Photo of flight attendants praying for on-time departure
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Photo of flight attendants praying for on-time departure
A photo of two flight attendants praying for their plane to take off on time has gone viral online, after recently published reports revealed the extent of China’s notorious flight delays.
In a photo widely circulated online, two flight attendants were seen in an airplane cabin kneeling in front of a food trolley that appeared to be arranged as an makeshift altar. A poster with the words “be on time” written on it was placed on the trolley, surrounded by food and fruit.
It is traditional in Chinese culture to pray for good fortune to gods or ancestors in front of altars, with food and lit incense sticks as offerings, at home or in temples.
The post came after a recent survey by a US-based airport statistics tracker found that Beijing and Shanghai airports had the worst records for on-time departures and arrivals among dozens of major international airports. Last Tuesday alone, 233 flights were cancelled at Beijing Capital International Airport and 1,126 flights were delayed by more than four hours, according to the tracker.
The photo of the praying flight attendants hit a chord with Chinese internet users with many expressing sympathy.
“Even flight attendants want to get off from work earlier,” one internet user commented on microblog, Sina Weibo.
“Understandable, flight delays are truly annoying,” said another blogger.
The two flight attendants in the picture appear to be wearing uniforms of Xiamen Airlines, a regional carrier partially owned by China Southern Arilines. Officials at Xiamen Airlines declined to comment on the authenticity of the picture, but said it was not a violation of company regulation for flight attendants to pray in flights, reported Haixi Morning News, a newspaper based in Xiamen.
The paper also said that Xiamen flight attendants are not alone in seeking help from a higher power to improve their on-time records. Smartly-dressed crew members from several other carriers, including China Eastern Airlines, have also been photographed in recent years bowing in front of makeshift "on-time" altars, sometimes made of juice or food boxes.
SCMP....15/07/2013
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Bill Maher would say, "Praying is about as useful as wishing it wasn't so".
But still, it is kind of funny and very elaborate. As someone who can't read the sign, I would be afraid that they are praying the plane does not crash. Would not give me much comfort as a passenger.
I guess it is better than sacrificing a goat though.
But still, it is kind of funny and very elaborate. As someone who can't read the sign, I would be afraid that they are praying the plane does not crash. Would not give me much comfort as a passenger.
I guess it is better than sacrificing a goat though.
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Some of the comments here appear to be very insensitive and demaning about what the girls are doing. Their actions are totaly in line with their culture so who are the others to mock. It is a pity that the high and mighty westerners never take a leaf out of the various asian cultures and work for the common good and prosperity of the company that employs them.
Have you never witnessed the Japanese airline crews, a very proud asian nation but also a western oriented culture having their pre-flight rituals at the departure gate, all very serious and professional. A lot more so than the Asian airline I worked in for 25 years as an expat employee, their idea of crew bonding was a little chat on the bus from the Captain up the front addressing the seated multi nationality crews down the back most of whom had no idea what he was saying. All this while we were driven to the terminal and the subject was pretty average at that.
If you can't handle what the girls are doing then leave Asia and go back and work among your own kind but don't knock and denigrate what they believe in. Embrace the culture it may enrich your own sadly lacking one for the better.
Have you never witnessed the Japanese airline crews, a very proud asian nation but also a western oriented culture having their pre-flight rituals at the departure gate, all very serious and professional. A lot more so than the Asian airline I worked in for 25 years as an expat employee, their idea of crew bonding was a little chat on the bus from the Captain up the front addressing the seated multi nationality crews down the back most of whom had no idea what he was saying. All this while we were driven to the terminal and the subject was pretty average at that.
If you can't handle what the girls are doing then leave Asia and go back and work among your own kind but don't knock and denigrate what they believe in. Embrace the culture it may enrich your own sadly lacking one for the better.
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Instead of spending money on baking powder and flour for the face, they should save up their allowances to buy more Fengshui bracelets and horoscope books.
Last edited by Soul planet; 16th Jul 2013 at 04:00.
