First Flight – London Bound

To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

After a great 2 months of training and mockups in Germany, I was finally going to be on my first flight as a cabin crew. In June 2003 with all the anxiety and had an airport  pick up of 5.30am , all decked up with a blue uniform, orange scarf, heels to match and light makeup. Met all my fellow crew partners with all the nervousness I had as I was the junior among all the people who are now my good friends.

Getting to the airport and we all went into a room for briefing, like a good girl I was only listening and only thinking about the flight. As  I stepped inside the first aircraft I had ever seen so big ( 5y -ccc) boeing 767 -300 ER ( extended Range ).  After security checks within the aircraft as a norm , I started to ease out when I saw people walking inside the aircraft, less then 1 hour we are London bound. I also had a lot of thoughts in my mind while I sat on the emergency exit,  for the aircraft to be flying and then I hear the bell( twice) as notice for service,walking on the aisle with heels with all the confidence is a trick that I mastered after  a few steps. 8 eights of a journey landed us to LHR ( London Heathrow), with excitement I finish all my work that was assigned and exit the main door of the aircraft to be received by a bus, my eyes are wide and the tiresome journey made me feel fresh, moved to security checks and immigration and next we are the concierge to get our rooms keys to rest.

Next day I awake up to a beautiful sunny London, to my surprise a city as Indians ( from different parts of the world) we all want to run to and visas are always denied. And there I was with a dream come true as a cabin crew and into London first time, like a teenage I wanted to do everything I could in the short days I lived there not thinking I will always return, so quickly I finish getting ready and breakfast and set my self ready to explore the city even if its alone.

At the concierge I check out a few things and set to so called “High street” for shopping /exploring. Get a bus to drop and there I was on one of the high streets in Feltham, Its already 11am and I have a lot to see so I window shop from each and every shop looking at anything I can set my eyes on, at lunch time I saw working people all had some sort of sandwiches and were eating on the road and I was not sure if that was norm or fashion as it gets termed. I get myself one so that I don’t feel left out, and I see lots of pigeons and in Kenya they fly away whereas in London they seem not to be scared. I enjoy the sandwich I get from marks and spencer with a drink and sit on the road benches. Time passed and I felt tired with all the running around I did just in one day and yet I had 2 more days in London. I head back to the hotel and all I wanted to have now was an Indian meal like my mum makes craved for the spicy food and I set my eye on an Indian restaurant and order my favorite Veggie Biryani and head to the room to eat and chill.

Being summer in London I get to the see the sunset quite late and I grab my favorite authors book ( Sidney Sheldon ) and read “if tomorrow comes “, being the book worm I am I end up reading till late and doze of to sleep and having a peaceful night………………..