When i was still a little girl (before grade school), my parents or aunts and uncles would ask me that. My answer would always be, I am going to be a stewardes. They would reply, what? a stewardess?. Yes, a stewardess of China Airlines. And now i can still feel the proudness of my voice — I am going to be a China Airlines stewardess or Singapore Airlines stewardess.

What in the world made me want to be a flight attendant? I’ts the Reader’s Digest. My mom used to bring home some old copies of RD from the hospital and i find the reading material very interesting. RD years ago have lessers ads and if there are mostly its just airliner ads. In my young age i would think that the Chinese flight attendants are the most beautiful ladies in the world. I would try to stretch my eyes to let me have that chinky-eyed face and then practice my smile infront of the mirror. I find it so amusing and i feel proud of it. hehehe

I grew up in a hospital environment where nurses and doctors are part of throng of people i met each day. I find the nurses so elegant in their unforms with the cap and white stockings and shoes. So later, i thought i am going to be a nurse. I decided i have to chose between being a nurse and a stewardess. Later, my mom would ask me, what will you be when you grow up? I would say, i am going to be a nurse and i will go to Africa to be a missionary nurse. I can’t ever forget my mom’s reply — “ok, go to Africa and leave us here. When we (mom & dad) die, you can never attend the burial and will never see us again.” Wahhh that was a scary comment (or was it a threat) for me. But, now as an adult i realized it was a discouraging remark.

Comments of friends that i can’t forget on about me “going to be a stewardess” –

1. one can’t be a stewardess if you are not tall.

2. one can’t be a stewardess if you have scar on the legs or in the face or any part of your body.

3. one can’t be a stewardess if you have FALSE TEETH.

I am emphasizing on false teeth because my dream to be a stewardess crumbled down when i was on my 3rd year in highschool. Just because of that. I was lured by a dentist to have my tooth fixed (i have teeth arrangement like sharon cuneta’s side teeth. seems one tooth is obviously ontop of another). Of course i agreed with the dentist to pull the lower tooth sothat the upper tooth will level with the front teeth. Anyway…after the dental appointment, i realized the doctor removed 2 instead of 1. I cried so hard because the space was too obvious and i need to wear a false one to cover the space. I really can’t forget how upset i was that day. 2 weeks later, i had the new “false” teeth on and i feel i never looked the same anymore.

I didn’t become a stewardess. Neither a nurse.