Flying High at 25!
I actually have no idea what’s in the program so everything is a surprise for me! I felt like a guest to my own party! Hehe! My sister didn’t even bother to tell me at least the sequence of the things that’s going to happen! At one point I was busy table hopping then I’ll just hear the host calling my name and believe it or not I haven’t watch the AVP until it was played during my birthday itself! But credits to Ingrid Cabrido for the well edited video presentation.
Once Upon A Time In 1985
Once upon a time in 1985. It
was around 7 in the morning, the 25th day of January. A young, healthy baby girl was destined to be born. The little angels name is Estrellita, which means “Little Star” in Spanish, thus they’ve given Star as her nickname. Everyone was rejoicing for the birth of the young princess. Now, almost 25 years have passed, all grown up, Int’l Flight Attendant & God-fearing..
…that young girl happens to be me.
Christmas & New Year Scenes
When I was a kid I used to dream of a white Christmas and as flight attendant, I guess I’ve experienced it all. Be it, green, blue or white christmas but no matter how far the distance I have travelled. I will still returned to a place called Home…
I flew to Manila on the 24th of December through a Boeing 777 aircraft as expected we landed earlier than scheduled arrival around 2:30pm but due to the traffic because of the Filmfest Parade that afternoon we’ve reach Diamond Hotel in Roxas Blvd. very late, passed 5pm already.
* These pictures are not yet uploaded in my website because it’s not yet high quality pictures (I just grabbed it from my Mom’s friendster account) I left my memory card back home, but will soon upload it…
I really enjoyed every moment, spent the whole time eating delicious home-cooked meals and sinful desserts! Then we gather around the tree to open our presents, Alma was the one hosting the gift giving while we were simply waiting for our names to be called. Our house is filled with laughter. Then later on made myself busy singing over the course of the evening while my cousins are enjoying their wine in the pool area.
The following day, I flew back to Doha with such a nice crew and supervisor. While my family and cousins flew to Hongkong via Philippine Airline to spent my mom’s birthday and New Year there. I guess that’s the main thing my family and I have in common, we all love to travel!
The capacity of the aircraft that we’ve used has 42 seats in Business Class and 293 seats in Economy but we only have less that a hundred passengers in economy + 5 person in Business class. Very light load! Who wants to travel during Christmas day anyway? Except for business travelers maybe like Ms. Pinky Aquino (Kris Aquino’s sister) is one of our passenger that time, she even gave a greeting card to all the crew and were very nice. After 9hrs travel time I’ve landed in Doha around 12:05 am of December 26, slept then same day pick to Manila again!
Even if my whole family is in Hongkong (Dec27) my friends didn’t make me feel alone. They pick me up in the hotel as soon as I arrived then went to Mall of Asia, ate in Don Henricos, had an ice cream dessert in White Hat, watch a movie then Starbucks afterwards. Really had a great time! Indeed a Happy day prelude to a New Year!
Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas!
Related Post: November-December Manila Mania!
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
I’ll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the lovelight gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
November Roster gave me 4 Manila flights – This month of December I have 3! Yehey! Such a Good News!
I really cried when I saw my December Roster because it’s what I’ve been praying for (Tears of Joy!) – to spend Christmas with my family and fortunately, I have flight to Manila on 24-25th! Just in time for Noche Buena. Further more, I’ll also be in Manila on my Mom’s Birthday on 27-28th! God is so good! I’m so thankful for all the blessings!
* Taken last Nov 16′ 2009 in our house in North Olympus QC
*Taken Last Nov 30′ 2009 in our 2nd House in Casa Milan QC
My Curls Are Back!
*After 9 hrs flight, more than 30hrs of being awake, no make-up at all, this is me around 1pm…
*….and this is me around 5pm, after 3cups of coffee, after 4hrs of sitting there.
