Quick note on my health, I’m cleared of sinuses, nose block and throat ache ! Weeeeeeeehoooooooo. Thanks to some pills and some nose squirting device I have fully recovered. Khalas. I can now fly without any pain.
Yesterday was my second Cairo turnaround. Nothing too exciting following my first trip there. But I actually enjoyed myself. Probably because I felt so much better and having 4 days off prior did also help. But most notably because we had lovely french passengers on board our return sector. Enabling me to speak french. You do not usually see french passengers on EK routes appart from the Paris CDG one because they are die hard fans of their national airline Air France and the star alliance. But with the recession going beeeezerck, they will most likely opt for the cheapest option. Even doing crazy flight plans like this family of four I met yesterday. They were doing : CDG – Athens – Cairo – Dubai – Bangkok !!!!!! With checked luggage ! Insane.
The best thing about having french citizens onboard is you can guess their french from 50 rows away. Just by the way they walk, dress and their nonchalant attitude. So the best thing I do (it is a little game I have developed for myself) is to spot the odd french passengers amongst the chaos. A little later during service I would spontaneously speak to them in french. To their surprise, and they’d always ask how I knew. I’d then reply it’s a sixth sense I have and blabber more. Squeezing in some PR in there, and there you have it ! Smiling, satisfied passengers ! This particular family had – no surprise there considering their flight plan – problems with their luggage. They were terrified at the fact that their belongings would not make it to BKK with them. They’d already informed grounf staff, but Cairo being Cairo, I told them I would double check with the ground. So I did ! Fortunately for them, their baggages were on-board and I even managed to get the tags off the gate agent ! How cool is that !!!!! I was extremely proud with myself, thus the mile-long on my face as I walked back down the aircraft to announce the good news.
Little things like that make trips to Cairo or any other notorious destinations a little easier on the body and mind ! Another good thing is to have your meal break at one of the open doors so you can admire the tarmac action going on. I had the guilty pleasure of forking through a lamb masala and some biscuit sat on a containers just by the door. So I could watch what was going on outside with that super-jumbo 747 from Saudi Arabian beeing ramped. Loved it to bits. Wasn’t the most comfortable lunch I had but it was very entertaining !
Otherwise I have met some of the readers back in CBC, this time it was Louis. He approached me a while back when he was still in his 9 to 5 job and wanted some exotic life. He emailed me I think with a couple questions about the Hiring process of Emirates and so forth. We’ve kept in touch since then on Facebook and we finally met yesterday. I feel for him because he was off to Jeddah…
I’m off to Columbo, Sri Lanka tonight where I will have 24 hours there. Glad it’s a layover ! On the clubbing side, we have done it again, we’ve been to Lodge and spent a little fortune on the entrance, plus a little arguement with the bouncer because he wouldn’t let us in with our Facecard, because it didn’t state our birth date… so the girls used their charming skills and we finally got in, I mean which dumbass bouncer doesn’t know a Facecard holder is AT LEAST 21 !! But it was all worth the pain because we had an almighty time. Big up to Alexander, Tim and the other guy whom I forgot your name but I remember “you’re the one who hates french people”. Pictures of the night follow as well as pictures from the Cairo T/A (turnaround).
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What’s wrong with JEDDAH ?
You will soon understand…
Waouhhh suis impressionnee par ton site, il est genial. depuis le temps que j entends parlait d Airboy, je me suis decideee a aller voir ca de plus pres… deja 5 ans chez EK mais je crois pas t avoir croise. Bonne continuation et a bientot a bord ou a Zinc…
Lol merci !! Enfin une francaise qui commente sur mon blog ! EN francais en plus ! C’est rassurant… Sinon je ne pense pas que l’on se soit croises, On l’aurait su lolol. Sinon ca me fait peur quand tu dis “depuis que tout le monde en parle”… lol Bon Hambourg et a bientox.
Love the use of the word “Khalas” above
LOVE Khalas too….and touche to the Saudi Arabian Airlines bit…
Love how you distinguish your own kind. I tend to think I can do it with Aussies (usually male though) living in London. Usually the guys with scruffy sunbleached hair, larger and tall physiques and quite often wearing thongs (flip flops) with jeans…..
The easiest way is to go by stereotypes but sometimes you might trip… Like thinking one is from India but actually holds a british passport, happened to me on many occasion on my various UK flights…
I actually don’t mind doing the Cairo turnaround. So many crew bitch about it but really if you’re nice and attempt some arabic with them (even if it is ‘khalas’ when asking if they’re done with the tray) they can be some of the nicest people. Glad someone thinks the same
E.L.I kyoto is looking for ex-cabin crew to hire in japan kyoto , As an instructors for the student who want ot work for EK or other airline in the gulf
please mail your CV to simon_h@hotmail.co.jp