The Pink Poodle his her nickname. She was the first blogger we got to read in search of the whole Emirates hooha and still makes it to our Top 10 RSS feed chart. That is when she actually posts an entry. But man, when Lauren (her real name), takes it to the keyboard, you’re 100% sure it’ll be just as entertaining as watching The Dark Knight with Gold Class tickets and no kids in the theater. We managed to squeeze a few questions in her uber-busy schedule and we thank her for her time. Enjoy the rest and do please check out her blog :
http://pinkpoodleprincess.blogspot.com/
Airboy : Hi dee Hooo Lauren, Let me introduce you to our readers, you’re a a crew here in Dubai, working First Class on the main fleet (B777/A340/A330) and you are most well known for updating a cracking blog named Pink Poodle On The Runway about your life in the Sandpit. Anything you’d like to add to your intro ?
Lauren : Airboy, you’ve kind of covered it all! I’ll be turning 26 next month and as this is my first experience of life outside the parental next, I frequently find myself slightly disillusioned and oddly bemused by life in our fast-paced plastic neighbourhood.A : Nice, ok so… did you know that I picked up on “Sandpit” whilst reading your blog ?
L : A few people comment on that – no one really realises just how unfinished Dubai is. Everywhere I go I’m tripping over a pile of sand. Or walking around a corner and into the face of a sand storm that embeds itself in my lip gloss! I also meant it in the affectionate sense of a great big place to explore and play in – kind of like when we were kids there were so many treasures to discover in the sandpit.
A : You live in what was once the tallest residencial building in the world. How does that affect your everyday life ? How long do you spend in elevator every day ? What is your view like ?L : I live on the 21st floor, so the average elevator ride takes maybe a minute or two to my floor. Not being a big fan of littered and smelly lifts, I can only spend a maximum of 5 minutes a day doing happy laps up and down the building. My view is quite nice – I look out at the Burj Dubai Tower, the Al Marooj complex and straight down at the chaos that is our beloved 12 lane highway.
A : Ahah. You’re the second Aussie we’re interviewing, a few days ago it was Melissa, why is there so many Australian crew working for Emirates ?
L : Well I can tell you it’s certainly NOT the pay! I guess because Australia is so far from the rest of the world that lots of Aussies see Emirates as a great chance for a working holiday. Dubai has become such a central point between the UK and Europe, allowing us to easily and cheaply visit many countries that we’d not have the chance to or be able to afford to all the way from Australia.
A : How long have you beem working for Emirates, and how is it so far ?L : I’ve been working for Emirates for nearly 3 years now. My contract is up for renewal at the end of November, so it’s an exciting time. I only ever really thought I’d stay for a year, but time flies when you’re having fun!
A : I must say I’m hooked to your blog, so are many other readers I suppose. But it seems you’re very busy these days because you update it very sporadically !!L : Yeah, things have been pretty busy lately. I no longer have the leisure of oodles of days off (like some economy crew I know!) and I find I”m flying a lot more than I used to. I figure that readers don’t really want a daily update of how I spend my summer days sitting on the couch watching telly! I tend to go to the same destinations these days, so find that the chance for a really great blog story doesn’t come along every day.
A : What is your favourite aircraft to work on and why ?
L : Definitely Boeing. Boeing anything, just not Airbus. I think Airbus = Scarebus. They’re all creaky and old and rattling with super crappy air-con systems and are just damn scary! The purser on my last flight told me that in Emirates’ history, our Boeing aircraft have only lost 7 engines but the A340-500s alone have lost something like 21. Now, I don’t know how accurate that is, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
A : Your favourite container in the AFT galley ?
L : I don’t got into the AFT galley if I can’t help it but I’ll say anything that has food in it!
A : I have a tendency in looking for the one and only can of Coca-Cola (not Pepsi) onboard everytime I get to the galley, is that just me or do you have any kind of weird gimmicks you want to share ?
L : Yes! I’m always on the hunt for the lone can of Coke but I’m quick to get my hands on the cherry tomatos, corned beef slices and that funny little coffee flavoured sugary cake slice in the crew food trays! I’m also hopelessly addicted to that lemon-mint juice that is loaded in first class on turnarounds. Here’s a tip for all other addictees: YOU CAN BUY IT AT SPINNEYS!!!
A : Ok, you’re in the crew bus on your way to CBC, you have a flight for Trivandrum in India, what will your iPod play ??L : I think some Scissor Sisters would pep me up a little.
A : and for a flight bound for Down Under ?
L : Ooh, some Powderfinger to get me in the Aussie mood!
