To Gile
I got tired of replying in my tagboard, so I thought I shall do a proper post here instead, so my msg won't be segregated into many parts...And yes, I am VERY pissed now.
Excuse me, Gile, when did I create political views about SQ? In my posting about SIA interview, I named the good, AND the bad; the pros and the cons. What to be prepared for when you get into the company. I was being candid. Because I know crew who, within the first few months of flying (or even during training), couldn't take it and decided to quit. And you know what that means? That means paying up $13000 to break the bond. Even if you have that money, it's not worth throwing it away. If you don't, then you can only suck thumb and just do.
Sure, many survive. And they get stuck after flying for a few years because they can't find another job which will pay them that amount of money anymore. I want people to think about what they want to do with themselves after flying. Do you see it as a career for life? If you are, girls, be prepared that you can only work until a certain age. And if you don't promote within 10 years, bye bye! Out you go. And do note that you will only be eligible for interview for promotion if you've been in that particular rank for at least 3 years. (Many take at least 5 years to do so.) IF you're not seeing it as a career for life, can you make yourself pull out after a few years? That means compromising on the amt of money you make and possibly having to start from scratch again. Can you do that? Many people see it as a glamorous job. It is. Like I mentioned, this week it's breakfast in London followed by a visit to the Big Ben and the London Eye, next week it's mad shopping in San Francisco followed by dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf. In this job you will not be rich, but you will lead a very comfortable lifestyle.
I don't have anything against the company. In fact, the company did me well by showing me so much of the world I otherwise wouldn't have had the means to visit. It paid my bills with much surplus for shopping. It bought my loved ones many nice gifts. I didn't have to worry about what to order when I eat out cos I KNOW I can afford it. Money NEVER came late. And the service they trained us for - seamless. Yes some ppl snap and get a little bitchy under pressure, but it was hardly personal. The system works.
It's some parts of the culture I couldn't take. And looking back, god, I was one of them. I picked up smoking after a very bad breakup. I was nearly written in by an IFS cos he said I was "unfriendly and not sociable" because I didn't want to hang out with the crew cos 7 out of 11 crew on that flight smokes. I didn't like it, plus every time they gather, it's smoking and drinking sessions. Not interested. So he wanted to write me in to office. What the hell???? (Incidentally another girl on that flt who doesn't smoke has been spoken to saying she needs to be more sociable.)
Thank god I quit after leaving, and you know why? Cos the people around me doesn't smoke anymore. When you're in an environment where everyone does certain things or believes certain beliefs, you tend to become them. I was just chatting to an old friend I knew since high school. He was from The Chinese High, while I was a Nanyang Girl. Were we REALLY that good? Or because everyone believed and said we were one of the best, thus we worked harder to live up to that expectation? Because everyone mugged like there was no tomorrow, so in order to not drown in there, we had to do so.
If your circle of friends smoke, will you not smoke? I remembered going to Partyworld, and I met this poly schoolmate in the smoking room who was also flying. She was the guai guai chio chio girl in poly who always got into the finals of any beauty pageant she entered, and never in my dreams would I have ever expected to see her smoking, but there she was, smoking like a pro. I guessed she was probably as shocked to see me then. Maybe she was a social smoker, I don't know. I know I was one. And looking back, girls DON'T look pretty with a ciggie in hand. I'd have probably offended some of you here already, but I'm sure you already know it's not good for you right? *smiles widely*
And really, maybe it was just those few friends of mine, but I know too many guys who sleep around. Maybe there are too many girls to sleep around with, but c'mon, these are perfectly gentlemanly guys with girlfriends who are not flying. I know of one girl who slept with another steward when her boyfriend, also a crew, was on the same flight. VALUES, PEOPLE!!!!! Many talk loosely of these values, of "it won't hurt him/her if he/she doesn't know". Want to hear something scary? A friend's friend contracted HIV, because his girlfriend had apparently fucked around. Another once-close friend had confided in me that he had a threesome with another stewardess and a steward.
I know, many people don't do it. Maybe about 20-30% of stewardesses do, or have done it. Stewards? Maybe 50%.
So on that account, I doubt I will ever date a steward again. Especially since now I'm no longer flying. If I were still flying maybe we could change for common flights and see the world together. Nope. No more. It's not that I can't trust you. It's the culture and the environment I can't trust. Sorry...
