segunda-feira, dezembro 28, 2009

CEMAL

As usual, it has been a while since I wrote the last post, but I can still remember most of the things I wanted to write about, so I will do it before it is too late.

CEMAL
They put a lot of emphasis on the importance of these medical exams. Even after you start working as a flight attendant, you have to go there annually for a checkup. They also frighten us by telling that those exams are really severe, and one needs to be in perfect health in order to get the certificate.
I was not so worried about my health at the time, but I started to fear the exams. It is quite expensive and if I fail, depending on what aspect of my health made me fail, I could have to wait for a whole year to do it again. So it was crucial for me to get it now.

I was going for the first day of exams on monday (november 30), so I was really anxious during the whole weekend. On saturday I went to the place where I would make the exams, so I wouldn't be lost on monday morning.


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I spent the night at the hospital to stay with a friend who needed monitoring, and that only made me think more about the exams, specially when I saw the food they brought us there (truly terrible).
On sunday around 7 p.m. I had to start fasting for the blood tests 12 hours later.

November 30 - Day 1
Got there as expected around 7 a.m. and waited in line for not more than 15 minutes. When my number was called, I had to fill out some forms with my data and all I knew about my health conditions (if I were taking any kind of medicine and so on). When I finished I was told to go to a counter where I would pay for the exams and from there I would be told where to go.
After I paid, the guy took all my forms leaving me with just one, and told me to wait in line for blood test and urinalysis. I didn't feel like urinating at all because I went to the toilet before I get there. So I thought about drinking a lot of water, but the line was moving fairly fast and soon it would be my turn. In the end I didn't needed any water, and right after that I went to take the blood test.
I don't feel so uncomfortable with needles, so I had no problems with the blood test. From there, I saw many people going to the X-ray room, so I followed them, but realized that all of them had a paper that I didn't. Just a few minutes after I seated, a guy comes and ask for everyone's paper, so I told him that I didn't had mine. He asked me to go to the "protocol control" counter to get that paper, but didn't told me how to get there... and I didn't asked. I went back to the first counter and asked the guy there about the X-ray paper and also about the protocol control, and he told me that I was supposed to go to psychometric evaluation on the second floor.
Getting there I was asked if I had breakfast, and when I said I didn't, they told me I had to eat before I do the evaluation. By the way, this CEMAL exams are known as "the most expensive breakfast in Brazil", but the breakfast was actually free and the food was ok. Not many options though.
Although I had nothing to eat for the last 13 hours, I was not so hungry, so I didn't spent much time there.
After I ate, went back to the psychometric evaluation room (don't know if these are the correct words in english) and started my "test".
Lots of questions about myself and some about popular sayings interpratation. It took me a lot of time because, although they ask you to write the first thing that comes to your mind, in some questions nothing comes up at first. Also, while we were answering the questions, the psychologist there was interrupting, asking us to perform new tests, like looking at figures and write what we see, and draw things like a house, a tree and so on. So, after almost 2 hours and 30 minutes I was completely tired and decided it was time to finish.
After I delivered my tests, they finally told me where the protocol control counter was, and I was told to go there for further informations.
At the counter, they gave me the paper I was suposed to have when I went to the X-ray room the first time. Went back to that room, the doctor took a while longer than the first time, but he called me to take a chest X-ray.
Back to protocol control, I was told to go to dentistry, but it was already too late. They were not making any exams, so I would have to try it the next day.
I met some friends I knew there in the corridor, and they told me that the cardiology session was still operating, so I ran to make it on time. It was quick (and weird), but there was nothing else I could do that day (it was around 12:30 p.m.), so I took the car and went back home.