Powderfinger sounds something like this:
Powderfinger – Don’t Wanna Be Left Out
A : Tell us about the worst flight you have ever operated, be kind, loose the names !L : Oh, it was a doozy. Bombay, the 5th flight on my very first roster. January 2006. Take-off at about 11pm. It was a three class flight but it was one of our B777 ER’s so the cabin felt never-ending! All three cabins were full of workers who were on their two-yearly trip home. They [beep] to high heaven and were just so [beep] I thought I’d [beep]. I know how much they look forward to their holidays and how little they earn and NOW I know about the pitiful living situations they have here in Dubai and how difficult their lives are but from the disastrous boarding experience, to the grabbing hands, to the eye-watering stench and to the distressed look on the face of a male Aussie mate who was also crew with me that night will be something I’ll never forget. I felt so [beep] after that flight I came home in the early hours the next day, had a scorching hot shower and scrubbed my skin almost raw. It was gross. I don’t do those flights anymore if I can help it! The experience spurred me on to become the queen of swaps!!
A : If you had the liberty of choosing your door for a flight, which one would it be and why ?L : L1. It means I get to do the galley, avoid duty free and avoid the cabin on really busy crowded flights. That said, I only really ever have a maximum of 18 passengers anymore, so I really can’t complain! Back in my economy days I used to take either L3 or R3 because the cabin was smaller for boarding and it meant during the service I’d take the bar cart. R5 was good too because pasengers couldn’t see you if you fell asleep on your jumpseat!
A : I bet you had a crush on a Crew before, give us names or a detailed description !
L : I won’t give you his name, there has to be some mystery! It also has a great deal to do with plane brain….I can’t remember it! I once did a Melbourne/Auckland trip with a deliciously handsome Italian FO. He was tall, with chocolate brown eyes and light brown hair. He was convinced I was Spanish because of my colouring so I let him roll with that. It was a really fun trip, with the crew doing lots of dinners and drinking and late night trips to dirty kebab shops. I was working in Business Class at the time and remember doing a midnight dash in my smurf pjs with one of the crew all the way from the bunks up into the cockpit because we couldn’t sleep. I’ve seen this spunky FO a few times around since but never flew with him again. Shame we can’t look up their rosters and swap onto their flights…..as stalkerish as that sounds!
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 french bakery at the bottom of the building instead of a Avis Rental Car boutique)…L : I have a few suggestions and they should all be at the bottom of my building: A Lime Tree Cafe that doesn’t allow Jumeirah Janes and their prams; a private teleporting elevator that can deliver me to anywhere in Dubai at the mere suggestion of thought. And yes, a decent bakery that uses preservatives in their bread so it doesn’t go mouldy in two days!
A : I followed live you’re first driving experience through your blog and the time you got pulled over by Police, has your roadrage evolved since then ?
L : I was SO mad that day! I really wanted to unleash the wrath but thought it wouldn’t be a good idea. My road rage has evolved to complete intollerance for all the wankers that drive in Dubai. I find it insulting that some of our pilots who can fly 300-tonne aircraft have to take 40 lessons before they’re allowed to get a license but people from certain sub-continents that have no road rules can pretty much get a license with a bag of rice. They’re dangerous, have no concept of driving etiquette or the consequences of their frantic, hazard-light lane-weaving antics. That said, I don’t drive in peak hour traffic anymore.
A : Your favourite shop/retail on Sheikh Zayed Rd, apart from spinneys ?
L : Costa do a pretty good iced chocolate drink and our little Towers Grocery store have everything except our beloved Nando’s Perinaise sauce.
A : Did you ever get lost trying to find the FedEx counter in the headquarters ?
L : I didn’t even know there is a FedEx counter!! Can you give me directions? I’m seriously navigationally challenged, so take it easy…
A : Yeah, go for the lifts besides the Cabin Crew Service Center, and go down to B2, the counter is there. If you had the chance to award yourself with a Gold Najm, what would it be for ?
L : Creating that private teleporting elevator, marketing it to all the rich and famous, making squillions and then donating a large chunk of the proceeds to the children’s foundation. After buying that gorgeous baby pink couch I saw in The One recently!
A : We have potentially dangerous jobs up there at 35,000 feet, but on ground, have you ever feared for your life in Dubai ?
L : Not so far, but today’s tremors from the fallout of the earthquake in Iran was scary. I was contemplating catching the lift downstairs in case the building fell over but I’m still in my pjs, so didn’t want to get spotted fleeing in my fluffy pink slippers! I also had some concerns about the Burj Dubai tower that have since been laid to rest by one of the head engineers from the project – I question was if it was to fall, would it fall like a tree and come through my bedroom window or would it implode and save us all? In case you’re wondering, it’ll implode.
A : Ok so I think we’ll wrap it up here, one last question. How did you find out about Airboy and his blog ?
L : You found me and commended on my blog! I might ask you the same question!
A : Thanks ever so much for taking your week off to answer my questions, much appreciated. Speak to you soon and keep blogging !
L : Considering my answers have been almost 2 weeks in the making, thanks for your patience. Can’t wait to read your more frequently-posted-than-mine adventure!
READ THE PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE !
I love this idea, I like PP’s blog, pity she’s so busy these days….!!! =)
very good idea airboy! love this post! i constantly follow her blog…too bad she doesn’t write as often. when i found her blog ( around 2 years worth of travelling), i was hooked!
[...] THE PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, CLICK HERE [...]