AND! To be brutally honest I haven't really met a damn ugly stewardess. Many ppl told me they have. Passengers who have become friends, friends who flew as passengers, even some really candid ones working in the training centre. "Wah the standard nowadays dropping man..." heard that before? I don't know. The ones which I find are unpleasant-looking are those who give a 臭脸. It automatically makes you look...I don't know...unpleasant? And the "langa lorry" term? Crew coined it. In fact, crew coined it the "langa 380" face. Worse than langa lorry okay? Langa 380 (Airbus A380) sounds damn serious. I was nice in saying some of them langa lorry nia okay!!! BUT BUT BUT!!! Ditsy ones I've met!!! And we name them “空空小姐”. AH!!!! These are the ones which leave me wondering how in the world did they get the job....because you need to have a certain amount of IQ AND EQ for the job.
Gile aka Little Miss Sarky, I think you were referring to tags by other readers who don't understand why certain people can get through the interview, and I think it's bloody rude for you to come and be SOOOOOPPPPEEERR sarcastic and say that "ppl hu are famous n will be famous, respect the rest of other human beings. Have a great life in the media industry", when you can't even get the facts proper before accusing me of creating political views and saying I don't respect other people. I'm sure you respect me here. -.-"
Right, I'm done ranting and making my point. And no, I don't have an issue with my ex-employer. What I do have issues with, but really couldn't be bothered anymore, are SOME of my ex-colleagues. Get it? -sigh-
Excuse me, Gile, when did I create political views about SQ? In my posting about SIA interview, I named the good, AND the bad; the pros and the cons. What to be prepared for when you get into the company. I was being candid. Because I know crew who, within the first few months of flying (or even during training), couldn't take it and decided to quit. And you know what that means? That means paying up $13000 to break the bond. Even if you have that money, it's not worth throwing it away. If you don't, then you can only suck thumb and just do.
Sure, many survive. And they get stuck after flying for a few years because they can't find another job which will pay them that amount of money anymore. I want people to think about what they want to do with themselves after flying. Do you see it as a career for life? If you are, girls, be prepared that you can only work until a certain age. And if you don't promote within 10 years, bye bye! Out you go. And do note that you will only be eligible for interview for promotion if you've been in that particular rank for at least 3 years. (Many take at least 5 years to do so.) IF you're not seeing it as a career for life, can you make yourself pull out after a few years? That means compromising on the amt of money you make and possibly having to start from scratch again. Can you do that? Many people see it as a glamorous job. It is. Like I mentioned, this week it's breakfast in London followed by a visit to the Big Ben and the London Eye, next week it's mad shopping in San Francisco followed by dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf. In this job you will not be rich, but you will lead a very comfortable lifestyle.
I don't have anything against the company. In fact, the company did me well by showing me so much of the world I otherwise wouldn't have had the means to visit. It paid my bills with much surplus for shopping. It bought my loved ones many nice gifts. I didn't have to worry about what to order when I eat out cos I KNOW I can afford it. Money NEVER came late. And the service they trained us for - seamless. Yes some ppl snap and get a little bitchy under pressure, but it was hardly personal. The system works.
It's some parts of the culture I couldn't take. And looking back, god, I was one of them. I picked up smoking after a very bad breakup. I was nearly written in by an IFS cos he said I was "unfriendly and not sociable" because I didn't want to hang out with the crew cos 7 out of 11 crew on that flight smokes. I didn't like it, plus every time they gather, it's smoking and drinking sessions. Not interested. So he wanted to write me in to office. What the hell???? (Incidentally another girl on that flt who doesn't smoke has been spoken to saying she needs to be more sociable.)
Thank god I quit after leaving, and you know why? Cos the people around me doesn't smoke anymore. When you're in an environment where everyone does certain things or believes certain beliefs, you tend to become them. I was just chatting to an old friend I knew since high school. He was from The Chinese High, while I was a Nanyang Girl. Were we REALLY that good? Or because everyone believed and said we were one of the best, thus we worked harder to live up to that expectation? Because everyone mugged like there was no tomorrow, so in order to not drown in there, we had to do so.
