Author Archives for crewchew

I caught a lingering head cold that’s been going around – complete with plenty of congestion, so I had to call in sick. For a flight attendant, we just go by sick calls. I used one sick call to call off consecutive duty days. I had 3 days off, 5 duty days, the 2 days off, so I just called off the 5 duty days for a total of 10 days at home to get rid of this. The first day really knocked me off my feet and started with a really bad sore throat. My doctor took a throat culture, but it all came back negative, thank goodness. My throat rapidly got better, but the congestion lasted and said it could take up to a month. Let’s hope not! Keep in mind that our office is a metal tube filled with people going 530 mph at 35,000 feet. Our sick policy gives us the time we need to not infect others. I definitely feel much better and am ready to get back to work!

This sickness has not affected my appetite, and since we’ve been hitting 100+ degree weather in August, I’m ready for my refreshing famous homemade cold pasta salad! I wanted to actually create a recipe, so I decided to go with this. I love angel hair pasta, cilantro, buffalo mozzarella, onions, garlic, etc., so I tried it in a pasta and voila!!! Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. buffalo mozarella (cubed)
1/2 container 10.5 oz. grape tomatoes (quartered)
1/4 red onion (chopped)
3/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 orange bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium Red Delicious apple (chopped)
3/4 cup Sargento shredded 6-cheese Italian blend
1 16 oz. box Barilla angel hair pasta (use only 3/4 box)
1 bottle 12 oz. Brianna’s asiago creamy caesar dressing

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except pasta and dressing. Cook only 3/4 box of pasta, drain, then place into large bowl. Using kitchen scissors, cut pasta into small bite-sized pieces. Place cut pasta into mixture, then mix well. Add dressing to taste, mix well. I only use about 1/2 a bottle. Serve cold. Enjoy!

Last week, I got tagged by daily and deadheaded to Baltimore (BWI), spent the night and worked the flight back in the morning. I love deadhead flights, but I love Ruby Tuesday’s even more! There was a Ruby Tuesday’s in walking distance of our hotel. Although I like finding local places to eat in various cities, let’s be honest… Ruby Tuesday’s has the best salad bar! Those croutons are probably what makes it so yummy – especially when they are fresh & hot out of the oven! You don’t have to fly to another city to try a unique restaurant; just go to your friendly neighborhood Ruby Tuesday’s if you’re in the mood for some refreshing roughage! 

After I got back from this trip, I received my friendly call from scheduling: “Hi, it’s Future Scheduling. Where would you like to go tomorrow?” Looking at the list of open trips, I decided to take Buffalo (BUF). I don’t just go to Miami, Orlando, New York, or San Francisco. I go to Miami Beach, Disney World, Times Square/Manhattan, or Fisherman’s Wharf/Chinatown/Alcatraz. I like to see things, and since I was going to have 20 hours in Buffalo, how about Niagara Falls!

Our crew split money for a rental car and drove to Niagara Falls – it IS an actual city! 🙂 We continued on to Niagara Falls State Park and spent the entire day there. We had an amazing time as the falls were absolutely breath-taking and humbling… We took a boat ride out to see both sets of falls on the American and Canadian sides. I’ll be honest… I shed some tears of joy in the presence of God’s awesome creation…

I’ll definitely be going back there to take some crew members who have not seen it AND to find a delicious local restaurant! Hopefully, I’ll have a local Rave & Fave for next time!

I was able to pick up another international trip, and this time I wanted to see Dublin, Ireland. Once again, I was the first class cook – and hey, I guess I was getting better at it! I had a fantastic crew and want to share how Ireland really swept me off my feet! When I first looked into the eyes of my husband (back then, he was a total stranger), I instantly fell in love. Dublin swept me off my feet similar to my husband – I was completely enamored with Ireland! I absolutely love how laid back the people are, how they just like to have a good time, the beautiful greenery, foliage, and landscapes, and I even fell in love with the traditional Irish music and the dancing!

Library at Trinity College

After our initial 4-hour nap, we decided to walk to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. I couldn’t believe I got to see this as I remember studying about it in art history class! We also got a guided tour of the campus and even saw the library where they filmed some of the Harry Potter movie scenes. OK… Now, I was falling even more in love with Ireland – if that was possible…

We also walked to the Temple Bar area near downtown and had lunch at a pub. I fell in love with the Irish music as there was a guitarist and violinist who played for a couple of hours. I wish they had a CD I could buy! Let me tell you what else I fell in love with – Irish soda bread! I thought it was just wheat bread, but it sure tasted a whole lot better! If anybody has a really good recipe for Irish soda bread, please share!

