Saturday, February 1, 2014

Failure to Launch

I sort of forgot that I'd ever started this blog.  I had all sorts of ambitions for being a photographer and writer while I worked as a sky waitress.  I told myself I'd bring the job to a higher level through its documentation.  I would gain wisdom in my travels and share it here, along with amazing photographs.  What actually happened was I spent the majority of my two and a half years of flying thinking about sleeping.  Or sleeping too much.  Or trying to get used to wearing those eye masks to block out the afternoon sun, but hating the way it brushed my eyelashes and made me restless.  And when I wasn't sleeping or trying to sleep, there was usually a hotel bar or a co-worker's bedroom with booze to be drank.  That's not to say I didn't also have amazing experiences on my layovers exploring the nooks and crannies of places I'd never been before, but the vast majority of my time was spent sleeping.  And drinking.  For example, I waited two years before finally scoring a layover in Bishkek.  The first night we got in late, and it was raining.  Vodka is insanely cheap there.  Long day + rain + cheap vodka = I didn't leave my room the next day because my stomach was too busy letting me know it did not like to ingest grain alcohol, not one bit.  Also it was raining.

When I wasn't stuck in strip mall hell or tossing and turning to try to get some sleep before working a ten hour flight, I had AMAZING EXPERIENCES.  Maybe I should retroactively go over some of those times.  Like the 15 hour unexpected layover is Pattaya, Thailand.  We didn't have to work a live flight out of Thailand so could utilize the entire 15 hours as we pleased.  In those 15 hours, my flight attendant crew and I pet baby tigers at a zoo, ate amazing food, got a two hour massage, and went to about four strip clubs.  The things the girls did with ping pongs and razor blades and darts will forever haunt me.  At the end of the evening we realized it had gone from being dry to monsoon conditions, and we trekked back to the hotel from Walking Street with water up to our knees.  I had to buy flip flops since I'd been wearing platform shoes that simply did not function anymore.  The flip flops from the Seven-11 flew off my feet several times while working against the torrential current.

After that I slept for two days straight.


Monday, April 25, 2011

Okinawa

Best layover ever.  Perfect spring day + your hotel has free bikes to take out + ancient castle ruins.  As long as you're willing to bike an hour up a steep hill...





The air there is beachy and fresh and I could live there forever I think.  Also, there is an old school drive in A&W restaurant where we got root beer floats after the long trek.  And soba noodles with melt in your mouth pork, and tuna sashimi... and "for your happy time" Orion beer:


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Tachikawa

First time to Japan since the earthquake rocked the country.  Things here around Tokyo are quiet.  Took a direct AA flight from NYC, the flight was perhaps a quarter full.  Which meant lots of legroom for the 14 hour flying marathon.  The American flight attendants said that those flights used to be hard to come by, now no one wants them.  Same at NAA, I have two six day trips here this month, while a month ago I had to fight scheduling tooth and nail just to get one.

It is cherry blossom season, but I think it is being downplayed as Japan takes a more ascetic approach this season.  But they are blossoming still, I shall appreciate that this week.

Also something to appreciate... hot or cold coffee shots straight from the vending machines.  The vending machines that are placed approximately every ten feet throughout the country.  Only a slight exaggeration, I've seen random ones set up next to people's driveways around Yakota where there isn't even a sidewalk.  Instant caffeine injections abound, I can't get enough of it.  And green tea.  And black tea.  Again, hot or cold.  Also Calpica softdrinks, if you like the taste of lemon squeezed into somewhat carbonated, sweet milk....

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Bangor's banging! (till 1am when the bars close...)

First time in Bangor, and I give it a thumbs up.  It is small and quaint and yes, there are lots of Stephen King objects to be found.  We explored town and found a sweet comic book shop, several junk shops (apparently coin collecting is big here), and the awesomest friar-run pastry shop where I had amazing farmer market vegetable soup.  And the counter monk let us take a picture with him:


Later on we tested the nighttime scene, and we had a chance to hang with lots of local gents:


Most of them were lovely, though one bushy-faced pretty boy I will not show here was, sadly, not as proud of his hometown as we were, and dragged down the mood a bit.  And then I think Amanda kissed him, and Jen threatened to beat him up, or something.  I'm really not sure, because I was hiding:



I can't wait to go back, especially when the weather gets warmer and we can venture out into the country a bit more, maybe hit up Bar Harbor, or find some bridges to jump off of.  Yay!


Monday, February 15, 2010

Trip #2. Too short to do anything but sleep.

and take bubble baths.  I took 2.5 bubble baths during my 15 hour layover in germany.  The tubs at the hotel are nice and deep and the soap foams up superbly.  But I burned myself twice on the faucet.  D'oh!


Also awesome.... watching the northern lights from the cockpit.  We were flying past Greenland, all the army kids were sleeping in the cabin, and the night was perfectly clear above the clouds.  I wish I had a photo to share, but you really had to be there.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Things to do on a layover when all you have nearby is a Walmart...

Creatively use objects such as carts, helmets, hula hoops...
Create games, scavenger hunts, fashion shows.

Play "Indiana Jones" with the sliding doors
until you break them.  Then watch in amusement
as people try to exit the store.

Actually buy a couple things to make your time at the hotel
more festive and fun.

IOE trip: JFK-Dallas-Leipzig-Dallas-JFK

I have spent most of my life until now carefully avoiding the suburban sprawl that plagues much of our nation and the rest of the western world. I now realize that being a flight attendant means staying in hotels on the outskirts of cities, and possibly not having enough time or transportation to venture inward. This past week I traveled to Europe for the first time in my life, and spent exactly sixteen hours in Germany, hanging out at the mall. I had some cheap halal food. I went to the gym. My first thought upon landing in Leipzig was 'huh, it looks a lot like Texas.' I expected what google images told
me was Leipzig:


Instead I got something more like this: