Thanks Har'z !
I understood everything !
For those who are following this thread, I've received some private messages with some answers and tips. Here goes...
* No need to buy a huge handbag, you are supplied with one. You can take as much as you want on overnights, they give you a cabin bag, and hanging wardrobe too. So for a 3 day trip you could take handbag, cabin bag, hanging wardrobe and on a 10day trip you could take suitcase and handbag.
Get a good suitcase, black oyster Samsonite or Delsey is the best.
* "when you arrive they give you an allowance, not much for the first week. basically covers food but you will definitely need your own money if you want to have a life, like dinners out, movies, taxis, shopping, internet cafe (there are lots) etc. I think you get a training salary, but its not much. so be prepared for at least a month with not much cash flow"
* "mobile phones, take you mobile as you can buy a prepaid chip to have access in bahrain. if you want worldwide acces you have to sign up with batelco phone co. and pay a deposit of BD100. then you have roaming and sms everywhere. "
*" youll stay inthe guest house with your training mates for the duration of the training school and company transport will pick you up and drop you off. then you will move to an apartment. most probably you will get to choose to live with somone, but you will be seperated as this hardly ever happens. you will live with one or two others. if you can afford it, its great to get a car. changes your life there. taxis are a pain and walking on the street you always get hassled for a lift. not dangerously, just annoying. i got a car after about 2 months and it was the best thing i ever did there. it kind of feels more like home, but the company transport is ok, as long as you dont live too far from op's and always get dropped home last.!!!!"
*" I can safely say that being a "Gulfy" will be an experience you will never
forget. My advice is come to Bahrain with the intention of enjoying it while you are here, but also moving on after 2-3 years, and you will then probably be doing the sensible thing. Another problem is the peer pressure to "socialise" with the male
GF pilots & stewards while flying, and the local Arab men while in Bahrain (on a paid basis if you want - no offence intended, just warning you). If you have a boyfriend (usually Bahraini or US Navy - and watch out for married guys claiming with great conviction to be single) to be faithfull too, well it will be hard on you both when you are out of Bahrain 8 days out
10. "
* Arabs are event-orientated people as apposed to time-orientated. The event of getting together is far more important thatn the schedule of the event. Although you will be expected to be on time for an appointment, do not necessarily expect the same in reverse. Be prepared to be kept waiting or even for a last-minute postponement that you will only be notified of on your arrival for the meeting. Learn to relax. The pace and lifestyle is very different and it will be an adjustment.
* Remember always that you are a guest in a foreign country. Behave in terms of the rules and customs, and respect the locals in their own country.
* Long skirts or long trousers, and T-shirts or shirts with sleeves covering at least the upper arm should be worn in any area that is predominantly Arab.
*Take a mixture of clothes, in summer the heat and humidity is unbearable, while in winter it can get cold, take a few jumpers and a jacket, jeans, whateva, but loadsa bikinis !
* Work dress code :
Men : A tie or smart open-neck shirt is recommended for office work. A suit is not necessary, unless visiting high profile locals.
Women : May wear knee length skirts or dresses, or trousers. Sleeves must coer the upper arm.
* Bring small home memorabilia and curios with you - they all of a sudden become meaningful when you're away from home, and they are also of huge interest to people living there that has never been to your country.
*Make sure your personal papers (will, tax clearance, medical aid scheme, pension fund, rental agreement if you're leasing property, bank account, power of attorney) have been attended to before you leave.
*Come with an open mind - everything is new and very different, but know that it will be an adjustment and your move will go smoothly.
*There are mosquitoes! Bring Tabard (mozzie repellant)!
*Be prepared for a total change of lifestyle. Saturdays and Sundays will now be working days and Fridays the holy day. The working hours are longer, and your weekends shorter.
*"the courses for ALL airlines are tough bcos if ur not used to airline terms it can be hard (but hey everyone starts sumwhere!) its a really intense course they start early and sometimes finish about 2-3pm as the weather gets unbearable and most arabs rest in the afternoon then return to work but u normally start about 7.30am.finish 2-3pm then get back to ur apartment and study maybe for an exam the following day..there are always exams most days.you have to learn all of the equipment and locations on the aircraft and maybe train for more than one type of aircraft.exp.A300+A320 aircrafts..ones bigger than the other.they cannot normally have more than 12 people on a course as it would be difficult to teach so many so the norm is 12.its better this way when its a small group.a few people did fail a couple of the exams on my course but they resat them and were ok..they were from india and didnt have brilliant english.the trainers want you to pass so will normally help in any way they can.Even though ive done it b4 i still find it tough cos its the remembering that gets me..like having to know ur emergency drills WORD FOR WORD! in case of a crash landing or a ditching on water etc...u do really have to study hard.(im not trying to put u off!)"
