A Cartwheel or Two

Hello My Lovelies,


It feels like forever since I've last posted. I do apologise. However, I have been a very busy Trolley Dolly. You can find out more about what I've been up too right here. I hope you enjoy :)

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

Delectable Dubai

Hello my lovelies.

So it’s official, I am in Dubai! Looking back on my interview in December, I never thought I’d get here! I still remember texting my family and close friends throughout out the day, saying, “I’m through to the next round. 2 more to go!” or “I made it to the final interview for tomorrow whoop whoop!” And here I am, I made it all the way to Dubai. Woohoooooo!

So Dubai is AMAZING. The architecture, the people, the FASHION, the food…. It’s FANTASTIC. There is a little something for everyone. From the second I leave my apartment and get into the lift, I’m bound to meet someone from another part of the world! It is like nothing I have ever experienced before. I’m loving this cosmopolitan lifestyle. Yet, at the same time, it’s a lot like Cape Town in the sense that everything is so laid back.

Most of the Muslim women here where Hijabs. Picture courtsey of  hijabtrendz

Last night, a friend and myself walked to an Asian restaurant nearby for dinner at about 7pm. Thereafter at 9pm we walked back to my apartment but stopped at a traditional shisha (aka hubbly bubbly or hooka pyp) restaurant. It was a warm evening with a slight breeze so we sat outside and discussed our different countries. At around 10pm we decided yet again to walk back home. As we got closer to my building, we decided that it’s such a beautiful evening, that therefore we should go exploring. So we took the metro to Dubai Mall and strolled from the station to the mall while taking pictures of the Burj al Khalifa and the light show. It was beautiful! Shops here close at midnight so the city seems to always be awake. It really is special.

I officially start training on Sunday. Thus far, I’ve been busy with induction week. We’ve gone on a tour of Dubai, had introductions to all the courses we’ll be covering over the next six weeks and did loads of team building. It’s like being back at school again, just with a very multi cultural class! AMAZING!!!(I’m starting to sound like a stuck record)! This is a very rare opportunity to meet so many different nationalities. We have about 30 different nationalities in our group of 62 people! I’ve met people from Colombia, Moldavia, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, the list really is endless. Most of them, like me, left professions  like law, medicine, marketing, to pursue life in the sky.

The Burj Al Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Picture courtsey of  wordpress

A sneak Peak for Future blogs…

I would like to make this blog a bit more fun and when I was in SA, I mentioned to my very good friend, that I’d like to buy this book called, “1000 ultimate travel experiences, Make the Most of your Time on Earth.” I told her that I’d like to tick off each “experience” as I visit each new country. I never got the book in the end, but my friend, she listened, she observed and she bought me the book as a farewell gift. So my lovelies, in the future you can look forward to some adventure updates as I work my way through the world with my travel book at hand.

Many adventures to look forward to! Picture courtesy of amazon 

So my lovelies, before I sign off, I’d like to leave you with this quote:

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”  ~St. Augustine

Hopefully I’ll get to read lots more of this book during the next couple of years. Have a beautiful day my darlings.

much love

Nix

xx

The Rumours are true…I’m becoming a Cabin Crew!

Hello Boys and Girls

So many of you are learning about my new career change through my farewell invite! A 1000 apologisies that you’re finding out this way. For some it will come as no surprise as most of you know I was looking to explore other careers outside of architecture. But most of you are thinking… HUH?

I'm leaving this.....

... to become this

In a nutshell….

I was itching to get out of architecture for a while. Maybe give it a break for 1 or 2 years. I’d like to travel, see the world, meet new people, buy new shoes, dance on a beach till the sun comes out, visit beautiful ancient monuments and buildings ….you know, the usual stuff.

Architecture is a rewarding job, I mean there are not many industries where you can design and erect a structure and it stays around for a couple of decades! However, I was not one of the fortunate few who got to take a gap year. I did some traveling during university, but as soon as work (a.k.a real life) started, it became increasingly difficult to take those trips overseas.  As a grownup you suddenly have things like: tax, leave applications, deadlines, medical aid, insurance, etc to worry about.

In order to travel, live abroad and get out of architecture, which would basically mean taking that gap year I always dreamed about, I chose to explore a childhood dream of becoming a trolley dolly , better known as Cabin Crew. So at the end of October 2010 I spoke to my parents about my desires, dreams and bucket list and they both agreed with me, that cabin crew would be a great way to travel the world and earn money while doing it! I applied online and got a letter two weeks later inviting me to the group interviews in early December. I found out in January I was successful, got word in February that my visa was approved and now I’m getting ready to jet out of here. Out of 88 girls and 4 boys, so far only 2 of us were successful.

I leave for Dubai on the 14^th March and before you can ask me ,“When will you return”, the answer simply is “I don’t know”.  I’d like to not put a time limit on my new journey and I’d also not like to restrict myself to coming back. Whether I come back after a year or come back after 50 years, Cape Town, my beautiful muse, will forever be my home.  So I hope this gives you an idea of why I’m “suddenly” relocating. I do apologise for keeping it on the DL (that’s Down Low for all you old folk) but the job interview/application process takes months.

For those of you who are interested in following this blog, I will try and post at least once a month. I created this blog so that my family and close friends, could keep up to date with my life abroad. You do not have to be a blogspot member to follow me. Gmail users may simply click on "follow".

Thanks to everyone for all your support, prayers and encouragement during the application process. You are all my special engels.  Love you all to the bone!

Love,

Nix xxx

p.s. follow me on twitter 
p.s.s I would also appreciate it, if little to no mention of my airline were made on this blog