December 1 - Day 2
I didn't knew if I had to fast before the second day of exams, but I did it anyway. I got there earlier than the first day and didn't had to wait in line. At the protocol control they told me to go to the neurology room, which was still closed. There were also two friends from the first day waiting there, so we started to chat as we waited.
The doctor came a few minutes after and the first thing she asked was if we had breakfast. One guy said he didn't, and the doctor told him we needed to eat well before the neurology exams.
I didn't answered the first time and was embarassed to say it then, which was kinda dangerous I guess, but I did it okay. They use a gel to fix the electrodes in our heads, and it was a mess to clean out for everyone who didn't had shaved hair like I did.
With the results of the electroencephalography, another doctor asked me some questions, and then sent me again to the protocol control. This was the only test I was told that I "passed".
It was time for me to face the exam that was worrying me the most: the ophthalmological exam.
I used to wear glasses until I turned 15, but had a normal life without it after that. I even got my dirver's license that way. But lately I feel that my left eye is not functioning the same way my right eye does.
Anyway, they made some tests to see if I am color blind and the reading tests with small print at distance. Since they didn't said anything about it, I guessed it was ok.
I was sent to the next room for the hearing test. It was a soundproof room, so silent that I could hear my own heartbeats with no effort at all. It could be used as a torture chamber if they wished so.
There I was with some huge headphones staring at the doctor through a thick glass in front of me, trying to mute my heartbeats in order to hear the tiny sounds.
Long silent pauses during the test worried me a little, but again no comment was made, so I went straight to the next room. Psychiatry.
After three exams without having to go to the protocol control counter again and again, I started thinking that things were going to be faster than the first day. Too soon for me to start thinking about that.
Me and a private from the brazilian air force (that has the same name as I) were waiting for quite a long time to be called by the psychiatrist there talking about their evaluation method, until we realized that everyone who came after us were already being called. We asked if there was something wrong, and after 1 hour waiting seated there, an officer comes telling us that our files have been sent to the protocol control by mistake. We just had to wait 30 more minutes and the psychiatrist called us at last.
I went first and saw my psychometric test from the first day on top of the psychiatrist desk. I also noticed a huge amount of stamps, some of them over his books, marking the cover. Most of them seemed to have the exact same things writen on it...
The guy just asked me the same questions that were in a part of the test, and then I saw some notes he made. It didn't seemed anything special, and after a few minutes I was free to go.
Went back to the protocol control, and was sent to the clinical exams, but before that I really needed to go to the bathroom. I asked the private there if it was ok and he gave me the directions to the nearest bathroom. I don't know if I seemed too lost, but a few steps later the guy called me and pointed somewhere to the right. I really was lost, but I found the bathroom and it was right in front of me, not to the right.
Finished that and then went to the clinical exams room. The nurse asked my name, searched my file for a while, and then asked someone to search it somewhere else. Great! They lost it again. Not only that, the guy who was told to search it, came back like 10 minutes later asking for my name again, because he forgot. What were you doing all this time then!?
He didn't found it, but the private that was pointing to the right when I went to the bathroom, came in with a angry face and said "I told you that you were to go to dentistry!". Well, I'm sorry I couldn't understand you pointing to the right while I was searching for the bathroom.
Another pointless waiting time and then to the dentistry.
Later I was told that dentistry and the psychometric evaluation are the main reasons for people to fail in these CEMAL exams. Untreated caries, tartar or a missing tooth could be the reason to fail in dentistry.
I had an accident when I was 16, and lost a tooth. It was put back in at the time, but few months before these CEMAL exams, I had to take it off because it was starting to break.
It didn't seemed a problem, but his reaction was dubious.
Only one test remaining, I went to the clinical examination.
Half naked, check blood pressure, hight and weight mesures, clothes back on and I was free to go... and wait for the results.
A few minutes waiting in front of the protocol control counter, and I was told that the certificates would be ready at 1 p.m.
It was still 11 a.m. so we (me and some friends I met there) decided to have something to eat, which was a good idea because I was already fasting for more than 16 hours. Problem: I had no money. And to make things worse, the girls decided to go eat at a restaurant near there. And by near I mean you have to go by taxi.
We tried the restaurant we had breakfast the first day, but guess what, only the brakfast is free. The lunch is expensive and it didn't seemed too good.
Besides this restaurant, they had a snack bar in there. I went there with my friend, and he insisted to pay me my lunch. I tried to refuse, but he had already ordered.
We ate there, talking about why we chose to become flight attendants and what we knew about this job.
We still had sometime before 1 p.m. but someone told us the auditorium where the certificates were going to be handed to us.
Maybe they decided we didn't waited enough, so their system crashed and the certificates were coming 3 by 3, with intervals of 15 minutes. There was more then 40 people waiting with us.
At the end, everyone in our group were approved, except one that failed the psychometric test. He would have to wait a whole year before he could do the exams again...

