The last of the Emirates flight posts

I thought I'd give you a peek of the food and beverage options in business class on the Really Big Plane I was on a few weeks back.

I've been easing fish back into my diet, so I pre-ordered a seafood meal. Here was the starter:

I specifically had to mention the special meal selection on the Big Plane, and the stewardess seemed annoyed. I did not have to mention on the Normal Emirates plane--they came through in advance to confirm it with me. It was another signal to me that
1. They haven't figured out the right staff/passenger ratio or serving procedures since the plane is so new or
2. They've cut back on staffing too much.

Here was the main, it was salmon.

I was starting to get a little crabby as me and a fellow passenger near me were the absolute last to be served. I was wondering if it was the 'female' prejudiced mentality like I got in Emirates...but the other person was a young male around my age. I had been warned that in addition to the female thing, I'd be double-whammied in that age is highly valued in Emirates society as well. In looking around the cabin, the other folks flying were at least 20 years older then us, many even more.

I did find it irritating, however, as they starting to clear the plates for those passengers before we were even served our mains. Did they not have enough plates and have to wash some quickly to be able to serve? As well, there was around a 50 minute gap between starter and main. And finally...to complete my rant....the bread was as hard as a rock.

However, here is the menu for your viewing:

I saw everyone else's meals as they went past, and everything did look good.

After the appalling meal service, I told them to hold the dessert, that I didn't have another hour to wait. I did enjoy something from the drinks menu, however:

Still on the agenda:

As much as the entertainment was nice, I decided to talk a walk to the back of the plane and found the business/first class bar, complete with a bartender with nothing to do:

I ended up spending the rest of the flight at the 'bar in the sky'. I have a habit that I like to ask people about their jobs, especially when they seemed to be enjoying them. This fellow very sweetly allowed me to take his photo and told me all about his work as the Sky bartender. He was a pilot in his home country of Brazil, but wanted to see the world and knew that he had to get experience with an international airline (European, American or Mid East) to someday be a pilot for one of them, and this job with Emirates came up. So for now he builds up his time as a Sky bartender, with visions to work his way up in the Emirates organization.

Interestingly, i was asking him why the bar was so empty of people? No idea, the Heathrow flights usually are, but the Birmingham flights are packed. He took the opportunity to ask me some English grammar questions. He was explaining that the flight crew is international (he introduced me to his backup bartender who was floating around on other duties, she is from Australia), but that most of the time he is dealing with people whose first language is not English, or it's a mix of British and Aussies, so he doesn't get a chance to speak so much with Americans, and in particular in trying to piece out which phrase or which slang goes with which English speaking country. Occasionally people would pop around for a drink refill and then scurry back to their movies, so he ended up being the highlight of my flight back to the UK.