After spending a couple of hours at the pub, we did a little shopping. Of course I had to buy souvenirs for my loved ones, AND I had to buy some Irish music CDs!

After a long day of falling in love with Ireland, we called it a night, but guess what….? Our plane had a mechanical problem the next morning, so we got to spend another day in Dublin!! This time, we all went to a dinner show complete with the Celtic dancing, and of course this means that I have to learn how to do it…!

Greenland’s glaciers!

If that wasn’t great enough, we had to ferry the plane back to Charlotte. This means that we carry no passengers, and it’s just the crew bringing the plane back. We flew over Greenland, which was a highly unusual route, and I got to see the glaciers! This is something I probably will never get to see again. This trip was an absolute dream! Although I won’t get to fly over Greenland, I WILL be coming back to Ireland and bringing my husband! I was sad to find out that I had ZERO Irish in me – as I’m just 1/2 Korean, 1/2 English, 0 Irish… That’s OK, because I’m convinced I have a “green” heart! 🙂

My month of being off reserve has been an absolute whirlwind of wonderfulness – if that’s a word…! I did pick up a trip to Paris, France, but I really wanted to drop it for a number of reasons: to stay home awhile longer, to enjoy Paris with my husband when we go in February, and to be home to celebrate our 4-year anniversary of the day we met. Instead, I picked up a later trip to Madrid, Spain!

Welcome aboard! Your dinner awaits!

I actually worked the D position which was the first class cook. How ideal is that since I love food! I really enjoyed prepping and plating the first class food and putting everything together. It was very enlightening and wasn’t too bad since first class was half full. Everybody wanted to sleep, so that was even better!

When we arrived to MAD (Madrid), we took about a 4-hour nap, then met in the lobby to go sightseeing and have lunch. We took the train to Plaza Mayor where we did some shopping and ate an an outdoor restaurant. What I love about Europe is all the history! This place was built in the early 1600s!! Everywhere you look, it seems as if history comes alive!

After the plaza, we continued on to the Royal Palace of Madrid. It was nearly reminiscent of Buckingham Palace – absolutely beautiful! We also toured the gardens located on the backside.

I’d love to write about what I ate, but I honestly didn’t know what I had. It was fried and delicious! My next trip is to Dublin, Ireland, so I’ll have a better chance of reading and understanding my meal… 😉 That will teach me to work on my Spanish… Gracias!

I do want to share a few trip tips for traveling to Europe:
– Be sure to carry enough cash to exchange in case your credit card doesn’t work
– Many hotels enhance currency at the front desk
– Carry an outlet converter and an extension cord
– Many hotels don’t provide wash cloths
– If you need to work the heating/cooling unit, make sure you turn the unit ON even if the temperature is showing
– Take a 4-hour nap upon arriving, so you have enough energy to look around AND get some sleep before you work the flight back
– Last, but not least – you have to place your key card in the slot by the door to activate the power. You may go into your room thinking your electricity is out!

I probably forgot many other important things to mention, but this is a start. Happy traveling and bon appetit!

NYC’s Empire State Building on Independence Day!

I am definitely enjoying my line (schedule)! My first trip as a block holder was over July 4th weekend. The first overnight was July 4th in New York City – 18 hours in the heart of Manhattan, and making it even better was that I flew with Eric, a classmate! Upon checking in, I did my usual “hotel check.” This consists of a safety check list good for anybody to do. We watch each other making sure our rooms have no issues. I first knock because guests can walk in on other guests – as computer systems are not always 100% accurate. Then, I leave my bags in the door, so it stays very open with a crew member staying vigilant in the hallway. I check behind all doors, closets, the shower curtain and under the bed to ensure nobody else is there. I also check under the mattress near the headboard for signs of bed bugs, their droppings or the actual bugs themselves. (I will talk about bed bugs in another post.) I pull down the top sheet to ensure there are no other bugs in between the sheets. I thank my crew member, and check their room if needed, then I put out the Do Not Disturb sign and latch the inside safety lock. The sign also lets other crew members know that I’m in there in case they come in at 0300 thinking it’s vacant. This happened to me ONCE, so far…

Eric and I immediately met in the lobby, found some good Korean food for dinner, then went to Times Square and saw the Empire State Building lit up in red, white, and blue. We went searching for fireworks but were told they moved it to the Brooklyn Bridge area and that you couldn’t see it from our area. That’s OK because we were tired, and I did find a great Swatch AND an “I Love NY” t-shirt from the 2 best street vendors!

