I joined the cabin crew queue

Still yaya papaya!

Recently I met the ex boss of my ex boss (sounds complicating I know). Let's call him HL (How Lian). We talked once a while when we were still working for SQ. This guy liked to talk down his subordinates. That was fine if we were still with SQ but not when one has retired! So this time when we met, we were both retired. But he still like to give advices as though I was still with SQ. Said you "must do this and do that" crap. He was an irritant. Know what? My father don't even give me so many advices.
HL was at one time a high ranking management staff. He had lots of managers,VPs, etc etc carrying his balls. He loves being tickled in his ass. As for me,....I rather kick his ass.
I understand that some of ex colleagues are also in the same league as HL. That's why a lot of junior crew "siam" or avoid them even when they are about to collide into each other on the streets. Worst thing is to try to be bossy even you aren't their bosses anymore.
There was a crew,also a retiree and he mixes around with me. Once I asked why he does not mind being around me. The reply was "you don't have airs around you".

Elvis first sang If I Can Dream on 12/03/1968 on what is now known as the "The '68 Comeback Special." In April of 2007 American Idol had Celine Dion on the show singing a duet of this song....with Elvis. How is possible when Elvis died in 1977.

Manager vs me a lowly CCE

This manager of ours was a real pain in the a***. He was transferred from another division to cabin crew to oversee not only the 6,000 cabin crew but us, the 2 dozens or so cabin crew executives.
We were in this line for more than 30 years on the average and this particular  manager had  no prior  knowledge of inflight service nor experience in handling such a huge number of staff. But still, he was in charge of us.

Admittedly, managing us was not an easy task especially if our superior had no simliar working experience and one who stubbornly refused to immerse himself in our cabin crew culture. Bringing one`s practices from the previous department won`t work in cabin crew. Cabin crew is one department where the crew and staff were taught the art of finesse,diplomacy etc.

This manager ( let us call him lu) was unpolished in his mannerism and believed in the hammering his subordinates into submitting to his whimps and fancy. Some of my colleagues did not mind playing to lu`s whimps and fancy as long as their jobs were made secure. But definitely not me. I was willing to challenge lu in every aspect of the word CHALLENGE!

I filed a complaint against lu to my then SVP. I was told this particular SVP had worked with lu before in another division within the company.  He knew exactly I was complaining about cos he had dealt with lu before in such matter in their former work place.

To cut a long story short, the SVP removed lu from being our head of department. He deemed it unfit of lu to exercise control over us. The transfer was unprecedented cos it was very unlikely an SVP would side a lowly CCE like me.

Not long afterwards, lu was given the boot. Last I heard he was employed by some third world airline  which ultimately gave him the boot too.

Remember this blog?

This blog was closed immediately after Choice was voted in by cc. I thought it would
be interesting to see what was posted there and the seemingly trouble was brewing.
Notice the last posting was Dec 2010 and now it is almost mid 2011.

Click http://siaccblog.blogspot.com/

SIA long-haul budget airline

Go SIA,  Choon Pong Goh

Thats the way u can show

A new ceo who is innovative

And has so much innitiative

Starting a budget airline next year

This news has put so much fear

In airlines like AirAsia,Jetstar and more

We will hit their profit to the core

If your plan does not work

Shareholders will fry you in the wok

But surely your plan will do well

Kick the other airlines into hell

Stewardess Interview

Disclaimer: Wannabes are advised not to adopt the strategy shown in the video above.
It's meant for entertainment purposes only.

Did they deliver their promises to the crew?

Thank you SIA : by Chia Liaw Bee

Thanks SIA the dividends you declare
A dollar twenty for every share
It's by no means a small measure
We greet the news with much pleasure

The new CEO has done excellently
Otherwise he will commit hala kiri
Don't know what bonus SIA will pay
The staff will have more u char kway

Drink more kopi drink more tea
Work harder, no time to pee
Crew will have to tighten their belt
Toe the line or be severly dealt
By a management who has no feel
Work the crew till they fall ill

Ha Ha Ha I am so very glad
Dividend makes my wallet fat
This is SIA at its best
The future is anyone's guess

Dun tell them U are screwing me ok?

