Two young contortionists practise at the Mongolian National Circus in Ulan Bator. The circus, established in 1940, presents several performances, but is best known for its contortionists. It has continuously trained contortionists, also known as “rubber girls” or “girls without bones”. (Reuters)

With the current boom in the airlines industry, job opportunities are flying high. But while it gives students with plenty of choices, the challenge is to provide quality training.

Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training has been educating cabin crew in over 40 centres in 31 cities across India. Apart from the basic course, it teaches students inside an Airbus A-300. And soon, there will also be in-flight instruction on a major domestic airline.

The Airbus, leased by Frankfinn in November 2004, is parked in New Delhi, where students from every centre are taken for a five-day period. For six hours a day, the 30-hour module includes training in emergency procedures like ditching an aircraft, life jackets, oxygen masks and escape routes, exposure to passenger service units, door operation and meal service, besides an overview of cockpit and cargo units.

The is one module in the 500-hour aviation hospitality and travel management course for cabin crew aspirants at Frankfinn. ?This gives the students a feeling of being there,? explains Rakesh Agarwal, managing director of Frankfinn.

?Private airlines provide their crew with training anyway. But with this experience, our students are able to handle it better, because they have an idea of the real thing,? he adds.

In addition to the Airbus training, the institute has also tied up with a domestic airline for in-flight experience for students. ?That will be towards the end of the course. We haven?t started it yet, but we will send our first batch soon,? says the managing director.

Trends in the civil aviation industry in India and the rest of the region (West, South and Southeast Asia) prove that it is fast emerging as a hub. As a result of the expansion, the demand for Indian cabin crew, especially air hostesses, has taken off. There is already a ?huge spurt in the demand?.

Many foreign airlines have made it mandatory to have Indian air hostesses or stewards well-acquainted with Indian and global passengers, says a Frankfinn spokesperson. Some of the airlines asking for Indian women as cabin crew are Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, the UAE-based Etihad Airways, Yemen Airways, Singapore Airlines and Royal Jordanian. Several have already been recruited by these airlines, with salaries of up to Rs 18 lakh.

?We have all at some point come across the glamourous image of an air hostess or flight steward greeting passengers onboard. So powerful is the image that the ever-smiling face of an air hostess has come to represent the epitome of hospitality, glamour and the ultimate fantasy of flying and seeing the world,? said Bindu Ramachandran, senior aviation faculty of Frankfinn.

Search for the songs

The songs had only flown,
The heavens were not touched
By their melodies.
Maybe because they lacked desire
To break free,
And discard those hollow rhythms
That beat tunelessly.
Some had just conquered the clouds,
Others had failed even that —
Soaked in doubts.
Waves of time had finally
Swept them away.
Our Earth is very jealous,
All the true songs
She has hidden in her soil,
And her lungs.
For the lonely poet who longs.

Tathagata Dey, Nava Nalanda High School

Kaleidoscope

What a wonderful world there is,
Inside a kaleidoscope!
Unfolding the true mysteries of life,
Showing the path with a ray of hope.
The whirling patterns of VIBGYOR,
Inspire us to follow our dreams,
The tinsel glasses changing colour,
Like the blue-watered flowing stream.
See a miracle window open,
To check the flow of views.
Innocent as the winter rain,
And grasses with the silver dew.
The eyes see a magnificent sight,
Of a future beautifully bright.

Anindita Halder, Class XII, Shri Shikshayatan

What’s on your mind this week

Film fancy

Art is a result of creative expression. There is no denying the popularity of cinema as an agent of art in modern times.The cycle of the world film industry does not reach a completion without the prestigious film festivals that are held around the globe. But it is really disheartening to see the media indulging in the unnecessary details of an actress’ wardrobe rather than focussing on the films to be screened. A case in point is the recent Cannes Film Festival where people were more interested in speculating upon the clothing worn by Mallika Sherawat and Ash’s footwear rather than celebrating the screening of Panther Panchali after 50 years. This growing tendency seems to trivialise the true essence of these film festivals and belittles their grandeur. It is high time the media stopped being so nonchalant about the gradual derogation of film festivals from criticism and art to mere vehicles to display accessories and hair colour.

Godhuli Goswami,
Lady Brabourne College

Foot fault

Calcutta football is experiencing an all-time low this season. In the National Football League, defending champion East Bengal could manage only a face-saving third spot, while another former champion, Mohun Bagan, is thanking its lucky stars in shameless elation over barely managing to overcome a relegation threat. Tollygunje Agragami, contrary to its name, is languishing at the bottom of the table. One-time city giant, Mohammedan Sporting, is out of the reckoning. In sharp contrast to the Goa teams, the big names of Bengal, except East Bengal to a certain extent, lack a scientific and professional approach towards the game. They have been giving precedence to sentiment and emotion over a systematic game-plan and the obvious result is near to nil success. The Mohun Bagan boat is caught in the bogs of Bengal. It is too difficult for it to tackle the travails of a voyage through the creeks of corruption. Can we dare to pin our hopes on Everready?

Arjun Chaudhuri,
Calcutta University

Tiger travail

The big cat is fast getting into the list of extinct animals. Government attempts at tiger conservation have come too late. At least 18 of 47 tigers were found missing in Ranthambore. Their complete absence in Sariska Park has awakened the Rajasthan government. Even Madhya Pradesh is getting into the queue. Tourists have been restricted in Ranthambore and Jim Corbett to ensure that there is no big cat hunting. The future of the Royal Bengal tiger is also dubious due to the population increase, resulting in agricultural expansion, new roads and dams. Tigers are being poached for skin, claws, bones and meat. A CBI probe is on. Deforestation may be the root cause. One can visit the zoo to see a tiger, but would it really be ‘wild’?

Ambalika Raha,
Calcutta University

Career fair

Drop in at The Telegraph Careergraph Live Career Fair 2005 from May 27 to 29, 9.30 am to 8 pm, at Sangam hall, The Park. A. Lahiri, managing director of ABP Pvt Ltd, will inaugurate the fair at 10 am on Friday. The seminars are happening as follows in The Park banquets: on May 28 at 6.30 pm is Dr Amrita Dass in Rosewood and Ebony. On May 29, 10 am to 1 pm will be Pervin Malhotra and from 2 pm to 5 pm will be Dr Amrita Dass, both in Pine and Banyan.