Our next overnight was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was absolutely wonderful. I can never get enough of the beach…. Unfortunately, it was overcast and rainy, but just walking around was enough for me. I love going to different places and experiencing their culture!

Our last overnight was the short Orlando. If our overnight is less than 16 hours, we stay near the airport. If it’s over 16 hours, we usually stay in an area where there are things to do – usually downtown or other urban/commercial area. Since I didn’t get to see Mickey Mouse, I saw somebody better – another classmate we hadn’t seen since graduation!!! Marvis was our extra the following morning and was staying at the same hotel. He’s based in PHL (Philadelphia, Philly), and we’re based in CLT (Charlotte), so we usually don’t get to fly with other FAs that are based in other cities. In fact, our pilots mentioned that “by-gone era” where the crew used to all get together and do things. Well, once again, our entire crew had dinner together and shared many great stories and memories.

3 amigos!

Just another day in the life of a lowly flight attendant… 🙂

Well, well, well… or should I say “oui, oui, oui!” Remember how I’m a big bad block holder next month and actually have a set schedule? I was able to drop a 4-day trip to have off 12 days in a row. I went onto the trade board (Flica, ETB – Electronic Trade Board) to pick up an international trip. I had been denied many times because people beat me to the click (“pick up”), however for kicks and giggles, I decided to click on “pick up” for Paris. I got approved within 15 minutes!!!! So, I’ll definitely be writing about the food in France because I’ve heard nothing but good things about their cheeses, croissants, pastries, etc. I’m STARVING just thinking about the yummy food!

It gets better… I was researching our hotel and things to do while I’m there, and I discovered that July 14 is their independence day also called National Day, AKA Bastille Day! I’ll get there in the morning and leave the morning of the 15th, so I’ll be able to partake in the celebrations and festivities! My goodness… Despite all of the goings-on and excitement, I’m honestly hoping to see my sister-in-law who moved to Lyon, France…

Since I can’t write about anything from Paris, I will share a trip tip. This past weekend, I played in a sand volleyball tournament with one of my classmates. Another FA was supposed to play with us, but she got called for a trip. (In fact, she and I are going to start training to play doubles! BTW, got any ideas for a good team name comprised of flight crew? 🙂 ) On the way there, I had to follow my GPS, but like any other sunny day, it’s hard to see the screen with the sun glaring in my direction! You know those hotel note pads – the ones with the cardboard backing? Well, I cut one of those backings to fit the width of my GPS leaving room on the top right as it’s the power button. I placed one long piece of tape across the back and made a perfect sun visor for my GPS! I dared the sun to shine as bright as it could because it certainly worked! Woo hoo!

Last week, it was nearly my turn to take a trip from Daily. In fact, Paris (CDG) came open! Then Barcelona (BCN), then London (LHR), then Dublin (DUB). I even called Daily to ask if Dublin was mine. After they laughed (they have to call the block holders first), Portland, OR (PDX) was mine. After I got tagged, Rio de Janiero (GIG) came open, Frankfurt (FRA), etc. But, that’s OK because I ended up getting a great trip with great crews!

I got the K position, also called the extra or the chaser – probably because I’m chasing down the crew van as I have my own trip! Most of our planes are staffed with 3 flight attendants. When we fly the Airbus 321 or Boeing 757, we need a 4th crew member. This is called the extra, so that’s why we have our own trip. I got to fly with 3 different crews, and each one was awesome! My second crew had a new hire of which this was her very 2nd trip – how exiting! She was a rock star already! (If you’re reading this, you know who you are… 😉 )

Mt. Hood from the cockpit

Now let’s talk about Voodoo Donuts! My trip had a 34-hour layover in beautiful Portland, OR (PDX). On the way in, our captain announced where Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helen’s, and Mt. Rainier were in conjunction with us coming in for landing. He even took this gorgeous picture of Mt. Hood! After a good night’s sleep, we went sightseeing the next day. Would you believe I even rode the sky tram? I could handle turbulence much better than that thing rocking in the sky held by a cable. Yikes!!

