Who Am I?

My mum popped by and we got to the topic of ones self. The questions that was asked is 'Who am I?'

Think about it, strip away all the things like work life 'Nurse', relationship title 'Wife' and what you spend most time on 'Blogging', Who are you left with?

At first my thoughts went into panic mode because being a wife is what I hold most dearest and to me and being a nurse is something I worked hard for. I then came to the realisation that it's what I am and not who I am. 

I started listing qualities like caring, thoughtful, kind, talkative, patient, faithful, creative but realised I was only looking at the 'good' when no one is 100% perfect. So I started listing my 'negative' qualities and I found this to be a lot harder, maybe because I try to always improve myself or maybe I didn't want to admit to some. 

So I asked the husband and he did not dare mention anything but made the comment that 'good' qualities can be seen as negative ones, then I realised!

 I'm honest and sometimes to honest, I am a possessive person, I'm grumpy (the husband agrees),I'm fussy and touchy (not the physical way). 

Mentioning all these good or negative qualities made me realise I can still add to who you are. Everyday you start a new slate and choose who you are that day. I wake up in my week of Sunday - Thursday and I can choose to go to work so I'm Chanté the nurse. On My weekend of Friday and Saturday I wake up and choose to lazy! 

Generally I wake up and choose to be Chante' the kind, fussy, wife who is patient, faithful and very talkative. The hand full of people, who surrounds her everyday - by choice - don't have to, but still chooses to be there. 

For now I'm Happy with the little bit I have come to realise is me! Tomorrow who know I might wake up with super powers! 

ANZAC Dawn Service

 

It has always been a wish of mine to attend a ANZAC Day Dawn Service but due to work and sleep I have never been able to attend a full service until this year.

This year I fell on a Saturday and since I don’t work weekends it was perfect to attend, I only had to get over the loss of a few hours sleep. So we arrange for my brother to sleep over and all make our way over to Kings Park at the break of dawn - 5am for the 6am service start.

Cold and half asleep my brother and I made our way thru crowds and found a lovely spot where we could see the city and still be part of the whole experience. 

It was quiet eye opening to see the amazing of people coming together from all different backgrounds, all ages, all colours and gathering in the time to respect and thank those who faught for our freedom today. 

Seeing it's been 100years since the First World War, we often don't think of it being part of our lives. Many families lost loved ones and friends due to war and often just expect it. Today was a day everyone can think about what we have and what was sacrificed to have it. 

Take a second and thank those around you for everything you have and those before you who provided the environment for all your future positive opportunities.

 

Spicers Sunset

I just wanted to share with you one of the many sunsets we get to experience on this beautiful mountain. You see sunset after sunset and you think you have seen it all, each one just exceeds the previous one never looks the same!!

Just take in the beauty of it and appreciate what you have in life!!

Dear Old Soul

While working as a nurse and recently starting in community I never thought a single person can touch your life so much like this client has. 

When I first started seeing this client he was very grumpy and non compliant, I have been told he gets angry and don’t look after himself. So just like everyone, I had made up my mind about him even before I got to see him. 

Over the time of a month I started to notice he has some interest in music and only asked him what kind he enjoys. Well that sparked it, visit after visit we would discuss music and he would copy me a disk and say “Something for the car”, “Something you need to listen to LOUD”, “does you husband mind all these CD”. I must admit at times I’d be annoyed that he would give me 4 or 5 CD each time I would visit.

The visit before the last time I saw him, we got to talking and it was a conversation that will stay with me forever, he said to me this particular visit that he had this song playing over and over in his head

Happy Days Are Here Again by Annette Henshaw 

He said he didn’t have a copy of it but it kept playing in his mind. One thing led to another and we started speaking about his late wife and their life they spent together.  Two days later he had a bad fall and ended up in hospital, I never got to see him again. He stayed my mind all through out that time until we got advised he sadly passed away. 

I am writing about him to remember the impact he had on my life and even though I may only have looked after him for a few months - I will always remember the time he reassured me he has lived his life and that it maybe his time to go. 

Tastiness My Ou Mensies

Ouma, oupa ek sit vandag en dink trug aan all die dae, goeies, slegtes en alles tussen in. 

Ek kan ontdou die dae toe ons moes lank ry om te kan kuier, hoe ek op ouma se heupe sit en hoe daar altyd lekkers in oupa se kleure kas was vir ons om te vind. Ek kan die plaas dae ontdou waar ons heel dag swem, heeldag DSTV cartoons kyk en vir altyd pers voete kry van die moerbye. 

Nou se dae is dit waar ek werklik jullie baie meer waardeer en meer om my will he. Ek will van all die ou ou dae weet en hoe julle toe was, ek will julle ken as kinders en die ou dae saam met julle geniet. Ek will so feel as moontlik stukke van jullie in haal en saam my hou so dat ek weet part van wie ek is kom van jullie af. 

Maar soos dit al gese is, ‘Dis nou die ander se beurt” ek weet ek kan niet selfsigtig wees en jullie vir myself hou nie. 

Ek en E gaan julle sooooo baie miss dis hartseer. Maar ons gaan well ons avontuur bespreek en the land lekker saam toer. 

Ons hassies is baie lief vir julle ou mensies. 

P.S. Ontdou om altyd te skype!!! 

