Visiting Amsterdam

I was rostered to an Amsterdam flight last January.  It was a 24-hour-layover just like what we have in other destinations we fly to. Regardless of the limited time to see what the city could offer, I, together with two other crews were able to make the most out of the time we have in Amsterdam.

Let me share with you some of the places and random things/sites we've visited and seen:

1. Van Gogh Museum (Address: Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1071 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands)

As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed. - Vincent Van Gogh

Born Vincent Willem van Gogh (a Dutch) was a Post-Impressionist painter of The Starry Night. The biggest collection of his artworks could be seen in the above mentioned museum.  I do not usually visit museums on my layovers but this one made me awed by the quantity of artworks, too bad, visitors were not allowed to take photos inside. Entrance fee would be 15 Euros.  Residents and children up to 17 years of age could get in for free. Should you wish to bring home some memorabilia, there's a souvenir shop inside selling postcards of Van Gogh artworks, notebooks, pens, shirts and etc.

2. Bikes

According to the latest estimate posted in Iamsterdam website, there were more bikes than permanent residents. Cycling was very popular in Amsterdam. There were a lot of bike rentals around the city and this form of transportation could help you go around the city if you chose not to walk. 

3. I Amsterdam Letters (at the back of Rijksmuseum on Musemplein)

It would never be easy to have your solo shot (without anyone) in this area, unless you really patiently wait until everyone leaves.  The letters could also be seen in Schipol Airport which would be a better option if you want to get your solo photo with the letters.  Why Iamsterdam? The city's website say that it started as a "marketing campaign for the area and its business and promotional organisations". Time went on and the phrase became really catchy and went on to everyone's minds.


4.Canal and Canal Houses

Canal houses at night were even more beautiful at night.The lights on the houses made it more pleasing to the eyes.

5. Anne Frank Museum  (Address: Prinsengracht 263-267, 1016 GV Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Museum of Anne Frank was one of the most visited sites in Amsterdam. A long queue would always be frequent in this museum.  To our surprise, there were fewer people than we expected. We paid 9 euros for the entrance fee. Again, no picture taking allowed inside.

Honestly, I haven't read The Diary of Anne Frank, but I've seen the book many times back in my home country.  I had goosebumps when I visited her house - imagine, it used to be their hiding place during the WWII in attempt of escaping the Nazis. 

6. Red Light District

Photos not allowed in the area.  This was located in the middle of the urban area wherein you could see ladies in their nearly naked attire standing behind the glasses, attracting and inviting visitors especially men to come inside the business.   You could also see "for adults only" shops in this area.



Hope my this blog entry could somehow give you an idea of the places to visit and see during a trip to Amsterdam -checkout the Rijksmuseum or the Heineken Experience (just mention a couple of sites).

And oh, by the way, do not miss trying pancakes in the city.  Prepare your stomach for their  Pannekoeken (enormous pancake just like the photo on the left).  This was such a mouth-watering Dutch treat! :)


 

Weekend at Manchester

In the Middle East, our, or should I say, "their" weekends are Friday and Saturday but for the other parts of the world including my home country, weekends mean Saturdays and Sundays.

Whenever I think of weekends, I would see a picture of people crowding in the city center - doing grocery shopping, window shopping, literally shopping and etc. Those thoughts were true when I operated a flight to Manchester. It was my first time to be there and I was lucky to have flown with other 'first timer' crews who also wanted to go around and bring something home to Dubai. 

Through the help of the hotel's concierge, we booked a taxi going to the city center.  Sight seeing was in my mind but not as much as mini grocery shopping.  Doing food shopping in Dubai was quite costly compared to doing it on my layovers. In the United Kingdom, there were plenty of shops that sell reasonable prices of goods and I would not keep my eyes closed on that. 

Before I dwell much on what I found in Manchester, let me share with you some sights of the city center:

random building

the largest Primark

Hot Dog anyone? 

I, together with some crews did not go so much around the city. We just planned on going to a few shops, ate hot dog sandwich and shop for what we wanted. Not much time for window shopping :P With the help of a Korean crew, I've been introduced to Poundland - where everything cost a pound. I bought a few food items there and my purse was still happy haha. I paid 5 pounds for 5 items - not bad at all. I could have spend more (converted to dirhams) if I buy those items in Dubai.

I must say, my layover at Manchester was a weekend well spent. Aside from setting foot to a new place and seeing some English buildings; getting along with crews coming from different parts of the world and experiencing new cultures were the two things I like about my layovers. 

I felt blessed getting this kind of job. Not all would be pleased of what I am doing but for me, no matter how simple or complex your job was, it wouldn't matter at all as long as your job makes you happy. 


 

London Central

My second flight to London was set to leave at 2:30 AM of September 15.  Getting a sleep before an early morning flight was challenging for me. I forced myself to sleep in the middle of the day so I wouldn't be dozing off while on duty, but, I kept on waking up every after 1 hour :( Despite the not so good sleep, I managed to stay awake for the entire flight to London. I guess, the feeling of excitement played its role in waking me up.

I planned ahead before my flight. I asked for directions, search the internet for the landmarks and etc. I already expected that I would be doing sight seeing by myself since other crews would either stay in the hotel or go to Hounslow.  We arrived around past 8 AM (London time) of September 15. After checking-in and getting into my room, I immediately changed clothes, prepared my bag and went straight to the concierge to ask for a map.  My route for that day? LONDON CENTRAL.

I rode the bus to Hatton Cross station and bought and All day ticket. From there, I rode the Picadilly Line to Baron's Court where I transferred to District Line. Since I wanted to see the Big Ben and London Eye, I went down at Westminster Station. I was really awed that I instantly saw Big Ben while I was going out of the underground.  On that very moment, Big Ben was a reality and not something I am just seeing in pictures. Nothing could ever beat something you've seen through your very eyes.

