Merry Christmas Everyone !!!

Is the job of a flight attendant as glamorous as you think?

High pay, flying all over for free, meeting some high roller Mr Right ?

Regarding the latter, that’s pretty much in the past. Gone are the days where only the rich could afford to fly. These days the whole airline industry had evolved. We have many budget airlines, targeting at the general public. Price wars amongst the major airlines also ensure almost everyone can fly, so chances of meeting the "elite" bachelor has lessen. Airlines cut budget by reducing number of out station days per flight.  And no one wants turn-around flights.(that’s flights returning on the same day- usually reserve for near by destinations.)

I’m sure you heard of crew losing it. I mean the mind !

Yes the job is pretty stressful! Everything must be on time on the dot. From reporting for duty to meal service. If everything goes according to plan that’s fine, but as you know life rarely is, if you encounter some ‘troublesome  or unhappy’ pax, you’ll be stressed to the limit.

Thank Goodness it’s not always stressful. When you have an overnight in some nice city, it made it all worth while . We do get to experience all kinds of exotic food, shopping & most of all the culture.  To be frank, I won't change it for the world .

What do flight attendants or air stewardess do?

I have a few days off & it’s about time I update this blog. Nothing much happening lately. Friends said maybe I should introduce our line of work. Might as well.

So what do flight attendants do? It’s not just what you see, jet-setting to exotic cities, shopping or serving meals & selling duty free. Our primary duty is to help ensure the safety of passengers on board…. Surprise…….

...LOL....

Yes it sounded kinda dry & boring I know, but it’s true. Remember before the plane takes off ,you were shown a safety demo clip. That’s the important part. We spend a few days learning all that before we were “certified “ to fly. Things like evacuation procedures , how to use all those equipment like fire extinguishers, slides, doors etc… 

In case of emergency your lives are in our hands 

You often see the crew checking that everyone is safely buckle up before flight & during turbulence & before landing. If we are not vigilant, people & stuff will start flying all over the place if we were to hit a sudden turbulence! Imagine !

We are also trained in first aid (& that only  ),  don’t rely on us for life threatening medical conditions. In such cases, we will usually “try” to find a passenger who is a doctor or nurse who could help. According to my seniors, there’s always a doctor on board on holiday. I’m not so sure about that, but he swear on it.

It's not all rosy, To me, the most unpleasant part is dealing with rude, drunk, unreasonable & uncooperative passengers. Lucky Most passengers are OK some are down right awesome !  But as we fly longer the chances of bumping into at least one of the above increases, seniors promised that too…haha….

Flying can shorten your life???? Oh No !!!

I just read this, thought you might want to know!!!!

It’s been proven that taking regular holidays is a stress busting health booster, but it seems the way we travel to those holidays isn’t quite as healthy. In fact, flying can be downright bad for you. It’s already been proven by the Association of Flight Attendants that people who have careers in the aviation industry are more at risk of dying from cancer, and now it’s become apparent why.

 

According to physicist Robert Parish, when you reach the average cruising altitude of 39,000 feet in a plane you are subject to 64 times more radiation than at sea level due to cosmic rays, which over time can seriously affect your wellbeing.

 

Well not sure how true all this is ...lol... don't shot me if it's all crap!

 

Beauty Pays

Don't know about Singapore but a study in America reveals that a goodlooking person ( in America) on average make much more than a very plain one. There is evidence that attractive workers bring in more business, so it often makes sense for firms to hire them. Whether rewarding them accordingly—and paying their less attractive peers more stingily— is another matter. 

In the work front, some of you might be wondering why any woman would willingly embrace fashion (particularly high heels). One shouldn’t be surprise that virtually all females consider their looks as key to their self-image. There’s a survey carried out sometime ago that found out over half of young women said they would prefer to be hit by a truck than be fat…..lol…. 

Should “Discriminating against people on the grounds of personal appearance” be banned???  It limits a person's right to equal opportunity, reinforces the subordination of groups where unappealing characteristics, including obesity, are concentrated (ie, the poor, some ethnic minorities), and restricts self-expression. Yet because ugliness is harder to define than race or sex, some argue that anti-discrimination laws are impossible to maintain. And anyway, say employers, appearance is often relevant to the job at hand. Just ask my Boss....lol...

