Doyle Air

Thought of the day: Death...

2008-08-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that people die all the time. Statistically 2 every second. It is also a known fact that people die in all sorts of places. 35000 ft in the air. gutters, hospital beds, on top of K2 or Everest. In the last calendar year i was told in medical training college that 10 pax died on board and crew delivered 8 babies up in the air. It seems so normal but then when it happens time stands still for a second like at the end of a 60 minutes program.

A passenger died yesterday, soon after getting off the airbridge in Sydney after a direct flight from Dubai to Sydney. The woman was with her husband and after notifying groundstaff that she was feeling faint, she demanded to be taken to the nearest toilet. As soon as she entered the toilet, she collapsed and died from a heart attack in her husbands arms. I was able to gather this information after a few enquiries with the groundstaff who were earlier delayed due to a medical situation before we left for Auckland. As the crew and I disembarked from the plane on our return from Auckland, we walked past the toilet in which the woman had died and it was a surreal sensation. It was quite poignant actually. To be honest I actually walked into the toilet in which she died and there seemed to be a deafening silence. Like as if the room was a vacuum. At that moment i just imagined what her and her husband was going though. You never know when you will be going so i just thought i would share that with you as it really shocked me and the crew.

Hunted!: Pearls Before Swines!

2008-07-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have hunted an artisan who specialises in wearable furniture and is currently redefining the jewellry and object design scene in Australia. Presenting the creator of the label 'Pearls Before Swine' Nikki Majajas!
Check out her blog to see her creations. (Yes that is a gold nipple on the bangle hehehe)
www.pearlsbeforeswines.blogspot.com (or click on friends link below)

Hunted!: Rising Comic star!

2008-07-26T02:51:00.000-07:00

Introducing you to Warden Sones, the creator of the latest hit net comic series called 'Snake and Dean.' two tangramic characters who discuss and deliver the very big issues in life. Just like your doctor told you that one vitamin C tablet a day cures you of scurvy, a dose of Snake&Dean will disolve your worries into a piddle of giggly contemplation!
Warden Sones is a news journalist by trade and is on the soaring wing of comic respectability! word on the street is that these comics are soon to take refuge on Cotton T land! Watch this space!

Price: Internet Access (chello its Free!)
website: www.snakeanddean.com (click on the Must C link)
rating: 4.987654321/5
pro: Why go to a shrink to offload your troubles!
con: Can true happiness be a con?

Look at me Glow!

2008-07-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Well as you know I love shooting anything, children are one of my favourite subjects to photograph. They are charmingly challenging and a load of fun to hang out with. Introducing my adorable niece and Nephew: Skye and Nathan. Look at Nathan Glow!

Paris Economy Class International!

2008-07-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

On the 24th of June, 2008 at 7:47 and 37 seconds, a Boeing 777-300, capable of blowing apart a family car with one of its engines, landed on the tarmac at Charles De Galle international Airport. At the very same moment, a senile speckled sparrow sitting on the very tip of the Eiffel tower, gently shat out over the edge which landed on a lady in a red hat, who earlier that day scorned a child for laughing too loud in a cafe.

I had finally arrived in Paris. A city that I have wanted to visit for so long, and so much; welcomed me with a warm 25'C summer embrace. Humidity 77%. Atmospheric pressure 999 millibars. Perfect.

The flight over was smooth, and passenger extremely pleasant. I had a little 2 year old french girl have a major crush on me who just wouldn't stop staring and smiling when i walked past her! o bless! A girl can't help herself LOL

Our hotel is located in Roissy which is about 45mins out of Paris city centre. As we entered the hotel, we were greeted by an enigmatic reflection pool, with a spectacular inverted bronze mask of the maestro Mozart. The inverted mask of Mozart was designed to create the illusion of following eyes, so that the viewer would not be able to escape his solemn glare.