After 9hrs flight from Doha, Immidiately went to SM Mall of Asia, to finish off my last session of upper lip laser Hair removal, then from MOA went to Tony & Jackey. After series of washing, putting hair products and digital perm machine. The complete procedure ended after 4hrs! Even if I’ve had 3 cups of coffee, I’m still so sleepy that time but I’m glad there is WiFi atleast there’s something for me to do. After that my family pick me up and had a dinner in Shangri-la Restaurant in West. Ave. Then back to Diamond Hotel for early morning wake up call for tomorrows’ flight. I’m so glad I had 4 Manila flight last November! =)
* Dinner time @ Shangri-la with my dear family…
Doha Home Makeover and Christmas Tree!
We only have 9 days OFF in Doha each month because most of the time we are out of country, all over the world or simply flying but it’s always good to know that at the end of the day, after a tiring flight you’ll go home to a clean and homey atmosphere so we’ve decided to makeover our flat. (Flat is the common term used for Flight Attendant accommodation here in Doha, just like buying a condo unit you have a choice whether Flat or Loft.)
We want to convert our boring spacious living room into a lively area and our common dining area to a special one but that will not happen overnight because we have to clean first, do some laundry, lots of vacuuming, then my favorite part “Shop” for home accessories, Christmas ornaments and a Christmas tree!
A beautiful, symmetrical tree is a perfectsymbol of the Christmas season. But simply by decorating it you’ll create a one-of-a-kind memory of the season…
* This is our ordinary and not so lively living room, we rearrange it and transfer one sofa to another location in the flat near our rooms.
* The Dining Table used to be there, now it’s our welcome/chill area since it’s directing towards the main door and that’s our little Christmas tree. It may not be as big like the ones back home in Manila but what’s more important is to feel the essence of Christmas… It’s the thought that counts! =)
* Pictures in our Flat (Taken last Feb 2007)
Emirates Aviation Training @ Dubai
The long day started at around 6:30 am pick up from our accommodation then went straight to the airport. Who would have thought that we would reach the triennial training knowing how homesick we are when we left NAIA 3 years back!?! But anyway, I had a great time to be with my batchmates again and Camille was also there – My closest friend here in Doha.
After a very quick flight, we arrived in Dubai where we were taken by bus to the Emirates Aviation College. The facilities inside were impressive. The ditching and evacuation training area also had a Boeing 777, Airbus A330 and Airbus A380 full size section mock ups to practice all the evacuation procedures.
Then we were given many scenarios and act as if we were really on the real situations like Thick Smoke in the Cabin, Emergency Landing on Water, Fire on the overhead bins, Fire inside the lavatory. (All drills can also be monitored in the LCD Screens.)
Next stage was to jump down the evacuation slides. All of us just evacuated quickly from one door, go down barefoot or with socks. The slides give off a lot of friction to slow you down at the end.
The final part was to crawl onto the large slide raft with our inflated life jackets on and practice assembling the canopy. Once we had done that, we had to drop into the (very cold) water and form into groups of six people so that we can stay together and stay warm. Although it was very cold in the pool, it would be fair to say that the mid-Atlantic would be a lot colder, so it was a valuable lesson to learn that forming a group in water were the most effective ways to keep warm. 
We left the training center learning a lot about how to handle ourselves and the passengers in all of the various emergency situations, Fully qualified to be released into the real world of flying again!
Related Post:
* View the rest of the pictures…
* Training at Emirates Aviation College 2006
A Message of Appreciation
* What a nice surprise! Thank you for choosing me to be your first featured blogger entitled “Blogging with a Star”… Your generous kind words and compliments really made my day. Please know how much I appreciate it.
* Especial thanks to Tyrone (for the recommendation) – Author of my favorite financial blog “Millionaire Acts” - http://www.millionaireacts.com
* Be the next Featured blogger at Bloggista.com It is a post showcasing bloggers of different niches. If you want to be feautured or suggest someone. Click here for more details.
* …And to all the warm greetings, lovely comments, touching messages and frequent visitors of my blog either multiply or wordpress… (can’t mention all the names but I know all of you as I’ve reading them all when time permits) Endless Thanks… I promise to still reply to inquiries as much as I could because I’ve been there before back then when I was still applying to be FA, I know the feeling when we sent messages but nobody replies. Golden Rule “Don’t do to other’s what you don’t want do to you…” God bless us all..
Moving On…
So after a month of not being online, I’m back.
