Ondoy Experience

Woke up at around 8 a.m. this morning, waiting for my classmates' texts and making my mind up if I should go to school or not. Went outside an hour later when I saw what the non-stop-rain had done to our street(made my decision right after). It was totally submerged knee deep on water(dirty). It was lunch time when we noticed that our dirty kitchen had accumulated water too. Normally, You wouldn't see me soaking my feet in flood water for a long time but I had to do something or else. I grabbed something that I can use to scoop out the dirty water in our dirty kitchen to minimize flooding. Meanwhile, Another menace had managed to show up, cockroaches were all over the place (they are in groups so it's really gross), I quickly looked for the insect spray and when I got my hands on it, it was really hard to detach myself from it. I sprayed like I'm one of the ghost-busters catching ghosts(wish Angelo was here, I know you love roaches bud! :P), It was really fun and I hope that I've seen the last of them. Must've killed hundreds of them, Damn roaches!

I hate to admit it but I really enjoyed playing on the water(missing my childhood years). Of course we know the flood water carries diseases that can be transmitted to us if we have an open wound so I stopped when I got myself injured. =(

Can you see how high the flood was?

Newly waxed?? Not! That's actually the water starting to make its way to our dining area

Rio Grande Rapids =)

Dad and Mom saving her precious furnitures while I'm taking pictures

Front Lawn submerged

12 hours had passed since I woke up, the rain has stopped, flood has subsided and now everything is back to normal. Thank God!

**This is the first time that flood water got inside our house. Thanks to, not Milenyo, not Rosing, but Ondoy. I must say that it was quite an experience.

Oh No :(

I'm scooping dirty water out of our kitchen.. huhuhu.. Ill post the details later ..

A sign????

Yesterday, I asked my mom to accompany me to St. Claire's chapel here in Laguna (which is just a 5-minute ride from our place), she said yes, so we went there by 3:00 pm. When we arrived, I wasn't really quite sure what to do so I just sat down on the pew and kneeled down to say my prayer. I asked if they could give me some signs if I should pursue my planned assessment on October 10. After that, I lit a few candles and again, prayed. It was actually a good feeling that I visited the church (chapel) once again after a few mont.... actually, years! (Thanks to FWB who opened my eyes)

My cousins and I decided to go shopping for DVDs in a nearby flea market later that day. While we were walking, I spotted a surplus shop or more commonly known as "Ukay-Ukay". I said that it would be fun browsing through used stuff (and yes it was!). I was laughing at my cousin when she said that she saw a cutesy outfit for her baby (I though she was joking) which I think is a bit odd because I knew she would never buy anything from that store. When I turned to face her, she was holding a (I hate to admit it but it is indeed cute) little newborn clothing (I don't know what it is called, help me!) and what was written on it really surprised me. Could it be my first sign? Tell me what you guys think.

I also bought a tie that day and I keep saying (til' now) that I'm still having second thoughts about the assessment.

For those who want to go to IPAMS but don't know the location of the office, please refer to the picture below.

RED CIRCLE : IPAMS office should be right about there.

ORANGE CIRCLE : Pedro Gil LRT Station

BLUE CIRCLE: Robinsons' Place Ermita

YELLOW LINE: It's a line. just follow it.

Priorities, Priorities, Preparations, Preparations!

Just a few minutes ago, I received some news that could send the whole world trembling (exaggerating). Myla is sooooooo kind enough to share that Emirates... ehrrr.. IPAMS is recruiting and is now conducting preliminary assessment for EK cabin crew position (I checked). Thanks Myla!. I texted Jen to inform her about that. I was right when I told her to hold on to something. She called me immediately to confirm it and she was sooooooooo excited about it (You would know if you were at the other end of the line). Oh yeah!, she will be there on friday. Goodluck Jen! Jen made it through til the 3rd round of the elimination process last time she applied, that's why I really believe that she can make it this time. Nuf' said.