BT: KPI = Kotet Pressure Indicator

How and Why Kooning Party won the election!

A peom by Tan Ah Pee

When I was a CCE
My bosses didn't like me
Why you may want to ask
Simple cos I didn't tickle their ass

There was a boss whose name is CPL
He is now on the way to hell
There was another called TGM
He's one crew always condemn

Yes there was another called Willy Goh
Everything he did he did it slow
What about the one called John Lee
He will irritate you till you mati

The best manager was Cyril Teo
Who used to live in Ang Mio Kio
Drank only whisky Black Label
Until he became so unstable
Then one day Cyril died
Broke our hearts thus we cried

The pay of  our SVP was  30K
Ours is only kah chang puteh
All they did was give order
Come to us with much bother

Bother with what you may ask
To give us task after task
But I confess I didn't regret
Although I was never their pet

Infighting : cabin crew chia lat!

Chia Liow Bee

My name is chia liow bee
Whose cousin is tan ah pee
Many voted for toni sim
Now cc chin kek sim

Dont blame bohtong nor eddy
Blame it on your  svp
You may also blame it on choice
Whom u voted but has no voice

CC now si beh jia lat
have to wipe your own pantat
The union is like ka na sai
Get rid of choice or u will die

Voted for choice is a big mistake
Now ah chow will take and take
CC has to chia ka ki
Kick ah chow and tpt
Whose kpi has shoot up high
Dont care cc live or die

Poem by Tan Ah Pee

Repent cabin crew u better repent

For voting useless women and men

Now it's your time to pay and pay

With sunshine management will make hay

Now Ah Chow will kick your stinking ass

No union around, so no need to ask

Tighten the roster like no tomorrow

Till CEO said ah Chow is a hero

His KPI is going up and up

For cc he has lovingly setup

To work like dogs till die

All the rules they must comply

A Sai Baba devotee

PK, a senior steward was a staunch Sai Baba  follower. PK spent his time visiting places where his fellow Sai Baba's followers congregated. In S'pore, during his days off from flying, he frequently fellowship with his friends who were Sai's devotees. They would chant and sang their devotional songs and offer prayers etc.
PK led a simple life with his family. In his flat, he had a picture of his guru Sai Baba and a big altar with incense burning 24/7.
Mu was also a fellow devotee at the Sai's temple in S'pore. He was into this sect longer than PK. In fact, Mu was a very senior devotee in the temple. PK was close to Mu and his family.
One day Mu told PK he had an message from Sai in his dream. In it, Sai told Mu to tell PK that there was a few millions dollars in a Swiss bank for PK. Mu was instructed to assist PK to obtain the money. It was a gift from the good guru for being a faithful follower.
Of course, Pk was thrilled that the guru could even think of him and left a huge sum of money for him.
To get the money, Mu told PK he had to pay the administrative fee up front to the Swiss authority. It was $20,000.
PK thought to himself that it was worth dishing out the 20k for the millions he would received. Moreover, the money in the Swiss account was blessed money coming from the great Sai Baba.
A few weeks after paying the 20k to Mu, PK was still waiting for his millions. He asked Mu what had happened and Mu told him that there was another 50k needed to be remitted to the Swiss authority before he could be paid.
PK trusted Mu as they were devotees of Sai. PK forked out the other 50k and gave it to Mu.
All in all, Mu received close to a hundred thousands before he absconded.
Mu could not be traced and PK finally realised he was conned by a fellow devotee.

Btw PK owed a couple of crew including a captain around 50k. A year later, PK felt ill and was medically boarded out by the airline.

Si peh ho chio!

