An American in Dubai, working for Emirates, is like a Maui in Iceland, you don’t find them at every corner. This is the reason why we were forced to interview the only guy in town that gives FREE yoga lessons at 35,000 feet above sea level. This guy is hyper, he fuels up on Vitamins before each flight, no lie, and makes sure you have a blast onboard. Here is his interview. Check out his amazing pictures by clicking the link below… Puhhhhhhh-leaaaase weeeeeeeelcome JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ-rad !
http://picasaweb.google.com/Ifly2Dubai
Airboy : Good morning Jarad (pronounced J-rad), Let me introduce you to our readers, you’re a very new-ish recruit here in Dubai, you actually joined like 1/2 weeks before me. We met on a flight to Singapore I think it was and stayed somewhat in contact since then. You’re were born in the US and to a Flight Attendant mother. You are known for bursting out moves in the AFT galley when no one is around but many of us here in Dubai know your obsession… Anything else you want to add to your introduction ?
J-rad :Well correction Airboy, I bust out moves even when people are watching… I even invite passenger into the rear galley for yoga stretches. But that’s only on the Boeing 777 galley because you would kill yourself on an airbus trying to do the Downward Facing Dog. Other than that I think you hit the nail on the head. Wait one more thing… “American Boy” has officially become my Dubai theme song replacing my previous anthem “Pretty Fly for a White Guy.” Crew insist on singing it whenever they’re in my presence.
A : Nice, ok so… you are a regular at this watering hole called Zulu India November Charlie or ZINC for the masses. What attracts you to this place, are you knocking up an anthropology thesis on how Cabin Crew behave in the late hours ?J-rad : Ah it’s a splendid mix of people ranging from hookers to cabin crew (and some cabin crew who I think might be hookers) all packed into a rather small room blending together into a .. Ok I’ll cut the crap it’s mainly the 50% discount on booze and the cheesy 80’s beats the DJ spins out on Monday night that bring me to our beloved second home. Another big draw is the people. The theme song from cheers sums it all up: Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see,our troubles are all the same.You wanna be where everybody knows Your name. You wanna go where people know, people are all the same, You wanna go where everybody knows your name… Not only do they know my name they all point at me when American Boy comes on.
A : So you were born in America, not many crew here belong to this fraternity. Describe briefly what it feels like to be an American in Dub-Dub and how it affects your work. How many other American crew did you meet, knowing there isn’t that much…
J-rad : We are an endangered species here at Emirates. Fraternity we are not. That word means there’s organizing. We’re not at all organized like the Brazilian and the Maltese mafias. I’ve attempted to gather us together thru a Myspace group but there’s only three members, one of which is not even crew. Being in American is Dubai is nice because Dubai in many ways is trying to be like a major US city. Well a US city on steroids. So I find many things in common with my old home and it’s very comfortable for me. It affects my work in the way that everyone seems to be obsessed with America so when I introduce myself to my crew at the start of the flight I can guarantee by the end of the trip I will be asked 17 times: “What part of the states are you from?” and I will also know every state the members of the crew have visited as they all love to tell me. I’ve only met about 6 other Americans in Emirates
A : I also heard you write a seasonal email to a large crowd back home… Any interesting stuff for us ? What about launching a photoblog because I know you love your camera as much as I love my Macbook…!
J-rad : The reason I choose e-mail is because I think I would get pulled into my manger’s office if my mailings were made public on a blog. In my e-mail I try to relay in words the crazy experiences we have as crew in the Middle East to my fellow Americans back home. They’re amazed by the things that go down on the ground and in the skies in this part of the world. So I put a lot of Dubai life stories in there. I do love my Canon and taking photos. It’s one of the main reasons I do this job. I want to be a travel photojournalist some day. I used to be a newspaper reporter and would enjoy getting back to that if ever my stint as a galley rat ends. But yes there could be a photo blog coming soon. I’m inspired by your site Airboy. I preview of my work is found here : http://picasaweb.google.com/Ifly2Dubai
A : I’m a crane-aholic, that is why I moved out here. Are you ?
J-rad : Yep they taste like chicken! And the airline business here is thriving…
A : What is your favorite aircraft to work on and why ?