I just finished fitting my "application outfits" and I must say I'm satisfied how it looks on me now than before. I'm going to share some information that might help when applying for the position. Don't forget this! Obtain a REFERENCE NUMBER from the Emirates Group Careers website, you will need this when filling up an application form in IPAMS (website or personal). Then you can prepare for the rest of the requirements. PHOTOS! You must be in business attire with your HANDS OPEN (Definitely not closed fist and don't spread those fingers too much). PASSPORT, although not required to be new (you can renew it after getting the position), is important as much as your.... ugh.. your... (can't think of a methapor) well, You get the picture right?. But I personally like my documents valid upon application. Next, You should have all required clearances including NBI, Police and even Baranggay Clearance for whatever purpose it may serve them :P. Prepare these things as early as possible so that a few days before your assessment schedule you can still prep yourself up before the judgement day. (Too tired to share about Hair and Make up Tips, will post it tomorrow).

I personally allow 14 days of preparation for myself (assuming all documents are with me already) to get my facial treatment, hair and my teeth done. Facial treatments usually take two weeks to achieve optimum results. I do my haircut 4 days before, so that its just about the right length and my teeth whitened and cleaned 2 days prior my schedule.

If you need more info about the requirements and the selection process, Visit Airboy's and Annie's site.

**I was uber hyper earlier and I think that's the reason why my energy is flushed out already**

Goodluck to Us!!

P.S.

Keep Smiling!

EK Global Assessment Days are ON! + Ebay next buys

I just learned from Sodwee a.k.a Airboy, that Emirates resumed its Global Assessment days. For September, it will start tomorrow in London, UK. This news will definitely give me an adverse effect later when I try to sleep (Hyperactivity prohibits it) and when I eat (the thought of being rejected because of my weight, won't let me). As of today, Preparations will be made, starting from my weight (main problem) and... ughh... I think that's all there is. Oh yeah, I still need to learn French (a plus) /Arabic (an asset) and I need to find a sponsor for my cabincrewdirect training. :) Goodluck to everyone!

My Ebay next buys :)

Fasten your seatbelts and check your emergency exits - What do the pilots and cabin crew of Fresh, a new low budget airline based in London, really get up to, both in and out of uniform?

Mile High is the fast, sexy and gripping drama that charts the lives and loves of an airline cabin crew who excel in leaving little to the imagination and taking membership of the Mile High Club to new heights.

Season 1 consists of 4 DVDs and the 2nd season has 7. There is a special 11 DVD set which includes both season for much cheaper price. I've seen the series and I must say that some of the scenes will make you think twice applying as a cabin crew.

Losing her mother at a young age, Misaki Yoko (Ueto Aya) was raised amongst three brothers. Yoko is a slightly boyish girl who is bullheaded and hates dishonesty. Ever since she was young, she enjoyed the company of boys over girls. She starts a band with four of her boy friends and becomes the lead singer. Then one day, one of the members of the band, Tsukasa, gets a job at a bank in Tokyo. On the day Tsukasa leaves for Tokyo, Yoko goes along with the band members to the airport to see him off. The guys get excited when they see some cabin crew ladies and Yoko has no idea why. She reminds them that even she can wear a uniform, but the guys only make fun of her. That's when Tsukasa tells Yoko he wonders what she'd look like dressed in uniform. This is when Yoko decides she wants to work as a Cabin Attendant. (JAL)

After suffering cuts in pay and benefits as a flight attendant after 9/11, Hester turned in his wings and became a travel writer. This follow-up to his industry tell-all, Plane Insanity, is based on his syndicated column, "Continental Drifter," and details his experiences traveling across six continents in the space of a year, spending just $60 a day. Although Hester manages to land on couches as often as he rents hotel rooms, this isn't a guide to frugal travel tricks. Instead, it's a romp with an adventurer who rarely becomes jaded or travel weary, and has a way of falling into amusing situations. For example, Hester's affection for Kangol hats has people mistaking him for Samuel L. Jackson at a film festival in eastern Europe; true to his jaunty nature, he doesn't correct them. Hester's writing is lively, and he keeps his observations light. However, the travelogue does have serious moments, as when the author describes being stared at unrelentingly in Argentina because, he says, 97% of the inhabitants are of white European origin. But the seriousness, like Hester's stay in each country, never lasts long.

