Lazy Afternoon with a Hot Coffee

Memories

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 12:56 AM 0 Comments

Appreciative Video

Whenever I think or feel that I've reached a point of "free air needed" in my training, I take a look at this video. Yes, our airport traffic is rather high in this region of the world, but honestly, it's nothing compared to the airports overseas.

For example--
--Paris Charles De Gaulle has 4 runways, 3 terminals, with one of the terminals having 6 Halls.
--Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson has 5 runways, 6 concourses.
--London Heathrow has 2 runways, 4 terminals, 1 more under construction.
--New York JFK has 4 runways, 9 terminals.

These are just the infrastructure; add in the live air traffic, and you'll see why I'm all so-appreciative of Changi.



If shit happens and the staff don't perform as they should, this is what might happen.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 10:18 PM 0 Comments

Another Day That Didn't Go Too Well

Today was my first day at desktop simulator, where I had to deal with aircrafts and flights as a real controller.

I could have done better.

More later.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 6:32 PM 0 Comments

I Didn't Tell You To Like Me

Quite some time since I last blogged.

Well, sometimes I feel that my training is quite routine and monotonous, sometimes I do get to experience things that people outside the job/industry will never have a chance to.

Somethings, however, never change, no matter where I am.

-- This Wednesday and Thursday, our batch of trainees were brought to the HQs where we can plug in to listen and watch the realtime air traffic going on. We won't be posted there upon our passing out, but this visit was to make us more familiar and comfortable with the pace and environment of 'live' traffic.

We would take turns to sit at various positions and learn from the controllers what they do there. Some are rather friendly while some just can't be bothered to say hi even though you've been seated beside him for like... long enough.

Every controller that I sat with, asked the same question-- Is this your first job? What did you do previously? And there they have it-- an 'interesting' newbie who was a cabin crew before.

When I left my cabin crew job, I was prepared that wherever I go next, new colleagues there will be interested or rather, nosy about my previous work experience. I am aware of the general impression and stereotype people have when they hear the job title.

My strategy? Very simple-- simply behave in my normal behaviour== a crazy girl who has a weird sense of fashion who can take almost all kinds of jokes. I'm not going to be some high-maintenance chick who frowns and scowls when others burp or tell silly jokes in front of her.

Maybe it's due to my cabin crew experience and training-- I try to maintain a 'healthy and cheerful' air around so that people won't feel so awkward. Glad to say, there's a couple of chaps in my class that are 'in charge' of that and seldom fail.

I do realise one thing-- and this was also pointed out by someone I know from the previous batch. Let's call him C.

When my batch met the 'seniors' from the previous batch, I believe I was the first one to greet them Good Morning (very good habit brought over from airline). After I got to know them better, they told me that some of my classmates basically ignored them and they thought it wasn't necessary.

To me, it's all damn simple-- if successful, we'll most probably be in this job/organisation/environment for the rest of our working life. Singapore's small; and our job circle is damn small. If you're thinking of ignoring the others and just be on your own island while working, this is not the place for you. I was in a very similar situation when I was in the airline training. I might not like certain people in the class, but the fact is right there-- we are going to be colleagues for some time in the future. It won't do anybody any good to be on hostile terms.

Make someone your friend before they make you their enemy.

I had something very simple and clear in my mind-- I can be real friendly, talk to them, and who knows, I can dig out some important information from them. True enough, when it comes to exam time, they're always more than willing to help in telling me which areas to concentrate in. Can just sense my classmates' eyes shooting daggers at me.

And Thursday afternoon, we got back to the academy where the HR department came down to give a talk about the new staff appraisal thingy. Whatever. HR people. Total corporate sell-outs. Yuck.

During the tea break, I offered a seat at our table for C and we just started chatting. Part of me was really hoping that my class people can join in, and not just me and him talking. We'll all be colleagues in the near future, so it doesn't hurt to start to be friendly a little early. As expected, they continued with their own conversations and didn't bother to acknowledge C.

Later in the evening, C send me a message advicing/warning/telling me about what he noticed-- when I was making stupid jokes, the 2 girls in my class showed a face that's not very accomodating. Fine. So now I'm the girl with a whiny voice and too many guy friends in the academy for their comfort level.

I got myself out of an environment that's sometimes suffocating because of how people look at me; and i've thrown myself into yet another damn similar one.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 9:58 PM 0 Comments

Foul Mood

Just got a message from someone I know in the academy.

Expected this. But still sucks.

Will explain more later.

Going to shower up and curse all I want in the bathroom.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 7:22 PM 0 Comments

Memories

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 1:20 AM 0 Comments

Be More Grateful

People are just not grateful for what they already have. They're always looking around for something newer, nicer, prettier, flashier.. blahblah. But at the end of the day, it all doesn't matter, does it?

We're always telling ourselves subconciously that-- Nah, that kind of stuff will never happen to me.

But, things happen. And out of the blue.

I want to help a friend, but there's nothing SOLID which I could do.

Best I can do now is to pray for the situation to get better.

Miracles happen. Let's hope that it does here.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 9:56 PM 0 Comments

Long-Awaited Rain

Finally, it rained for a big part of the afternoon. Very appreciative of what the rain did-- make the day cooler.

Have a lot of messy thoughts in my mind right now. Not sure how I can sort them out. Not sure if I have the energy to do so, and not sure if it's worth me sorting.

I need to go shopping.