For lunch, we went to the downtown area where they seem to have daily food trucks. What I got was absolutely delicious!!! They asked if I wanted red or green chile. Now, I used to live in New Mexico and knew what they meant, or so I thought… I asked for red and poured it all over my food. The red chile I’ve had in the past was usually mild to partially spicy, but this about set my mouth on fire! Just a heads up on the chile… Note to self: simply TASTE the stuff before I load it on there… 😉 

After walking off our lunch, it’s time for dessert! Where else but world famous Voodoo Donuts! As expected, there was a long line, but it was actually less than a 30-minute wait time. When we got there, it was sooooo worth it! Just look at the picture, and need I say more??!!! Everybody told me to try the bacon maple bar donut. Although I didn’t think it sounded very appetizing, I went ahead and tried it. After biting into it, I had only 3 words to describe the taste: O-M-G!!! You HAVE to try this one – I couldn’t believe how good it was! I’m very happy to have discovered they also had a location in Denver, CO, within walking distance of our crew hotel. I’m definitely going there on my next DEN layover! 🙂

http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php

I’m so excited I can’t see straight!!! I finally get to write about one of my favorite restaurants! I sometimes choose my trips based on the food, and this was one of those times! I was working a trip from daily and knew I was going to get a call from future while I was flying, so I left a wish list. I got my first choice out of 10: a 3-day trip with a long BOS (Boston) overnight and a short LGA (LaGuardia) getting me back in time to take the last flight home. AND, they left around 1000 both mornings, so I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn… Ahhhh…

While in Boston, our crew made plans to see the Red Sox play as they had a home game that evening. (For some reason, I’m fixated on Boston and New York baseball as they seem so iconic…) It was raining all afternoon and evening, showing online as being canceled, so we went to eat instead. Lo and behold, we found out the next day that it wasn’t canceled and the Red Sox won! STRIKE ONE for me…

When we arrived to LGA, we found out the Mets had finished playing missing the chance to see that game, too. STRIKE TWO for me… However, I was tired and hungry and went to the Pine Restaurant for a delicious meal. I hit a HOME RUN when I got to order my favorite: the Veal Valdestano! You can order this valdestano with chicken or veal. Let me read the description: A breaded cutlet baked with prosciutto, mushrooms and mozzarella in a rich marsala wine sauce. That’s just the menu description. Here’s mine!

My house salad!

Before I run on about the entree, let me tell you about their salad. It comes with a side salad with their house vinaigrette dressing that is absolutely delicious. The lettuce is the nice leafy green kind, and as I’m not much of a tomato eater, their cherry tomatoes were so deliciously sweet that I ate every last one. They offer different kinds of bread in the basket, and the ones I happen to eat had such a light texture with a touch of sweetness. I loved it because it didn’t feel heavy! The butter was the perfect room temperature and spread so nicely. I don’t like the cold hard pats of butter that clump tearing up your bread.

Now comes what I’ve been “pining” for (ha ha! as it’s the Pine Restaurant) – my Veal Valdestano… I always ask for extra cheese, so mine came smothered in cheese. The portion is so large that it covers the entire plate! Reggie, the awesome server, was all smiles because I was obviously enjoying my meal. I ate slowly, so I could savor every gooey bite! The veal is perfectly breaded, so I could taste the crunch blended with the flavors of the proscuitto and the sauces. Like us Southern gals always say: If it ain’t fried, it ain’t food!

Different kinds of bread and Potato Croquettes!

I can’t forget to mention my side item – Potato Croquettes. According to the menu, “this classic is a rolled up mashed potato that is deep fried.” I absolutely loved it! Chuck, the owner, was so nice and came by to see how I liked my food. (I noticed how interactive and caring he was with the customers!) I LOVED every bit of it and mentioned how I thought about ordering the same thing “to go,” so I could take it home to my husband. He knew I was flight crew and offered to make it first thing in the morning, so it would be fresh! Unfortunately, I was flying on an aircraft that did not have chillers, so it would be cumbersome trying to keep it refrigerated all day. My husband will just have to wait… 😉 Instead, I brought a container for leftovers as the portions are well worth the money!

Veal Valdestano smothered with cheese!

I took one of their take out menus (huge selection) as I’d like to try their homemade pizza, cold appetizers, hot appetizers, pastas, other specialties, ballgame favorites that include sandwiches, and uh oh… I just saw the dessert section… Chocolate Ravioli? Colossal Chocolate Fudge Cake? Chocolate Explosion? There’s so much more… If you’re ever in the LaGuardia area of New York or near the Mets stadium, go to 37-10 114th Street / Corona, New York 11368 and dine at the Pine Restaurant of Queens. You’ll LOVE it! It’s all our flight crew ever talk about… P.S. Please say “hi” to Chuck and Reggie for me! 🙂

My leftovers as I was flying the next day!

