My World As A Flight Attendant

  On my bucket list: Join a group of people or an organization to perform a mission. One of my favorite trips is when I have a group of passengers returning from a mission. They usually wear the uniform of their organization. You can see smiles and a beautiful aura on their faces. Their energy is ecstatic.  This group is from a church and returned from the Dominican Republic with their mission fulfilled. Meeting people like them is a good experience and inspiring. I always initiate conversations and share a similar goal. One day, I will do this, too.  Traveling should not always be for leisure. We can travel to places or other countries and make it a mission trip. Thus, a more meaningful one. 

Oops! Take a closer look at me. What went wrong? I wished someone had told me that my belt wasn't fully looped. Well, maybe because nobody had noticed it.  Would you prefer someone will get your attention when something isn't right? Let's say a piece of green leaf from the salad you just ate is sticking between your teeth. An unbuttoned dress. A hole on your shirt. Or something like what I have here - an unlooped belt.  Sometimes we just don't want to embarrass a person or just shy to tell someone that something is not correct. I think I would rather know immediately that something needs to be fixed with my dress rather than not knowing it and walking confidently with an unlopped belt. When we are rushing or don't really pay attention to all the details we wear, then things like this happen. It can be embarrassing, but hey, nobody is perfect.  I remember a young gentleman in first class; I noticed his pants looked ripped in front. Because I wasn't really sure, I

"Thank you for your exceptional service! Right when we boarded, I felt your positive energy. You work friendly & welcoming, and I noticed a sense of confidence & pride in your work. As a teacher that is something I often trying to impart with students. You have gone above & beyond in your service on our flight - and we thank you. You sharing your positive energy with the passengers really matters . . . it helps all of us see your example and hopefully go forward in our day doing the same. " - The Greens from Indiana Gratitude can be in any form. It can be through simple words, a prayer, or a note. And sincere gratitude doesn't need to be delivered in a fancy way. It can be written in any available form. I honestly can't remember what special thing or gesture I made when I received this note of gratitude a couple of years ago. What I remember is the feeling of gratitude that she appreciated what I did or how I made them feel. This doesn't happen all th

 " Some people suffer in silence."  Our Captain and I had a random conversation before we took off, and he uttered those words to me. I never thought these profound words would represent someone I would meet that day. On our flight from Burlington to JFK on April 26, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Chris. He had a wheelchair, so we boarded him first. I worked at the back of the cabin and had the privilege of serving him.  I noticed something peculiar about Mr. Chris. His hands were trembling while I watched him eat. I kept asking if he was okay and constantly checking on him during the flight. Finally, we landed at JFK and got him a wheelchair for his final destination, Portland, Oregon. After that, I thought I would never see him again. Heading to my next flight, I saw a small group of people surrounding a man. I walked towards them to find out that it was Mr. Chris. A few minutes later, some medical staff arrived to bring him to Jamaica Hospital as he looked sick and unli

  Smiling without our masks, with two of my favorite people in JFK. Finally, we are masks-free after more than a year of wearing masks at work. I was waiting for that day when they would announce the mask-free day. It finally arrived. Crew members have the option to wear masks if they choose. So let us not question and respect those who prefer to wear masks. They have personal reasons; no arguments are required.  We all have the freedom to choose what is best for us and are responsible for the consequences of our choices. That is a general rule in life.  The pandemic era is not yet over, and the battle continues. However, we've gone a long way to keep fighting this "war" that has left humanity with much pain, sorrow, and life lessons.  Let us all be prepared and resilient for what the future brings.   

  " We are home and safe. Thank you, Lia. You made a crappy situation much better.  I hope Delta knows what a wonderful employee you are." This is our flight attendant Lia who deserves recognition. Last night, our flight was diverted from Ottawa, Ontario, to Burlington, Vermont; she saved the flight. She personally bought chocolates for us today. Now that is customer service!" Compliments and recognitions are factors for motivation.   I recall this flight on January 11, 2020, when our flight was diverted from Ottawa to Burlington due to weather issues, and I was working on a smaller plane by myself.  It was a long and exhausting flight that took the entire night and day. However, the passengers were all nice and understanding about the situation we couldn't control. Putting myself in their shoes helps me better understand and recognize their needs. No one wants to have delayed, diverted, or canceled flights. So buying them chocolates was my simple gesture of saying t

Traveling with kids can be a lot of work, but it's fun. I was invited by a friend to a role-playing trip to Hawaii with kids from Laurel school in Cleveland, Ohio. My pilot was Captain Philip, whose daughter is studying here. Really excited to perform my role as a flight attendant and was thinking of what to buy for them as souvenirs. So I went to a store and bought each one a book.  My luggage was packed for the Hawaii trip (I wish!) I took the early morning flight to Cleveland. Captain Philip picked me up at the airport. We decided to buy them Hawaii garland (Lei) to have a feel of the Hawaiian trip.  They were ready! We welcomed them on their flight and gave each one a loot bag with goodies.   We arrived in Hawaii on time, and everybody said,  ALOHA!  "We enjoyed every minute of our time with you," teacher Kelli said. I had a lot of fun and would do this again! Please watch the video of our ALOHA trip   Laurel School Kids Go to Hawaii

American Dream is a famous phrase associated with upward mobility and enough economic success to lead a comfortable life.  Many of us associate the phrase with the land of opportunity for immigrants.  Historically, the term "American Dream" was coined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian. He said, "Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." I desired better and more opportunities for my children and myself. For 18 years, I worked for the US Embassy, and my dedication and hard work paid off when I was granted a special immigrant visa in 2012 and subsequently moved to New York.  In the Philippines, you must be resilient through tough times and work hard to achieve success. Since childhood, I have created goals for myself and worked hard to achieve those goals.  Achieving my version of the American Dream was not easy. Becoming a flight attendant and author was par

Psychology experts say, "the mirror is the only option to see how you exactly look like, not from others' perspectives. It gives you self-awareness and helps you to soothe yourself, and it satisfies you about yourself more than anyone else." How long does it take me to prepare to go to work, from taking a shower to dressing up and putting on my makeup, including the time for making my first cup of coffee and packing my luggage? I don't like rushing, so I give myself an hour to do everything. But if I am pressed with time, give me 30-20 minutes, and I can still do it. The last thing I do before I head to the door is to look around to see if I forgot something, then look at myself in the mirror.  This hotel is the only hotel I've seen with this " Mirror Mirror on the wall " that reminds me of the Snow White fairy tale and the beautiful but wicked Queen.  The Queen would stand before the talking mirror to ask: " Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fa

  A smile is a facial expression that primarily conveys a positive emotion.  During the pandemic, when we wore a mask, that expression was put on a hidden shelf where it wasn't visible. I want to remember this gentleman who kept telling me to smile.  He was funny and said we don't see the smile on people's faces with a mask.  I got his message that he doesn't like wearing a mask. Neither do I. Research says that smiling is powerful. Here are some of the benefits of smiling: 1. You're more attractive 2. Smile is contagious 3. It feels good 4. It is stimulating 5. Reduces stress 6. Builds better and faster relationship 7. Enhances your business the 'best smile flight attendant' Evelyn When boarding passengers, welcoming them with a smile and having a quick conversation is typical of what we do. Passengers react differently when they are boarding. Some of them will smile back at me. Others will even greet me back or say something.  And others will ignore me.  I