--After reading Plane Insanity, Elliott Hester instantly became my Hero! :)--

AMEX 576 Hijacked

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Bolivian-born man clutching a Bible and claiming a divine mission hijacked a plane in Mexico with more than 100 people aboard on Wednesday, but the incident ended quickly and without bloodshed.

Jose Flores, who told police he was a Protestant minister, seized the AeroMexico Boeing 737 after take off from the Caribbean resort of Cancun demanding to speak to Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Flores, 44, smuggled a false bomb on board and threatened to blow up the aircraft if he could not warn the president of what he said was an impending earthquake, police said.

"He said he is a minister and that it was a divine revelation that made him carry out this action," Security Minister Genaro Garcia told reporters.

The plane landed safely in Mexico City, its original destination, and police stormed the aircraft after the passengers had been allowed off, but not the crew.

Police apparently detained Flores without a struggle and a few minutes later led him away in handcuffs, ending Mexico's first hijack drama in years,

Transport Minister Juan Molinar told reporters that all 104 passengers and crew of 8 were safely off the aircraft. "There was no bomb," he said.

Nine men were initially detained, but Security Minister Garcia said eight were ordinary passengers caught up in the drama. He said Flores, wearing a shirt and jeans, was the only hijacker.

Smiling and chewing gum, the hijacker was presented at a news conference but refused to answer journalists' questions.

Earlier, security forces raced to Mexico City airport and helicopters circled above the airport as the plane landed and taxied to a part of the airport reserved for emergencies.

CALM EXIT

Some passengers said they were not aware of the hijack during the flight, although one man noticed Flores was carrying a Bible.

"We really didn't know what was going on," passenger Adriana Romero told Mexican television. "We realized it was a hijack when we saw the police trucks."

Mexico has no major radical political groups who espouse violence, although Calderon is embroiled in a bitter war with drug cartels, whose turf wars have killed more than 13,000 people since he took power in late 2006 and set the army on them.

Direct attacks by drug gangs on the public or attempts to force talks with the government are very rare.

The last major hijack in Mexico was in 1972, when four men describing themselves as part of a group of armed communists seized an aircraft in the northern city of Monterrey and redirected it to Cuba.

In 1999, a flight leaving the capital for Monterrey returned after 40 minutes after a man threatened the pilot and said he had bombs in his belt, El Universal reported.

Cancun is Mexico's top tourist destination and attracts millions of U.S. and European sunseekers every year to its white-sand beaches and luxury hotels.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5885K420090909?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Airline industry recession bottoming out?

Airlines and their suppliers are reporting tentative signs a severe industry recession is bottoming out, sending shares higher on Tuesday.

Airbus, the world's largest producer of passenger jets, said airline traffic had possibly seen "the trough of the recession" and could start to rebound from next year.

"In 2009 we believe total traffic is down 2%. In 2010 we may experience a 4.6% growth rate," Laurent Rouaud, senior vice president of market and product strategy, said at the Asian Aerospace exhibition in Hong Kong.

In Europe, Air France-KLM said passenger traffic fell 2.9% in August but its planes were on average 84.8% full, a rise of 1.1 percentage points from the same holiday peak month a year ago.

Its shares rose 6.6%, helping push the DJ Stoxx pan-European Travel and Leisure index up 2.4%, with traders also citing catch-up by an underperforming sector.

Shares in Aer Lingus, British Airways, Ryanair and Lufthansa rose between 2 and 4%.

The Air France figures came as industry data for July showed airline passenger and freight traffic dropped much less sharply year-on-year than in the first half of 2009.

ACI Europe said after a survey of 106 airports passenger traffic at European airports fell 4.3% compared with July 2008, versus an average 9.6% drop during the preceding six months of this year.

Freight traffic — a widely watched indicator of economic health — fell 13.4% compared with July 2008, an improvement on the average 22.4% decrease during the preceding six months.

"That would fit with our picture," said economist Cristoph Weil at Commerzbank. "We believe we will see a strong recovery in Q3 and Q4 in the euro area."

Air France-KLM said its cargo business had in August confirmed signs of stabilisation seen in recent months.

