Travel Vignettes

Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2011 by Deepa

I traveled this week to Bhubaneswar. At the end of a long day, I checked into this nice little hotel, looking forward to some quiet and rest. After filling out the register, I turn and accompanied the attendant who was carrying my luggage. As I neared the lift, another attendant, offered me a glass on a tray. I took it gratefully, eager to quench my thirst....and experienced an assault on my tongue! The clear liquid I had mistaken as water, was actually Sprite. The colleague who accompanied me burst out laughing and then explained that she had done the same thing a split second before me. By the time she turned to warn me, I had already drunk the liquid.

Well, next time, I will surely be more alert and careful about mistaking clear liquids to be water!!

******

Sometime back, I was on an Indigo flight to Kolkata. Usually I am engrossed in trying to deal with my fear of flying and do not pay much attention to those around me. But this flight was a smooth, turbulence free one. So I cast a look around and took in the co-passengers, the condition of the aircraft (pretty good. Good show Indigo!) and then finally rested on a pretty flight attendant. Short hair, framing her face in page boy haircut. Nice hair cut I thought. Won't suit everybody though. Then another flight attendant came upto this one and was talking to her. Then another walked by with the food cart.

That's when I realised with a start, that they all had the exact same hair style. Same short hair, page boy hair cut. And it looked terribly odd and artificial. Poor things, I thought. Forced to cut their hair for the job. Not fair.

Then I took a second look. The hair was not real. It was obviously a wig! Dreadful!

Thank god I wasn't in a profession that required me to cut my hair in a standard style and (worse), wear a wig!!

This entry was posted in . Bookmark the permalink.

19 Responses to Travel Vignettes

  1. KParthasarathi says:
    January 24, 2011 at 6:22 AM

    Some thoughts crossed my mind.It is always a good and safe policy never to accept even water from others except drink from the sealed bottle kept in one's room.

    While dull uniformity should be condemned some guidelines on hair style would be in order particularly in airlines and hospitality industry.Otherwise one will come with a bun ,another with pony tail,a third with plaited hair single or double with flowers and another with hair let loose.What do you say about it?

  2. Deepa says:
    January 24, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    @Partha: The guidelines are fine. But I think it should focus more on being neat and clean. There is nothing wrong in people wearing their hair in different styles. As long as there is no hair in my food thats fine.

  3. Sandhya says:
    January 24, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    Sprite must have been a strong shock! Let me remember this for the future!

    I have seen most of them with a bun but never with a wig...horrible! They must be looking like machine-made!

  4. Rachna says:
    January 25, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    Wow, the Sprite thing gave you a scare :). And, a very valid observation about the air hostesses. I often study them with a lot of interest but haven't seen the exact same hairstyle on all. What I do notice is that they would really tie back their hair real severely even if very short. And, I wonder how harsh that must be for their hair. Digressing a little, have you noticed that almost all of them are very fair skinned. I am yet to come across a dark-skinned airhostess or purser, have you? Is the discrimination so open and clear in this respect?

  5. Deepa says:
    January 25, 2011 at 12:09 PM

    @ Sandhya: Indeed the Sprite was a shock! Imagine if it had been vodka ;))

    @ Rachna: Agree with you on the vicious pulling back of hair. What about all the psychedelic colours they put on their face/eyes? Scary! And yes, they do seem to be all fair skinned. Although one should make an exception for Air India. Nice roly poly aunties/air hostesses. Although quite a lot of them look very fierce.

  6. Rachna says:
    January 26, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    Yes, they do look fierce, and some have hideous makeup on especially during the day. The Air India ones are really very matronly aunties and they look so bored doing their namastes :).

  7. radha says:
    February 2, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    Indigo probably takes the definition of 'uniform' for flight attendants very strictly.

  8. BlogJunta says:
    February 5, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    Deepa, you have got a wonderful blog.
    Looks like we will keep coming back time and again

  9. Purba says:
    February 5, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    Aleast they smile despite their discomfiture. The wig is not a pleasant thing to wear.

  10. Deepa says:
    February 5, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    @Purba: Indeed thats true. I couldn't do it!

    @ BlogJunta: Thanks! And you're most welcome to visit anytime.

    @Radha: Someone told me that one private airline checks its flight attendant for breath, weight and dress for EVERY FLIGHT! And if they don't measure up, they're grounded till they do.

  11. Meera Sundararajan says:
    February 6, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    Yes Deepa, I dont know why a woman's appearance becomes so important in the "hospitality" sector. I prefer Indian airlines and their grouchy aunties any day to these young things! BTW did you know this that many of the private airlines compromise on the first aid training that is compulsory for all flight attendants?

  12. S says:
    February 10, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    You blog the best when you take a flight or vice versa? ;)

    I just read "Fly well? I don't think so!" post; just guessing but you really notice a lot, when in flights!

    You mistake Sprite for water and Wigs for hair, you really got flights of fantasy! :P

  13. Deepa says:
    February 10, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    @ Meera: Thanks! I could have really done without that first aid related info. Now I'm going to be more nervous than ever.

    @ Sourav: Hello and welcome to my blog. Now that you mention it, I do seem to notice a lot on flights. All thanks to fear of flying. I observe to distract myself. :)

  14. S says:
    February 10, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    Keep distracting yourself and writing too. Read much on your blog today and really liked it!

    Have a nice day! :)

  15. KParthasarathi says:
    February 10, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    What happened?The muse is not striking!!

  16. Roshmi Sinha says:
    March 11, 2011 at 5:18 PM

    A nice read. I wonder how can anyone offer sprite instead of that wonderful drink called water. Not fair. But a promotion for sprite... for sure!

    Indigo should have gone in for robots errr... humanoids instead. What say?

  17. KParthasarathi says:
    July 20, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    What happened?The muse is not striking!!

  18. Deepa says:
    July 20, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    @Partha: The guidelines are fine. But I think it should focus more on being neat and clean. There is nothing wrong in people wearing their hair in different styles. As long as there is no hair in my food thats fine.

  19. radha says:
    July 20, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Indigo probably takes the definition of 'uniform' for flight attendants very strictly.

Post a Comment