About Me

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Guildford, Hampshire, United Kingdom
I am a 47 year old (2011) first generation Caribbean Black British woman. I have a 30 year old daughter and a 23 year old son. I am single and work full-time as Air Cabin Crew on long-haul. My first book (my auto-biography) called 'Shoy' was published in Feb 2004. Currently I am looking for an agent to represent me or publishers for the various projects I am working on such as a play, children's story, love story and the sequel to Shoy.

Monday 2 May 2011

Why Am I Awake in Johannesburg???????

Hello everyone.  This little episode is not my usual blog, but I am wide awake in Johannesburg and not in a good place.  Coming to Johannesburg for me is never good, in that on one of my trips here I encountered (directly for the first time in my life) RACISM and not only once on that trip, but twice.  I cannot go into the particulars of what directly happened during my course of work, but needless to say I had the backing of my colleagues and employer.

Having arrived at the hotel, we all went out for the evening to socialise over a nice meal and to reflect on the events earlier.  Not long after arriving and having booked a table for the whole Boeing 747 crew, and having received our drinks and ordered our choice of meals, there was a complaint and one of the waiters had to come over to me (all secretively) and inform me of the issue.  My colleagues sat near me of course heard (that some of the other guests were not happy that I was sat in the restaurant!!!!!).  Cutting the story short, it was decided that we were not paying for our drinks which were not fully consumed and that they can cancel our order and that we were leaving.

The whole event left me in a weird state, can't explain it really and even though that was four years ago, I still let it affect me.  I see the trip coming on my roster and I go into a state of panic (What if it happens again? How would I react?)  I think for me, the fact that I was in a uniform that says who I am and who I work for, you are not the person you really are.  You say nothing, you do nothing and I think that is what makes you carry this numb feeling.  Is this why you remain the victim??????????

I can't wait to leave this place and feel normal again - roll on Wednesday.

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