via larnaca (Cyprus), so 3 and half hours there and 2 half hours from there to Malta. I felt alot more confident and because it wasnt a quick turnaround i could actually have time to chat with the passengers more! When we got there it was about 2pm, so we checked in, got our allowance which was about 75 british pounds...55 maltese lira. Then a few of us went to stroll around the shops near the hotel and have coffee and cake! I brought mum a fridge magnet and a little souviner for the apartment. We went back to the hotel after to get ready to go out that evening, we were staying at the Intercontinental...very nice.

We met some of the others that night for dinner, went to a nice italian restaurant and by 10pm i felt like a zombie and im still not sure how i was keeping my eyes open! so we all went back to the hotel to get some sleep.

The next day a few of us got a bus to Valetta (the city) and we walked around there, had some lunch, shopped a bit, i found miss selfridge!! (the uk store) so i got a couple of bargains! We went to the Palace, we had a private tour around it because we were having our pictures taken with the army gurads and one of them was really nice and offered to take us round and not charge us to get in!
Then we needed a coffee boost so stopped off to watch the maltese world go by while munching on a cake! again!
After Valetta we got back on the bus and went to salima on the way back. We just went to a few shops for a look round, there was a marks and spencers so i got a couple of bottles of wine and some yummy shortbread.

That evening we went out for a meal at a nice restaurant on the bay before going to a bar and onto a club. We were back about 1am and then were picked up for the bus at 1250pm to go to the airport. I picked up some more wine at duty free off we went.

The flight from larnaca to Dubai was full so we were very busy on the way back, but i still enjoyed it, but was very tired!

Graduation and supy flights.....

Well i am now officially a flight attendant!! i graduated last Thursday 15th and im so pleased my training is over with!! So to celebrate we all went out for a nice meal with our service trainers to Sevilles, a really nice tappas restaurant in wafi center, in the pyramids. We all got our facecards on graduation, which if i havent told u already gives us good discounts on various restaurants, bars, hotel gyms etc. So we used the facecard to get our discount...50% off! yey...maybe i will save some money here! Anyway it was a really good night which ended up in Zinc....otherwise known as stink!! its a bit of a dive, but everyone goes there for graduation because emirates arranges free drinks for us.

So my first supy (training) flight was to Karachi on Sunday 18th, was an ok flight, very quick service, give the meal then collect it and land, but the passengers are very demanding wanting whiskey or beer all the time. I got to sit in the cockpit on take off and landing which was really good!

My second supy flight was to Karachi again! yesterday...22nd. It was again very quick but i did prefer it this time i think because the crew were helping me more and the purser and sfs were really friendly and fun going. I still kinda feel a bit lost in the galley of where to put things and get things from but im told that will come in time.

So my next flights??....

Well i was on can use, which is like standby but they let you know the day before if you have a flight. But i called up to get it changed into rostered flights, just so i know what im doing. They dont always do it but i got a nice guy who said since im new he would change it.

So he gave me a Bahrain which is a very quick turn around (even quicker than karachi), thats tomorrow morning - 24th. Then a day off on Sunday and on Monday a Malta....2 day layover yey! ive never been there before but im told its very nice with a nice pretty harbour. Apparently its quite a sought after flight with it being a 2 day layover. I found out we stay at the Intercontinental Hotel, which ive searched on the internet and found it looks veerrrry nice! i will be taking my swim suit and gym kit to take full advantage!! i think its about 20 degrees there at the moment which is quite nice to explore the place. I get back from malta early hours of Thursday morning and im on another Karachi flight on Friday morning!!! i have no idea why they insist on putting me on Karachi flights all the time!!

Im very excited to get my December rosta.....im hoping i will get a few days off together around xmas or new year so i can see Gav, but i think i will be very lucky if i get them. I bidded for them but im sure alot of people did the same. I also bidded for a Seychelles and a Auckland and Singpore, but im not on top bid this month so will see.

Basically everyone is in a group and im in group 5 and each month one group is on top bid which means they will more than likely get what they bid for. There are 7 groups and this month im at position 5. When your at position 7 your on standby, but it goes downward so next month i will be position 4.

My flatmates are both leaving in December, Lucy is going on 6th December and Shaz is going on 12th December so im moving into Lucy's room which is the ensuite and private balcony, the bathroom is my colours too! natural beiges etc. I just need to hand the forms into accommodation to let them know and they need to confirm back to me.

So im hoping i will get some nice flatmates! if its abinitio (which are the ones in training ie was me a week ago!) then i dont get a say and they just let me know im getting a new flatmate but if its not abinitio then i get a say, like they will come and look round and meet me and if i dont think we will get on or whatever then i can say no to them.

So over the last few days ive been making the apartment nice, like the living room is lovely now thanks to Ikea! and ive been throwing out old stuff in the kitchen and just generally being a Monica! As mum knows only too well though i hate clutter!! it clutters up my head!

I got internet installed in the apartment too and also showtime (like sky) so its more homely now. I cant wait to get some nice ornaments from all over the world, like when people go to nairobi they buy the big girrafs (sorry my spelling is shocking!)

Update.....first week of service over

Hey!