Well my first trip to Paris was made even more memorable as my dearest Olympic Youth Camp pal happened to be in Paris at the same time. Scott turned up to the hotel with dinner in hand and we hung out like old days. After a good night sleep we caught a bus to the centre of Paris. They say Paris is a beautiful city, but that is the ultimate understatement of history, the drive into the city was breathe-taking. Every corner, crevice and pebble looks as though it was artfully and thoughtfully laid by the hands of an artist. An ordinary flat was an extraordinary flat. Every brick was saturated with handsome character. I mean i had just laid my foot on the land that created my favourite character, Amelie' and film, 'Before Sunset.' Everytime i passed a girl in yellow i thought of Madeleine from the glory days of afternoon cartoons back in primary school. We were finally dropped off near the Paris Opera Theatre, another exquisite spectacle.

Scott and i grabbed a croissant (it was freakishly scrumptious) and then we traipsed up to Gallery Lafayette. Let me just say that this is unlike any fashion department store i have ever seen, and i can officially claim to say that i have seen a few in my lifetime living as an expat in Dubai (the land of malls). The place was swarming with shoppers, who i swear, all had crack with their cornflakes that morning. Watching these ravenous consumers go ape was bizarre. Then again sales had just started that day, and with inflation impacting so harshly on the retail industry this year, the french consumers were letting loose! But once i stepped into the hallowed centre of Lafayette Gallery, all the noise subsided as i was humbled by the awesomeness and grandieur of the dome. I can't believe i just said that, I know i'm not at the Sacre' Coeur or having lunch with Audrey Tatou, im in a damn shopping mall!

WOW this mecca of luxury consumer goods quietened my soul, not with the mountains of luxury goods but the beauty of the building. I had to leave, this kid started sniffing my vest. (Anyways here is a picture of the soaring dome before i almost had my vest eaten off)

Once we left Lafayette, we walked up hill to Pigalle in the 9th arrondisement. If you didn't know, Paris is divided by numbers of areas, kind of like zones. I guess they needed a simple way to chart and locate the abundance of stylish streets.
Pigalle is a somewhat colourful place, as it is at the foot of Montmarte.' Scott was taking me to the flat he was staying at for a facebook pitstop. But as we walked past some shady bars with panda-eyed ladies off the Moulin Rouge flashing their frou frous, i had to ask Scott if he knew where he was going, as i was about raise this question, we had just arrived at the entrance of his Parisian Pad. Ha!

When i arrive at new city I love to snap up the locals and of real people. I always thought I had a thick skin when it came to invasion of privacy LOL. Parisians love their coffee by the way. The little asian girl was looking into a dressmakers window and she shyly turned around just in time. The old man fell asleep in his framing store as i entered to have a look so i thought i would leave with a souvenir. A shot of his foot. The American boys reminded me that I wasn't the only tourist.

After a few calls and facebooking we walked up hill towards Sacre' Coeur cathedral at the top of the hill in Montmarte'.
My fingers were twitching like crazy as i went shutter crazy. I always envisaged Paris as an incredibly photegenic city having worshipped the images captured by Henri-Cartier Bresson, but the scenes of Paris seemed to have a life of its own, inching themselves into my focal lens. I realised this once my battery was running out. Thank god for my Lomo camera!! Always there when i need it. I haven't developed my 2 rolls of film yet but watch out for them! ok?

Some of the characters of Montmarte!

Well here are the images that I recorded as i unlocked Montmarte. I think i decided earlier on that i wouldn't take such a touristy approach to Paris but I would venture onto the road less travelled, but when i think about it now every inch of Paris is a landmark. Oh well. As we climbed the hoard for stairs to the top of the hill, I spyed on a group of theatre actors rehearsing in a public amphitheatre, it was a hoot, as the poor dude jumped out of a wooden chest and then got bitch slapped by the female antagonist! I guess the message was don't ever pop out of wooden chest in front of a french chick. Or meet the backhand!