Ireland's Aer Lingus said on Monday passenger numbers had risen 7.7% year-on-year in August.

Growth predicted

Economists say the global economy looks to be pulling out of recession, with the OECD predicting a renewal of growth for the United States and euro zone in the third quarter.

But, like the airline industry, the broader economy remains on life support and G20 finance ministers agreed on Sept. 5 to keep stimulus measures in place..

ACI Europe's numbers were helped slightly by weak comparative figures in July 2008, when the economic downturn first started to bite and passenger data entered negative territory for the first time in six years.

But weak comparatives account for only about a fifth of the improvement in freight volumes, ACI archive figures show.

Airbus and rival Boeing Co are headed for their worst annual order tally in at least 15 years as struggling airlines cancel or defer almost as many planes as they buy.

The world's airlines are expected to post total 2009 losses of $9 billion including at least $6 billion in the first half, says the International Air Transport Association..

A Boeing executive said any recovery in the economy would not translate into recovery in demand for aircraft until 2012.

"Next year will be a year of economic recovery, 2011 will be a year of airline industry recovery and then in 2012, airlines will probably increase their demand for new airplanes," Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told Reuters in a Hong Kong interview.

Air France-KLM last week announced 1,500 voluntary redundancies, adding to thousands of airline job cuts worldwide.

Even once airlines fly out of recession, they will be haunted by big questions on costs, especially fuel, Rouaud said.

At $67.90 a barrel, benchmark North Sea Brent crude futures prices have risen 38% since the end of March.

Copyright 2009 Reuters Limited.

Plane Insanity

I bought a book last week entitled "Plane Insanity: A Flight Attendant's tale about sex, rage and queasiness at 30000 ft". Now, before I say anything about it, let me just tell you first how I got this book. I've been buying stuff from ebay since last April. Since then, I have searched for items that have anything to do with being a Flight Attendant. From Lanyards to Shirts, Collectibles to Tags, and Books. I ordered this book way back in June and I have been waiting impatiently for it to arrive but no luck. After 3 months and 1 follow up (they lost my book in the mail the first time, and no it hasn't arrived yet) I saw a book sitting just in-front of my right foot at Book Sale. I was looking for other Rough Guide titles and when I looked down, there it was. It was just a fraction of the cost of the one I bought from ebay (75php against 650php). I felt so excited that I called my cousin out loud (you guessed it. Everyone at the store was staring at me). I quickly bought the book and went home. It was already late when we got home. I quickly took it out of its plastic covering and opened the book with a smirk on my face. I flipped the pages just to see some of its contents, and had the urge to read the book but it felt like it wasn't the right time to read. It's all about timing right? I decided to bring it with me to school so I could read a few chapters during my vacant hours.

I started reading the book from the very first page (reviews). The book tackles about the life of a Flight Attendant behind glitter and glamour. From crying infants to adventurous adults, Elliot Hester had faced them in 16 years of flying. He started as a baggage handler working underneath the plane's belly with the temperature dropping below zero before stepping up and worked as a Flight Attendant.

Here's some interesting situation he/ his coworkers had in their career.

• While a female flight attendant was serving food from the meal cart, a female passenger thrust a small bundle of trash toward her. "Take this", the passenger demanded. Realizing that the trash was actually a used baby diaper, the attendant instructed the passenger to take it to the lavatory herself and dispose of it. "No", the passenger replied. "You take it!" The attendant explained that she couldn't dispose of the dirty diaper because she was serving food-- handling the diaper would be unsanitary. But that wasn't good enough answer for the passenger. Angered by her refusal, the passenger hurled the diaper at the flight attendant. It struck her square in the head, depositing chunks of baby dung that clung like peanut butter to her hair. Thw two women ended up wrestling on the floor. They had to be separated by passengers.

• When bad weather closed the Dallas/Fort Worth airport for several hours, departing planes were stuck on the ground for the duration. One frustrated passenger, a young woman, walked up to a female flight attendant and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this". The passenger then punched the flight attendant in the face, breaking her nose in the process.

• A flight attendant returning to work after a double-mastectomy and a struggle with multiple sclerosis had a run-in with a disgruntled passenger. One of the last to board the plane, the passenger became enraged when there was no room in the overhead bin above his seat. He snatched the bags from the compartment, threw them to the floor and put his own bag in the space he had created. After hearing angry cries from passengers, the flight attendant appeared from the galley to see what the fuss was all about. When the passengers explained what happened, she turned to the offending passenger. "Sir, You can't do that," she said. The passenger stood up, cocked his arm and broke her jaw with one punch.

Definitely defies the fact that flight attendants aren't just there to serve peanuts...

This book by Elliot Hester has 3 titles. The one I have is Plane Insanity, the 2nd name is Air Confidential, and I forgot the last title but it’s basically all the same. These books can be purchased on Amazon.com.

---back to reading---

Elliott Hester (Planning his trip for his next book: The Continental Drifter)

AI B747's engine catches fire while taxiing

NEW DELHI September 4

More than 200 passengers and crew of an Air India flight had a
narrow escape at the Mumbai airport Friday when they were evacuated
after an engine of their plane caught fire, a news report said.

The ground staff at the airport noticed the fire and smoke from
the engine as the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff, the IANS news
agency reported.

The passengers and crew were evacuated through emergency exit
chutes of the Boeing 747, which was brought to a halt on the
taxiway.

No one was hurt in the incident because the blaze was put out
immediately, Air India spokesman Jitendra Bhargav told the news
agency.

The Air India flight was bound for the Saudi Arabian capital of
Riyadh. The passengers are to leave for Riyadh on another plane
later Friday.

Air India authorities were investigating the cause of the fire,
officials said.

Source : the RichmarkSentinel

8 Things an Airline Would Never Tell You

1. "Airport luggage scales often lie."

It's bad enough that the airlines charge a fee for overweight luggage, varying from $39 to $300 per bag industrywide. But it's galling that they may also hit you with the fee by mistake. At JFK last November, New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs found that 14 percent of the airport's scales were not properly calibrated. At Boston's Logan airport, 10 percent of the scales recently inspected gave incorrect readings. The South Florida Sun–Sentinel has discovered numerous busted scales at area airports. And the list goes on. What to do? Stand up for yourself, especially when a scale barely tips the balance into the "overweight" category. Brandon Macsata, executive editor of the D.C.-based lobbying group Association for Airline Passenger Rights advises passengers to weigh their bags at home first, and if the airport scale comes up with a different number, insist that your bags be weighed on a different scale. Yes, it's come to that.

2. "Our air may make you sick."

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether potentially harmful fumes have been circulating in airplane cabins. Between 1999 and 2008, air became contaminated on 926 flights, reports the FAA, without specifying any possible health risks. Currently, the agency is looking at a particular type of "fume event" that involves "bleed air," or air that's been compressed by the airplane's engines. If there's a malfunction in plane equipment, the air that's fed into the cabin can be contaminated with chemical residues from engine oil—specifically TCP, or tricresyl phosphate. "Passengers may have symptoms like tremors," says Clement Furlong, a research professor of genome sciences and medicine at the University of Washington. So far, federal reviews of the research have been inconclusive about whether bleed air actually endangers the health of passengers and flight crews, though two civil lawsuits about fume events are under way.

3. "That nonstop flight you booked? We can add a layover to it—without explanation."

Think you scored a sweet fare on that transcontinental flight? Think again. You may be making a previously unscheduled layover. Airlines can cancel your nonstop and rebook passengers onto flights with connections, which are obviously less desirable. Advises Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier and a former pricing analyst at America West: As soon as you find out that your nonstop flight has been canceled, check to see if there's another nonstop option. If there is, call the airline and ask—nicely—to be put on it. But if nonstop service on the route has disappeared, threaten to switch to another carrier for the trip. Major airlines will typically agree to refund your money without any fees if you refuse to accept a new, multistop flight that will arrive at your destination more than two hours later than you were originally scheduled.

4. "We wouldn't tell you right away if there's an emergency."

