By: Yvonne Foong Ming Niang (Guest Blogger)

This article by Yvonne Foong Ming Niang extracted from http://www.yvonnefoong.com/2010/08/18/home-and-family-in-the-air/

Eddie & Co. sent mom and me to LAX last Saturday for our flight back to Malaysia.

While waiting in line at the Economy Class baggage check-in counters, we spotted Daryl Stripsky, the Malaysia Airlines ground crew at LAX coming in for work. We said our hellos and caught up a little before another ground crew waved us over and led us to a special counter next to the Golden Club counters.

Golden Club flyers still had to line up but we didn’t have to!

But that wasn’t the first time I was allowed to wait in the business class lounge. The MAS crew at LAX had been taking me there since my visit in March 2009 for the Gamma Knife Radio surgery.

In the business class lounge, I get to surf the web, reply e-mails and tell everyone on Facebook that I was heading for home!

Half an hour to departure, mom and I left the lounge and took the elevator to where boarding gates were. At this floor, another MAS ground crew spotted us. He spoke to mom briefly before leading the way. As we continued to walk ahead, he turned around and made eye contact with me, to say an extra hello. I knew then that he was aware of who we were.

Last weekend, we flew home on Economy like most times.

Even though we were seated in Economy Class, the cabin crew treated us with first class hospitality. The only tell-tale that we were in Economy was the always upright sitting position and the minimal leg space. Our blankets in Economy were woven and not duvets.

Economy Class food tastes just as good if not better. The only difference is in the way food is served. In business class, food is served with big designer plates, full-size cutleries, drinking glass, table cloths and cloth napkins.

If we want a snack in business class, we have to ask the crew, crack our brains and take a pick from the loooooooong list of choices, and then tell the crew what we want.

In Economy, the crew would suddenly and unexpectedly hand you a Magnum ice-cream sometimes. Surprise!

The attention I received in Economy Class was nothing less than what I will receive in Business Class. The crew was always willing to see what I needed whenever I pressed a button on the remote to call for attention.

In Business Class, the crew watched me with hawk’s eye. But it doesn’t mean I am treated any less without the hawk’s eye in Economy!

Once while I was flying Economy last weekend, I woke up during sleep time feeling hungry and called for attention. A steward I had seen seated at the end of the cabin earlier appeared beside me as soon as I pressed the button. He looked very concerned so I told him that I was just feeling hungry and wanted to eat something. He tried to ask me what would I like to have but I said that I couldn’t understand him and searched for my pen. He then dashed to the kitchen, dashed back and stashed two buns in individual plastic wrappers into my hands. I said that one was enough and returned the other.

It was a sardine bun. He also gave me a glass of water as requested.

He left me wondering whether they hired him just to look out for me.

I have much to thank the MAS ground crew in LAX for preparing their cabin colleagues with my background and special needs information. Because of this, the cabin crew was patient while communicating with me. Once on my return flight last weekend, a stewardess on the flight between Taipei and KLIA asked whether I needed a wheelchair upon arriving at KLIA. I said no, but she looked at me questionably and asked, “Are you sure?”

This stewardess had been looking out for me throughout the journey home and grew to empathize with the nature of my hearing impairment.

She spoke at a speed. Intonation and expression that I could pick up her words with my Auditory Brainstem Implant and understand her.

In the end, I chose to use the wheelchair and assistance because KLIA is just too huge!

My next flight to and fro the U.S. for medical reasons will be through Newark in New Jersey. I am going to miss the crew at LAX! *sob*

By: Bobby Sim Swee Sing (Inflight Services, Cabin Crew Line Operations)

 MH Crew Family hard at work clearing the garden, planting the grass and laying the driveway

At around 0830hrs, 10th July, 2010 on a bright and beautiful morning in the township of Kundang, the townsfolk saw a group of blue colored shirted people gathering at their Dewan Serbaguna Orang Ramai Kg Melayu Seri Kundang, complete with some wheelbarrows, cangkuls/hoes and shovels…they must have wondered if they had missed any news of a gold strike around their town and that these people were there to mine some gold or something else!

Our group, on the other hand, were feeling like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves going into the forest to do some work…just that in our case, it was not Snow White, but Welkins/CCLOPS/MH Juara, and not the Seven Dwarves, but 32 of us in the MH Crew Family consisting of all ranks and file with some family members, going to the PDK Seri Kundang Center to do up their garden and driveway for them!

We were also met by the assistant to the ADUN MP, YB HJ Shukur for the area, Mr. Adrian Sim who had come to know of our project during the planning stage. He brought with him three members of his constituency to assist us, and thank us for coming to do the Gotong Royong Project for the Center.

It was a short walk to the Center from the Dewan, and upon reaching the Center, a short opening speech was given by ISE Rahim Khamis who gave thanks to all present for volunteering their time and efforts in the spirit of 1MH. This was followed by a short speech by Mr. Adrian Sim who once again thanked us, and mentioned that we are indeed a very good representation of 1Malaysia in coming forward to volunteer our time and effort for the less fortunate. The Administrator for the Center, Puan Rozita then had a few words as well to thank us all for coming to help them, and also for the donations of some dry foodstuff and amenities organized by IFE Rahim.

A few more minutes briefing were spent on work logistics and safety rules, and at around 0920hrs, work proper started. Iit was indeed a sight to behold as all of us worked hand in hand, as what our 5 Star Cabin Crew always does, to efficiently do up the garden and driveway, managing to improvise when needed, exchanging ideas on the best course of action to take accompanied by the usual bantering and exchange of jokes!  The sun was blazing fiercely, it was really hard work and all of us were perspiring profusely, but the camaraderie was evident as all were seen encouraging and helping each other. Some of the Center’s ‘special’ students turned up at about 1100hrs, and we took a break to mingle with them. Our balloon man, CS Ginger entertained them with his specialty, and we could see that they were pretty excited by our presence.

The work finished around 1230hrs, by which time everyone was feeling pretty tired and sunburned, not to mention hungry!! However the satisfaction of seeing the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of the garden and driveway made up for all the hard work  and sweat, and after making sure that we had done the job properly, we thank the Administrator for giving us the opportunity to be there. A short closing by ISC Chang CK with some mention of plans for future projects, then we were off for lunch, sponsored by Welkins/MH Juara, at a Warong owned by one of our former crew.

We were pleasantly surprised when Mr. Adrian Sim showed up to have lunch with us, bringing with him some cut fruits consisting of buah nangka and guava. He also made sure we didn’t go back empty handed as he packed some buah nangka for all us to bring back as well.

All in all, a most tiring but satisfying morning, and special thanks goes out to ISE Rahim Khamis for being the source/catalyst of this project, ISC Chang CK for his passion and guidance to realize the project, also his willingness to get his hands dirty (despite being on pain killers for his knee), IFS Adrian Yin for assisting in the planning, Unit Hidayah representative CSS Warjeet Kaur, Head of C/Crew MH Juara ISE Oi GN, and our HOD, Mr. Gunalan for giving us his blessings and support for this charity project. Special mention also goes out to our two cameramen, FS Hafiz, and LS Nicholas Wan for their paparazzi skills! Many thanks also to all the participants, the family members who came along to lend a helping hand.  In reaching out to help the less fortunate, our MH Juara Program of ‘Engaging with Employees’ is certainly achieved, and this group of Crew Family who has participated in this project most certainly felt the difference in the sense that there were no boundaries or protocols between us despite the different ranks and files in the group!

I end this report by giving thanks to the Almighty for His grace in giving us a beautiful day in which to carry out our work, and may He also bless all of the participants as well for their charitable efforts for the day!!

The satisfaction of a job well done!!!