As Scott and I marched down the sweeping tide of stairs from Sacre' Coeur hill, we walked past a bunch of 15somethings frolicking in the fountain, 4 gypsies strumming and singing (the parisian version of a mariachi band); then past a gang of African (self-penned) 'wrist snatchers' who would pounce onto unexpecting vagabonds, who would hijack peoples wrists and weave and unexpectedly lock them into a dodgy ransom. Hmm colourful!

As i get to the bottom i am entranced by the scene of Amelie at the merry go round! awesomeness!

After Montmarte i had to visit two of the locations that my favourite film of all time was shot (ok i have 2 favourites). 'Before Sunset' filmed by Richard Linklater, starring (french) Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It is actually a sequel to the film 'Before Sunrise' which was filmed 9 years before the latter. In a nutshell a guy and girl meet on a euro rail and they happen to sit next to eachother as Celine (Julie Delpy) avoids a german couple having a domestic and happens to sit next to a just dumped 20something Ethan Hawke. He convinces her to hang out in Vienna for 24hours as he has nothing better to do, she finally agrees and they fall in love. Don't laugh!!! by the end of the film they promise to meet in 6months and agree not to exchange numbers as they are realistic idealists (ironic hey?). The film ends and Before Sunset is set 9 years down the track! See now i got you all curious! right? Watch it!!!!!

Anyways they meet in Paris in the most dashing book shop across the river from Notre Dame called Shakespeare and Company book shop. I finally get there and wow AWWWWESOMMMMEness! The book shop has a decadent collection of literature and hard to get editions stacked from floor to ceiling. James Joyce, the author of Ulyses (the greatest literature novel ever written) used to come to the original book shop. So did Hemmingway. The shop is handsomely worn down with book-love and the walls and cupboards are seeping with litres of finger grease from generations of literati who have spent a life time reading in the shop. I walk upstairs and in on a boy and his grandad playing chess, by a red chequered table by the wrought iron window. There is a crystal vase holding a bunch of white peonies on the edge of the table. Grandson and Grandad are discussing the sybolism of red. Random but wow it feels like im in a movie, I grab a book off the shelf about Charles De Gaulle. (I will put up the pictures of these soon as i said my batteries ran out so the Lomo camera came out to play).

After I purchased an original edition of Madeleine and a t-shirt we left for Le Pure Cafe, which is where Celine and Ethan go for a smoke an coffee as they debrief on their lives (not saying whether they met in 6months time or not).
Here are the photos, i sit in the exact position that they did, and can you believe they are playing Bjork in the cafe, how perfect. Scott and i decided to write a postcard to our friend Steph. It is such a quaint and charming cafe, you must visit this place when your in Paris. It is perfection! (14 rue Jean Mace - 75011 PAris) I have a sweet conversation with my waitress who is wearing vacuum sucked raw denim jeans and red wedges. She is cute as, and after out conversation about this and that she gives me a coffee glass which is engraved with 'Le Pure Cafe'. She is my little Amelie!

Hmm after i visited these 2 places I was sooooo ecstatic for some reason, it was my little Mecca . I had wanted to visit these places for so long so Scott and i joked that i had not just unlocked Paris but a bolt in my head! ha ha ha (our ongoing joke from the Emirates ad about unlocking European destinations).

After that I got picked up from the Opera Hall to head to my hotel with suitcases worth of impressions and thoughts. I went to bed as my flight back to Dubai was in a few hours.

It was hard to leave but what the heck im just going to have to bid for Paris now.

It is exactly 10:11pm. At the carousel near the foot of Montmarte a man hears that his daughter has just given birth to a healthy boy. At the Sacre Coeur, the nuns are breaking bread. I learn that there are exactly 285 in economy.
Temperature is 23 degrees. humidity 68% and as I look out the window from my jumpseat for take off I am wishing I was staying longer.

I saw a real Wazasaurus in the Gong!

2008-06-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

It has been such a blast and blessing to catch up with my mates.
Being back in Sydney makes you really appreciate the things you have and cherish the awesomeness of your friends; especially being an expat in the middle of the desert. A beautiful desert at that. heheheheh!