Though it could be tough but they can be dealt with. Occasionally beauty is essential to a business ( e.g. modelling, but how about airline crew????). Looks do not reflect an air crew’s  effectiveness, but it often reflect the biases of employers, not customers.  

Whatever it is one cant argue that, “attractiveness”  is important for success. It is especially valuable for poor people, young people, the newly arrived and the otherwise unqualified. It literally opens doors for you.Sexualised images are everywhere, and the world that has emerged is one in which no one can afford to pretend beauty does not matter.

 

Men too, having lost their monopoly of well-paid jobs, are investing in  to enhance their appeal to mates and employers. They are marching off to gyms and discovering face cream, going for botox & fillers in record numbers.

Sun protection from a young age is important

Damage to skin from unprotected UV exposure builds up year after year, so the exposure we get during childhood increases our chances of skin cancer later in life.

UV exposure during childhood and adolescence appears to set the stage for the development of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers in later life.

Sun Protection

 Sun protection is really all about limiting your exposure to UV rays in order to minimize your chance of sunburn, skin cancer, and eye damage. How you choose to protect yourself will depend on the activity you are doing, you're personal preferences, and UV levels at the time, but here are the basic four options:

1) Staying in the Shade

 Staying in the shade is the best Sun protection you can get and sometimes it's the smartest option when UV levels are extreme. Keep in mind though that whilst shade reduces UV by more than 50%, it does not give total protection. If you are in the shade but close to a reflective surface, such as a swimming pool or white plastic outdoor table, you may still be exposed to UV rays that bounce off these surfaces. As a general rule of thumb, anything that causes a glare in the Sun (e.g. snow, water, white surfaces) has the potential to increase your UV exposure by reflecting and scattering radiation from any direction - including beneath you.

 Parasols, Umbrellas, and Beach Tents These are all about providing shade.  There is still the risk from UV reflected off other surrounding surfaces, like water for example, so keep this in mind if you are beside a pool.

 2) Cover up with UV Protective Clothing & Swimwear

UV protective clothing, hats, and swimwear is a good way to protect your skin and, unlike sun lotions, it doesn't wear off or need to be re-applied. Certain fabrics, colors and styles are better at blocking UV radiation than others. UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) is the amount of sun blocked by fabric.

 Loose-fitting designs tends to give better protection against UV.  Long sleeved tops help to protect your arms.  Close-woven fabrics give the best UV protection. Less UV passes through tightly woven or knitted fabrics. Cotton and linen fabrics provide good protection. Heavier weight fabrics usually block more UV radiation than lighter fabrics of the same type. Darker colours give more protection from UV.

 Hats are very important in proper Sun protection as the face, neck and ears are common sites for skin cancer. Hats can provide excellent protection for your face, eyes, nose, lips, ears, neck, and even shoulders if the hat creates enough shade. The type of hat you choose will determine the level  Arm protectors fit snuggly around the arm from the hand up to the bicep area and stop uv damage.

3)  Wearing UV Protective Sunglasses

 Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, they are also an easy way to prevent cataracts, eye cancer, and snow blindness. Some sunglasses offer better UV protection than others depending on the materials used, their shape, and fit. Because snow, water and higher altitude can dramatically increase UV strength and exposure, good quality well fitting UV-protective eye wear are especially essential if you are skiing, hiking, sailing, fishing or doing anything near water, snow or at higher altitudes.

 Large, wrap-around style frames may provide more efficient UV protection because they cover the entire eye-socket and block UV rays from sneaking in from the side or from below when reflected off of surfaces such as water or snow. This is especially important when doing activities around or on water or snow because UV is reflected from all directions off of the these surfaces.

Always check the sunglasses label to make sure they protect against UV-A and UV-B. The closer to 100% protection a pair of sunglasses provide, the safer your eyes will be from damage.

4) Using Broad Spectrum Sunscreen

 If you plan to be in the Sun then a good quality sunscreen should give you the protection you need. Sunscreen products come in all different formulations, but in terms of UV protection all you need to know is how well a product will block UVA AND UVB radiation. When a product blocks both UVA and UVB it is referred to as having 'broad spectrum' protection. Products marked only with an SPF value are only telling you how much UVB they block, and may leave you fully at risk of UVA exposure.