Trip to Amman, Jordan

It started by telling Lady I wanted to go to Oman for two days or three to see the Bimmah Sinkhole. She said she's going to join me but later on suggested to go to Amman, instead. Since we are flying partners for the month, it means we have the same schedules, days off and all. So I said yes! I have some friends working for Oman Air in Muscat so I could go there some other time. Going to Amman is much better with a a company rather than going solo. And I will tell you why in this post. :)

Only few days before our days off, we booked our zed fare tickets through Royal Jordanian. It was actually 25 percent cheaper than flying with our own airline. :D With a suggestion from an Indonesian colleague, Marintan, who recently went there, we bought the Jordan Pass which includes the tourist visa fee to save time and money on Jordan's top sights and attractions. 

We arrived at our apartments past 11 in the evening from a Lucknow flight, and our flight to Amman was scheduled to depart the following morning at 0730. We had to unpack and pack our things. And it was a bit of a struggle. Haha! I had to make sure I only carry two bags with me- a trolley and a handbag. Successfully, I did it after eliminating a few things I won't really be needing for four days. I only slept for less than 2 hours before I had to hit the skies again. 

Day 1 (March 16- Wednesday)

0900 Queen Alia International Airport is a very huge terminal, clean and modern. Immigration was quick upon being asked what our professions were while presenting our Iqama IDs.

It was a cold windy morning. Every time the automatic exit doors at arrival open, we can't help but quiver. The types of clothes we wore under our abaya and even the clothes we brought with us in our trolleys weren't enough to protect us from the cold weather that welcomed us on our first day. We didn't have fixed plans on where to stay and though we had list of places to visit, we didn't know where to head first. With the use of the airport wifi, we decided to stay nearby Dead Sea on the first day. We booked a one night stay at Ramada Hotel. We then hired an airport taxi to take us to an hour drive to the hotel.

We arrived in the hotel ahead of the check in time but the staff was very nice to check us in early and gave us the room without having to wait long. Before resting, we had enjoyed the view from our room- Dead Sea from afar and the hotel's beautifully designed pool.

Five minute drive from the hotel, a shuttle took us to our first (and maybe last :D) Dea Sea experience. We expected the cold winds like what welcomed us in the airport that morning but the weather was different. It was a clear afternoon. The sun revealed itself and the panorama we witnessed upon getting off the bus just made that experience one of our most unforgettable travel moments. Yet, that doesn't even include floating around the saltiest body of water on earth and covering our bodies with Dead Sea mud. The feelings were just indescribable!

Day 2 (March 17- Thursday)

After a short breakfast at the hotel, we decided to go to the downtown area. We already had a place to stay in mind as suggested by Marintan. We asked the taxi driver to drop us off at Jordan Tower Hotel. We met Jehad, the friendly receptionist who speaks English very well and was very welcoming and friendly. (He also helped me figure out how to get my refund when I realized I was charged twice in my credit card. I had to communicate with him when I discovered my bills after coming back from days off.)

The hotel accommodates tourists- traveling solo, with their partners or in groups. There were times that we had to come down at the reception area to use the internet and so, I've seen so much people come and go. That's when I noticed we were the only Asians staying at the place. We've met a lady who asked us what our itineraries were. And she gave us some helpful tips.

That afternoon, we met our driver, Mohammad. He took us to see some beauty's of Jordan. First we went to Ajloun Castle sitting atop a hill. and to Jerash, an ancient city in Jordan famous for its Roman ruins. While on the road, we enjoyed our trip to those places with great and wide natural views of the surroundings. Jordan is truly enriched with dramatic landscapes and amazing sights. And oh, I can't forget our driver. He made that journey at its best, too. He never ran out of things to say and share! :)

Mohammad took us to a restaurant named Artemis which served Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. The taste is just perfect! Mansaf is made of lamb chunks boiled in yogurt sauce and served with bread and rice. The rice that came with it was also perfect. It wasn't plain and ordinary. It matched the taste of the meat. Adding more yogurt sauce to the lamb while eating every part of it was a taste I still couldn't believe. It was truly a taste to behold. :)

Here's the funny thing about dining there, though. After eating, a guy at his 30's went to our table. He said his name and introduced himself as the manager. He then looked at me and said that he really likes me and he wanted to take me out to dinner that day while reaching out to give me his calling card. And I was like... (oh, this is happening too fast) while I reached for his card and thanked him. :D I don't know where that calling card is now. Haha.

