It's been a busy two days! Learning all morning long new procedures and protocols and then putting them into practice until almost 4PM then about 2-3 hours of homework when you get in the door at home. Wolf down some dinner, chat with the family, shower and hop into bed. This is now my life for the next 5 weeks.
Yesterday: Unanticipated Emergency Landings - Means a return to field after we have taken off for a possible emergency or a rejected take off where the aircraft brakes very quickly and sharply before the end of the runway for a possible emergency. We also learned how to brace ourselves for impact as well as what to instruct the passengers to do "Bend Down, Stay Down" there's a lot of yelling involved in emergencies I have found. One girl even lost her voice shouting the commands! We deployed slides/rafts and actually got to jump and slide down them this time upon evacuation. We also learned all about the emergency equipment onboard, there's loads in every nook and cranny! You wouldn't believe where stuff is crammed!
I have received an excellent on all my homework thus far as well as in all my practical assessments! I am at the top of the heap for sure! The only thing that was given feedback on was during an evacuation not all doors open for whatever reason in the simulator, they program it like that on purpose because not every emergency or evacuation is going to go perfectly with all doors opening and all slides deploying and inflating properly so they like to put a wrench in the system to see how we will react, and react I did. I have been used to my door opening perfectly for the last two days now, opening after opening and then suddenly upon evacuation I did my checks and proceeded to lift the lever and push the door open but nothing happened. The lever lifted but the door did nothing. I immediately stood back to analyze what was going on with it, did I do something wrong? Did I miss a step? Is the power assist broken and I have to shove the door with all my might? Anyways, in the process of trying to figure out the door, I let go of my assist handle attached to the side of the aircraft (a big no no at all times) and then when I jumped back into my role of directing everyone away from my door and to the next available exit I still didn't have my hand on the handle. When I was given the feedback it wasn't like most of my batch mates where they get a massive tongue lashing, all the instructors giggled because they loved my face of true surprise and determination to get the dang door open that I didn't really get punished and it never got written on my notes!
I had such a lovely day until I arrived home. The grinch had come and gone. Clearing out the entire apartment. No I wasn't robbed. My roommate moved out and took the last can of who hash. I was right to not place too much trust in this girl. I'm glad I didn't give her too much of my time and effort. I'd love to know what she thinks she is going to do with all the crummy appliances she is shipping back to Canada with her, does she not understand she will require an adapter for each cord? She acted very childish and petty towards the situation. She even took the dish drainer for putting clean dishes on after you wash them. I shrugged most of it all off, I wanted to get new stuff with my new roommate soon anyways! Her story changed so quickly from when I first met her, she said she didn't mind leaving all the little things behind, toaster, iron, kitchen stuff and living room rug. Apparently I ignored her in the hallway or something and she got into a tizzy over it. She's crazy over sensitive and has no self confidence. She even asked me last week if I had written anything bad about her in my blog. I said no, which is true, until you do something stupid then for sure you'll be placed in here. I want everyone to know what kind of a psycho I am dealing with. Beside the point, when I was cooking dinner last night I realized I was missing two of my IKEA knives. I searched around the cupboards with no avail so I texted her that she might have taken my knives by mistake and could she check and let me know? She phoned me back right away on fire to say how unappreciative I am of her and how dare I ask her on her last day in Dubai to come back to the apartment to return two trivial knives. She said she left me two mugs and a vase that I should appreciate. (The two mugs had been used by her and her boyfriend and were left in the sink to be washed, without the dish drainer, just two dirty mugs, WOW thanks!) You're right I should say thanks and shut my mouth? What are you on? As if I would let something like this slide. What a nut job. So when it came to a close her boyfriend agreed to drop the knives off at the security booth and I could get them from there. So I hung up without saying thanks or goodbye. Good Riddance! Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!
Today: I usually sleep on the way to training in the mornings and sleep on the way back home at the end of the day but for some reason today I was wide awake both there and back and I'm glad I got the chance to take in the route of the bus and all the sights we pass! I saw some really unusual and interesting sights! Hows this: The Emirates Macaroni Factory and Wolfi's Bike Shop! I saw a hospital that just opened for operation near my apartment building and they have giant banners running down the front of the hospital saying "Open Now, Come On In!" What an invite! Lets all get injured and head on down for the special event! I saw TWO Tim Hortons along the route, a ton of fancy car dealerships and the full view of the Burj Kalifa! It's massive! There are two buildings near my house that look EXACTLY like the Empire State Building two of them side by side! The buildings here are so interesting, all different shapes and sizes and just covered from top to bottom with windows so high up! I don't know what kind of dare devils they get to build and finish these monsters but kudos for your bravery! You wouldn't see me hanging outside of one of these buildings ever!
Training today was Fire Fighting! It was incredible! They placed us in this steel box that was mimiking and aircraft with the galley kitchen, seats and lavatory and we had to put out real fires! It was fantastic! Unfortunately my partner and I did the job so well that we didn't get to do it again. One fire, perfect, you're done thank very much! I must say I was jealous of all the incompetent people who got to do it two or three times! I had such a good time I wanted to do it again and they said no!
Then after the real fire fighting we went into the cabin simulator and worked on protocols in real time with other cabin crew (fake fire this time) but it was still a good practice. I would have gotten another perfect on my activity however I had some dumb guy butt into my zone while I was extinguishing the oven fire in the galley and switch the oven back on after I had already done all my checks and turned it off. Basically I got a lashing because of it, what I should have done they told me was switch it back off again, tell him off for touching my business, and then shove him away, both in the simulator and in real life. When I am fighting the fire it is my area, stay out. I was so furious all afternoon that he basically sabotaged my activity. I like my perfect record and he has now ruined it. Thanks a lot you donkey. I absolutely feel like I am being held back in the batch I am in, I feel like I am excelling so quickly and I am constantly having to wait and listen to everyones silly questions when I understand everything and want to move on with the lesson. Oh well. You win some you lose some.
In other news:
After the grinch incident last night I took a big black garbage bag and started to do my own clean out of everything that was hers that she left behind. All the old gross food in the fridge and crammed it all in the bag, feeling satisfied I had gotten it out of my system and MY new apartment I set it by the door deciding in the morning to pop it in the bin down the shoot on my way out of the building. When I woke up I got quite the surprise heading to the kitchen. A giant pool of old milk draining from the bag all over the entry way. Her old stupid camel milk. Thank goodness it didn't smell to high heaven. Unfortunately because I time my mornings out so nicely for my normal routine there wasn't time for cleaning up milk, so it had to be left the entire day until I got home this evening to clean it up. It sucked, but it was all okay in the end.
That's all I've got for now until more action tomorrow!
By the way, I see how many people read my blog and I'm a little miffed that I haven't heard from anyone except my friend Coreena about the last 14 posts I've written. No feedback = No more posts. If I can make time to write them, you can make time to write me. Understand?
Danke.
Leanna xo
P.S The knives still haven't been returned, stand by.
