Wednesday, April 22, 2009

London, United Kingdom (17th-20th Apr 2009) - III

Flight No: CX253/CX254 (HKG-LHR-HKG)
Date:
17th - 20th Apr 2009
Flying Hours:
13 hours
(GMT +0200)

Windsor Castle
is the oldest inhabited castle in the country and the preferred London residence of the Royal Family. It stands in beautiful grounds on the western edge of London, and is one of the best places for a day trip from the capital. It's easy to see why the Royals love their Windsor home. The Royal Parks are extremely wild and lovely, and teeming with deer. There are hundreds of quiet beauty spots to be found if you take your time. The castle itself is truly majestic - solid, imposing and at the same time graceful. Visitors can check out the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Doll House collection, and the magnificent St George's Chapel, festooned in the banners of Knights of the Kingdom, from the Crusading era to that of Margaret Thatcher. One of the best features of the castle is walking around the ramparts, feeling the ancient stone under your feet and looking out over the parks. Windsor is a magical place - one visit is never enough.

This trip was a wonderful one for me as I have finally met a friend who I haven't been seeing for over 8 years, she left Malaysia to study in Ireland in year 2001, she works in UK after completing her studies. There're few times she went back to Malaysia but we didn't have the opportunity to meet each other. Yean Nee(Renee) used to be my close friend when she studies in Disted Stamford College Penang, I was the one who always help her whenever she needs. We're both members of Chinese Orchestra and there're where we knew each other and started our friendship. Time flies, 8 years have never been short and I am really glad that until today we are still keeping in touch and the most importantly we are still treating each other as good friends. Next year(2010) we're gonna be celebrating our 10 years friendship.
Do take care always my dearest friend, I am gonna miss you ^_^

Monday, April 13, 2009

A bad day after my Paris flight

11th April 2009, approximately 1315 when the aircraft arrived at the HKIA, when I was there at the baggage carousel to collect my check-in suitcase, I didn't see mine. What a shock when all the crew got theirs and left, I was the only one waiting.

That was so abnormal as usually the airport staff will get the cabin crew's suitcase and place it together without letting the crew to wait and get it themselves. I walked around the baggage carousel 2 times to check if the airport staff has missed mine, but I couldn't find my suitcase. Then I immediately asked one of the staff who passed by and told him what was going on, he then informed me to report the case to the Cathay Pacific Baggage Claim Counter which is only few carousels further away.

I reported to one of the staff at the counter Henry Lau, who was very helpful to get all the information of my suitcase and then printed out a piece of paper with the file reference number and the contact number which I can call to check from time to time. He asked me to go back first and they will call me if they have news about my suitcase. That was really a bad day, as I have never expected that this will ever happen especially to a crew member who has the top priority on the baggage handling.

At the same time I've prepared for the worse that somebody might has mistakenly took mine and left. Luckily I didn't keep any important documents nor any cash in my suitcase otherwise it's gonna give me a lot of troubles.
Items in my suitcase:
Winter clothes - 2pcs
Long sleeves t-shirt - 2pcs
Jeans - 1pc
Singlets - 2pcs
Shorts - 1pc
Uniform shirt - 1pc
CK underwear - 4pcs
Socks - 6pairs
Scarf - 2pcs
Backpack - 1pc
Hiking Shoe - 1pair (newly bought in Paris)
Toiletries - 1 big bag
Umbrella - 1pc
Although there's nothing valuables inside, but losing all those, I will feel the pain and definitely not able to sleep well at night. And fortunately I am not the brand-conscious person, if I am, I would have bought LV, Gucci or Prada in Paris and lost all of them in a day. Hahaha!!! =)

I was so worry and I told my family and some friends about the incidents, at least give away my negative feelings before accumulating it more and more. The next day morning and I received a call from Gloria, another Malaysian flight attendant telling me she lost her suitcase as well coming back from Brisbane, she read my message in facebook and knew I lost mine too. But I told her that I am still waiting and hoping for the best, she's really pissed off and couldn't believe that this will happen, her full set of makeup were in her suitcase.

Well, what else can we do at that moment beside waiting. After a night rest and I managed to calm down myself and console her. I told her: "Let's pray for each other"
She's lucky that later in the evening and she's received call from the airport staff informing her that her suitcase was on the way coming back to Hong Kong from Brisbane and it will be sent to her at night, she SMS me and I was happy for her but at the same time still worrying about my own suitcase .....