So, an important part of my path to become a flight attendat was dealt with. I gave my friend a lift to somewhere near the airport and went back home to finally rest... until my classes begin.

Marcadores:

quinta-feira, dezembro 03, 2009

The beginning

It has been 2 or 3 months since I started to consider becoming a flight attendant. At the time I had almost no idea of what would be a good career for me, so learning about the flight attendants routine (or lack of it) suddenly made me realize that this could be a good choice. Actually I was very excited about the idea.
Although I believed I was fit for most of the aspects of this profession, I'm not as young as other candidates might be, so I needed to hurry in order to have more chances to succeed.
I did a research and found that here in Brazil we need to pay for a specialization course prior to the interview with any company, and that this course is 5 months long.
5 months is not that much, but my graduation from the univesity would be this december, and I would only be able to start the course after that (I was afraid I would not pass the last subject, which is portuguese language, because I'm not so good at it). Later, following some friends advices, I choose a school called "Skylab", but on their website it was written that the flight attendant classes would start in november 25th. That is one week before my graduation. I would lose my final exams at the university. But if I didn't join this class, I would have to wait untill may 2010 for a new opportunity... So I decided to wait and see how would be the results of my first portuguese exams at the university. I got a 9 out of 10! And my teacher also said that anyone who could reach 14 points with this exam plus some homework she gave us, wouldn't need to attend to the last exam.
It was all I needed.
I soon started to gather all the paperwork required to apply for the flight attendant course. Had no problems to get all of them, except one: the high school graduation certificate. Since the school where I graduated no longer exists, it became quite a difficult task.
Thinking about it now, I don't know why I spent so much time trying to get it. At the end I called the Skylab (on november 24th) and asked if any document from my university would do, and they said yes.

So, all set. I went to subscribe on november 25th in the afternoon. No problems with that either, but they said that I lost the first class, so I would have to attend to the night class. I would have to go back home to bring some other documents I forgot, but in order to do that not getting late for class I would have to run. And so I did.
Made it on time with all the documents, but forgot the money to pay for the course. "No problem, you can pay it tomorrow" they said, so I could finally relax and enjoy the first class.
It was a 3 hour long explanation of the method: how many hours for subject, the tests, the practical classes and specially the medical exams.
Our teacher of the day told us that without the "certificate of physical capability", granted after the medical exams, we wouldn't be allowed to participate in the practical classes, and without these we wouldn't be able to graduate from the course. Actually, without this "certificate of physical capability" we are not able to get a job as flight attendant, so it is really important.
New problem: we have to be at the medical center on weekdays between 7 and 8:30 a.m. for two consecutive days, but my classes are from 8:30 a.m. I would have to lose 2 days of class in order to get my certificate.
Luckily, our teacher said that the classes would not continue on november 26th (next day), but on december 2nd, one week later, so I would have this week to make the exams.
Problem solved? No!
We need an authorization from our course alongside with stool exam results and vaccines against yellow fever and tetanus. So I spend the last two days of the week running to get everything done by friday afternoon, so I could go to the medical center on monday morning.
Everything went ok so I just had to spend the weekend taking good care of my health and eat nothing on sunday after 7 p.m. for blood tests on the next day.