Kid in the Cockpit Mayday/Air Crash Investigation

Aeroflot Flight 593 was a Russian International Airlines[1] Airbus A310 passenger airliner operating on behalf of Aeroflot which crashed into a hillside in Kemerovo Oblast on 23 March 1994. All 75 passengers and crew were killed.
Cockpit voice and flight data recorders revealed that the pilot's 15 year-old son Eldar Kudrinsky had, while seated at the controls, unknowingly disabled the A310 autopilot's control of the aircraft's ailerons. The aircraft had then rolled into a steep bank and near-vertical dive from which the pilots were unable to regain control. Unlike Soviet planes with which the crew had been familiar, no audible alarm accompanied the autopilot's partial disconnection and because of this, they remained unaware of what was happening. As a result of the crash investigation, a number of design changes to the A310 autopilot system were recommended.

Heart's FaceBook

It's pathetic that with 7,000 cabin crew only 13 clicked "Like" in Heart Party's FaceBook.  It's either many cc do not have FB account or are not bothered with the things that going on in the division. Yet many have requested that Alan (former president of the union and Heart Party chief) come back and help solve the problems cc is facing. Now to show your support and you want Alan back then go ahead and click:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-Party-Cabin-Crew/201259056581820

Open a FB account if you do not have one.

SQ pays handsome dividends

No meeting with management

All  union meetings with management had been cancelled, so I was informed. Can't blame the management because it does not really know who to negotiate with. The union has got to put it's house in order before management wants to meet them. There is so much infighting going on amongst them. They fight for power, promotion and other personal things.
At stake is the collective agreement of the 7,000 cabin crew as well as other pressing matters like hotel accommodation for cabin crew at outstations, extention of retirement ages for the senior crew, location meal allowances etc. Worst still, are crew who need the assistance of the union regarding flight changes, leave, being bullied by the seniors etc.
CC is to blame for voting in a disunited team of newbies. CC gave them a thumping majority over the previous group and now looks like they have to pay dearly for their wrong judgement.
Now they want the previous union president to step in and help them. I asked him to help but he was not interested. He told me he would fight if there is another election. He said he would like to leave the matter to the members and let them sort things out.
I sympathize with those who did not vote for the newbies and yet have to suffer the consequences.

Click the following if you want Alan back http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-Party-Cabin-Crew/201259056581820

No disrespect to anyone but I find this hilarious.

Infighting amongst unionists

The newly elected cc unionists are having a big squabble among themselves. All in all there are 20 elected delegates and now they are having differing views about how to deal with the management over work condition, salary structure, off-days etc for the cabin crew. Besides this, they have personality clashes too.
I understand majority of the 20 delegates are unhappy with the way it's leader is treating them. The so called rebels have at least 12 out of the 20 delegates on their side.
Petitions to the main union exco of the union and NTUC are sent asking for the removal of their leader from representing the cabin crew.
I have a sms from the rebels accusing the other party of  threatening one of their member's family.
These 20 delegates won the election in October last year against the incumbent Heart Party who had represented cabin crew for the last 3 years.
We will be hearing more over the next few days.

Yam Ah Mee sinseh medicated oil

Boy he was so entertaining, appearing 27 times to announce the results of the GE 2011.

the mrbrown show: the stall next door

Dun cry for me NIcole cos unkle is ok now

A jobless senior citizen.

When I turned 59 I went for a security guard walk-in interview. With all my past experiences of knowing how to operate various types of fire extinguishers , the use of  guns and first aid I was turned down because I was considered "too old". I was a cabin crew executive and a trainer, an ex prison officer as well as a male nurse but all these meant nothing to the interviewer. Know what? The pay of a guard was  a meagre $50 a day or night of 12 hours duty time at a stretch. You would have to work for 2 weeks to get an off day.
A year later, I tried applying for an assistant night supervisor position with an established convenience store. The pay was $1,200 a month. Again I was told "uncle you are too old for the job"......hmmmm it's was so frustrating  trying to get even a lowly paid job.
I gave up the idea of working for people and decided to be an author. I started blogging about things at my former work place. A big reputable publisher by the name of Marshall Cavendish approached me and wanted my stories to be made into a book. I agreed and here I am the author of "Fasten Your Seat Belts".
On hindsight,I think the above 2 employers didn't want to employ me because they may be afraid I blog about life in their establishments.....hahaha.....lucky fellows ...so clever hor?

