I want to a part of it, in old London, London

Just came back from my trip to London Heathrow and it was awesome. For the second time in a month I was chosen to 'dead-head' over which means I get to travel as a passenger and be paid as a crew member, and then work on the way back! It made for a much more enjoyable stay as I was a lot less tired when we arrived.

On the first night I headed out with our purser, Rona from the UK and some of the business and first class boys to a pub (The Pheasant) down the road from the hotel we were staying in. Not a huge night but fun, and very British!

The next day would be my first ever venture into the heart of London, and while I only had about two hours, I managed to see a few things: Piccadilly Circus - Trafalgar Square, Oxford St, Regent St and New Bond St. There are a few pictures below. As I have two more London's in August, including one with my sister Jess, I will hopefully see all the major tourist stuff which I didn't have time for yesterday.

Anyways off to bed, I have to be up in just under 5 hours to do a Muscat turnaround flight - should be pretty easy :)

The English feast; and Rona my purser (the boss)

In Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square, heading towards Regent St
Regent St - just like a game of Monopoly...I want to be the shoe!
Loving myself sick on Oxford St

My spiritual home - Ralph Lauren flagship store in New Bond St! 130 quid later...

The road ahead.... I'm heading down to do some swapping rght now!

AUGUST...
1 MUSCAT
2-4 MALTA!!!!!!!!!!
5 ALEXANDRIA
6-8 DAYS OFF IN DUBAI
10-12 RESERVE DAYS
13 DAY OFF IN DUBAI
14-15 LONDON
16-17 DAYS OFF IN DUBAI
18-19 LONDON
20-22 DAYS OFF IN DUBAI
23-24 LONDON
25-27 DAYS OFF IN DUBAI (INTERVIEW FOR U.S. VISA)
28-29 ENTEBBE
30-31 DAYS OFF IN DUBAI

The (mis)adventures of Daniel in DXB

It's been so long, I apologise! Traipsing around Asia and Australia for the past two weeks combined with absence of laptop is the excuse I am currently running with. My first flight was to Hong Kong on the 13th. I have always wanted to see this city and it certainly didn't disappoint. Even writing this my mind is racing with all the fun stuff we did and all the stuff I ran out of time to see. One of the problems we face on these 24 hour layovers is the need for some sleep before we are picked up to fly back to Dubai...this really can cut into sight-seeing time especially if you're not yet tired. Most of the crew on this trip were up for a big night, so after landing at 10pm, we got changed, fought off the desperate need for sleep and headed for the clubs. We got very, very lost after misreading the Chinese signs, but eventually we found a touristy bar around 1am. Pics below.... For those who want the JUICY details, please email or text - this is a G-rated blog!!! I don't have pictures of the Hong Kong hotel where we stayed, but it is the best in all of Emirates - plasma television which you can watch from the bath through the glass walls! The only thing is that it's in the middle of the red light district Mong Kok, which I guess could be a good thing depending on what you're after :)


Wandering the streets like pauperses...




All the madcap fun! Gotta love Joe Bananas!


Mong Kok where we stayed... at night time it was amazing, a bit like Asian Vegas!


Next stop on the 17th was Bangkok/Sydney - a much sought after 8-day layover. Well I did a good job of wasting the time which I am still disappointed about. I was feeling really sick on the morning we left for Bangkok, though it was too late to call sick and if I did I would have had 8 days of turnaround flights to Saudi Arabia and Syria so I pushed through the pain - what a trooper! In Bangkok I slept and had a traditional Thai massage which was pure agony (to give yourself a glimpse of aforementioned pain, place your thumbs on one of your calves, preferably one that already has a bruise, and push with all the energy you have!)



Sydney was also unproductive, dominated by rain, freezing winds, lots of sleep and the odd night of debauchery in Kings Cross. I hope you like the before and after pictures! I can't wait to go back and do all the touristy stuff - the Bridge, Opera House, Bondi...I did catch up with one of my very good friends, Kate, which was a definite highlight though I forgot my camera that night:(


Out with the Sydney crew...

BEFORE (8pm at dinner) and AFTER (7am on the way home)


On the return trip to Bangkok I was a little more rested and so I got to do more. Another massage (this time a softer aromatherapy experience) and shopping at the craziest mall I have ever been in - MBK. We caught a tuktuk to get there which was an unforgettable near-death experience, managed a good pic of that too!



Now I'm looking to the August roster to see what Emirates has in store for me next - may the great Dubai adventure continue!

Top 10 films for 2006 to date.....

#10 POSEIDON

The spectacular CGI in the first ten minutes sets the scene for the most thrilling maritime adventure since Titanic. Have never held my breath so many times in a film. Should have performed much better at the box-office; the marketing department has a lot to answer for on this one.

#9 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: 3

As easy as it is to hate Tom Cruise (so he loves his fiancee!) there wasn't too much to hate here. Lost mastermind J.J.Abrams injects more action, more suspense, more stunts and more emotion into a dying franchise to create a surprisingly enjoyable summer hit. I guess it was one couch-jumping incident too many for Suri's dad, spelling disappointing box office for all involved.

#8 EIGHT BELOW

Cute, adventurous with beautiful eyes. And don't get me started on the snow dogs! Paul Walker does his best 'concerned' impression as a sleigh driver trying to save his beloved huskies stranded back at ye olde Arctic base. The dogs are the stars and the whole shebang ultimately comes across as moving, exciting and satisfying.

#7 THE DA VINCI CODE

Like Mission Impossible, I didn't WANT to like this one. I had only read half the book, but as I tell anyone who will care to listen, it was better that way. I understood the frenetic beginnning better only to be surprised by what happened at the end. While I'm led to believe the book was far superior, Ron Howard had a pretty good crack at it. Whoever did the cinematography should be paying a trip to Oscar's next year.