Getting over someone is not easy especially if you were with him for a long time or you thought it would last forever. Recently, I’ve been trying to get over a breakup and an hour before that I’m talking about how well everything is and even sharing stories about our tours such as in Hongkong, Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Baguio, Pangasinan, Macau, Singapore among many others then an hour later I’ve talked about a heartbreak at a seriously horrible timing.
Though we’re almost complete opposites in just about EVERYTHING. (I guess opposites really do attract) He’s still my 1st boyfriend and after 7 long years of relationship, All of a sudden it just ended so quickly and I never thought about how much would I be affected by it that even if I’ve had a good roster that gave me Manila, Milan & Paris at the same week, I didn’t even bother to go out and just stayed in my room. I know every person is different in coping up some need to keep busy, find someone better, focus on career, etc. but there has to be some way to find closure. Getting over it takes time and maybe needed a few months, but they said you’d eventually move on.
Lesson Learned: You own your own happiness. No one can give it but yourself. You don’t need a partner to make you happy. You don’t need a ring on your finger to be secured. Happiness is a state of mind. Follow what makes you happy and always believe God has better plans for you just always look for the brighter side.
“Life is a Series of Departure and Arrivals…”
Fire Fighting Drill II
Major airlines are required by law to provide flight attendants for the safety and security of the traveling public. Drill scenarios will provide crewmember with the opportunity to merge procedural knowledge with practical skills. Ability to successfully react to different fire situations will enhance level of confidence and to deal with fires in flight.
* While fighting a fire inside the lavatory mock-up. We have extra equipments to wear such as mask, Gloves, Glasses, have to carry a fire extinguisher and be calm as possible. Imagine if this is real situation!?! Probably, I’ll be the first one panicking! hehe!
* Next week, we’ll be going to Emirates Aviation Center in Dubai for another recurrent training about ditching and Slide/Raft inflation.
* Taken during our AB-Initio days when we joined the company 3 years ago. October 2006 (See all the photos here) 5 of my batch mates in this picture left already…
Another Eternal Tour in Rome!
Aside from being the heart of the Catholicism, it is also equally attractive to other tourists since Vatican is home to one of the world’s most spectacular art collections. St. Peter’s Square is the one of the main destination in Vatican City. Situated right in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, it is the central nerve of the Vatican. Every day, hundreds of Christians, Catholic pilgrims and tourists of all stripes came here to visit this popular tourist attraction. I felt holy being here!
Walking in ROME… ITALY….
The Eternal City of Rome is famous for its mind-blowing monuments, remarkable churches and magnificent museums but the squares in Rome are the best places to enjoy the vibrant city life and the perfect spot to laze away your day surrounded by people and history.
Roman Forum from the Capitoline Hill In this post we started by walking though the Capitonline Hill. Many of the current structures on the Hill are from the Medieval period or designed by Michelangelo during the Renaissance. Along the way, you’ll see people in costumes that will let you have a souvenir photo for an amount of 2 Euro…
After several pictures, we get to enjoy dinner at a very nice restaurant near the Fountain di Trevi. It was along the side of the street, with umbrellas and they were preparing candlelight dinner for evenings. When in Rome, we surely did as the Romans do. We had gelato, as there are shops in every other corner of every piazza. I could not get over the number of delicious flavors of this creamy Italian ice cream.
We Reach through taxi the lively Piazza di Spagna from where you will immerse yourself into beauty, history and mystery where the combination of a monumental staircase, the world renowned Spanish Steps. They said a trip to Rome would also not be complete without a visit to the – Spanish Steps, the most famous square in the city then Climb its 138 steps!
Ways To Enjoy Singapore
Singapore is simply amazing! Our 2 ½ stay in Singapore is not enough. There is much more to see and do. From the famed Chili Crab and Hainanese Chicken Rice to Sentosa Island and the Singapore Zoological Gardens. Experience for yourself the towering skyscrapers in the business district, the hustle and bustle of the Orchard Road shopping belt or the friendly chatter of Singaporeans going about their daily tasks in the heartlands. The number of activities that can be packed into this pulsating island, day and night will astound you. And the best part is that you can visit Singapore at all times of the year as its tropical climate means sunshine all year round.