Alone.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 8:30 PM 0 Comments

Orientation

Quite a relaxed week, partly because of the Labour Day Holiday on Tuesday.

On Thursday, we had this orientation day, to welcome the newcomers into the organisation. So we had to show up at the airport in the morning to meet the other newbies from other divisions.

I was late. Not on purpose. Anyway, it was just... late.

Started off the orientation with an introduction about the organisation's history, the divisions that make up the organisation, who's the boss, and who's MY boss... blahblah.

Next up is a games session.

Yes... games.

Were split up into groups and the first game was to solve some word puzzles. Next is a challenge with drinking straws and an egg. Main goal is to 'build a structure around the egg so that it won't break when dropped from waist-height'.

This would have been fun-- If I'm in Polytechnic or Uni, not when the average age of the participants are around 30!!?? (Flips eyes)

The lunch session was okay, but not fantastic. We had directors, chiefs, and heads from various divisions join the newbies for lunch. Everyone was split into tables of 5 to 6 again. This time round, they had a list of names of who's to be sat at which table.

My table:
-Chief Corporate Officer
-HR Director
-Newbie-- a retired Pilot. Mr. Captain.
-Newbie-- a lady from the Cargo side, was in some military ministry before.
-Newbie-- a guy from my Academy (shouldn't be too junior too I suppose)
-Newbies-- me and a training classmate.

You can just imagine me-- seated at this table where everyone is much more senior and (except for my classmate) at least 10 years older. Lunch was not bad, but I can't say much for the company.

I just can't take it when people start to go all politically-correct with me. I would so much prefer to have lunch and coffee with those uncles you see sitting at coffeeshops all day long shaking their legs. At least they speak their minds, curse when they feel the urge, laugh at jokes that are really funny, and make fun of people/policies that are just crap.

I kept quiet most of the time, simply because I had no freaking idea what the rest are talking about most of the time. Organisation policy? Not intersted at all, unless it involves raising my pay. New equipment coming in? Let's just look at it when it's ACTUALLY here, shall we?

But don't worry about me, I kept my manners and smiled at the right times, and just shut my mouth when I don't have anything to say. Managed to ask the HR Director one simple question-- So you've been working in other departments before HR; Do you prefer HR or other places?

And there came the oh-so-correct answer-- "Every department has its challenges and good points..." Blahblah.

Enough heard.

Very seldom that you see me grateful for a lunchtime to be over.

But who knows? Maybe a couple of weeks later, I might get a report-- on how the directors and chiefs thought of me, over lunch.

The afternoon was a bit better. The newbies were brought to the OUR homebase-- the main control centre. I was just snickering when I see and hear those people from other divisions go "OHHHHH!!! Wah!!!!!" when they saw our equipment and environment. Ok.. I'm being mean here. But some of the questions they ask are really dumb...

Next is the visit to my training Academy. Well, I suppose SIZE really does matter. The "OHHHHH!" and "WAAHHHH!"s just got louder when we stepped in and they saw that we have a fountain, pavillions, and a big pond with lots of fat kois. Yes, people, the fishes are real.

Final stop for the day-- the Fire Station onsite. This was just awesome. I was just about 400m or so away from aircrafts on their landings and takeoffs. AWESOME. Took a ride on the emergency fire trucks too. AWESOME. (Will post the pics up some time later)

Crappy start, awesome end.

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 11:17 PM 0 Comments

这一局，你愿意下多少筹码？

站得太久 分岔口怎么去走
我够胆孤注一掷 完全没有颤抖
爱你那段时候 简简单单经已足够
到任何东西应有尽有 谁还留力舔伤口

人生太短 出手要更大 旁观者不需理解
赢得风光 豪得精彩 自己偏偏感觉失败
自尊心都可以出卖 忘记我也是无坏
连幸福都输掉醉在长街 依然是我最大

求得到手 首先该懂得放手
拿什么出去抵押 才能换爱永久
有了最大成就 所失的赶不上补救
发誓赢他多一次就够 为何仍没法收手

人生太短 出手要更大 旁观者不需理解
赢得风光 豪得精彩 自己偏偏感觉失败
自尊心都可以出卖 忘记我也是无坏
连幸福都输掉醉在长街 依然是我最大

奇迹太少 这心瘾更大 受伤都不需慰解
垂手可得 全个世界 自己的一生却失败
自尊心都可以出卖 忘记我也是无坏
连幸福都输掉醉在长街 依然是我最大

连梦想洒一地再任人踩 依然笑得爽快

Song from a Hong Kong serial.

Love this--人生太短 出手要更大

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 8:45 PM 0 Comments

Memories

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 1:17 AM 0 Comments

坚持和放弃

有一种决定，是坚持；
有另一种决定，是放弃。

坚持和放弃，都需要勇气。
它们有可能是对自己或自己所相信的事物的信任。

遗憾的是，坚持和放弃，往往是一种无奈。

要放弃，一定要坚持某些事情；
要坚持，难免得放弃一些。

坚持、放弃。放弃、坚持。

它们其实是很羡慕对方的吧。
对方有着自己没有、也应该永远都不会有的责任和自由。

它们应该也是互相讨厌的吧。
对方持着自己永远不可能了解的信念。

其实：
有一种放弃，叫坚持；
有一种坚持，叫放弃。

posted by A Lone Fighter @ 1:04 AM 0 Comments