An explanation

Since I decided I would study to become a flight attendant I've been thinking about using this abandoned blog to write about my progress. Usually I write everything to myself because I forget things very easily, but at the same time I like to talk with my friends about my achievements, with lots of details. So, I thought about doing both at the same time by writing it all in here for everyone to read, and since not all my friends can understand portuguese or japanese but most of them can read english, I decided to try reporting this way.

I don't think I am able enough to transmit my thoughts in this language, so I apologize for any mistakes that might appear, and also would appreciate if anyone can tell me when I write something wrong. After all I will need to improve my english if I am to be on international flights.

So, for everyone who is patient enough to read my 3 pages long reports of, mostly, not so special days, feel free to read it and comment. I promise I will try to write about the more interesting parts of my experiences.

quarta-feira, outubro 01, 2008

また1年

ちょうど1年前、こんな時間俺は飛行機に乗っていたのかな。
あんな素敵な1年間。
日本で経験したことは一生忘れられないと思う。忘れたくないな。いい人と出会って、みんなと一緒にいろんなところへ行ったり、遊んだりして、たまに一人で旅などに行ったこともある
本当にとても楽しかった。いろいろ習った
また行けるチャンスがあれば、是非行きたいな

sexta-feira, setembro 26, 2008

1年3ヶ月

長いよね、15ヶ月の時期って
僕が予想したより全然短いから、僕にとっては短く感じるけど、確かにこの間はいろいろできるのね

今日って久しぶりの寂しい26日
普通記念日を覚えられない僕は、この14ヶ月の間毎月、毎月この日が来たとき、すごく嬉しかった。「また1ヶ月生き残した、うちらの関係」。なんだか子供が元気に成長してるような感じかな
1年間になったときは僕が気づいた。いつも僕が喜んで覚えてるけど、彼女には一度も訊いたことないな、そんなこと気にするかどうか。そして、1年が経って、もしこれからずっと1ヶ月ずつ祝えば、大変かなと思った。だけど、1年1ヶ月になったとき、僕にとってとても大事な26日が来て、ちょっと我慢した。これから1年ずつ数えるつもり。だけど、彼女は気づいて「なんで今日何も言わなかったの?記念でしょ?1年1ヶ月」と訊いた。僕すごく喜んでた。けど、申し訳ない感じだった。
結局その2年目の夢が思ったより早く奪われてしまった。
っていうか、自分も大事にしなかったからじゃないかなと思うこともある…
だけど、今日は何よりも彼女と話したい。短い時間でも声が聞きたい。何について話すかよくわからないけど、今日一人でいるのは寂しすぎ…
彼女も同じこと考えてくれるかな?こんな大事な日のことを覚えてくれるかな

quarta-feira, setembro 24, 2008

コメントありがとう

昔俺、そう言われたことがある
夢って頭の中をかたづけるため見ることって
でも、いっぱい考えて、いっぱい彼女と夢を見るより、実際会いたかったな
当たり前だと思われても、いつもそう思うなぁ

僕その後またいろいろあったの
彼女がここまで来てくれた時、僕が紹介できなかった親友の家まで和食パーティーを行ったの。彼が作れるカレーライスはすごいうまいし、僕がお好み焼きの作り方を教えに行ったから、いつか日本料理のレストランでも開くのかな、友達が
なんだか、彼女とわかれてから、いっぱい友達と会ってきた気がする。確かにみんな昔から仲いい友達だし、いっぱい楽しめるけど、彼女のことを思いさせることはまさに多い。もともと長く記憶に残ることは少ないけど

お好み焼きのこと実体、友達がしようとしたカードゲームのUNOのこと、現実やドラマか映画で見る恋愛関係のこと、映画を見ること実体、他の人の結婚式、僕が今着てる彼女がくれた服、僕の部屋…全て彼女を思いさせる。
そして、一緒に過ごした3ヶ月ぐらいの思い出も頭の中に何回も繰り返す。遠距離してたときの思い出も、電話やネットで聞いた彼女の声、webcameraで姿を見せてくれたことも全部頭の中から消えない。しかられたときも…