#6 THE INSIDE MAN

Brilliant casting saw Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster square off in a tense bank heist thriller which kept the masses guessing til the very end. Some I suspect are still trying to figure it out, but intelligent and/or gripping thrillers are few and far between, so lap this one up.

#5 THE BREAK-UP

Funny, depressing, evocative, warm, realistic, surprisingly great. Not a huge Vinnifer (or is that Vaughniston) fan, but they nailed it in this one which will leave some kind of imprint on anyone who's had a crappy separation. Individually, they have both hit a career-high here.

#4 WALK THE LINE

Except for the excessive running time, and that really depressing, almost boring 20-30 minutes in the middle, the Johnny Cash biopic was real, tender and entertaining. Reese ran home with all the awards, and while yes, she was really something, she should remember there is no 'I' in TEAM. Joaquin made it look so easy and together they were sublime.

#3 SUPERMAN RETURNS

More than anything else, this is a whole lot of fun. Absolute movie-going pleasure from beginning to end. Unknown soap actor Brandon Routh nails it as Clark Kent and surprising choice Kate Bosworth pretty much IS Lois Lane. Everything about this was unexpectedly great - the story, the cast, the acting, the special effects. It leaves Pirates of the Caribbean for dead in the entertainment stakes - go see it!

#2 MATCH POINT

As a movie buff of sorts it's apparently a sin not to adore Woody Allen. So as I was off to confession I stopped in on this, his latest offering involving a former pro tennis player weaving his way into the lives of a haughty British family. I turned around and went home - I'm converted! An engaging mystery with Jonathon Rhys-Myers and Scarlett Johansson making scandal seem effortless. Clear your Saturday schedules and hire it on dvd.

#1 BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

I know I'm meant to like this the most - I am a cowboy from way back - but in all fairness, Brokeback is the best of 2006. 'Twas haunting, passionate, distressing, frustrating and momentous, but maybe so is real love. Heath Ledger finally proved his point to Hollywood, while Jake Gyllenhaal was measured yet spectacular. The scene outside the family home when Ledger's wife gets her first glimpse of man-on-man action is heart-breaking, unsettling and burnt into many a conscience, including mine.

Jose, can you see?

Great news! Emirates has chosen me as one of a small group of cabin crew to be issued a US visa! I applied a few months ago and heard nothing thinking I had missed out, but yesterday I got the letter in my drop box! I have to go for a brief interview at the US consulate which isn't far from where I live, and then in a few months I can fly to New York. It's a tough gig having to stay at the Manhattan Sheraton in Times Square but I suppose someone has to do it! Emirates is beginning a third daily service to New York in October which will be via Hamburg, so all in all should be some great trips. Also if I have the visa, I will be ready to roll when Emirates rolls out to other US destinations in the next 6 to 12 months - San Francisco and Chicago are looking good, as is Toronto in Canada. Anyway, thought I would share...

Back in Dubai

My apologies for the lack of new entries in the past week - I have been on holidays, and wasn't able to fire up the ol' Mac. My next trip is to Hong Kong on Thursday, however I plan to put up a few thiings before then so keep checking back! I'm rather impressed with the amount of hits this blog gets from all over the world - not just Dubai and Australia - so I am grateful and thankful that I can literally entertain dozens of real life people for about 3 minutes each per week, and you keep coming back for more!

Here's to Roger Federer claiming his 4th Wimbledon in a row later today and finally burying his Raf-demons! As for the World Cup, I can offer no opinion not being French or Italian, so if you are- all power to you and I hope the game does it for you...

Flying with and/or without wings

I'm feeling very much like a character off 'Friends' at the moment. I'm sitting in a coffee shop at Dubai airport waiting for a potential flight to Brisbane to spend my days off, I'm drinking a cappucino (yes, I do coffee now!), and I'm using my laptop on the wi-fi connection! Did someone order a YUPPIE!!!

I arrived not even 4 hours ago from my London flight, raced home, got changed, repacked my bag and back to the airport. I'm on standby for the Emirates flight to Brisbane though it's very full and I'm doubtful of making it. So back up plan is the Emirates flight to Singapore, then a Qantas flight to Brisbane which is looking much more probable at this stage. I have another hour to kill before the big bad man at the staff check-in counter tells me my fate. No doubt some of you will see me in the flesh before I have a chance to get back on here and let you know how it all panned out.

But enough about staff travel and airports - we are all here for one thing only! WESTLIFE! The lads from Sligo, Ireland certainly did not disappoint. It was a perfect evening in the grounds of Blenheim Palace outside of London. Always figured it rained in England, but it was my perfect day and the weather gods complied. They opened with 'Flying Without Wings' and overall performed about 25 songs. Highlights were 'World Of Our Own', a mash up of 'She's Back' with 'Billie-Jean', a cool remix of 'Don't Cha' by the Pussycat Dolls, and of course the massive finale when they bowed out to 'You Raise Me Up.' I went with Emma, one of the other cabin crew who was equally obsessed, and she batted her eyes at the security guards who let her up the front to get me some awesome pctures. Kudos also to Troy, a Canadian fan we met on the train who gave me some of his pictures as well. Hope you enjoy! :)


Blenheim Palace, and myself with Emma (our 'arrival at the venue' photo)


The crowd files in, the boys come out, and the concert begins!


Nicky, Shane, Kian and Mark










REALLY couldn't resist this one ;)






The big finale - You Raise Me Up!


Emma and I in our official 'It's all over, but we loved every second' photo