t o x i c

Two days ago, on a flight back from a certain city (which shall not be named cos i might end up getting sued), I had the chance to live through 2hours and 45 minutes of hell. It wasn't a full flight. About 70%. And i was stationed at the back galley. And the passengers that filled up the back part of the cabin were my problem. I'm not sure if this was part of their culture (which i sincerely doubt) or is it just a lack of forgetfullness (again.. i doubt), but they smelt to heaven!! And we were close to heaven!!

This is no ordinary BO. This is hard, penetrating BO. The kind that just lingered and got worst with every twist and turn of the body. The kind of smell you'd imagine coming from a rotting rat that's been left in wet cardboard box in the scorching humid sun. Me and my colleague Ros at the back really wanted to throw up. But we are professionals. So we smiled our way thru the agony. Of course, it didn't help that they started removing their shoes and taking off their jackets. Making themselves comfortable. To make matters worst, my demo position was exactly where the rottenest bunch of them were seating. I literally had to breathe thru my mouth which made me even sick cos now I was convinced the smell was gonna kill my insides. After take off and during service, me and Ros were put to the test cos our FnB cart just happened to stop at that horrid spot as they pondered on what to order. Thank God for yoga.. I manage to minimize my breating as much as I could but it didn't help cos for some reason I was hyperventilating.

After service we were back in the galley, which wasn't much of a comfort despite my constant spraying with the air freshener. And then I realized I was smelling abit off. I subtly began smelling myself and to my horror I told myself, OHMYGOD could it have been me that was smelling all this while and not them? Was I really so egoistic and proud so as not to admit that I was smelling and not them? I wanted to cry. I looked at Ros and she had this look of realization on her face. Like she knew at that point too that it was me and not them. Then she spoke "Dear, i think.." I held my breath. "I think we are beginning to smell like them. It's on me too. It's on you. It's invaded our being." And I wanted to jump for joy knowing that it wasn't me after all but them from the beginning but i couldn't cos now there was an even bigger problem. The smell had entered the galley and almost everything we touched. It was ridiculous. And we couldn't open a window. We couldn't do anything but to just live with it just as they who brought the smell had been living with it.

I believe it's just a way of life with them. Something that they are. Culture. And despite my struggling efforts to reduce the smell it didn't help. Most of my colleague despise doing this sector becos of this little problem. But this is our living.

Somethings are accepted in some cultures and others not. We just have to learn to come to terms with it. And respect each other's cultures. But I don't think I will understand how not bathing is part f someone's culture and not wearing deo. A close friend of mine Nalini adores good smells, I don't think she would have survived this onslaught of nastiness. I barely did.