We rested for a few minutes back in the hotel. (Well that rest was actually to update our Swarm account for the places we've been that day and to upload new photos in Instagram :D) We then walked towards Rainbow Street in downtown. The area is known for its lively shisha bars and cafes at night for locals and visitors alike. I previously showed Lady a photo of a beautiful umbrella art showing set of umbrellas coloring the streets of Jabal Amman, off in Rainbow Street. On our way, we looked for that art and when we didn't find it, we started asking some locals on the streets. We didn't right away hear the answers but someone later on told us it had been ruined. We ended up having dinner at one of the restaurants there.

Day 3 (March 18- Friday)

At quarter to nine, we had breakfast at the hotel. We've seen people came to check in and people who were also about to leave to discover more treasures of the country just like we did.

We started to hit the road at nine for Wadi Rum.

It was a long drive, almost 5 hours. We were thinking it could have been 4 hours or less if the driver sped up a little bit. It was somehow a slow ride to the destination. And it took another 2 hours to reach our camp site through a 4x4 desert tour. That two hour drive honestly seemed boring but every time we stopped, there was something so fascinating to see. We saw the best lookouts in the desert. The dramatic landscapes and massive rock formations were something that will forever remain in our memories.

Once, we climbed a dune. We struggled in every step we took because we would sink and find our shoes covered by the red sand and we'd slide back down and we would take another step again to continue the climb. My white shoes transformed into a sandy red afterwards. :)

When we arrived at our camp sites, we were welcomed by a Bedouin. A Bedouin is a nomadic Arab but I don't think these Bedouins in Wadi Rum desert camps still move from one place to another. I'm thinking they are already inhabiting the area. I didn't get to ask, though.

We enjoyed our somehow modern camp site. There were a number of small tents and one big tent. The Bedouin showed us to our tent where we stayed for the night. It had two beds for my friend and I. It was made to protect us from the heat of the sun or the cold night. Actually, not really for the cold night because despite of our huge and thick blankets, we weren't able to sleep well trying to find a warm position. :D We woke up the following day laughing about our experiences and how we tried to stay silent despite our complains and how we finally survived it with the sun coming out again.

Tired from a day in the road, we simply relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of being isolated in a desert far from the city. We realized it was time to get up and enjoy the outside more when our camp guide started shouting for us to come out to climb some rocks in order to see the sunset. We saw one of the most stunning sunsets in our lives. Its colors seemed to extend to every horizon making everything more beautiful in front of our eyes.

We headed back to the camp with hungry tummies and the big tent was where we had dinner that night and breakfast the following day. Dinner was being prepared while the campers were inside the big tent. That's where we saw the rest of the other tourists.

Before dinner was served, everyone was called to go outside to see how our foods were prepared the Bedouin way. In a hole in the ground, that's where our dinner was being cooked. Underneath were meat, potatoes and other sort of vegetables. It was covered and the moment they opened the covering, we smelled the dishes in the air making our tummies grumble more.

After dinner, we tried looking up at the night sky through a telescope. Somebody showed us Saturn. It is a jewel and exquisite.

Day 4 (March 19- Saturday)

It was time to leave our camp and say goodbye to everyone to head up to our next stop, Petra, the red- rose city ("a name it gets from the wonderful color of the rock from which many of the city's structures were carved.")

We spent time discovering Petra through a horse ride and lots of hiking. We had less than a day but we made sure it turns out to be an incredible experience. Our guide made us climb rock mountains to reach to a high hill where we could see The Treasury from above. Seeing it through a different view from most of the tourists made us say it was all worth the climb. The Treasury is Petra's most magnificent facade. It is 40 meters high and beautifully decorated.

We had to walk down again to go back to where we left off and walked all the way to The Treasury itself to see its view from how most of the people were seeing it. It's amazing how this building which was believed to be constructed in the 1st Century BC stood still despite time.

Leading us back to the main entrance again, we walked through The Siq. "The Siq resulted to a natural splitting of the mountain and it is 1.2 kilometer long."

We left Petra temporarily exhausted but the times we spent there are memories that will live in our hearts, permanently. :)

We headed back to Amman and we asked our driver to drop us off a mall nearby our hostel. There we shopped for a few items and had dinner. We are supposed to leave Amman today but we couldn't get enough of the place, yet. We haven't been to all the other spots. Since we had an open ticket and looking at our flights back to Jeddah with Royal Jordanian, we didn't think the flight is full yet to leave on Sunday evening, so we took the opportunity to extend one more day.

