Memories from the past 12 months

1 year completed at the desert. I think it's time to look back and summon all the things happened.
I have to say it's been the most amazing year of my life! I have seen and experienced so much I could never get by living @ home in Finland.


Here's some of my favorite moments from the past 12 months:

- 27.5.2011 I packed my stuff and flew from Helsinki to Frankfurt and from there to Abu Dhabi. And it was also my first encounter with Etihad Airways service, what a luxury it felt.. :)

- Graduation 6 weeks later, getting the wings. And of course the graduation party with the whole batch @ the Yacht Club in Yas Island. We had an amazing italian dinner first at Cipriani and then we headed upstairs to one of the poshest night clubs in UAE - Allure. The whole night was payed for us and I got the first hand experience of the luxury and hospitality of this city.

- Desert safari. First experience and the last! ;) I was scared for my life the whole time, absolutely crazy! But amazing at the same time and I would recommend that for anyone coming here. The day ended with a belly dancer show and some shish smoking under the sky full with bright stars..

- First flight which I can never forget was Khartoum, Sudan. Unfortunately it was only a turnaround so not much to tell you about Sudan.

- First layover was Milan, Italy. It was a familiar city for me already but why I remember this flight was because I met one special girl from the crew and we became good friends. And also the amazing italian dinner in a small restaurant.. eating for 4 hours and finishing 2 bottles of italian red wine! But it was worth it, Ti Amo!


- First South-Africa flight on october. One of the most memorable experiences I've had this year happened here. We went to a Lion Park and I got to pet the small lion cubs! It was amazing and how incredible cute they were.. Unbelievable that I have actually touched a real lion!


- My first vacation was to New York. This city has been in my dreams since I was a small child. And it was truly great. What made this trip even more memorable was that I went there when the Occupy Wall Street had their biggest protests and I took part of that. I'm still so proud of myself for doing it :) So I saw the Times Square the first time when walking there with other protesters surrounded by the police and FBI..


- Places where I've had layovers during this year:

Italy
Germany
France
UK
Irland
South-Africa
Seychelles
Australia
Nepal
Indonesia
Singapore
Philippines
Bangladesh
South-Korea
Malaysia
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Libya

- 3 holidays. First was New York, second I spent in Dubai with my family. And third was in Morocco.

- Then UAE itself. I think I have seen probably more about the local culture and lifestyle than most. Mostly because I have been dating a local guy :) I have to say that people here look amazing, they are so well groomed and the way they carry themselves is almost royal. It makes people to respect them. I learned to love so many things in locals as well as in their culture.

But when you get to know them better you realize that they are pretty much like everyone else. They do everything that westerners do but only in private. They still have a huge respect for their families/parents so they don't want to insult them in public for example if they are drinking. So they have simply lavish, crazy parties where people get invitations and everyone knows each other. They can go to a private villa or farm where they have boa snakes, lions, cheetahs and tigers only for entertainment.

Or their love for fast cars and the more expensive and unique the better. For example when people here buy a Porche or Lamborgini they always customize the car. Every single one is unique with the owner's touch. Also the plates are customized and they can pay a fortune for getting the one they want.

I've experienced luxury and riches that are from the fairy tale 1000 and one Nights. Only difference is that it's all real.

But all this has also the down side that you can't miss when you come to the city. The poor workers from Asia are everywhere. Working in the constructions in 40 degrees heat, 6 days a week. They will see their families maybe ones a year if they're lucky. Some only every 2 years. We get to see them on our flights. I have done mostly Asian flights and I was first shocked to realize that we basically transport workers to and from UAE and other Gulf countries. But they are everywhere and you have to make an opinion about that. I have always been very interested and active in social matters. So I have tried to understand the both sides of the story.

Truth is that after I saw the slums in Bangladesh I realized how these people working in UAE are the lucky ones. At least they will have a steady job and they will earn enough to support their whole family back home. For us the salary is a joke of course but I can't compare it like that, I'm coming from a highly developed country and I also have 16 years of studies behind me. So of course I will earn much more. But for them most of the Bangladeshi people "work" in the slums where they collect garbage and sell it or as a taxi drivers. So every single morning they don't know if there's any work for that day. And when they will get sick there's no insurance to treat them. And there's no housing provided. They have absolutely nothing. So they send family members to work here and that will give the family some kind of hope for a better future. I've learned that things are not that simple what you first think.

This has been an amazing year, something to remember for the rest of my life. I didn't came here for the work but for the culture. And I wanted to experience living abroad and find out how it feels like. Also to learn something about myself and to widen the understanding about other cultures.

I think I have accomplished that quite well. I have got even more I could have ever dreamed of. It feels unbelievable that it's been only 1 year, feels like a whole lifespan.

I'm also very grateful to be able to say I have learned more nglish and especially to speak it more fluently. It was hard at first, to speak and think in english all the time and I had no finnish speaking friends here. But after few months it became natural and nowadays I even think in english about half the time. And I've got an amazing finnish friend as well with whom to talk with and it feels very liberating from time to time.

So as a conclusion I have to say this year hasn't been always easy, I've had many frustrating moments, many sick leaves. But that is nothing comparing to what I have learned living here. I've seen and experienced so much i can't even describe. There are many things in this culture I would love to bring back to Finland, some values and laws that i have seen to be very good. At the same time I have learned to appreciate my own culture, my language, finnish people who are straight and loyal and our nature with fresh air.

You simply can't get this with money. You have to experience it your self. Take a leap and see where life takes you. If there's anyone thinking about being a flight attendant or moving abroad I can warmly recommend you to do so! You'll never regret going and doing, but you will if you don't.

"Life is an adventure"