I called Patrick and email Ann, both my instructor and PDE informing them about my incidents, I seeked advice from them that what else I can do and what I should do incase they lost my suitcase. As in another few more days I have another long haul flight to London and I need the suitcase to operate the flight.

Just right before I went out for jogging as usual, my phone rang and it was from the baggage claim department. Finally .... finally ..... finally they called me and it was a good news. My suitcase wasn't being loaded into the aircraft and being left in Paris but he told me that my suitcase was on the way back to Hong Kong and they will send it to my doorstep at night. Thank god that everything was back to normal ....

That was really a frightening experience and I have received my suitcase at 2000, having back my suitcase feels so good, I hugged it and said:
COME BACK TO PAPA!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Paris, France (7th-11th April 2009)

Flight No: CX263/CX262 (HKG-CDG-HKG)
Date: 7th - 11th Apr 2009
Flying Hours:
13 hours 30 mins
(GMT +0200)


Paris is the capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (also known as the "Paris Region"). The city of Paris, within its limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,167,994 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of nearly 12 million, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.
An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. According to 2005 estimates, the Paris urban area is Europe's biggest city economy, and is fifth in the world's list of cities by GDP.
Paris and the Paris Region, with €533.6 billion (US$731.3 billion) in 2007, produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France. The Paris Region hosts 37 of the Fortune Global 500 companies in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe. Paris also hosts many international organizations such as UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the informal Paris Club.
Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with 45 million tourists every year in the Paris Region, 60% of whom are foreign visitors. There are numerous iconic landmarks among its many attractions, along with world-famous institutions and popular parks.
I took this shot at the roof top of Galeries La Fayette
Opera

I strongly recommend this little Japanese restaurant-Sushi Wasabi, nice food and with a very cheap price. It's located at the back street of Printemps shopping mall.

I used to come to Galeries La Fayette on a daily basis 8 years ago when I was once there working. My job was to buy bags in Channel boutique =)Opéra Opéra Metro station
The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.Along the Seine River
Enjoying the view of Eiffel Tower
With my flatmate Nicholas Khoo
Met Mr Duck while we're taking picture, I forced him to jump into the pond knowing the water is freaking cold =P
What am I doing? Just for the sake of taking funny picture rather than the normal pose
With dear Monalisa
I was standing there to take picture 8 years ago with my daddy, time flies and I am back to this place again
Port De Choisy - Chinatown of Paris
My dad and I used to go to this supermarket to buy our groceries
The supermarket beside our apartment
Tour Mantoue, the apartment we used to stay last time
This place is full of memories
Chatelet
The Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre), located in Paris, is a historic monument, and a national museum of France. It is a central landmark, located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (neighbourhood). Nearly 35,000 objects from the 6th millennium BC to the 19th century AD are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).
The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) which began as a fortress built in the 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are still visible. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1672, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of antique sculpture. In 1692, the building was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres and the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons. The Académie remained at the Louvre for 100 years. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum, to display the nation's masterpieces.
The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being confiscated church and royal property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The size of the collection increased under Napoleon when the museum was renamed the Musée Napoléon. After his defeat at Waterloo, many works seized by Napoleon's armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and gifts since the Third Republic, except during the two World Wars. As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings
Seafood Platter

I had lunch at the American Dream once, my dad brought meMadeleineQUICK used to be my favorite burger restaurant before I like Burger King
The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the Place de l'Étoile. It is at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. The triumphal arch honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought. Underneath is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I.
The Arc is the linchpin of the historic axis (L'Axe historique) — a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route which goes from the courtyard of the Louvre Palace to the outskirts of Paris. The monument was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806, and its Iconographic program pitted heroically nude French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail and set the tone for public monuments, with triumphant nationalistic messages, until World War I.
The monument stands 49.5 m (162 ft) in height, 45 m (150 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) deep. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence. Its design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus. The Arc de Triomphe is so colossal that three weeks after the Paris victory parade in 1919, marking the end of hostilities in World War I, Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane through it, with the event captured in a newsreel.The Sacré-Cœur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, "Basilica of the Sacred Heart") is a Roman Catholic basilica and popular landmark in Paris, France, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.Since 2007, the government of Paris has established over hundreds of this bicycle stations all over the town of Paris. It's for the rental to both local and tourist who wish to ride on it to tour around Paris, or travel to nearby destinations. For those who wish to rent the bicycle must register online and then use a prepaid card to scan at the machine at this station, then they can choose any of these bicycles to ride on.
Lady of Liberty in Paris, France
Food that I had in Paris