The Sky is the Limit

That “everything  is to be served on a tray!” strongly etched on my mind, I placed a butter chiplet on a tea tray.To my horror as I pushed the tray forward he retorted , “ I want butter butter!’ I said, “Sir, this is butter!” Not convinced and doubting my sanity he made that famous ‘my thumb is a spout’ gesture and irately said butter,butter! I got it ! Did you get it? Butter, bawter, waatter , water ? I scampered to the aft galley hiding my laughter and embarrassment! He glared at me as he lifted the disposable water cup off the tray! Sorries do not fall easily through my lips !It was just a minor mis -communication! I forgave myself as I sashayed back ! My selection was the result of a mammoth impression I created on the panel of three astute interviewers with my latent mix bag skills of grooming and communication presented with utmost modesty and groundedness. I knew I had nailed it even before I got that important call on the landline telephone. Intuitive I have been all through. I was a part of the domestic arm of Lufthansa donning the navy blue uniform and wings after the 3 weeks training at The Grand ,Calcutta.I was elated!

The right of passage came in with a certification from the DGCA and I was rostered for my maiden flight to Madras. A dusky  November evening in  New Delhi where I was stationed,I ran across the tarmac in my brand new  Lotus mary janes to board the plane – security pass glitch got me running late! Consciously, I  peeked into my vanity mirror ,my not so clean swept French  knot  in place, a  dab of Copper perfume on my wrist and I stowed my handbag. Goosebumpy and absolutely lady like I tried to look  busy. I could feel the pinky toes squish as the bird lifted off the ground. I had just taken off with my first job - literally. I peered down to a vanishing smoggy  New Delhi as I prayed to Padre Pio ( my dad’s Patron Saint, a practice that I carried forward in  my  decade of flying career) I was convinced I was safe.

A year and a half flew by as I flew day in and day out. Beautiful days those were indeed. Colleagues and people around were a challenge but I was oblivious of many things a city  life  would bring. With the exhilarating  financial independence combined with the responsibilities towards myself,  I could thankfully  create a fine balance of both. Flying across 30 destinations interspersed with mini layovers in tranquil Goa and Cochin, buzzing Bombay and Calcutta  was one big holiday for me. Ferried  politicos, bollywood dudes and divas and the incessant Indian travellers by the hundreds. I was christened ‘sister’ many a times  and some odd ones  labelled me ‘nurse’ which I to this day fail to fathom. It was seriously not a joke when some familiar faces boarded the flight. It was awkward then. We were the pampered cabin attendants of the 90’s with the very palpable glamour quotient. It is all so different now – looks like, it is just another job. Coming back home to a studio apartment I shared with Luna – I was not tired. No, pub hopping and dancing was not my forte. I enjoyed sitting around, chit chatting with Luna and Mita my non flying friends as they chomped on the complimentary chocolate bars and laughed.  Life was going good until one fine day Mr. B K Modi called off the great partnership with Lufthansa that clipped my wings and grounded me hook, line an sinker. The newsmaker .' Modiluft go fly a kite' gave an awkwardly funny  closure to my days in the domestic skies!

With the coffers running dry and and my now calloused pinky toes itching  for a  heeled run through the airport terminal, I dared to put  my wings back as  I rummaged through  a Times of India Ascent issue hoping and praying for  an opportunity  this time  beyond the Indian airspace. As luck would have had it,  I was impressing another international panel .  Before it could  sink  in, I was talking about my dream  travel with my parents. Jordan is a mystical part of the Biblical history  and  was I more than blessed to be a part of this land’s national carrier. 