If your circle of friends smoke, will you not smoke? I remembered going to Partyworld, and I met this poly schoolmate in the smoking room who was also flying. She was the guai guai chio chio girl in poly who always got into the finals of any beauty pageant she entered, and never in my dreams would I have ever expected to see her smoking, but there she was, smoking like a pro. I guessed she was probably as shocked to see me then. Maybe she was a social smoker, I don't know. I know I was one. And looking back, girls DON'T look pretty with a ciggie in hand. I'd have probably offended some of you here already, but I'm sure you already know it's not good for you right? *smiles widely*
And really, maybe it was just those few friends of mine, but I know too many guys who sleep around. Maybe there are too many girls to sleep around with, but c'mon, these are perfectly gentlemanly guys with girlfriends who are not flying. I know of one girl who slept with another steward when her boyfriend, also a crew, was on the same flight. VALUES, PEOPLE!!!!! Many talk loosely of these values, of "it won't hurt him/her if he/she doesn't know". Want to hear something scary? A friend's friend contracted HIV, because his girlfriend had apparently fucked around. Another once-close friend had confided in me that he had a threesome with another stewardess and a steward.
I know, many people don't do it. Maybe about 20-30% of stewardesses do, or have done it. Stewards? Maybe 50%.
So on that account, I doubt I will ever date a steward again. Especially since now I'm no longer flying. If I were still flying maybe we could change for common flights and see the world together. Nope. No more. It's not that I can't trust you. It's the culture and the environment I can't trust. Sorry...
AND! To be brutally honest I haven't really met a damn ugly stewardess. Many ppl told me they have. Passengers who have become friends, friends who flew as passengers, even some really candid ones working in the training centre. "Wah the standard nowadays dropping man..." heard that before? I don't know. The ones which I find are unpleasant-looking are those who give a 臭脸. It automatically makes you look...I don't know...unpleasant? And the "langa lorry" term? Crew coined it. In fact, crew coined it the "langa 380" face. Worse than langa lorry okay? Langa 380 (Airbus A380) sounds damn serious. I was nice in saying some of them langa lorry nia okay!!! BUT BUT BUT!!! Ditsy ones I've met!!! And we name them “空空小姐”. AH!!!! These are the ones which leave me wondering how in the world did they get the job....because you need to have a certain amount of IQ AND EQ for the job.
Gile aka Little Miss Sarky, I think you were referring to tags by other readers who don't understand why certain people can get through the interview, and I think it's bloody rude for you to come and be SOOOOOPPPPEEERR sarcastic and say that "ppl hu are famous n will be famous, respect the rest of other human beings. Have a great life in the media industry", when you can't even get the facts proper before accusing me of creating political views and saying I don't respect other people. I'm sure you respect me here. -.-"
Right, I'm done ranting and making my point. And no, I don't have an issue with my ex-employer. What I do have issues with, but really couldn't be bothered anymore, are SOME of my ex-colleagues. Get it? -sigh-
Hello Silver,
ReplyDeleteMost of what you have written are very true. Many of my friends got in and became very wild. Worse..They pick up smoking habit and have become not a social smoker but a heavy smoker instead. It is kind of pity. I know smoking in Airline Industry is cool. But once you got hooked...It will be difficult for you to quit.
And also...You are partly right to say stewardesses and stewards slept around. But what about our dearest Pilots? I have seen a couple of them who smoke, drink n also have fun with the crew. You get what I mean? It is very common in this industry. That is why for those who does not hold such a wild character, I advise them not to enter the industry. It is kind of complicated. If you do not want to adapt to their 'culture', they will see you as one kind. Thus, many gals have got no choice but stick with their culture rule so that they will not have a tough life during work. Pity those gals. So now many will know why some broke their bonds and left for good? Some kena bullied, endured thr' and left within a short stint. If you are super decent type, think twice before you join the industry. Cos you need to have a super thick skin and tough character to work with the ppl there.
Yeah...quite a few of the pilots too... I heard they used to have a "bicycle list of cabin crew" - meaning a list of the easily-f**kable girls they can "ride". Quite degrading, the way I see it. Then again, these girls on the list? They asked for it... They should know that word spreads fast in this industry, cos ppl have AMPLE time for gossip during lull period (in btw meal services)...
ReplyDeleteHi there, happened to chance by yr blog. Think it must be my lucky day. My dad was with sq for 30years and never got promoted at chief steward. He always told us it was tough and during the younger days in the 70s, he wld come back and cry. He is a stonge believer, a Christian. Now that I read yr entry, I understand the pressures he must have faced.
ReplyDeleteThks for the entry.
Will be reading more
SBC>> Wow...30 years is a long time... of course SQ has its perks, but it comes with its price. I hope he's happily retired? =)
ReplyDelete