Day 5 (March 20- Sunday)

This was our last day so we spent the whole time doing the city tour and to some more places outside the city.

We went to see the Roman ampitheater and the Citadel Hill of Amman with a gorgeous view of the city. We also went to the Bethany Beyond Jordan where Jesus was baptized. The guide showed us the Jordan river and the baptism site of Jesus. We went to visit Mount Nebo, a place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. I felt excited and blessed being able to visit these Holy places mentioned in the Bible.

Since we still had time left before we needed to go to the airport, we bought some mud mask and had tea and shisha in one of the coffee shops in Madaba. We visited a church a walking distance from the cafe before finally heading to the airport.

I couldn't forget how my friend called me Miss Jordan. Haha! There were lots of instances where people would just come near me and ask a photo to be taken with them. :D Actually, mostly locals and a few tourists. :)

Having to visit Jordan- its city Amman and its all other beautiful places, Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Petra is one of the most beautiful travel adventures I ever did in my life. It was a vacation in a place where I felt like time stood still. It was a journey full of awe- inspiring sights, thrills and moments of joy. I'm a happy soul with travel's countless wonders!

My Younger Sister's Confession

Yesterday, I told Jasmine about one of her high-school batch mates who recently tied the knot. She said she knows. She doesn't have Facebook to know about what's going on with her friends but somebody at home must have shared the news to her. I told her after some time that I saw a post in Facebook that she's pregnant so that must have been the reason for the quick wedding. 

Then she asked if I was envious. I said yes, because I'm already 28! Haha. And that's when she suddenly said she is pregnant, too. Seven weeks. I didn't believe her. I even said this is too early for April fools. :D Believing that she was joking, I told her that if it's a baby boy then it's fine. When she said she was serious, I still didn't believe her until she sent me a photo of her pregnancy test and a doctor's appointment. I got emotional. I couldn't help but cry. I am so happy for her, really happy. She wanted to break the news on my vacation this April but I think she had the courage to tell me when I mentioned about her friend. I knew she was a little afraid of telling me because I've always told her I should marry and have a baby first since I am the older one. But now, it doesn't really matter. I love my baby sister and I'm happy when she is. 

Everyone at home knows except for our father. She broke the news two weeks ago and since then she haven't seen him. She wanted to tell him the news, personally. Jay-r and Susay are happy. They wanted to have their own, too. :) My Auntie Tess and Ate Sheila are the most excited and her boyfriend who just left for Muscat is the happiest when she told him. She's expecting her baby in 6th of October, just a day after our youngest sister's birthday. 

When asked, my younger sister said she doesn't have any plans in getting married, yet and she wanted me to walk in the aisle first. Haha. She could marry first or after me, but whatever God's plans are for us, I am willing to take them. God has higher and better plans and His will, will always be done. Then she asked me when my turn will be. :D I said I have to carry on for two more years before I am allowed to have a baby. Then she called me 'career woman'. Hahaha. 

The doctor advised her for bed rest since she had experienced some bleeding and she is at risk. Now, I don't want anything else but for her to be safe and deliver her baby safely, too. 

Lord, please bless my younger sister for a new life is living within her. Please allow her to keep herself and her baby away from danger or pain. Please grace her with a healthy mind, body and spirit that she may share it to this wonderful creation coming to our family soon. 

Butter Garlic Parmesan Chicken

I've cooked Butter Garlic Shrimps multiple times. In fact, it's now one of my favorite dishes aside from Fried Chicken. Haha. Now, I will try it on chicken and this time with Parmesan cheese and potatoes. Here's how:

Ingredients

chicken breast fillets

salt and pepper

butter

garlic

water

parsley

red chili flakes

Parmesan cheese

boiled potatoes

Preparation

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. On medium heat, add butter. Pan fry the chicken until the surfaces are browned.

3. Remove the chicken and set aside.

4. Saute the garlic.

5. Add the chicken.

6. Lower the heat and let simmer.

7. Add the potatoes, some salt and pepper to taste, parsley flakes and chili flakes.

8. Top the chicken with Parmesan cheese.

9. Remove from heat and broil the chicken in the oven until the cheese melts.

Yum! :)

Acting Supervisor

Today was an open day for me which I turned into willing to fly and was eventually turned into a home standby from 3am to 3pm. I was sleeping when my phone rang at 440a. I was upgraded to a turnaround Alexandria flight. When I checked the crew list, I was the most senior and so, I am expected to be the acting supervisor for the operating legs. Thinking about the tasks of a supervisor by seeing them during the flight made me say it's easy. It's easy but whatever goes wrong, I know the responsibilities are mine. 