J-rad : THE BOIENG 777. What did you think I was going to say I’m American? I’m going to piss you off right here Airboy, but the French are good at making wines not airplanes. I can’t stand large Airbus models and fear for my life when I’m on them. I love the 777 because it doesn’t sound like it’s going to fall apart when it’s taking off and landing like an Airbus. We Americans love big vehicles. So the bigger is better theory adds to my fascination of this plane. I think it’s a well designed aircraft for crew. I like the ride, the space, the crew rest area, the galley space. It’s a long list and as I mentioned earlier it has ample room in the back galley for several people to hold a yoga session. I also like the fact that like me it’s made in the USA. We make planes better than we make cars that’s for sure. I’m glad I work for Emirates as we will soon become the largest operator of 777 in the world. What can I say, they have good taste.
A : Your favourite container ?J-rad : Ahh good questions. It’s a toss up between dry stores and amenities. Well since we can use any of the stuff in the amenities container outside of the aircraft I will go with dry stores. Love the fruit biscuits in there.
A : You are tall. Well taller than me, how do you maintain a good relationship with those overhead bins ?
J-rad : Well yes I am tall. 6 feet 3 inches if you care to know. My relationship is not a good one with the bins because we meet way to often. Just about every flight my head and the hatrack will make beautiful music together. But being a tall cabin crew is not always a good thing. Sure we can close the bins and reach every container in the galley but having such a long frame means you have lots of back trouble from all the lifting. I’ve already done a month of physical therapy. So if I’m your cabin crew don’t even think of asking me to put your bag in the bin. It’s a no go!
A : Ok, you’re in the crew bus on your way to CBC, you have a flight for Mumbai, what will your iPod play ??J-rad : Ok let me get my iPod… lets see here. Ok “You drive me Crazy” made famous by Miss Spears. I actually have a nice collection of Punjabi and Hindi beats on my iPod and I do listen to them before a flight to India. The chaotic melodies get me in the mood for the madness that awaits on board. To tell you the truth I have songs for each destination. Example “One Night in Bangkok” for my favorite city in Asia and Boney M’s “Rasputin” would be the song of choice for Moscow. My iPod plays a big part in my job. I must listen to at least one good pop song before a flight to get me all bubbly and hyped to deal with the public.
A : and for a flight to New York ?J-rad : Same as Mumbai. New York should be named New India. But my song for New York is Madonna’s “I Love New York.” Or something from Old Blue Eyes. Sinatra’s music gets me in the New York spirit.
A : Tell us about the worst flight you have ever operated, be kind, loose the names for confidential reasons… !
J-rad : I don’t operate bad flights. I think every flight is amazing and if it’s “challenging” (I don’t use the words bad flight any more. I refer to them as challenging flights) then at least I will have something to write about in my e-mail blog. But I know you want something juicy here so I will say on a recent flight I really didn’t like a certain crew member I was working with. I like hygiene and cleanliness. I threw a coffee away and made a fresh cup.
A : If you had the liberty of choosing your door for a flight, which one would it be and why ?J-rad : I choose R5A. That’s the mid galley position on the 777 which I fly 70 percent of the time. I like it for two reasons. I’m a galley rat and love being in control of the mid galley. The second reason is the location of the jump seat is in the tail and the rear of the aircraft has been proven to be the safest location to be sitting in case of a crash, if there is such a thing. Over wing is a BBQ central. All the fuel is located there and if my plane goes down I want a fighting chance. But I picked Emirates to work for because of their interest in safety and their safety record so I hope to never have to put my theory to the test.
A : Haven’t you had enough of going to Singapore ?J-rad : Well my wallet has. It loves to open up in Singapore. But yes, as this point in my career I don’t enjoy going on repeat visits to places other than Malta, Manila and Bangkok and a few other choice destinations. They do love sending me to Southeast Asia. I’ve only flown to two European destination in the past six months.
A : Back in Dubai now… What could you add to the city’s already thriving environment to make your life here much more enjoyable ? (for example, I could definately do with a DVD rental at the bottom of the building instead of a Avis Rental Car boutique)…J-rad : TACO BELL and more Mexican restaurants. I’m killing for Taco Bell. This is the longest in my life I’ve had to go without it. For yall that don’t know what it is. It’s a Mexican food (although Mexicans would cringe at the thought of me calling it that) fast food restaurant in the US. I’ve heard they have one in Manila and have attempted many times to find it, as I get sent to Manila instead of New York all the time. There are many American restaurant brands in Dubai. The most I’ve ever seen outside of the US. But no Taco Bell. I would keep them in business if they were here.