After 8hrs 20mins travel time from Doha to Singapore, Finally arrived at the Hotel (Holiday Inn Atrium) around 3pm of Sept 28. Jero was then waiting for me in the lobby since 12 noon, he arrived on the same day, from Manila via Philippine Airlines and he just booked his ticket online on the last minute because he just knew that I have a flight to Singapore.
From the hotel we made arrangements for our tour in the Night Safari. Minutes later, a shuttle service came at the hotel to fetch us and all the other tourists from other hotels in downtown, it was $58 Singapore Dollars per person. But next time I rather go to Sentosa, it’s more enjoyable and picture friendly unlike Night Safari where it’s not allowed to take pictures to the animals because they said camera flash may cause blindness to the Nocturnal animals, etc.
The Night Safari (they call it Singapore Zoo during the day), where it has been much acclaimed for its open landscape and spaciousness wherein the animals live in enclosures simulating that of their natural habitat. The zoo is filled with exotic animals like white tigers, polar bears, and Asian elephants etc. It is the world’s first such attraction. We experienced wildlife on a 45-minute tram ride, we refused the Walking Trails to get a feel of the park in eight geographical zones covering forty hectares of forested park. The sight of watching over one hundred different species of nocturnal animals (including leopards, lions and tigers) is simply amazing and something you will always remember.
At Underwater World in Sentosa Island, the hidden life of the sea unfolded before our captivated eyes as we plumbed the depths of the underground living museum that houses some 2,500 marine and freshwater animals of 250 species from various parts of the world.
Inside the oceanarium, a travelator moved us along a submerged glass-encased tunnel from which we watched at close range a plethora of underwater creatures including stringrays, eels, turtles, jellyfish, sharks, sea cow (also known as dugong) and other fishes.
Also tried Singapore’s tallest observatory tower, still located in Sentosa offering guests panoramic views high above sea level across Singapore even up to neighboring Malaysia and the Indonesian islands. The Tiger Sky Tower has a capacity of 72 in its enclosed, air-conditioned cabin.
No trip in Singapore is complete without Shopping. Singapore is a Shopping haven for fashionistas around the world. It has the best brands, the best shopping malls, at fantastic bargains and if Saks Avenue or Beverly Hills needs a little competition, Orchard Road it is! There is just way too many great shopping malls not to be missed and our friend can spend hours shop, window shop or just walk around the Orchard Road area to soak in the city’s atmosphere.
Wedding @ Diamond Hotel
When: September 20′ 2009
Who: Michelle (Jero’s Cousin)
What: Wedding
Where: 27th Floor Diamond Hotel
How: I had a 24 hours Layover in Manila stayed at Diamond Hotel along Roxas Blvd… Coincidentally, the wedding venue was also there!
Near the end of the event comes the bouquet-tossing ceremony, in which the bride tosses a bouquet of flowers to the single ladies (They changed the concept though) there is also a garter ceremony, in which the groom shoots the bride’s garter to the bachelors. To make the story short, Jero & I were the winning pair!
My All Time Skin and Beauty Secret!
I somehow avoid naming brands for a long time in this blog because I don’t want to associate this into advertisement page from where people are earning from their blog through their reviews, but thanks to demands of people asking for my skin care secret, I finally got inspired to write about it. I’ve been an avid user of Clinique’s 3-Step for 5 months now starting with:
Step 1: Cleanse-using Mild Liquid Facial Soap
This cleanser promises to clean the face lifting off all dirt and oil without drying skin out. It also preps skin for the exfoliation in Step 2.
Step 2: Exfoliate using Clarifying 2
they call this the ‘difference maker’ as it is chosen specifically for my skin type. It has exfoliating properties to shift dead skin cells from the face.
Step 3: Moisturize with Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
Described as a ‘moisture drink’ this light lotion hydrates and helps the skin maintain its moistures balance.
* Also got this travel sizes from duty free so that I can bring it to layovers.