I conducted a briefing like how it normally goes. I met the other four girls. Two of them were only 5 months flying and the other two were almost 2 years. And I am a few months away to 3 years. That actually made me ask if I was legal to lead the flight with all our seniority dates. I didn't check and look for answers in our manuals but the Captain did when we were all on board, making sure we were following standards. I appreciated how thorough our PIC briefed us in almost all safety procedures. 

The flight went well. I received so many papers from ground personnel to the point of not knowing what to do with them :D. I had to press the many buttons and selections from the cabin system realizing I was already playing with them. Haha! I had to board everyone, check that everything was secured before take off and landing. I had to help in the galley especially when R1 had to attend the cockpit's needs and serve the business class passengers, too. Guest class was full but good thing the load in business was light or else I would have been here and there. I had to make sure slides were disarmed before any normal door openings. 

When we arrived in Alexandria, I handed the general declaration of the crew and the passenger manifest to the staff who welcomed our flight. In several flights, I have observed supervisors giving the empty insecticide bottle sprays (sprays we use to spray the cabin after take off) to ground staff, too, so I gave the whole thing to the man. I do not know what they do with those sprays next but the next thing I know, I was being reprimanded by our PIC for giving out those sprays. A staff went spraying those bottles in the cargo giving flight deck an indication that there was smoke going on. They later on discovered that it was only due to the insecticide sprays. Fire and smoke whether in the cabin or cargo are serious matters. Then the ground staff was also reprimanded. He said that they too normally receive those sprays upon arrival and spraying the cargo is what they do afterwards. I had no idea! But one thing's for sure. Though we all used up all the sprays, there must have been little left behind in a bottle that they were able to use up. 

I thought I'd already lost my job that moment on. When I said I was sorry, our Captain said no, it wasn't my fault. :) It was a safe flight back to base and I'm happy I've learned a lot of things today.

Thank you, Lord. :)

Lucknow, India

I was pretty impressed by Renaissance by Marriott hotel in Lucknow. Though I like Vivanta by Taj, our old layover hotel, this new one right next to Vivanta holds a modern luxury and contemporary comfort for everyone. 

05:00 First thing in the morning today, I was in the gym sweating out. I wanted to swim in the pool afterwards but it's not open until 12 noon. And I'd rather not since the pool is next to the Skybar where people would be enjoying their drinks with the view of the infinity pool.

07:00 Breakfast at L-14 All Day Dining

breakfast with this scenic view of Lucknow's landscape

08:00 Off I went for a quick sightseeing tour. I started at St. Joseph Cathedral School. The church was closed but the guard led me to a chapel. I was saying prayers and at the same time, I couldn't stop looking at every child who entered that mini prayer area- small Indian school children who said their prayers, too, touching the statues. 

These three sweet girls approached me as soon as I made it past the gate, telling me I was pretty. Ahaha.. They asked me where I am from. When I told them I'm from the Philippines, they all nodded. I wonder if they know which part of the world I come from. 

a few of them gathered in front of me wanting to be captured in my camera, too..

Next, the hotel driver took me to Bara Imambara, a grand Shia Muslim congregation hall, built in 1784. 

a spacious lawn after entering the gate of Imambara

a simple reward I got after passing through a complicated network of paths which were built to serve as confusion to enemy intruders before.. with my guide, it wasn't difficult to find my way out.. :) 

Lucknow's Clock Tower

Those were the places I visited for now. I hope I could go to other sightseeing spots here next time. Upon arriving back to the hotel, I took some nap, ate my lunch and prepared for a flight back to base.

February 9, 2016

23:00 Okay, so, I wanted to start this post while eating sunflower seeds which I got from a dates store, yesterday but I finished a full bowl and poured another, forgetting about this. :) I realized it's hard to do both when my concentration was on running my tongue along the salty outer shell, cracking the shells between my teeth, spitting the shells and chewing the seed. I craved for sunflower seeds since one of my colleagues brought some with her in one of my previous flights. She shared it with us and now, I have an idea of a health- promoting snack I can consume at home while watching tv or reading a book, instead of chips and other junk foods.

Sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds- I never took them before. I only started consuming them upon hearing from other girls how healthy they are. I learned to eat chia seeds by adding them up in cold drinks or juices and flax seeds in yogurt or cereals. Try them! Don't be deceived by their sizes because those tiny little things have powerful nutritional benefits. 

