Such A Tease

All excited for my trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ready to get my fix of retail therapy then BAM! Rostering Changes....

With a bag full of clothing appropriately suited for 30deg weather guess who ends up in London with a maximum of 4deg. Well this is even to cold for the old bolt to the local shop to buy absolutely any jumper/jacket, just to get through the day! I was soooo spewing about this, i couldn’t even rest properly before the flight, as i was pumped for the new destination that i have been hanging to go to. My poor house mates hadn’t heard the end of it all day as i sang: Im off to K.L. repeated in my continuous morning voice which seemed not to go away??? Weird??? ha ha NOT – admittedly sounds horrible!!!

With no-where to go and nothing to wear and an attitude which was mighty p*****d off let me assure u, i basically had my little shower and went straight to Zzzzzz for a whopping 24hrs.... Damn i was even more tired than i had thought.

So i say: "Damn u roster changes for being such a tease!"

But that is the day in the life of a flight attendant. You also know your a flight attendant when:

• All of your pens have different hotel names on them
• You wake up and have to look at the hotel stationery to figure out where you are
• You are standing in an elevator in your hotel and cant remember what floor you're supposed to go to, or what your room number is
• When ur going out from the hotel on a layover u smile and greet people u meet in the lifts... and ur not even in uniform!
• You always point with two fingers
• You can recognize pilots by the backs of their heads-but not by their faces
• You know better NOT to date a pilot!
• You can tie a neck scarf 36 ways
• You own 2 sets of uniforms: fat and thin
• You know at least 25 uses for air sickness bags-none of which pertain to vomit
• You get a little too excited by certain types of ice
• You have mastered the art of walking very quickly down the aisle and not catching anyone's eye
• You stand at the front door and politely say "Buh-bye, thanks, have a nice day" when someone leaves your home
• You stop and inspect every fire extinguisher you pass, just to make sure the "gauge is in the green”
• Your thighs are covered in bruises from armrests and elbows
• You refer to cities by their airport codes
• Everytime the door bell rings you look up at the ceiling
• You change into you "galley shoes" to cook dinner at home!
• You open your bathroom doors at home slowly incase someone forgot to lock it
• Your at a friends party and you start wiping your hands on their curtains
• You call for the car doors to be armed and cross checked before pulling away
• You answer your phone by saying "Hi its ..... at "position"
• When you try and put the foot brake on your shopping cart
• When releasing your seatbelt in the car, you try to 'lift the top portion of the buckle and pull apart" and are confused when you can't find it
• You see rubbish dropped on the floor in your own home and instead of bending down to pick it up, you kick it under the sofa.
• When you've finished your dinner you throw the dirty plate in the cupboard and kick the door shut.

Aukland

Even though hit hard with a tummy bug, just touching down on home turf is sometimes priceless. So i sucked it in, and went on this trip, direct melbourne, aukland, melbourne, back to the dunes; and there goes 6 days. Well, what doesnt kill u, makes u stronger right???

The trip was pretty cruisy; i wasnt up for doing too much, but satisfied i escaped dubai for a bit. Auk is so similar to being in Oz, just without the fashion sense - if i can say that, curled up in my tracky's. ha ha. It really has some beautiful scenery to be seen, best done by hireing a car and working ur way around both north and south island. This is definatly a place for u G.V. & Ret. Only having a day here, i went for a walk around the town, down Queen St the main commercial strip of stores, leading to the waterfrount, full of bars and resturants, something for everyone. From here we strolled to the Viaduct Basin, where the Americas cup is held. After some food and beer, i soon was back at the hotel, as the bug inside me was neither hungary or thirsty!

Melbourne has been getting better and better each time i go. I dont know what is happening here, i was never a fan, but i am running with it. We went out to stupid o'clock to a bar called bimbo, which reminded me so much of minke days. My kinda funked tunes.... Love it!!! Just wish i could buy beats just like it, but each time i go into such music stores, i have no clue of what i am looking at, and it's a challenge not to have another bout of terrets. After 2hrs sleep, I had my fix of retail therapy in the city centre and down Chapel St, so no complants.

My Sanctuary

Here is a few photos of my little sanctuary. Just to help myself settle back in after such a great time @ home, i have made some changes to my room to funk it up a knotch! Still got a little work to do like actually hang that print up on my wall rather than try to balance it on my desk. Also i have a shelf to be mounted, to set up my projector which can finally escape from inside my cupboard! And lastly get some more photos around the place, even though i am stoked with the few photos i had printed and framed the other day from my time back in A-Bom! Love u all and thanks again for the best break ever! xxx

Happy UAE National Day!!!

Happy UAE National Day! - for the 2nd Dec

After heading down the Palm to see Atlantis, we headed to my favourite place in Dubai, the Madinat for dinner and a bottle of wine! As it was the 37th UAE National Day as in 1971 the 7 states Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain all combined to form the United Arab Emirates.

It was a national public holiday, all businesses except hotels/resturants for obvious reasons were closed, decorated cars flooded the streets and big celebrations were held. Thought i would post a couple of photos of some of the locals doing the national dance/song in one of the squares of the madinat.