My skin is actually low maintenance and white since birth, the explanation why it’s getting fairer and fairer is because I’m not an outdoor person. I don’t have a regular dermatologist neither tried expensive treatments or magic creams, I’m not prone to breakouts but like an average person, I get pimple too! Sometimes I’ll go for a diamond peel but that’s rarely. With Clinique products my skin became smoother and blemish free with or without make up maybe because it’s allergy tested and fragrance-free, which avoid any harsh reaction to face. I have one complain though, large pores are visible up-close! But as the saying goes, nobody’s perfect!
Do things that make you happy, wake up with a smile, bring out the child in you go to the playground. Swing and slide with your siblings. Things like that will surely brings out the natural glow in you and don’t be ashamed to collect toys! Who would have thought that I’m still collecting Hello kitty stuff from all over the world! And my room is still surrounded by little mermaids and Hello Kitties!
Life is actually full of humour a small practical jokes that dont hurt anyone makes me laugh. Television does provide humor of course but for me real life humor is the best, often subtle, sometimes missed, but so valuable. Laugh literally lifts the spirits and helps you burn calories as well!
Genetics plays a role too. Here’s a fact! I don’t remember seeing my mom with an acne breakout in my entire life! She also uses Clinique products eversince and just like me she doesn’t go to derm clinic but spas, people always mistaken her as my sister, at her age it’s really amazing that she don’t have fine lines or wrinkles! Her hand is even more smoother than my hand!
Lifestyle factors also contributes because I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I don’t expose myself to harmful rays of the sun (I always have umbrella! and sunglasses with me) I exercise not regulary but whenever time permits – in the hotel’s gym or simply use their spa ameneties or have a soothing massage. While at home night swimming is my exercise followed by jacuzzi or my portable steambath then relax on one of the lazy boy massage chairs in our house.
Have a puppy! Having a dog makes you happy because loving someone steadily makes you happy. It’s easy to love a dog – because of how cute a puppy is, but it is easy to love a dog for years because the dog loves you back, faithfully. She shows excitement when you come home or when you get down on the floor to be near her. A dog reminds you how good it feels to make someone else happy. This will make you feel great!
Last but not the least, Trust God. God has set a proper time for everything. He is the controller of the universe, there will be mistakes and misunderstandings, but you can trust God to work out every problem. Instead of stressing over difficult circumstances, trust God to take care of everything.
“He Make All Things Beautiful in His Time…”
Financial Literacy
Financial literacy means being savvy with your cash flows and understanding your financial transactions in order to make better decisions that will protect and increase your wealth. Many feel that financial literacy is no longer useful or relevant in the face of our current economic meltdown. They feel that, no matter what consumers know or do, they will be hurt in this recession.
However, financial literacy is more important than ever. Understanding your financial position and how to navigate through tough economic times will give you a leg up in ensuring your financial security.
The people who will survive and thrive in today’s economy are those who have a handle on their personal finances. They know what they own and what they owe and they know where the cash is coming from and going. Every dollar that comes in has a name- meaning they know exactly where it is going.
How can you improve your financial literacy? Set aside some time every day or every week to better understand your financial situation. Become familiar with the terms of your credit obligations. Know what you’re paying in interest every month. Know when your obligations will be paid off. Know how much you’re setting aside as a rainy day fund and calculate how long that amount of money will keep you afloat.
Once you know that state of your financial affairs, it’s time to make it better. Shop your credit around and make sure that you are getting the best interest rate possible. Ask your current lenders to lower their rates. It might not work but it does sometimes and you’ll be better off for it.
* Financial literacy is crucial to surviving tough economic times like we are seeing right now. Getting a handle on your money will ensure that you end up with more of it.
Happy Anniversary Q’ways!
“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
I can’t believe how fast time flies, Q’ways Magazine is celebrating its first year Anniversary on this month’s issue!
Over the year, it’s fulfilling to be a part of Q’ways Team, I’m proud of the people who have helped us climbed the ladder of success by continuously sharing their skills and articles 13 From 8 Pages to 12! We owe the growth of the magazine to everyone. Thank You.
Related Post:
What Keeps me Busy, My New Career!
Reasons To Buy More Gold Jewelry
“There is nothing more fulfilling than having your chin up, and telling the world that you did it own your own. That all your accomplishments are not because of your inheritance or other people, but because of your hard work and perseverance”
* Here’s my latest Gold purchased a 44 grams 24K Gold bracelet, I didn’t lose any cash by buying this. I just sacrifice to used 3 checks of my monthly income from my investments.