Well I caught a train down the coast to Wollongong to hang out at the Jones's.We always manage to embark on a random series of adventures. This time it felt like the day was guided by a whimsical breeze from Neverland. Lunch at Ellies on the North Beach esplanade, rock hunting along the beach, the discovery of a butterfly grave, flight practice off beach rocks, a trip to the lost boys skate bowl by sunset, hanging with the icons of the Gong and then back to Jones HQ for homemade cookies and milk! Thanks for the memories Rach and Waz! Enjoy the pictures, just as much as we enjoyed posing!

Product Review: Monocle Magazine!

2008-06-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is one of the coolest Magazines i have come across in a while and i want to share it with you.
Monocle Magazine covers many facets of my interests including, international affairs, politics, design, fashion, technology and everything in between!! I initially came across the magazine in Kinokuniya a few months back but i actually picked up a copy in London for my train trip, as I was on my way into Covent Garden to catch up with a mate. The magazine itself is impeccably designed. The jet noir cover demands respect and once you open it up, it feels like you have just raided Mary Poppins bag, the sheer volume of content is delicious.

Check out the website!! There are multiple video reports that you can watch about about design in relation to national identity, to the introduction of the cutting edge technology used in up and coming aircrafts.
Monocle also has its own commissioned Manga comic series at the back of every issue, how sick is that?
I assure you, you will love it!! Tell me what you think!

Price: $10 US
Website: www.monocle.com (click on my Must C link)
Rating: 4.4768/5
Pro: You can't put it down, well written and researched articles keeps you in the know about almost everything.
Con: I want to work for them. LOL

Tickle me Incu!

2008-06-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

I trasped out to town this evening to run a few errands and to check out my beloved Sydney. It was really nice to just catch my old bus over the bridge, in a way it feels like i never left.

After making a few suprise visits to my Oxfam family members at centrepoint and Kinokuniya i wandered down stairs to one of my top shops, 'Incu', located inside The Galleries Victoria!

I have taken some photos of their latest window art installation, its pretty fetch ja! They commission a new artist every month. By the way, peacocks don't taste as good as Korean bbq, thats a fact!

Here is a drawing by the quirky and highly acclaimed childrens' book author and illustrator Shaun Tan. He has kindly donated the illustration to Kinokuniya to auction off on ebay for the indigenous literacy program! He drew this while he was in store, pretty sick hey?

Hello Sydney!

2008-06-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well i am finally back in my home town Sydney, for my first annual leave from Emirates.
As soon as i arrived I realised I missed seeing my surroundings in technicolour. As incredible as Dubai is, the high 40 degree temperatures and its geographical location means that a veil of milky white dust looms over the city almost everyday (visibility varying from day to day). So a crisp Sydney morning was an awesome change.
Besides the fact that I am waking up at odd hours I just spent the day at home chillaxing before a busy week ahead and went all National Geographic by taking pics in my back yard. It's Autumn at the moment so the trees are going bald, anyways enjoy!

Product review: Humidiflyer!!! Keeps you wet all flight long!

2008-06-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Actually on my flight over here I tested out a new device called the humidiflyer; it was developed by an Air New Zealand cabin crew, which is used to fight the symptoms of jet lag. It stops your nasal and throat cavities from drying out which generally causes you to dehydrate rapidly on long haul flights, and leaves you gagging for water.
It is a breathing mask with a filter attached to the end which reintroduces the natural moisture in your breathe which is then inhaled to keep your breathing passages lubricated! Well i give it 4 stars, it actually works and i would recommend it to anyone who are planning to jet out of town . The only side-effect is that i didn't realise but i had sent the cabin crew into a flurry of panic as they thought that i was gravely ill, but not to worry, i can see that it may be helpful if your sitting next to agony aunt or that annoying passenger who doesn't understand how to shut up about their life. LOL An extra pointer, if you have an odorous neighbour then a drop of aroma oil will remedy that!