Atlantis - The Palm

Finally, little Mmsly has made her way onto the Palm, after the grand opening of the new $1.8 Billion US, ATLANTIS, the worlds 3rd 7 Star hotel, with rooms roumoured to be upto 25,000US per night!

Atlantis is a massive complex on the top of the man made palm island. Incorporated into the design is the Middle Easts first open air marine habitat, which may i add is incredible. 46 hectares, 42 million litres of h2o, 65,000 fish and 250 species, yeah not small! Also there is Aquaventure, a massive waterpark with a slide 27.5 meters down a ziggurat through shark-filled waters. There is a dolphin bay, private beaches, a chance to sleep under water, and some gorgeous resturants, and bars, that i can assure u are typically over priced! Consider yourself lucky when u manage to grab a quick caffene fix for 15 Aussie $$$. OUCH!!!

Kolkata - (formally known as Culcutta)

Sometimes in life, it is better to not allow yourself to have emotional attachments to certain things, places or situations. India is one of those places. It is a place suffering with urbanisation, over population, poverty, polloution and traffic congestion. It is more than a reality check. The conditions in which these people live in opens ones eyes, and silences ones voice, leaving a strong reminder of how lucky we are.

My one day in Kolkata, was enough. Good people from around the world will only travel to such places to offer themselves to volunteer work, usually in orphanages. By catching a taxi from the hotel and heading to Mother Theresa's house and back to the hotel, we had seen more than enough and was ready to pack it in.

It was such a confusing feeling that night, when we sat poolside of definatly the best hotel that we stay in, knowing what was happening outside the walls of the hotel.... It is such a different world than we come from. It is sad.

NYC

NYC!!! Woop Woop!

Across Brooklyn Bridge, into downtown Manhattan, Damn i love NYC. Broadway, Times Square, Fifth Avenue, 42nd Street, Madisson Avenue, The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty just to name a few. With my 'I heart NY' tee-shirt in hand, what a BIG place, pumping with atmosphere and exciting chaos. It really is very Sex In The City!

Home Sweet Home

Just thought I would post a couple of pictures of our home sweet home. With a coat of fuchsia pink to funk the place up a notch and a couch full of fluffy soft furnishings so there is no-where to sit and a fully stocked bar... It’s perfect and feels like home! It’s not quite finished, but once it is, it will definatly be our little palace!

Desert Safari

Finally.... I went and did the desert safari! I can now say i have properly been out to play in the sand-pit! Adzy and i were picked up in the afternoon, and about an hours drive, if that out of Dubai, we hit the dunes in our 4wD. We hooned up and down the dunes, getting some good air and some nice drops to go with it! I think there was just one moment that i almost.... he he i say almost, had a scare, but hey even the driver let out a massive scream and they are apparently professional! It was a great way to experience and see firsthand how gorgeous the dunes are! The sand is like dust so soft to run through in beautiful reds and browns.

From here we went for camel rides, had henna tattooing, smoked sheisha, held a falcon, watched a belly dancing show with crowd involvement, had a chance to wear the Abaya and Hijab, and then ate an Arabic buffet. Arabic food is delicious (despite the fact i am sooo sick of looking at it now), but u must be careful as they are not shy on the use of oil.... and the desert.... let’s just say it was interesting, and after a taste we kindly left it for the cleaners!

Birmingham

Once again... Shopping, Shopping, Shopping. I have said it before and ill say it again, the UK is great for shopping. And i especially love the Bullring in Birmingham to get my fix of retail therapy. When we arrived at the hotel, it was a race to get into our rooms to rip of those bloody pantyhose, which were doing my absolute head in! Enough time for a quick shower and straight to the Bullring.

After great spending, and a bowl of Lasagne, to warm me up, as it was freezing, only 15degress, but feels much worse after being stuck in the extreme heat of Dubai, i headed back to the hotel for an early night. I was so tired, i just wanted to cry, this being one thing which i have never managed to grow out of. It was impossible to keep my eyes open without raising my eyebrows. And these days, it is all about prevention, and to prevent these wrinkles appearing on my forehead i went to Zzzzzzzzzz.

I have never had this much sleep on a layover ever. No complaints here, shopping, food and sleep. Just the way God intended! He he. The next morning after the gym, i went for a walk before the flight to a nearby supermarket, to take advantage of real shopping and proper food just like home. The UAE doesn’t have any restrictions regarding bringing food products into the country so it was good to get some cooking essentials to stock up on which aren’t sold in Dubai. Damn i miss supermarkets in OZ!

Favourite Event:

Sweating out that icky feeling from flying at the gym. That is priceless sometimes!

Favourite Purchase:

Many.... But some of u must wait till i come home to hear about these.... he he

Ladies Do Tucker

Nice hot day, in the sand dunes of the UAE, what’s a better idea than to spend another day off, with the girls, over lunch and a bottle of wine??? So off to the Madinat we went...

The Madinat is in Jemeirah, close to the marina, with hotels, restaurants, bars, souk markets, and stunning views of the Burj Al Arab, the worlds only 7 star hotel. With manmade canals with gondolas cruising by, and modern interpretations of traditional Arabian Architecture, and palm trees around, this place is a definite must see and experience when in Dubai.

Well my housemate Emma, Michelle and Steph, my newest of friends whom conveniently live in the same building as me, headed to the Madinat in the afternoon for a late lunch! We sat outside to enjoy the summer heat. Damn it was hot, but not as unbearable as it had been. The wine was great, despite the fact u would have to drop an ice cube in it every couple of minutes to make it drinkable, but the food was better. Always trust the good ole’ “Meat Co.”

We stayed til the sun set and the lights came out, and this is when u really appreciate this city’s beauty. From here we went to a bar called Barasti, at the marina, to chill out for a little longer. Barasti has an indoor bar and area pumping out the beats, and another level on the open roof which looks out over the beach. Outside, there is another bar with plenty of seating, and a few steps down, is a grassy area with cushions and blankets, and a few more steps down is the beach, with loads of lazy boy’s to simply lay back and enjoy. I love Barasti, although this night was absolute chaos. Ramadan had just finished and all the kids were out to play.

Melbourne

Never in my life have i been a fan of Melbourne, it is grey, cold and rather depressing. But this trip has given me a new frame of mind, as i enjoyed it more than ever before! Truthfully i was hanging to touch down in Oz after the last few weeks, so any destination was satisfying. Got to the hotel room, had 4hrs sleep, brilliant in the life of a flight attendant whilst away. Woke up and headed straight to Bridge Road for a wonder and a delicious organic breaky and organic coffee! Yummo!

I was really struggling with the cold early in the morning, esp after all the heat in Dubai, but it did make me realize i am not ready to come back home as i cant deal with freezing anymore! I think i am going to have to be a free spirit whom follows the sun! But then by afternoon, i couldn’t believe it, the temperature really changed. Blue sky’s and warmth??? Pinching myself and asking, ‘am i in Melbourne?’

After that we headed into the city for a day of shopping and walking around, saw a few sights. It was so exciting to see stores i knew 'too well' once again! You would all be proud that my outfit that day inspired the crew. I had on the Ugg’s, strutting around Melbourne, so we went on a hunt so they all could buy them! he he. I did my job for our image that day!

But can i just say...... How dope is some of the graffiti in Melbourne!!! Whoop Whoop!!! I don’t care what they say, there is always a time and a place for street art!

Favourite Event:

Definitely just touching down back in Oz. Easy pleased here. But downing a chunky steak and mushroom pie in record time, as if it was my last meal or that the world depended on it, was pretty damn good!

Favourite Purchase:

Hmmm, tough one.... I ordered a gorgeous print of the ocean to be sent back to my home in Dubai for my bedroom! White sand and bright blue water, turn my bedroom in this crazy city into my little sanctuary. Then again, i also bought 5 badges that are terribly funky and very, very 80’s! Now that is real Porn!!!

Singapore

Every 7 months it is a requirement that we complete 35 days on Reserve/Standby, where we are given any shifts several days prior, or worse with a minimum of 45mins notice. And yes my first night of reserve was driving me clinically insane, just waiting for that dreaded phone call..... And to my surprise!!! Woo Hoo, it got a decent trip! Singapore to Melbourne back to Singapore and home to Dubai. Gotta love these long trips on Reserve, more out and about, and less waiting around! Plus just touching home soil once in a while is priceless.

Singapore is the cleanest city in the world, you could quite happily lie in the gutter eating ur dinner straight of the pavement, without catching anything! Depends if that is ur thing or not i spoze???

It was bliss being surrounded by such luscious greens everywhere that u looked. The crew and i went to the most hilarious bar in Clarke Quay called ‘The Clinic.’ The bar was inside with massive surgical lights hanging over it, and all the seating was outside. Not just any seating mind u, the chairs were actually wheel chairs, we drank cocktails from an I.V. drip on the stand and shots came in massive syringes! It was all class!!! So with all this fun, u can imagine the rest of the story, so lets just leave that there.... Later on in the night we ended up at a Salsa Bar..... Fun Times!!!

One morning we headed out to Sentosa Island, just off Singapore by Cable Car. Looking over the harbour and Singapore from a bird’s eye view was amazing! When we got to the Island we were taken on a tour which involved 3D and 4D Cineblast movies, An Aquarium, a Skyride and Luge carts (which could have been much faster, but admittedly i am a chick, and we are never satisfied! he he) and a show at Dolphin Lagoon, where the beautiful stars were pink dolphins.

Favourite Event:

Playing with two beautiful snakes on Sentosa Island! After taking many photos with them, yes later in the afternoon i had to go back to play with them again. They were gorgeous.

Favourite Purchase:

Pair of hideous children’s glasses where the lends is clear plastic and the sunglasses part flips down at the sides when needed, and they are in the shape of fish in bright purple, hot pink and fluoro green! Very Porn!!!