先日、僕が友達と仕事のことをしに行ったとき、彼女が家まで電話してくれた。番号を見たうちのお母さんが彼女だとわかって、出ないまま、自分の妹に電話を持っていこうとしたとき、彼女は電話をきれちゃった。僕着いたらお母さんからその話を聞いて、すぐ電話したかったけど、遅くてちょっと迷惑かもしれないから、やめといた。でも急の電話だったから、ビックリして、なんかあったのかなって思い始めて、心配でメッセージを残した。正直心配はすごいあったけど、彼女からのわざわざの連絡だから、なんだか奥にちょっと緊張だった。
次の日まで待っても、メッセージの返事がなかったから、悪いけどバイトの時間が終わるまで待って電話してみようかな。
1回電話をかけば、出なかったから、やっぱり僕と話したくないかなと思って、もう1回かけば、また出なかったら、もう邪魔しない。でも2回目は出た。起きたばかりの声だったから、「やばい!起こしちゃった」。いろいろ話したかったのに、わり緊張で、わり起こして悪かったって気持ちだったから、ただ大丈夫だったこと、何もなかったことを確認して、切った。
俺、初めて彼女との電話を先に切ったな、今回…

相変わらず彼女の声を聞くと僕壊れそう。

なんか、悪いかどうかわからないけど、彼女と別れたこと、まだ家族や友達半分以上には話してない
あんなうまく行けそうな関係がそんな早く終わるなんて。自分のおばあさんがいまでも孫の中に一番先に結婚すると思うのも俺だし。彼女みたいな可愛い顔をしてるひ孫が早く見たいって。ちょっと言う勇気もない

…結婚まで考えたなんて
彼女も誰かも俺が言うことを信じてくれるっていうか、理解まで行けるかわからないけど、僕にだって俺がやったこと、そしてやろうとしたこと全てありえないの。良く聞くセリフだといわれても、僕が感じたこと、経験したこと、そして言ったこと、彼女と出会うまでしたことないことが大勢ある。
またとない関係だったよ。
このBlogを読んでくれる人がどれぐらいいるかわからないけど、きっと僕が同じことを何回も書いてると思うかもしれないね。でも僕それしか考えられない。その上、彼女が連絡やめたし、ずっとしつこく彼女にそんなこと言いたくないから、しつこくここで自分に書く。

昔、付き合い始めたとき彼女から僕って口がうまい人だと言われた。別にいいことじゃないけど、僕があのときなんだか彼女によく自分の気持ちを伝えられたみたい。でも時間が経つにつれて、僕日本語が下手になったていうか、何か変わったのだろう
いくら彼女に今までなにも変わってないよというのが好きでも、確かに変化があったな、うちらの関係に。っていうか、僕に
ま、とにかく、別れてから3週間も経って(短いと思う方はケッコウです)、いろいろあったけど、俺はまだ諦めてない。だけど、いつまでその気持ちが変わらないってことを確かめるつもりはないから、なんとかする。

quinta-feira, setembro 18, 2008

僕が見た夢

うちらの関係が終わってから、僕はもっと彼女と夢を見るようになった気がする。
ほとんどはもう覚えてないけど、昨日の夜僕が見た夢はまだ頭に残ってるから、書いとく、思い出として

実は、その前、彼女が出てなかった夢もずっと残ってるから、つながってるみたいので、それも書いとく

いつか覚えてないけど、いろんな年取ったブラジルの芸能人がPedroのうちのプールで遊んでた夢を見た。その時、僕が階段のところにいて、急にすごい水が流れて、ベランダから落ちた。まずいな、そんな暴れるなんて、と思ったけど、ベランダまで行ったら、なんと津波だったの。ここの12階まで来てて、もう死ぬかと思った。後は良く覚えてないけど、水だらけの町を見たとき、なんだか興奮だった。
おかしい…

