"Flight Attendant Saves the Day"

I'm really surprised never to see that on the cover of papers these days, if ever.

I'm at a watershed now, 2 weeks down, 2 weeks to go. And I must say Cabin Crew training is extremely intense, and although tiring, I'm learning so much every day that I absolutely don't mind having to get up at 6:20 every morning.

What I have learned in the last 2 weeks:
-how to resuscitate a casualty
-how to give an electric shock to a casualty whose heart stopped beating
-how to handle a hijack situation
-how to search a smoke-filled aircraft cabin

... and countless more things, some of which the average person out there wouldn't even imagine flight attendants would know. It just comes to show that us, the flight attendants are a lot more than we seem, and as you may know, are people who would in fact be able to save your life one day, depending on the situation.

So I really must say that I'm happy that I came here, actually more than happy, ecstatic maybe.

There's 20 of us on the course, all different people from different backgrounds. Some have flown with 5 different airlines previously, and then some have never had a flying job before (including yours truly). We have still managed to create a really good bond between us, and all get on extremely well, whether 21 or 42, doesn't matter, as we're all doing something we love, and it shows.

In 2 week's time I'll be packing for my first trip as Cabin Crew for BMed, and yes, I do already know what my first flight is going to be. I will be one of the crew on-board flight BA 6509 to Damascus, Syria (via Beirut) on Monday, Nov.15th!
Unfortunately this is quite a short trip, meaning we only spend something like 25 hours in Damascus itself, and then come back on Nov. 17th on flight BA 6554 to London Heathrow (via Aleppo).
But I'm still really happy about it.
My second trip will then be a 4-day to Amman, Jordan. My last trip for November will then be a 4-day to Tehran, Iran, which I must say I'm looking immensely forward to!

Anyhow, apart from my hostie-training, nothing much is happening in rural England (which is what I've come to call the place I live in. Langley, Berkshire!).

As I don't have a proper internet connection in the house yet, I won't be able to upload the grand total of ONE picture I've taken in my 3 weeks here... but I promise to fix that as soon as possible.

Have lots of smiles in the sky!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to London

This is it.
Arrived ar Heathrow Airport yesterday and headed into town to meet Joona and buy myself a duvet so I'd have something to sleep with last night.

In the afternoon I headed back to the airport to get my bags which I had left there over the day and to wait for one of my new housemates, Alex, who was kind enough to come and pick me up from the airport.

The house which I live in now is actually not that bad, fairly new adn the surrounding houses are all quite similar. As it's quite close to the airport, the surrounding area of course isn't super nice or anything, but I'm sure it will ba allright, at least for 6 months (the length of my tenancy contract!).

Been using today to try to sort out some things like banking and telephone things. The hitch is though that I can't change my bak account address 'till I get a document confirming where I live, and in order to get a telephone contract, I need a bank account! So haven't been able to do much today to be honest, except maybe to explore a bit of central Slough (the nearest 'big' town to Langley, which is where I live). Jesus Christus, very English it is... High Street and all, a bit depressing actually. Oh well, don't need to come here often anyway, if ever.

Can't wait to start training, which starts on Monday 18th.
Getting very excited already.
3 of my housemates (the girls) are hosties for British Airways and had their first flight yesterday. They came in last night quite excited and said it was generally a pretty fantastic job.
My other housemate, Alex, started his hostie training at BA yesterday.

Oh, and surprise surprise:
It's raining today!

"Bloody Hell!"

This week's/month's/year's phrase. It can be used under all sorts of circumstances. For example:
-when the flaming builders start drilling on the roof at 7:30 in the morning, every single morning. Bloody Hell.
-when you're literally swept into a wall by the wind walking to work at 9:45 in the morning. Bloody Hell.
-when you arrive at work at 9:57 to realise the flaming wind has ruined your hair do, which you were sure was the best yet (this week at least) a mere 25 minutes earlier. Bloody Hell.
-when walking home after work at 18:10, it's just started raining and you put your umbrella up but, alas, no use as in Iceland it doesn't rain on you, it rains at you. Bloody Hell

In other news is this:

11 days and counting. The number of days 'till I hop on an Icelandair Boeing 757 (yep, the airplane nerd creeps up again) bound for Heathrow to start a totally new chapter in this thing called my life.
Mind you, ever so exciting, but that feeling of excitement is totally mashed together with all sorts of other feelings which my brain is too tired to seek out from my extensive vocabulary of such names.

I've secured myself a place to stay in the UK at least.
I'll be renting a room in a 5-bedroom house in Langley/Slough in Berkshire (a 15min busride to Heathrow Terminals 1/2/3), sharing with 4 other training British Airways hosties, three gals and one guy.

Friday evening I'm hosting a sort of 'farewell'-do for my co-workers with the theme "Countries". That entails picking any country and dressing oneself up according to that, with a dash of imagination tucked in hopefully. I know some people are deciding to put a bit of effort into it, as am I. It should be interesting to say the very least.
In an unprecedented move I have decided to have absolute minimal catering this time, apart from some nibbly bruchettas and Absolut Mandrin cocktails.
Although totally not my style, in case people do get hungry, there's always the old bag of microwave-popcorn in the cupboard.

Ain't I just gona make a fantastic hostie?