Well, the first week of service is now over and im on my last week now....so hopefully providing i get through the last couple of exams and assessments and the mock up i will have graduated on Thursday! yey!!
I found out my first suppy flights are to Karachi, they are like still in training flights and always a quick turn around flight. My first is on Sunday 18th!arh! and then next one is on 22nd. Then im not sure what my rosta is yet for the start of my fully fledged cabin crew flights, should find out this week.
Service is fun but also alot to learn as usual!! we had our first mock up yesterday where we had to serve real plane foodin the simulator and do the whole service, we were all dead nervous and running round like headless chickens gettng stressed about what needs to be done and the questons the trainers were asking us!

Gav came last weekend and it was so great, we had a great time and i miss him loads already! He spoilt me rotten, got me a mobile, laptop, perfume, speakers for me laptop and more!
He arrived on the weds night and we just cilled out with a take away cuz i had an exam in the morning for first aid, so thursday afternoon when i came home we went to the mall, had lunch with a couple of his friends and it was overlooking the ski dubai in the mall. We went out for a few drinks that night. Friday we went to an all you can eat and drink buffet, was a good laugh, gav was up on the karaoke!
Saturday we went to get my laptop and then watched the football andthen went to Madanet area for a romantic meal, was well nice, we had to get a boat to the restaurant and had great views of the Burj.

Well im going to post a couple of pics for ya now....if i can!!

Update again soon, Lis xxx

First Aid Training...............

Howdy!

Well this week is first aid, very tired this week and the class is finding it hard to keep awake!! but its good when we do the practicals. We have learnt how to deliver a baby and do CPR so far, oh and what to do with a dead body! Its good though, just alot to learn with all the medication and equipment.

Gav is coming in a couple of days!!!!! yey, cant wait!! so excited.
The weekend just gone i went out with my batch and one of our SEP trainers, went to a nice place called Ginsing in the pyrimids in wafi centre. Was really nice in there and the cocktails were yummy! We got a huge discount cuz we are emirates crew and then went in the club next door and got about 60 free drinks!! then we went back to our trainers villa, well the ones left standing! i saw the sunrise again....paid for it the next day though! We just had one day weekend last week as we had security training on the saturday.

Got a few more things for the apartment on saturday and today too....starting to look better every visit...though im not finished yet!

Anyway ive got to cut it short as i have to do some studying!! I will post some pics up here very soon as i will be getting my laptop this weekend.

Love you all loads and miss you too!!
Bye for now xxxxx

My Training so far.....

Hey, sorry i havent updated, just been too busy with the training!
My first week in Dubai was just medicals, inductions, uniform fittings etc.
Then SEP (Safety Emergency Procedures) started, im into my second week of this now and will be glad when its over!! The first week of SEP was in the simulator and classrooms, doing role plays of Turbulence, Decompression, Emergencies and Fire.......Cabin Crew are far from Dumb thats all i can say!!
At the end of last week we had our first exam of basically all we had learnt and i passed....100%!! yey! then this week its been all about the A330 and we had our exam on that today, were told its alot harder than the others so i studied my ass off! Anyway after alot of stressing and worrying i passed and got 98%, you need 80% to pass the exams, otherwise you get a re take or put back a week and have to join another group or failing that they send you home! Hense the stressing!!
Anyway we need to learn about the B777 now and got an exam for that on Wednesday and then theres a few other things they go through and by Thursday night my brain can rest....for a day atleast!! Next week is First Aid. SEP is supposed to be the hardest 2 weeks, so first aid should be fine!
Im really looking forward to next week cuz Gav is coming over to visit....yey!!! cant wait. He gets here on the Wednesday night, so i have training on the Thursday but then can spend the evening with him and then Friday and Saturday im off too. He goes back on Sunday, short visit but its going to be soooo nice to se him!
Last weekend was good, went out on Thursday night to Irish Village which was pretty good and then onto a club near me. All 3 batches (that started the same time) went out so was a good night. I chilled out a bit on Friday, just went by the pool for a bit and got over my hangover!! Saturday i was by the pool for a bit and then went off to buy a TV for the apartment, me and the other girls are going 3rds in and it was dirt cheap, just need to get Showtime now (like sky) and i think Lucy (flatmate) and her boyfriend are sorting that tomorrow.
Anyway ive rambled enough now so im signing off now and will update again prob at the weekend. Hope everyone is good and im missing you all....espec Chloe!! xxx

Arrived in Dubai!

Well, im finally here! Got here on Saturday morning (midnight). The flight was really good, think i watched 1 film, 3 friends episodes and 3 heros episodes on the flight! the entertainment is great!
Im living with 2 British girls who are really nice and im on the Sheik Zayed Road which is the main road, really busy but right in the centre of it all. My room is pretty big and i have a balcony overlooking the main road and my bathroom is just accross the hall. The building has a pool and gym which is quite nice though i havent used them yet as ive been too busy!!
Saturday i went to the Mall of Emirates (Huuuugge!) with another girl who started the same time as me and is in my building.
Sunday was induction and uniform fitting. There are 3 batches started the same time. My batch got our uniform at the end of the day. Monday was grooming so i wore the full uniform the first time, yep and the lovely red lipstick! it actually looks really nice all together.
Tuesday was medicals and today was a corporate induction. Tomorrow is the start of SEP which stands for Safety Emergancy Procedures, im told its the hardest 2 weeks of the training with lots of long days and exams. We have Friday and Saturday off so im planning on using the gym and pool and taking a trip to Ikea to brighten up my room.
I will write more when i have chance but for now....this is all your gettin!!
Love Lis xxx