Yesterday, Marj cooked a butter garlic shrimp for our dinner at my apartment. My roommate, Jhen, joined us. It was a very enjoyable meal. Next time I'll put some shrimp paste on my butter garlic shrimp, too, to make it more tasty. 

Marj clicking the very first photo out of my newest travel buddy, while I was slicing the garlic and onions for our dinner.  

in love with this Go Pro Hero 4 :)

Today, I have learned the basics of this device including changing the backdoor and using the mounts. I'm happy there's now something I could use underwater and he's happier because he no longer have to carry the big and heavy SLR. :D

I'm excited of capturing and saving moments, the new way. c:

February 6, 2016

When I reached the Check Hostess to check in back from flight yesterday, I once again check my rank for the out of kingdom base and surprisingly, I'm on 103rd. I started from 200 something for more than 500 girls applying for Manila base. I opened my days off from Feb 6- 11, that must be the reason why my ranking improved. It's still a long run. Now, I'm thinking about applying for First Class since most girls say it has an advantage over the regular flying FAs. Whoa! I don't know when I'll have the guts to finally send an email to my supervisor about my interest. 

Today, I had the chance to cook Binagoongang Manok (Chicken in Salted Shrimp Paste), again. This time it is much way better than the first time I tried. :)

Here's how from a combination of two recipes I got online.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo chicken breast (cut into medium size cubes)

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup pre- sauteed salted shrimp paste

3 cloves minced garlic

1 large onion chopped

cooking oil

2-3 pcs bay leaf

1 tsp crushed pepper corns

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

salt

Preparation:

1. Saute the salted shrimp paste with some garlic and onions.

2. In a separate pan, stir- fry the chicken breast until slightly golden brown then set aside.

3. Using the same cooking oil from #2, saute the rest of the garlic and onion.

4. Add the chicken breast and saute for a few minutes.

5. Add the shrimp paste.

6. Add some water to prevent the chicken breast from drying up.

7. After two minutes, add the coconut milk.

8. Add the vinegar and sugar, bay leaf and pepper corns, and salt to taste.

I didn't have an actual coconut milk so I used milk powder boiled in water. One can also add chopped tomatoes and green chili. 

16:30 Pick- up. I'm thankful for almost 4 hours added to my flying time by opening my day off. Way to go! :) 

February 4, 2016

09:30 Breakfast at the Feast. I ordered for Cheese Masala Dosa. It's now my favorite part of breakfast during India layovers.

12:00 Thirty minutes at the Sheraton Fitness Gym

18:00 April and I went to Orion Mall to have a look at some stores on sale. We stopped by Zara and I was amazed at the ongoing discounts. I was able to buy a red sweater for only 590INR. I noticed that their clothes are made in Bangladesh. No wonder! Even regular priced items have lower price tags compared to other countries. 

We also went to the bookshop. I bought The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I only read one book by him entitled The Devil and Miss Prym. I quite didn't like it so I didn't go far reading his other books. I've got his other book Eleven Minutes but I haven't read it yet. A lot of people love reading his books. I will try reading his stories again, by trying out this book I recently got from the bookstore. The Alchemist will be next to my reading list after Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult. I stopped reading Picture Perfect and only resumed reading when I finished Reflections of a Man by Mr. Amari Soul. 

I was dying to read Mr. Amari Soul's book so I've put Picture Perfect down. :) Reflections of a Man is such a good read.

"Reflections Of A Man is a book designed for both men and women to enhance the quality of their personal relationships. For the women, it encourages you to recognize the true value of your love, to reevaluate your standards and to make the decision that you will no longer settle for anything less than someone who loves you, respects you, and truly makes you happy. For the men, this book will not only encourage you to learn more about the emotional needs of a woman, but it will provide you with clear insight into what a woman truly needs from you, emotionally, to be happy. Through beautiful words of poetry, powerful quotes and advice full of wisdom, Mr. Amari Soul creates a truly enlightening experience for both men and women with Reflections Of A Man. On one hand, women gain a new perspective on the true value of their love, raise their standards and refuse to settle. On the other hand, men become better equipped to, not only understand a woman’s emotional needs, but they are better able to meet or exceed their new standards as well."

