Jump and Slide

Hello my lovelies,

Just a quick update. I’m sorry I’ve been so quiet but I’ve been busy doing emergency evacuations, administering CPR to casualties, retaining disruptive passengers and doing all this well perfectly groomed. Needless to say I have a new found respect for all cabin crew!

It has been 5 and a half weeks since I’ve first arrived and 4 weeks since I first started training.  The past 28 days have consisted of studying, practicals, reviews, exams, more studying, consumption of endless bars of chocolate and the general stress of “not having studied in over 6 years”. Hey I’m an architect, I like pretty pictures not pages and pages of words, (except if I’m engrossed in a book by one of my favourite authors). It has been difficult trying to get back into the whole student mentality. My flatmates think I’m weird as I have stuck notes all over my wall because as I tried to explain to them, I’m an artist, I need to see things (back to that architecture thing again).  My trainers found it fascinating that I drew plans of the aircrafts all over my exam paper to help jog my memory. But you got to do, what you’ve got to do to get the job done.

A picture of my room before my first exam. notice the reflection in the mirror

Now, before I proceed, I need you to keep an open mind as what I’m about to say may come as a surprise to many of you…but… Flight attendants aren’t just pretty faces, they are actually trained in saving lives! It’s true! Many of you have been wondering why on earth am I still at training college, why am I not up in the air yet? But for 6 weeks we have had extensive training on what to do in an emergency landing situation, emergency medical situation and various security situations.  For example, for an emergency landing, we are taught all the standard of procedures to follow to get everyone out of the aircraft as quickly as possible. Studies show that to have a chance of survival, it should take no more then 90seconds to evacuate an entire aircraft! Think about the last time you were on a plane. Do you think that you would’ve been able to evacuate in less the 90seconds? Think of all the people in front of you, the configuration of the aircraft (those aisle aren’t wide!), the old, the young, the injured, the mums with babies…. The list is endless. All these people have to get out within 90seconds. Seems impossible yet? Well the good news is, your cabin crew are trained to assist in getting you out pronto and that is why they’re at training for 6weeks. The great thing is that all these scenarios are taught using lifelike simulators.  The simulators feel so real that even the oxygen drop out masks deploy during a decompression simulation. For many the simulators may be intimidating, but I’ve enjoyed it so much! This is definitely something that not many people will get to do in their lifetime.

courtsey of cartoonstock

As I mentioned earlier, we did all this while being perfectly groomed. Sometimes it feels like you’re running the two oceans marathon in a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo peep toes! Can you imagine doing child birth with perfectly manicured nails, hair reinforced with extra hold hairspray and a suit fresh from the dry cleaners? Very glamourous rescuers we cabin crew are!

So my darlings, I will start flying in the first week of May after I complete my service training (you know the part most of you associate flight attendants with). My roster will be out this week, so I’m feeling a mixture of both nerves and excitement! I’m hoping my two supy flights (non-operational flights whereby I get to observe the flight and help out as much as possible) will be good ones.

The video above is quite funny. It's 

"How To Ask Out a Flight Attendant"

I hope you’re all having a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoying your long weekends. I know in SA some of you were lucky enough to get ten days off! Hope you make the most of it and keep warm as winter creeps in.

“A passport, as I'm sure you know, is a document that one shows to government officials whenever one reaches a border between countries, so the officials can learn who you are, where you were born, and how you look when photographed unflatteringly.”  ~Lemony Snicket

love me

xxx