で、昨日の夢も夢らしくおかしかった。
僕が住んでる建物の前の公園でいろんな友達と話し合って、あるときみんなが建物に入ろうとした。そのときに、いろんなhomelessの子供も一緒に建物の前に集まって、ドアが開くのを一緒に待ってた。
ええ!ちょっと気をついた方がいいとみんなに言いたかったけど、聞こえちゃうから、僕は黙って待ってた。ドアが開くと、友達も、homelessの子供も一緒に建物に入った。友達が先に入ったから、僕1人で残ってて、ドアを閉めようとした。閉めたら、もう中にいた子供たちに訊いた「この中に何しに来たの?」「いろんなアパートを回って、物を盗みに来た。テレビとかラジオとか」。
何か返事ができる前に、子供たちが走り出して、階段を上り始めた。
先に自分のうちに着くために、すぐそばにあったエレベーターに乗った。中にボタンの順番がおかしくて、ちょっと違うボタンいろいろ押してから、4階のボタンを押したと思った。一番最初に止まったのは6階だった。こんなエレベーターのわけわからないから、そこで降りて、階段で3階まで下がろうとした。6階の廊下もちゃんとあったし、下がりながら、5階も4階の廊下も見えた。ただ、3階に着けば、全てが倒壊してた。壁もなくて、天井もない。
自分の家がなくなってるのを見て、すごい気分悪かった。その時僕は泣き出した。
建物が全然違うところのように見えた。建っている途中の建物のように中身全部見れた。
まだ泣きながら、友達と一緒に1階まで下がって、ちょっと離れているところに彼女が見えた。僕とちょうど反対、上っていたところだった。一緒にいたのは全員僕の友達で、良く覚えてるのはJonのことだけ。彼女のすぐそばにいて、抱き上げていた。
あれを見て、ものすごいムカついて、もっとひどく泣き出した
そのあと、僕目をさめてしまった。

自分でもそんな夢の意味がわからなくても、こんなに頭に残るのが珍しいから、書いておきたかっただけだ。

quarta-feira, setembro 17, 2008

誰が悪い?

ちょっと関係ない話だけど、覚えておきたい
================================================

昨日の夜、2時、1人の泥棒が車を盗んだ。だけど、その車の後ろの席に5歳の子供が寝ていたと気づかなかった。子供を見たとき、泥棒が車をどこかに置いて、すぐ警察に電話した。

"Seguinte, ó: eu vou ser bem sincero contigo. Eu roubei um carro ali, tá, agora. E eu peguei o carro e tinha uma criança dentro, cara. E eu não vi, entendeu, não vi. Então o que que eu fiz, eu peguei o carro e botei o carro atrás do Enave, tá. Então tu manda uma viatura lá e manda o filho da puta do pai dele pegar ele e levar pra casa. Um piazinho, tá."

「正直に言うよね。たった今僕車を盗んだの。で、その車の中に子供がいた。僕前見てなかったけどね。それで、その車をEnaveのところの後ろに置いてた。だから、お前がパトカーを送って、その子のお父さんやろうを迎えに行けと伝えろ。小さい子だな、ok?」

車が盗まれたとき、子供のお母さんと義父があるバーにいたという。

「行動する人はミスを起こす人」

俺、何やってるのかな…
最近僕は自分でしなきゃいけないこと全てしてないの
今日の授業の宿題やらなくて、ちょっとだけのどが痛いから、サボる言い訳となっちゃった
このまま続いてどうすんだ?

とにかく、今はベッドで横になってまた眠れない
ずっと頭から抜けられないのは彼女のことだから、ちょっと久しぶりにBlogで何か書こうかなと思った

実は話があるんだ
話っていうか、読んでないから話にならないけど、僕がずっと考えてること
先日俺許さないことやっちゃったの
具体的な話までは行かないけど、自分で良くわかってるから、ずっと苦労してる
何回もかたく考えたのに、自分が一番したくなかったことをしてしまった

彼女が僕と別れたのは僕のせいだったし、今悪いことしちゃって、確かに一生許さないかもね、気にしてるのなら
でも、これでおしまいって思うなんて、もっと苦しい

やー
俺、何やってるのかな…