Astro even uses one!
Price: 100 dhs/ $35AU
Website: www.humidiflyermask.com
Rating: 4/5
Pro: It actually works and can be used for 100 hours. (The filter has an antibacterial lining)
Con: Can cause heart palpitations in Cabin Crew and may start chest compressions on you while you sleep!

Achtung Munchen! Clear for Landing!

2008-05-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

I am on reserve this month and it seems to be only getting better.
Deustchland here i come, i was pulled out for Munich yesterday and golly what an amazing city it is.
As i was in A-position (meaning no door assignment) i was able to sit in the cockpit for takeoff and landing and it was phenomenal. Here are some shots of Germany as we started to descend, it was a glorioius vista as we hurtled past the Bavarian Alps. As we were taking over another jet i captured the jet trails and storm clouds over the alps.

This is the view from the cockpit which is quite breathe-taking. Since post September 11 the cockpit is out of bounds to non-crew so enjoy these unsurpassed views. It was quite surreal seeing the jet trails come out the back of the engines, it looks like steam shooting out at over 1000kmph.

Well once we descended into Munich, you could really get a sense for the German precision, the way the land is cultivated and the city lines are planned you realise that they don't mess about when it comes to design. Even the airport runway at Munich is incredibly efficient, it is uber slick and well designed.

During the flight i had the pleasure of looking after the UAE shooting team who were on their way to a the world championship in Munich, they are very highly accomplished athletes who i believe also work for national defence.
Well one of the highlights of the flights was meeting a little boy who literally followed us everywhere around the plane on the 6 hour flight.
He was travelling with his mother and i ensured that he had an amazing flight. I took him on a tour of the plane including business and First class and i think he really took a liking to the latter. I also gave him my service jacket and one of my colleagues hat/scarf and he was loving it. He wore his Ray ban aviators and carried his A380 model jet everywhere with him. It's a real joy to come across such kids on long flights as they keep the crew entertained for hours and i remember my first flight as a kid and how excruciatingly exciting it was. Even though he spoke little english, i was able to practice my limited German from lessons i took last year.
The coolest part of the flight was that he started helping me collect the headsets down one side of the aisle and i think the passengers were convinced that we started training quite early.
To top things off once we disembarked the plane and went through customs, he was waiting for us and he gave me a hug and high five at the gate hahaha. So i have just introduced you to a future Emirates captain or First class passenger!!

Enchanted Carrot cake!

2008-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like Carrot cake? Well Ash, Dane, Ali and i have started a new trend, Carrot cake bake night at Sahara Tower.
As we were all having a day off, the 3 Aussies and a Mauritian decided to congregate for a night of kicks, giggles, cake and film. After our random decision to have cake at 9pm, we all went down to the local super to grab a cake pan, carrot cake mix and carrots. Here are some pics to prove it to you.

After we jabbed and violated the cake countless times, it was finally ready and here were are chowing down. The fully sickest carrot cake. You should all try it, its tons of fun.

We ended up going with Ash's choice of Disney's Enchanted and ended up staying up to the wee hours of the morning talking in song and Carrot cake.

O bless!

*ingredients brought to you by Lifco.

I sleep in Emirates!

2008-03-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

When Emirates say that they will look after you, it's literal. In my Emirates crew pyjama!

In the park

2008-03-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images i captured while i was at Al Safa Park in downtown Dubai.
It is a very large leisure space which seems to attract alot of Arab and expat families.
My friend Novi and i were invited along for a picnic by members of a Church we happened to meet at the Anglican church quarters near Wafi.
We were lucky to meet a fellow cabin crew who happened to attend the same church. She was such a delightful person who had many pearls of wisdom to share with us.
As i was fearlessly snapping away at people in the park she reminded me that Arab families are very particular about cameras being pointed at them or their kids. I tried to be discreet and this is what i came up with.

My new school

2008-03-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is where i am getting trained.