Senior female crew can be bitchy at times.

Someone told me that a trainee stewardess was chastised by her instructor for not owning a watch. This so called instructor was actually a female senior crew who was helping out in the training.
Sometime last year,a female senior crew told off a stewardess at Changi Airport because her father dropped her off from his van. The senior crew told the stewardess she was not supposed to travel in a van whenever she don the SIA Girl uniform.
I remember very clearly another senior female crew went on board the plane and tested the junior crew on their knowledge of food,wine,cocktails etc. She did this not to enhance the service but to intimidate the crew especially the younger stewardesses who were prettier than her.
There was one who pulled the ear of a stewardess because she wore insufficient make up.
There were many cases of senior female crew bullying the junior ones for the sake of bullying.
The watch case was the latest incidence. What crap is all this huh? I have never heard that crew must wear wristwatches. Senior female crew can be petty and vindictive. This sort of bullying must stopped.

Are these signs for real?

Does new media reflect majority opinion in S’pore?

For years, cynical Singaporeans who disliked government-controlled news have been forming themselves into a sort of digital sub-community.

They often ignore what the government says about policies, preferring instead to talk to each other about them online, a sad development for the authorities.

Large numbers of these better-educated Singaporeans have long lived within this sub-culture where the government plays little or no part.

They turn away from government press releases or Singapore newspaper reports which they consider as propaganda.

So far, the authorities have not found a way to engage the community, let alone win it over. It is crucial because Singapore's Internet penetration is more than 75 percent.

And with the 2011 election coming up, this sub-culture has evolved further.

From merely communicating with each other, it has moved with videos, songs and poems into the area of social networking that galvanises thoughts and action.

Meet the Facebook Generation! If this election throws up a surprising outcome, it is due to the movement.

Facebook is not the only one, but it is the most popular social networking site in Singapore with 48.2 percent — or 2.5 million — people owning an account, making this island republic one of its biggest users.

(In a recent survey by The Straits Times, 36.3 percent of Singaporeans, aged 21 to 34, cited the Internet as their top source of local political news, compared with 35.3 percent who preferred newspapers.)

There are others, too, like Twitter and YouTube.

Collectively, their rising popularity is changing politics in Singapore by allowing weaker, poorer opposition parties to challenge a giant like the People's Action Party (PAP).

As I write this, a small army of young Facebook eager beavers — some of them armed with iPads -- are volunteering, discussing and organising political rallies for various parties.

"We need helpers. If you're living in Whampoa, Pioneer or Chua Chu Kang, we'd love to hear from you," an opposition candidate appealed on Facebook.

"Count me in," came a quick response, followed by another, "Me and my sect of 200 ready for action".

Another opposition party standing against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong needed 30 volunteers to be proposers and seconders.

And the newbie Reform Party is online to recruit "walk-about" helpers, videographers, polling agents and general helpers.

In many cases, the appeals worked. Hundreds, if not thousands, are responding.

This is the Facebook Generation in action.

The ruling PAP hasn't fallen behind. Several Cabinet ministers and a dozen Members of Parliament (MPs) have Facebook or Twitter pages, which they use to communicate with supporters and constituents.

Few of the responses they get can match the opposition's, since the online community is largely an anti-government one.

Hours before nomination began, for example, a frantic attempt was launched in the social media network to raise S$13,000 still needed as deposits for an opposition team to contest in Tanjong Pagar, the constituency of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

This was a case of a smaller party lacking funds and resources turning to the Facebook public for help. The call was repeated regularly and money began filtering in.

Finally, someone sent S$10,000 as a loan to the candidates, but if lost due to insufficient votes, the lender said, "I will cancel the debt".

He explained this was to prevent walkovers, so that every Singaporean can vote.