Hot dog, I got a line! Speaking of dog, since I had no image regarding my post, I thought I’d share a photo of my dog, Daisy!

HOT DOG!!! I got a secondary line! For kicks & giggles, I bid on secondary lines for July in case I could get one. Well, I GOT ONE! I even got my 11th choice out of 129 lines! This means, I have my trip details for the entire month of July. I know where I’m going and when I’m going. They are all weekend trips, which is fine, but would you believe my first trip is on July 4th, and my layover will be New York City? How great is that? They are also commutable. This means I can fly to base in the morning, work my trip, then fly home the last day. I will also be able to drop my trips and trade them in hopes for something better. This is called trip improving. Because I’ll be going home in the mornings, I’ll be spending nearly 20 days home during the month of July. I am now a Big Bad Blockholder – at least for the month of July! 🙂

This morning at 0530, I got tagged by daily (Daily Scheduling), but I was able to choose from a few trips leaving this morning. Of course, I took the 1120 trip, so I could go back to sleep. >yawwnnn< Future Scheduling starts calling everyday at 1500 to award trips for the next day, but because I was flying during that time, I left a wish list of 10 trips. I got my first choice, so I’m going to Boston, then New York. I can’t wait to post about one of my favorite restaurants in LGA (LaGuardia), and I’m bringing plenty of containers for leftovers!

Since there was bad weather today, some of the pax got motion sick from the turbulence. I’ll be honest – I had some motion sickness issues when I first started this job, but I figured out some ways to help curb the nausea, and here they are:

– Don’t look down. Keep your head titled slightly up, and keep your eyes upward.
– Drink ginger ale.
– Turn the air vents toward you and fan yourself with a magazine or the safety card (after you read it, of course!).
– Place damp paper towels on your wrists and neck. An ice pack works much quicker on your wrists and neck.
– Ensure you eat well prior to flying.
– Eat raw fruits and vegetables. (I try to carry sliced apples as much as possible.)
– Turn the overhead light on and look toward it. For me, darkness enhances nausea. (Maybe I’m just weird… )

These techniques have really helped me, and I always ensure I eat very well prior to working a trip. Sometimes long days won’t allow me to eat as well, so I may use some of these methods. The worse case of motion sickness you have, the more techniques you will need to use. The quickest way for me to curb motion sickness is by placing an ice pack on my wrists and neck. If you are on my flight and feel extremely queasy, I’ll be more than happy to make an ice pack for you.

I hope these help and happy flying!

I chose my first real red-eye (all night flight) because I wanted to enjoy the long San Francisco layover! It was definitely worth it…

On my long flight to SFO, I needed to eat, so I put together my Basic Taco Salad. I shared it with the other FAs who loved it, and hopefully, I gave them a good idea as it’s super easy!
Ingredients:
Container of coleslaw salad (any salad), sprinkled with shredded cheese
Kim’s Famous Salsa (or other!)
1 Snack bag of Doritos
Bag of prepared taco meat (When I cook taco meat, I divide it into portions and freeze them.)

Directions: You can heat the meat or have it cold as it’s already cooked. All you do is put it together, crumble the Doritos, and enjoy! It’s that simple! I like keeping ingredients separated, so they don’t become soggy. Let me know what you think!

While I was waiting for my crew in the hotel lobby, in walks a classmate I haven’t seen since graduation – May 2013! It’s always so wonderful seeing fellow FAs and classmates on my layovers!

It was a gorgeous day in SFO – just a bit windy, though. We first went to Fisherman’s Wharf and stopped at The Codmother Fish & Chips (2824 Jones Street) for lunch. It was absolutely delicious! The batter was light and crispy, and they give you malt vinegar sauce to make it even better! I also had the Real Stink fries doused with garlic and parmesan. Mmmmm MMM!!

We continued on to see the playful seals on the way to Pier 39. We watched 2 of them take turns pushing each other into the water! All along the pier area, we saw many street performers and street vendors.

I even had a local tasty treat – a churro!

Finally, we went to Chinatown just before heading to the hotel for a nap as we were flying the red eye back to Charlotte. I remember I needed a wok, and what better place to look for a good wok than in Chinatown, right? Well, bingo! I found a large 14″ flat-bottom wok for only $25! Guess what my family members are getting for Christmas? 🙂

We had a fantastic crew complete with a new hire who was out on the line for only 2 weeks. I was more than happy to help him take care of first class, as he worked the A position. He did a fantastic job, and I was so proud to fly with him! Although I’m a little over a year old, I still get so excited every time I get a trip!