London Eye was just on the other side of Big Ben. A lot of tourists (count me in there) was crowding the area - each trying to get a shot with those famous landmarks on their background.

House of  Parliament:

Across the Parliament Square was St. Margaret's Church - Westminster Abbey or known as "the Parish Church of the House of Commons".

Westminster Abbey (one of the most important Gothic (Architecture) landmark in the United Kingdom. It was the Benedictine monks who first came to the site of Westminster Abbey. According to the abbey's website:

Westminster Abbey or - to use its formal name - the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster, is a ‘Royal Peculiar’. This means it is a free chapel of the Sovereign, exempt from any ecclesiastical jurisdiction other than that of the Sovereign.

 One of the not-so-distant past events held at Westminster Abbey was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. 

Buckingham Palace was also on my list on the day I visited London Central. From Westminster Station, I rode the Jubilee line tube and get off at Green Park Station. It was just a short walk from the station to the Buckingham Palace.

Rain was unstoppable in the middle of the day. I lost the chance to see the Tower Bridge. I just rode the train to Bond Street so I could visit Oxford Street, a shopping area in London Central. I just visited Primark, Boots and M&S foodies. I bought a few things which I thought as essentials for my other layovers at Primark. Queue was crazy at first glance but when you're in there, line was moving faster than you've thought. My tip if you're planning to visit Primark: Go there as early as you could.


Getting around London Central was easy contrary to what I thought on my first time there. Landmarks was within reach via London Underground, just read the signs and you wouldn't get lost. Sight seeing slash ME time was not a bad idea. Sometimes, it was a good way to make you feel confident about your sense of direction and even independence. If I would be having another flight to London for the next months, I wouldn't mind traveling alone again :)




 

Bonjour!

I believe a lot of people wanted to see the Eiffel Tower (including me). For me, it became the trademark of Paris along with all other sites like the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral. I would always include the picture of Eiffel Tower in my inspirational boards which I eventually used as an ipad wallpaper.

I never thought I would see the City of Love and Lights on my first month at work. I felt really excited from the very moment I saw my roster.  I guess you attract what you think most of the time so believe in the power of your thoughts combined with your feelings. Just like what it says in The Secret "Thoughts become things".

It was on the 9th of September that I flew to CDG (Charles De Gaulle Airport or Aéroport Paris–Charles de Gaull or just Roissy Airport). We had an evening arrival so it would be favorable to me that I have a large part of the day (the next day) to do sightseeing. I was lucky that there were other crews who planned to do the same so I would not be alone then. Instead of taking the hotel shuttle to the city (which would start later part of the day), we asked the concierge to book a taxi for us for the next day. 

If I would be alone, I am unsure whether I could manage to ride the train to the city but I guess if I could muster all the courage and ask for directions from the hotel's concierge, soul searching in the city would be possible *lol*

On the next day, I, together with five other crews started our trip to the city at 9:00 AM. Three (including me) planned to just do sightseeing while the other three would shop at Champs Elysees and Lafayette.

Let me share with you some photos of the landmarks I've seen and visited in Paris:

1. Eiffel Tower

2. Arc De Triomphe

3. Pont Alexandre III

4. The Louvre

5. Avenue des Champs Elysees

How we got around Paris? We walked! We didn't choose to get a day pass (for the train, which I think costs around 22 Euro) so we walked from one landmark to another. A day pass would be ideal if you don't have patience to walk around the city. For me, I didn't care if I get tired. It was my first time in Paris and I appreciated everything I saw along the way.

What to wear? Take some time to research about the weather. When we got there, it was sunny but in the middle of our sight seeing, rain started to fall and eventually, sun showed up again when we were about to end our activity. I believe it would be best if you bring a folded umbrella with you, in case there would be a little possibility of rain. You wouldn't want the weather to spoil your sight seeing right?

I have yet to see some more landmarks like Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. Fingers crossed for another flight to CDG :)





 

Pulled Out!

A few days before August ended, I was scheduled on an airport standby at 6:00 AM. I wasn't really expecting anything but to get home and get back to my normal routine after my shift. Then again, fate must have something else in stored for me on that day. Just a few minutes after my shift started, a 3 letter airport code with a flight number appeared on my roster. At first I thought it was on my September roster since I already knew then that I will be operating that flight in the middle of the 9th month. I double-checked the date and right there and then, I knew I will be pulled out to operate that very busy flight.

I flew to London Heathrow (LHR) on that day. For someone who just finished a training and was not prepared for that flight, I must admit that it was a challenge for me to master all my responsibilities. Good enough that all the crews and my superior was very approachable and patient whenever I ask something.  Lesson learned for me. Prepare. Prepare.Prepare.

We arrived at London around 3:00 PM. I wanted to go out and explore the city but no matter how my flesh is willing to go out, my mind is too stubborn to ask the concierge for directions regarding where to go, how to go and etc. I still took a short walk around to check if there's something I can discover. I ended up just having one photo of one of their trademarks:

Double Decker bus

 Since I found nothing on the way, I decided to eat in the hotel where we stayed and here's what I got:

Overwhelming clubhouse sandwich! (turkey + bacon)

Spell g-l-u-t-t-o-n-y with what I had. One or two parts would be enough to make me full since turkey is white meat. I tried to finish the entire meal but NO, it's really impossible since my appetite could not accommodate them all. Food was okay. Hotel staffs were all friendly.

They say, you will always remember your first. Certainly! I might not managed to visit London Centrale but the fact that I got there with friendly and nice set of crews would be enough to consider it memorable and worth remembering. I might not be someone who was outstanding on that flight but I knew that all the lessons advised by my superiors would be helpful enough to do my job with confidence.