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Thus Royal Jordanian Airlines happened to me and it brought with it everything that a young girl would dream of. The gypsy soul within me found a bigger pair of wings to fly on – working beyond borders and time zones with girls like me from all corners of the world – It sure taught me to be proactive and collaborative, to understand and to be understood, to face and overcome challenges, to ensure unfailing safety and  wholehearted service to our guests in the sky.The touch of Jordanian  hospitality  showcased through the colourful abaya clad Yahalas serving Arabic coffee was straight out of the Tales of Arabia.It fascinated me as I laughingly tried to grasp the Bedouin language. Equipped with  world class training in safety procedures and service standards where old Mr.Walid introduced us to  petit fours and   hors d’oeuvres,  steaks – well done , medium or rare , cheese and wine, aperitifs and digestifs.I drooled while the vegans retched ! Ms. Mai Haroun was uncompromising with her lessons on First aid and Safety. Simulating real life emergencies from emergency landings to  evacuations and  ditching, we drilled till we got it right. Read the safety manual like the Bible followed by briefings and reruns until I was confident and  ready to take flight. I perfected the 'hostie' gait and traveled across the world, shopped till I dropped , made wonderful friends in dear  Audrey, Lily, Chris, Tshering, Rachel and Ingrid  and many more. What lovely  memories I have of these even lovelier ladies who stood by me, welcomed me into their senior gang of girls. The days off were home lunches and dinners, outings, gin afternoons or dance evenings in and around posh Swefieh.  Audrey’s made to perfection  Indo- Malay curry   with  crunchy sautéed cabbage and Tshering’s scallion and beef dumplings are recipes that have found a way  to my heart and hearth. I recreate  them off and on for my family as I reminiscence my old flying days.  

Based in Amman, flying to India was always a delight.To come home to my cozy apartment in New Delhi and to meet Rahul was always the highlight and the priority  of the flight bids. It was a high flying life with a series of life learnings which I soaked in like blotting paper. Whether it was the smoothest long haul flight to Toronto and a visit to the Niagara Falls or it was a short trip to Cairo and to the Great pyramids at Giza, expensive Europe or affordable Far East everyday was an adventure for a small town girl . On the flip side a  technical snag and a mayday call to  Goose Bay  in eastern Newfoundland followed by an emergency landing or  another  hydraulic failure and a planned emergency landing into Amman when I knelt in the tiny R3 lavatory and invoked all the Gods to bring me to safety have reinforced my belief system and  power in prayers in times of absolute helplessness. These experiences have shaken and shaped me.

Yes I made that dream travel with my parents to the Holyland. A pilgrimage to Madaba and Mt Nebo and the baptismal site of Jesus  in Jordan followed by the road travel to the West Bank to the holy city of Jerusalem . Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee.  Then on to Egypt as the part of the holy trail. Realising my mother’s dream to  touch the waters where Jesus walked has been one of my biggest  achievements. 

In the meanwhile I got hitched to the love of my life. Jordan became Rahul’s  second home as he shuttled between India and Jordan and yes we did continue to travel this time round on the spouse quota! for a few years more. Chris my feng shui master suggested ‘If you want to be together you need to keep  the ‘Happiness’ sign  for good luck and new opportunities. It proved potent and effective  when Rahul got a job offer from Goa.  Unable to ignore the  call of the sun, sand and the sea   after all these years of meeting and parting, I dropped  in my resignation thus trading my wings for a relaxed “susegad’ Goan experience. Thousand fold richer with valuable experiences and wonderful friends and memories I traveled back bidding farewell to  Jordan  that was my home for  8 long years.

I finally happily and willingly  clipped my wings.

Claudia Joshi

 P.S July 2019

After a long  17 years Rahul and I  decided to  revisit Jordan this time with children in tow. It was a weeks itinerary and I had precisely two reason to be excited about this trip to Jordan. First was to meet Lily, a dear friend and  RJ colleague ,to catch up on all those years and second was to show my children in and around the town and country. Jordan has changed – more concrete and more people but the old Middle Eastern charm is still intact. It was a trip full of OMGs for me.‘ I cannot  thank Lily enough for the lovely time we had. The mansaf lunch at Hotel Jerusalem in downtown Abdali to the pint at the Irish Pub for the old times sake and for everything between and beyond. Till we meet again Lily ( either in India or Singapore ) sometimes soon.

Claudia Joshi

21, June 2020