A : Ok, what do you think of our wonderful taxi drivers ? A one word sentence can do the trick…J-rad : Rude, no sense of direction, speak no English, can be agressive, bad music taste, selective with who they pick up and where they will take you, hate their lives, hate our lives, and surprisingly clean cars. I read recently that Dubai was sending them back to school. But to learn about the History of the area. That’s the last thing they need to be taught. Let’s start with location of major buildings. I think that would be a more applicable lesson.
A : Lets imagine for a second you could pick celebrities to man the different doors on a B777-300 who would they be and explain why !
J-rad : What kind of question is that? Ellen Degeneres would be my perfect match. I would pick her to sit across at the opposite door because your door buddy should be someone who matches your personality. We both would be checking out our cabin for the hot chicks, we would always be Interviewing the three people in front of us, and I think we would have some amazing dance competitions in the back galley. As for the other doors I would choose Pam Ann as my Purser. If you don’t know who she is and you’re reading this blog you are missing out. Go youtube her. I would put models in the first class cabin because that cabin needs a facelift. All the hot crew are in economy. Other than that I will stick with my regular everyday Emirates cabin crew. We’re an entertaining lot.
A : Wagamama or Mcdonalds on a monday night ?
J-rad : Wagamama come on. 50% off and it’s good for you. I’ve never eaten a meal at McDonalds in Dubai. That would be way too American of me.
A : Pepsi or Coca-Cola ?J-rad : Neither I only drink Water and booze.
A : We have potentially dangerous jobs up there at 35,000 feet, but on ground, have you ever feared for your life in Dubai ?
J-rad : Yes, in a taxi cab and when I’m in my friends apartment on the 49 floor of her high rise. American’s have issues with tall buildings and Middle Easterners. I live on the 5th floor of my highrise. But Dubai is a very safe place and that’s why I love living here. So the fear of death came much more often in the states.
A : Ok so I think we’ll wrap it up here, one last question. How did you find out about Airboy and his blog ?
J-rad : Um I flew with you when you were just a baby flight attendant and I was a pre-teen steward.
A : Thanks ever so much for staying up till the wee hours of the day to answer my questions, much appreciated. Speak to you soon and keep blogging !J-rad : No problem I should have been getting much needed rest but this was way more fun. Thank you for giving me the chance to meet your readers and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much I had staying awake until 7 am to finish it. It’s nice to be on this side of the interview for a change and from a professional’s point of view, great interview Airboy.
READ THE PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE !
Great interview! Hilarious.
Though that comment about models in first class is a tad wrong…
great interview benjamin!!
wainting for more
there’s more cooking, stay tuned !
It’s J-rad!! And I kinew it was no phony…he writes the same as he talks! I miss you buddy…I’ll see if I can figure a way to airmail you some Taco Bell!
Oh my gosh you crack me up!!!
I must say this is your best interview to date. What a guy. He sounds like a crazy crew member…
jrad thats my boy…….GREAT interview and great answers he has an amazing eye and an amazing sense of humor….yalla come back home soon Ya Jrad
xoxoxox
seta
very entertaining, i am from costa rica and also love Taco Bell, dont understand why there isnt one here or anywhere in Europe…
nice interview there. I can gladly add my names of the brave few americans working for emirates.
J-Rad! I miss you – please fly to NYC soon
J-rad…you look so much like your dad in that picture! LOL on the cleanliness/hygiene comment…inside joke.
Miss you.
OMGoodness you look so much like your dad in that picture! We miss you!
To jarad, ill gladly take to taco bell if ever you have a Manila flight!
To Jihan : I will take you up on that offer
to j-rad, we have 4 Taco Bells in Manila. one in the South, in SM South Mall. two in Gateway Mall up North and one along E. Rodriguez Avenue. fantastic food and I think Taco Bell is cheaper here!
God bless you Marian!!!! One more reason why Manila is the best City in South East Asia!!! So if we stay at the Crown Plaza what would be the one for me!
[...] THE PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE [...]