* "regarding the swimming..all airlines require u to do this..i had to swim two full lengths then grab a lifejacket put it on whilst treading water and blow it up while i had it on..then swim to the side of the pool and get out.thats it.also you have to put up a life raft in the water in a team in case of crashing on water..this would probably be on a seperate day.u know what i mean by liferaft? the inflatable thing thats kept in the doors of all aircraft..this is quite fun"
*"you will have to buy a pair of indoor cabin shoes, black and with heel of no more than 1/12 inch. also you will need to take things like a bottle opener,calculator,scissors,tippex and tape...this is for use on the flights (galley kit)"
* Don't forget this in your hand-luggage : wallet, ID, ticket, passport, camera and film, cell phone (turned off!) , change of clothes in case of lost luggage, phone book with essential contact numbers, Multi-vit's, eye drops, copies of important documents like prescriptions etc., extra pair of socks
Shani
Gulf Air FA Girls Night Out
(I loved this !!!)
Part One
It's 11:00pm in Henry's, and your friends buy you another drink. Your friends who aren't flying tomorrow. You get up to leave, but then you say to yourself, "As long as I get seven hours sleep I'll be fine."
Part Two
It's midnight, and you've just spent an hour arguing that Mavis should leave Derek in Coronation Street. Right about then a little devil appears on your shoulder, and you look at your watch and think to yourself, "It's still early and we're having a laugh, besides as long as I get five hours sleep I'm fine."
Part Three
It's 1:00am, and you've switched from halves of lager to halves of tequila. You've just spent an hour arguing that Mavis should stick by Derek. You look around and spot a pilot you told to go parachuting without a parachute five times on the last block and think,"That's the hottest Captain in Gulf Air". On the way to the Ladies you give the American sailor at the end of the bar a big kiss just because you love his accent. You and your friends start having drunken fantasies - "Say, if we buy our own airline, we can stick together for ever". You notice that the devil is a bit bigger than he was .... and he's buying. You start to leave, but then squint at your watch and say to yourself, "As long as I get three hours' sleep - and a complete change of blood .... I'm fine."
Part Four
It's 3:00am in TC's, and the devil is bartending. You decide to leave Derek. Ten Arabs - all Managing Directors - have given you their Business Cards and told you "You are the most beautiful girl in the world ... I love you ... Call me on my mobile tomorrow ... Of course I'm not married!". You've ignored ten Americans. For last orders you get a bottle of Vodka and a Coke. On the way to the Ladies you elbow the American sailor at the end of the bar just because you hate his accent. You look around and spot an Arab gentleman in a Thobe and try to discover if he wears anything underneath. You finally stagger outside. Somebody says he knows an all night Hotel Bar in the Souk area, you tell yourself, "Well, since I'm up this late, I might as well stay up all night!"
Part Five
It's 5:00am in the Aradous. You've spent an hour trying to drink 25 pints of Heineken to get a free Polo shirt and have just discovered that Mohammed ("But WHICH Mohammed!!") wrote his bleeper number in large indelible letters on the front of your white top. The bar is full of dubious characters who have apparently never seen a white girl before and are having a staring competition. This is the kind of bar that even the devil wouldn't touch ("Sorry, lunch date with Hitler"). You're now drinking some thick blue liquid that looks like something from a Romulan wedding reception. You see the Captain, fresh stitches in his head, and say, "I'm gonna marry him". Just then, one of your friends stands up and screams, Let's drive to Saudi!!!", then passes out. As you're carried out of the bar, you say to yourself, "As long as I get twenty-nine hours' sleep tomorrow .... I'll be fine."
Part Six
It's 9:00am at the Captain's house. You wake up on the couch with a cricked neck and a raging thirst. You desperately search for the Aqua Cool and drink a quart straight from the tap, washing down four Panadol. You decide to sneak out and hail a taxi. You crawl outside and the sun shines down on you, frying your eyes like a vampire taking too long getting back to the coffin. Passer's by look at you and wonder "Who's Mohammed?". This is when you utter the Gulf Air Girls moto "I SWEAR THAT I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN", and some girls even add:"...and this time, I really mean it!!!"