Despite the 11th hour activities, the team was late submitting nomination papers — by 35 seconds. (Most of the contributions had reportedly been returned to senders).

However, the new trend is helping to disperse some of the apathy of young people, making them less compliant or fearful of the government.

Singapore is recognised as the world's most evolved social media market, according to a research by Firefly Millward Brown.

"Singaporeans' lives converge online and offline, where their families, friends, interests, work and hobbies could be found in the tangible as well as virtual world," the survey findings reportedly revealed.

It is rubbing off on some older citizens, who know next to nothing about the world wide web.

Recently, when Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Dr Chee Soon Juan spoke to Singaporeans in the Hokkien dialect, the video was seen 100,000 times.

A young opposition supporter, Nick, said he showed the tape to his mother, who had been an avid fan of the ruling PAP since the early days.

"After viewing it (Dr Chee was speaking of the plight of poorer Singaporeans and the high cost of living), my mother is now one of us. I am moved to tears," he added.

The PAP, which has governed since 1959 and has 82 out of 84 Parliament seats, is also using the Internet and social media to retain control on power. Its party's website is sophisticated and has 200 videos.

The looser policy contrasts with some of the tightest rules in the developed world to control the traditional media.

For the 7 May election, however, the authorities have lifted a ban on online political campaigning.

But as voting draws near, political analysts are cautioning against using the social media (which is overwhelmingly anti-government) as the sole yardstick to measure the outcome.

The Facebook culture may swing many youthful minds, but it may not necessarily reflect the majority of public opinion.

The Workers' Party's webmaster Koh Cheong Yoong has said new media tools like Facebook and Twitter cater only to a particular segment of the population.

"It helps us to reach out to more people than we could have, but it is probably not going to be the major determining factor in the winning of votes," he added.

That battle has to be fought and won in the streets and homes.

A former Reuters correspondent and newspaper editor, the writer is now a freelance columnist writing on general trends in Singapore. This post first appeared on his blog, www.littlespeck.com, on 30 April 2011.

Election Fever so no crew story lah

Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim has called on voters to give the ruling People's Action Party a "wake-up call" in this General Elections.
For more click here

The People's Action Party's (PAP) Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidate Christopher De Souza has called the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) manifesto proposals "dangerous".... click here for more

Osama bin Laden killed in shootout, Obama says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed Sunday in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan and his body was recovered, President Barack Obama said on Sunday.
"Justice has been done," Obama said in a dramatic, late-night White House speech announcing the death of the elusive mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people.
It is was major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team and could give him a political boost as he seeks re-election in 2012.
And it was at least a huge symbolic blow to al Qaeda, the militant organization that has staged bloody attacks in many western and Arab countries cities and has been the subject of a worldwide campaign against it.
Obama said U.S. forces led a targeted operation that killed bin Laden in Abbotabad north of Islamabad. No Americans were killed in the operation and they took care to avoid civilian casualties, he said.
In Washington, thousands of people gathered quickly outside the White House, waving American flags, cheering and chanting "USA, USA, USA." Car drivers blew their horns in celebration and people streamed to Lafayette Park across from the presidential mansion. Police vehicles with their lights flashing stood vigil.
"I'm down here to witness the history. My boyfriend is commissioning as a Marine next week. So I'm really proud of the troops," Laura Vogler, a junior at American University in Washington, said outside the White House.
Many Americans had given up hope of ever finding bin Laden after he vanished in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan in late 2001 as U.S. and allied forces invaded the country in response to the September 11 attacks.
Intelligence that originated last August provided the clues that eventually led to bin Laden's trail, the president said. A U.S. official said Obama gave the final order to pursue the operation last Friday morning.
"The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of men, women and children," Obama said.
A crowd gathered in Lafayette Park outside the White House erupted in jubilation at the news. Hundreds of people waved flags, hugged and cheered.
CAPTURED DEAD
Former President George W. Bush, who famously vowed to bring bin Laden to justice "dead or alive" but never did, called the operation a "momentous achievement" after Obama called him with the news.
Martin Indyk, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, described bin Laden's death as "a body blow" to al Qaeda at a time when its ideology was already being undercut by the popular revolutions in the Arab world.
Statements of appreciation poured in from both sides of Washington's often divided political divide. Republican Senator John McCain declared, "I am overjoyed that we finally got the world's top terrorist."
Said former President Bill Clinton: "I congratulate the president, the national security team and the members of our armed forces on bringing Osama bin Laden to justice after more than a decade of murderous al Qaeda attacks."
Having the body may help convince any doubters that bin Laden is really dead.
Bin Laden had been hunted since he eluded U.S. soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan close to the Pakistan frontier in 2001.
The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his militant Islamist views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks -- including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.