19:30 Dinner at Zaffran

I'm so lucky to have April as my flying partner on this month of February. I could say she's an answered prayer because I've been asking God for signs or answers to a dilemma in one of my life's aspects now. I knew her since I joined my first beauty pageant during my teenage years. She was one of the judges in a college beauty contest in Intramural's. I knew her because she used to join big beauty pageants in Leyte. Now this makes me remember the times I started joining contests too right after winning that school event. I went to towns especially places celebrating their fiesta. I'd compete with other girls from different towns. I also joined contests in my own town too and even barangay competitions. Haha! In most times, I was alone with my make- up artist. In some cases, my family would watch me onstage. The biggest event I joined was something unforgettable. I actually fainted in front of a big crowd. Everything went blurry, I fell on my knees and the next thing I knew, I was being carried by a bunch of people backstage. I was conscious but very pale and weak, I couldn't manage to open my mouth and everything else on my system just gave up working. I just lied down there, incapable of competing for the rest of the evening. 

Well, that's what happens in competitions. It's like life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And rarely, you literally become breathless and fall. Haha :D

April is such a sweet woman with a kind heart. We are the same age but I look up to her. It's only our first layover together but I've learned so many things from her about life and relationships. She's a married woman for almost 4 years and from her stories, she seem to be surrounded with people who continuously give her counsels about her married life. She's full of positive energy and nothing comes out of her except for either funny things that will make me laugh or good things that will make me think and reflect about my own life. She told me to never listen to other people whose intentions are to break apart a relationship. She never runs out of good advice. Other people appearing into lives of two people not only happens when they are girlfriends and boyfriends. It happens when they are engaged. It happens few days before their wedding. It even happens when they're married. It depends on how strong their love and support is to one another if they'll allow other people to break them. 

We enjoyed our Indian dinner over a few tears that we both shed but more laughter. Thank you Lord God, for an answered prayer. :) 

February 3, 2016

I slept for 12 hours before my flight today but towards the end of it, I was already starting to feel sleepy. I guess it's normal when you fly red- eye. I also believe sleeping through the night, will help you get through the day but sleeping through the day won't give a guarantee that you can get through the night. I'm sure some people who work at night shifts understand this.

Past 02:00 (A reminder: I have to review my First Aid learning's especially CPR because I never know when I can use them. I just got lucky I didn't have to do it this time because we were still on ground and ground services were there but what if this happened after take off ? or what if they weren't immediately available?) Everyone was busy boarding passengers when an old diabetic passenger on board was being taken cared off by his family members. I didn't know what the situation was until the supervisor instructed me to get something sweet to drink for this patient. When people stopped coming in, I quickly went to the lavatory to answer the call of nature and when I came out, I just saw ground medical services rushing to attend the already unconscious passenger. They did compression's and took turns while we managed to control the curious passengers who were already standing. Eventually, they offloaded him through a medical lift with his family. What happened next is only the doctor knows. God bless him and his family!

Good job for me on the flight today because I only ate banana, apples and pancakes. (I'm not really sure if I should include apples since I was eating them with salt :D) And I got myself a lunch for dinner- brown rice, boiled eggs and Moroccan sardines. This way I won't have to spend too much for ordering room service for only a single meal. :)

On a chat with him today after flight, he had asked me:

Jeff: mag unsa man ka today?
Me: mgread lang ug book pangga
Jeff: pila na ka books nimu wala pa ma read gani?
Me: daghan (laughing)
Jeff: puno nah imung bookshelf?
Me: oo
Jeff: tigum para palit ug bookshelf

Ahaha. His simple way of telling me not to spend too much. I knew it. :D

No To Aircraft Food

Really. I'm trying so hard to avoid eating the unhealthy aircraft foods. I promised to board a plane armed with some healthy foods- may it be made at home, purchased from a known shop, or put together from layover hotels. (Funny how I try to be heath- conscious this way when in other ways I fail. :D) 

Before my flight to Cairo today, I ate full. I told myself I won't consume any heated meals from the aircraft because it's only a two- hour flight going and another two coming back. I ate before I left so I thought I could wait to eat until I arrive back. I even bought lasagna from the cafeteria in Flight Operations in case my tummy tells me it needs something to take. This is what happened during the flight. I initially had bananas and chicken sandwich. But when I saw I the Chicken Biryani loaded by catering in Cairo, I couldn't resist it. :D 

I'm telling you, I tried but I just couldn't. 