The FAA leaves it up to the airline to decide if it wants to tell passengers about an engine failure or other significant crisis. And many flight crews opt to keep their lips sealed. The reason? Flight crews don't want to scare passengers or say something they'll regret later. "In one recent emergency, the cockpit crew was faulted for making a public announcement before some of the required procedures were accomplished," explains Kent Wien, a pilot for a U.S. carrier. So attendants tend to err on the side of being secretive to avoid trouble. Last June, passengers traveling from Brussels to Newark on Continental Airlines were not informed when the captain died during the flight. The plane continued along its scheduled route with nary a peep from the rest of the crew, beyond a cryptic question: "Is there a doctor on board?"

5. "When we let you pick your seat assignment, we were only joking."

As the airlines decrease the number of seats they fly in an attempt to eke out a profit, they're swapping out larger planes for smaller ones more often. Whenever fliers are put on a new plane, seat assignments are scrambled. A traveler may end up in a middle seat he or she would never have selected. If it happens to you, there's not much you can do—airlines aren't obligated to honor any seat assignment. "Passengers are actually purchasing a fare and not a seat," says Macsata of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights. Checking in online 24 hours prior to departure is often the best you can do to boost your chances of getting the seat assignment you want. Print your boarding pass with your seat assignment on it before you get to the airport as proof in case you need to argue with a gate agent over a last-minute switcheroo.

6. "Our planes are antiques."

Compared to the rest of the world, we're flying the airplane equivalent of grandma's Cutlass Supreme—except Uncle Sam isn't interested in paying cash for these clunkers. American owns 268 MD-80 class airplanes, with an average age of 18 years old. Meanwhile, thanks to a geriatric fleet of DC-9s, Delta and Northwest's average fleet age is 13 years old. In contrast, Emirates has an average fleet age of about 5 years. Singapore Air's is 6 years. And, while Ryanair is often faulted for lacking basic amenities, its planes average less than 3 years of age. Luckily, U.S. airlines aren't having problems maintaining their aging aircraft from a safety standpoint, notes Bill Voss, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "There's no real indication of anyone cutting corners," says Voss. "Planes don't age like wine, but they do remain flight-worthy with proper maintenance." The FAA doesn't have a maximum age limit for planes, though it does require more frequent inspections for planes that have flown for more than 14 years. But aside from safety there's just plain old comfort. If you've ever wished you had a personal seatback flat-screen TV instead of having to share a view of a cathode-ray tube in the aisle—well, now you know the reason.

7. "Our crew is totally exhausted."

Airline jobs are famously hard on the Circadian rhythms, and flight crews simply aren't getting enough rest. Pilot fatigue has been a factor in crashes that have led to over 250 fatalities in the past 16 years, including the recent crash of a Colgan Air flight to Buffalo, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The night before that accident, the copilot commuted from the West Coast to Newark while the pilot slept on a couch in a crew lounge at the airport. Crews on reserve (that is, crews readily available for service on short notice) don't have it much better. "On reserve, we don't have control over what we're doing," says Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a U.S. carrier and a contributor to travel blog Gadling. "One day we're flying a 5 a.m. departure, and the next day we're working a red-eye. Do this for a few trips in a row—add the delays in there—and that's when it gets bad." Working reserve can stretch crews to the limit. "Once during a terrible reserve month, I remember staring at my emergency exit door, thinking, Is it armed? Is it armed? Is it armed? I could see that it was, indeed, armed (the evacuation slide was attached to the door properly). But it wasn't clicking in my brain because I was so tired."

8. "Your ticket might not be with the airline you booked."

Two airlines may sell seats on the same flight, a sales strategy called code sharing. You may think you'll be traveling on one airline, but you actually fly on another. The situation seems harmless enough but can cause major headaches for passengers. For example, most major airlines farm out their short, commuter flights to regional airlines. "By and large, you haven't heard of Chautauqua or Republic, but you may be flying them when you click to buy a ticket on Continental," explains Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer. "With two airlines involved, there's a constant passing of the buck. Worse, many regional carriers operating on code shares are exempt from reporting their on-time statistics. And God forbid if you need to file a claim with them for lost baggage."

Source: http://guides.travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1088188