How the Americans found Osama's "hideout"

By Patricia Zengerle and Alister Bull – 2 hrs 54 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. forces finally found al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden not in a mountain cave on Afghanistan's border, but with his youngest wife in a million-dollar compound in a summer resort just over an hour's drive from Pakistan's capital, U.S. officials said.
A small U.S. team conducted a night-time helicopter raid on the compound early on Monday. After 40 minutes of fighting, bin Laden and an adult son, one unidentified woman and two men were dead, the officials said.
U.S. forces were led to the fortress-like three-story building after more than four years tracking one of bin Laden's most trusted couriers, whom U.S. officials said was identified by men captured after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"Detainees also identified this man as one of the few al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin Laden. They indicated he might be living with or protected by bin Laden," a senior administration official said in a briefing for reporters.
Bin Laden was finally found -- more than 9-1/2 years after the 2001 attacks on the United States -- after authorities discovered in August 2010 that the courier lived with his brother and their families in an unusual and extremely high-security building, officials said.
They said the courier and his brother were among those killed in the raid.
"When we saw the compound where the brothers lived, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound," a senior administration official said.
"The bottom line of our collection and our analysis was that we had high confidence that the compound harbored a high-value terrorist target. The experts who worked this issue for years assessed that there was a strong probability that the terrorist who was hiding there was Osama bin Laden," another administration official said.
The home is in Abbottabad, a town about 35 miles north of Islamabad, that is relatively affluent and home to many retired members of Pakistan's military.
It was a far cry from the popular notion of bin Laden hiding in some mountain cave on the rugged and inaccessible Afghan-Pakistan border -- an image often evoked by officials up to and including former President George W. Bush.
The building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, sat on a large plot of land that was relatively secluded when it was built in 2005. When it was constructed, it was on the outskirts of Abbottabad's center, at the end of a dirt road, but some other homes have been built nearby in the six years since it went up, officials said.
WALLS TOPPED WITH BARBED WIRE
Intense security measures included 12- to 18-foot outer walls topped with barbed wire and internal walls that sectioned off different parts of the compound, officials said. Two security gates restricted access, and residents burned their trash, rather than leaving it for collection as did their neighbors, officials said.
Few windows of the three-story home faced the outside of the compound, and a terrace had a seven-foot (2.1 meter) privacy wall, officials said.
"It is also noteworthy that the property is valued at approximately $1 million but has no telephone or Internet service connected to it," an administration official said. "The brothers had no explainable source of wealth."
U.S. analysts realized that a third family lived there in addition to the two brothers, and the age and makeup of the third family matched those of the relatives -- including his youngest wife -- they believed would be living with bin Laden.
"Everything we saw, the extremely elaborate operational security, the brothers' background and their behavior and the location of the compound itself was perfectly consistent with what our experts expected bin Laden's hide-out to look like," another Obama administration official said.
Abbottabad is a popular summer resort, located in a valley surrounded by green hills near Pakistani Kashmir. Islamist militants, particularly those fighting in Indian-controlled Kashmir, used to have training camps near the town.
(Editing by Mary Milliken, Will Dunham and Mark Trevelyan)

Prediction by Paul the Octopus

Paul was spot on for Spain to win the World Cup.....remember? Now scroll down .....