Promise, will do better on control & discipline next time! :)

February 1, 2016

04:30 I've unpacked all my things and my trolley is ready for a turnaround flight tonight. I've taken my breakfast. I've emailed the office that I am willing to fly on my days off from February 6 to 11. It's my way of getting points to becoming a Manila base crew. Now, I'm on 162nd from 400 plus (updated: 500 plus) people vying for the out of kingdom base. It's a very challenging competition, I know. 

I'm ready to hit the sack, too. 

We agreed we'd skype today. 

Good night on a morning! :)

Updated: February 3, 2016

January 31, 2016

08:00 I woke up 45 minutes earlier than the alarm I've set. I don't know what's with time. Whenever I see it in- between sleep, I would struggle sleeping again. It happens almost every time. If I have a clock in my bedside table or a tiny time display in some televisions, I'd cover them with something. Before going to sleep, I'd lay my phone upside down. I'd normally do these things, so, whenever I get up from bed to go to the washroom, I don't see the time. I think some people are like this, too. I forgot to cover the clock this time so upon seeing it when I woke up, I knew I couldn't extend my sleep for 45 more minutes. I was already clock- watching while trying to shut off my mind from thinking about things. 

09:35 Breakfast at the Feast with the rest of the Pinay crew

11:00 Ordered Sea Bass fillet for take- away at Cafe Mangii as my lunch box for today's flight.. I'm trying to avoid aircraft foods as much as I could. :)

12:00 I hit the treadmill for 30 minutes at the Sheraton Fitness Gym. I had to check first if there were other guests working out. Finding out that not a single person was there, I changed my clothes and started my once in a while dose of exercise. I was Skyping with him while I was walking down the treadmill. I said I wanted to go to Doha on my days off this February. When asked how much the ticket costs, he said I'd rather save that up for something else. He even said I can buy a fridge for 500 Riyals. Haha. That was a realization on my part. I already ran out of free tickets. And the new tickets will reset in a couple of months or so. Though there's unlimited discounted tickets, it still causes me to be strapped. :D

14:00 Took a nap for 2 hours

16:20 Wake- up Call

17:20 Pick- up

21:20 Departure back to base. One of my colleagues said I look like Venus Raj. Haha. I got that a lot when I was still working at Convergys. It was only today that I heard it again. :D

Bangalore, India

To end this day, here's how my day went. :) 

04:15 Happy to have slept for 9 straight hours.. I didn't take my sleeping aid because I knew I won't need it. My disrupted sleep started before my flight from New York to Jeddah. I traveled straight from Jeddah to Manila for days off without getting good sleep again during the duration of the flight. When I was in Manila, I only had two nights of good sleep and the rest were good as nap. I didn't get a good sleep during my flight back to Jeddah because I chose to see movies, instead. From my arrival in Jeddah, I slept for 7 hours until this red- eye Bangalore flight. If I'd calculate it, 9 hours is still not enough to compensate my lost sleeping time. I wish there were more than 24 hours a day! :D I'm not complaining. Nine- to- five is still more tedious and boring for me. :) Crossing different time zones and working during the day today, and a night tomorrow brings me excitement! I just wish I don't get to the point of abusing my body and health.

07:00 I started reading Reflections Of A Man by Mr. Amari Soul at the hotel's poolside. I loved my morning with a book in my hand while feeling the cool fresh air, hearing the water splash as few people swim in the infinity pool and the chirp of birds just above me. I also swam for a few minutes while enjoying the early rays of the sun. 

08:15 Coffee Ground Scrub. I learned this from my colleagues at work. It eliminates dead skin cells making it appear firmer and refreshed. Try it!

09:30 Breakfast at the Feast

11:00 An hour of nap

12:30 St. Mary's Basilica. With four other girls, I visited Bangalore's oldest church. It is different from all the other churches because of its blue and white interior paintings. It is beautiful, looking very elegant and feminine, rightly dedicated for Mama Mary. It was almost crowded of devotees doing their own prayers and offering candles and flowers, kissing and touching the different statues of saints. We were at first surprised to see people worshiping as Catholics like we do because we have seen more Muslims and Hindus everywhere in India.

We have observed people eating rock salt scattered under this statue of Mary and Jesus.
We don't know if eating salt has something to do with religion because then it's something new since it's never done in the churches in Philippines. Or it may have something to do with their culture. We never find out.

Our Lady of Good Health, Pray For Us

We offered our candles and flowers, too.