Proper knowledge must be ensured before you decide on investing in gold. “We buy gold” is a common advertisement “Why would companies spend so much on advertisements looking for used items? It is simple! They do not just want OLD necklaces, rings or watches. They want them because of what they are made of-Gold! I thought about this for many times, there are enough reasons why one should invest in gold.
1. Show of class and dignity: The possession of a real gold product usually attracts attention from others because it is believed that gold products are expensive.
2. Cash back: Gold products are usually ‘cash back ‘or recycled products because they do not lose their value. When they are resold, a lot of money is usually realized. So, one of the main reasons to invest in gold is that after the gold has served its desired purpose, when it is no longer needed, it will not just be discarded. It will be recycled for money. Depending on the quantity of the gold, it is usually good money!
3. Perfect gift: Giving someone a gift of gold is very much appreciated. It is an investment in a sense because the receiver after using it can pass it on to the next generation, and it will be passed on until one family member decides to sell it for money.
* It looks so nice when worn, satisfying & self-fulfilling and it matches my new Coach Bag!
* Collecting Gold Jewelry is one of my mom’s hobby and secret behind her success. I’m lucky to be exposed in this kind of thinking so as early as teenage years I was already buying Gold Jewelry along with my mom and elder sister because I know that in this unstable market, investments in such precious metals like gold are the safest, because even in the most critical economic condition of the market the prices of such metals are still high making it all the more profitable. Thus to buy gold would be the best option for a lasting investment!
*Related Post:
Time is Gold-My Jewelry Shop Business
The Truth About Flight Attendant Travel Benefits
First of all, free or reduced rate travel is always based on space available. Whether you are the crew or employee’s family traveling at a discount, you will only be issued a seat after all of the revenue passengers, including standby paying passengers. They are always the priority so if there’s no seat available they will ask you to just try your luck on the next flight which has always been a problem for me because all Qatar Airways employee must be back in Doha 10 hours before the next duty time but still I usually try my luck to go to Manila on my 3-4 days off. (What to do in Doha on 4days off!?! I’ll be crazy!)
What this means is that you must be very aware of the available seats on any given flight. This requires some legwork by using the company computerized reservation system to determine which flights are best for you. In my case, it’s always hard to get a seat because Manila Flight is always full or overbooked! Even if it’s not vacation period or holiday! There’s no off peak seasons in Manila flight because there are lots of Filipinos all over the world! And even if there’s a vacant seat, those seats are for senior ones! It’s better to have a full fare ticket as a back up, or else you’ll end up buying a business class full fare ticket!
* The Picture shows there’s no more passenger on cue but me, sitting near the subload check in counter, the other picture is while waiting for the delayed aircraft. There’s no more seat available on the waiting area so the rest are just standing. I’m sitting on my trolley! This inconvenience were just making me decide to resign sooner!
Last April, I flew to manila on my 4days off, August 17-19, I went to MNL again on my 3 days off and same dilemma happens! Fully booked! There’s one jump seat available but there’s one crew who’s more senior than me got the seat.
What makes it worst is that the departure should be 17:30 but the aircraft arrived at 19:40 from Doha! Super delayed! I waited in the check in counter for more than 2 hours sitting there like a beggar and 2 hours again in gate 10. I finished eating 4 BreadTalk’s Cheese Floss and Chef Tony’s popcorn because of boredom! There’s no sign of chance whatsoever but still I stayed there. Just a minute before I call someone to pick me up at the airport, I heard 3 people arguing, they sounded dismay about something. I never knew what is it all about until the ground staff told me that they have been offloaded from MNL Flight! Because they have visa problem. I feel sorry for them but at the same time thankful because their situation gives me a vacant seat! Yehey! Then I arrived in Doha around 12:40 am of August 20 – Just in time for my next duty at 10:50 am (Pick up time).
* After all the inconvenience, this view from the aircraft window simply draw a smile in my face for a minute! I’m glad to see my condo unit nonstop construction and The Venetian Mall as my View from the Top!