14:00 Very near to the church is Commercial Street, a shopping destination. I bought good quality curtains at a very reasonable price. I know where I'm using them. :)

15:30 Nearby our hotel is a big market where I bought a few groceries like brown rice, pomegranate, etc. Beside Big Bazaar is a home improvement and home goods store. Gosh! Looking at the items sent shivers down my spine. I can hardly wait to buy my own home furniture, appliances and decorations. And that means SAVING UP! :) I want my tiny condo space to be rented because I still want my simple dream of a house. c: In God's will and time. For now, I bought a candle lantern. That could take a lovely space in the bedroom.  I also bought myself a pillow mister. I didn't know such things exist. :D It is a lavender and fennel fragrance spray to bed linens that invites peaceful sleep and beautiful dreams. I might as well stop using melatonin pills. 

17:30 After quickly freshening up in the hotel, I went to LandMark bookshop inside Orion Mall and I was welcomed by books on sale (I almost went crazy when I saw the 70% discounts :D). I honestly still have a lot of unread books but I wouldn't let this pass. I bought four Chicken Soup for the Soul books for a total of 719INR (505PHP) and that already includes a cute silicone stand earphone purple turtle wrap (that's such a long description :D) for earphone cords storage. Lovely, right? :) 

I love India for books! c:

19:00 I love my dinner at Beijing Bites at the Food Court.

Burnt Pepper Chicken

Talking about my dinner made me starve for food again. :D Since I only finished half of it earlier, I'm going to eat the other half now before going to sleep. I don't mind being full right before sleeping. Haha. And it's time to use my new bed buddy to transport me to a world of refreshing sleep and eternal bliss. 

Good night! ZzZzzzzzzz

(Insert: My first Bangalore flight was an unforgettable one. My flying partner and I visited a few tourist attractions like the Lalbagh Park, Bangalore Palace and Vidhana Soudha. We had a lovely Indian lunch at Tandoor Resto and enjoyed an evening of mojito at The Studio Bar.)

Belle de Jour Power Planner 2016

Gotcha! 

He bought a planner like this first week of December last year, as one of his birthday presents for me. He had it mailed to my sister and she tried to collect it but for some reasons, it got lost somewhere. It had to be sent back to the sender. The timings were bad. Jeff and I were both in Manila this week while it was being sent back to Cebu. So, he bought again this Belle de Jour Power Planner 2016 at FullyBooked. I was so happy. He didn't have the slightest idea how much I wanted to hold this since the time I knew he bought this for my birthday. He plans to give the other one to his younger sister. 

Just so you know, I've been using Belle de Jour Power Planner since 2012. I used to buy the covers with girly designs and ring- bound. I shifted to hard- bound leather covers with simple cover quotes because it is more compact and it looks quite more sophisticated and womanly, and simple. 

Now that I'm on a 57- hour layover in a city of India where there's nothing much to do outside, I'm going to start organizing my plans, ideas and things to do. I will be filling this planner with stickers and I will be writing with colored pens.

I'm excited. It's not yet late to start 2016 on a planner! :), 

My January Days Off

I didn't expect I'd spent my days off with Jeff and my family in Manila. It was a very tough decision weighing my options of going or not based on first, my financial situation- something that he had actually assessed on. :)

Second, I had a problem purchasing my ticket. I needed to use my credit card. My bank is undergoing an upgrade of cards to all its customers since last quarter of last year. I didn't process the upgrade until this week. I received the new card but I needed to wait for another week to receive another mail from Aramex which will be a PIN this time. I couldn't purchase anything online without it. 

My third challenge was the ticket, itself. My free tickets are over and though there's unlimited discount tickets, I will be traveling as a wait list passenger and will only be allowed to travel if there is space available. I looked at the seat capacity on the flights I booked and they were already overbooked which means a lot of passengers are on wait list like me. My fear was not being able to travel on time. I could still try to catch the next scheduled flight to Manila the next day but that means missing the 50th wedding anniversary of our grandparents- the main reason why me and my family is going to Manila. And I may also miss my flight back to Jeddah, and be tagged as lateback or no- show to my next operating flight which is a big no- no to my goal of being a Manila base crew. 

Answered Prayers: Jeff supported me by booking my family's ticket to and from Manila. And he booked our 3 nights stay at Burgundy Mckinley Place in Paranaque. One of my friends is a lifesaver, too. Thanks to her! She allowed me to transact online using her credit card. I owe her 1500sar for the tickets to Manila and back. And checking in for the flight back from Manila was easy. The agent told me right away that my airline has already confirmed my seat.

Thank you, Lord, for You have allowed me to spend time with my loved ones by the help of others on overcoming those challenges. :)