Afrikaan ^^

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English vv

Grandma, Grandpa, today I sit here thinking about all the days, good, bad and everything in between. 

I can remember how I use to sit on Grandmas hips, how there was always sweets to be found in Grandfathers cupboard. I remember all the time spent in the pool, days spent watching DSTV Cartoons and those days where we would have purple feet from the mulberries. 

These days is where I really started to appreciated your present. I want to know about the good old days, how things use to be and enjoy them with you. I want to inhale as many part of you so that I can keep them with me so that I know that part of me is from you. As we have been saying “Its the others time” I know I can’t be selfish and keep you all to myself.

E and I will miss you an awful lot, its sad, but we will defenatly organise our adventure and tour Africa flat. 

PS. Remember to Skype.

Miranda Sings

If you don’t know who she is, well you have lived under a rock. 

She is only the most famous, actor, singer, magician and person around. Today E and I got to see her live. It was a strange feeling sitting in the theater surrounded by kid and I mean 9 year old. Jumping on chairs, screaming (my ears are still ringing) and going ‘cray cray’/ Is that still something people say?

Either way I quite enjoyed the night. Seeing her live is an unreal experience knowing she became who she is because of the internet.

I found myself explaining everything to E as he does not live on YouTube like I do and may not understand. Miranda may come across as someone who is inappropriate and odd but honestly it was quite nice and refreshing that her show that is aimed at younger age group is really there to guide them thru life. 

In her show she discusses bulling, self esteem issues and finding something that make you. In a world where everyone is online and a lot of problems happen behind a key board. Miranda uses the internet to share and teach her "little tots”.

Thank you E for coming to a crazy world you only half knew and staying around even though you may be hearing a ringing noise from all the screaming girls for a few days. 

Ps I bumped into Troye Sivan and Conor Franta. 

My Ou Mensies

Yes you, it is time for us to say goodbye. People say you forget how lucky you are to have your grandparents around the corner. 

Since E and I started our travels, I realised what is important in life and who is worth keeping close. Leaving the nest is hard but the realisation that people you held near and dear to your heart don’t feel the same is worse, but knowing that your family is always may take some a while to realise. 

You have made the choice to move back to Africa. Saying that is ok, I know you will be fine, and be with family we don’t get to see but for me its hard as your are nou not just around the corner, but an 11hour flight away. Yes Skype is there and the social media thing, but internet lags and time zones bug….

I guess over all I just want to say I love you, E and I both will miss your story telling, little nags and advice. Until we travel to your side of the world and explore the old home land. Keep the kettle boiled, it won’t be long then we see you again.

New Fixation

Boys and their toys, you know the kind that takes up all their time and effort. Yeah, well E bought a bike! I guess you can say we are becoming more and more hipster.

E got himself a fixed gear bike (Different to the photos). Seeing we live in the city he finds it more convent to ride to work and thru the city. Me on the other hand... would rather drive, or walk. I don't know I have never enjoyed riding my bike long distances maybe I haven't been riding the right one.

E has found what seems to be his love - Often I wonder if I am still his number 1. Over all I am glad he has found a hobby he enjoys and means I don't have to always tag along.

Northside Books

Moving to the city, you find some shops you really tend to get drawn too. Naturally E and I get stuck at bookstores. This one in particular we have been coming to since before we got married and yes its still around.

E being himself, he started to talk to the bookstore owner each time we go in a get some books. Few months later we go there just to have a glass of wine and hear the town gossip. Here is to many more night at the bookstore.

Debt Consolidation

I know I know, Its awful that we got ourselves in such an situation but when you are young you don’t know any better than using money that isn’t yours. 

I want to write this down and remember how it started, then when its all over and we NEVER (saying it more for myself) get back into something like that again. I know, just how easily it can happen again.  

Let me break it down:

Credit Card 1 $10,000

Credit Card 2 $11,500

Credit Care 3 $6,000

Total of $26,500

Over the years we have been paying more than the minimum monthly payment. An amount exceeding at times $1300 a month but not realising that most of it get eaten by the interest rates- POINTLESS. Always thought its all stupid Grown up things - Well “Hello Chante’, your a grown up now"

Yes we can say its never really kept us from doing things as realistically we got married having some of this debt, we went traveling around Australia with the debt and its only just been recently where E and I have been thinking about traveling more aboard, we found that its drowning us from future possibilities. 

Today we applied for a Debt Consolidation loan from NAB and the amount we are relying on it being approved is mind blowing as for us this is the start of trying to make active plans for traveling around the world. Even Active plans on starting to live life to its fullest and not being made felt like we can’t do anything because of always working about having to pay our Credit Cards - now realising its alway been a devil card.

If there is one thing I can give you advice of, is that - never hand over your soul to the Devil Cards. Yes its easy money but you pay for it all thru your life. 

Have any of you ever made a mistake that has followed you for 8 years?

Last Goodbyes

While travelling around we made some great friends, even better is when you com across some lovely people who them selves are traveling and started the same time we have and just happened to start from the same location. 

Few months down the road from travel world we come across each other and just hit it off.  While traveling you often say goodbye but we always know we will eventually see them again. This time it was different, this time it meant a much longer time and vast physical distance between the possibly to see each other again. 

Helen and Kuldar has to go back to 'home' Estonia as their working/holiday visa has run out so this time, they both has kept a blog about their travels that I will just leave HERE and HERE. It is in a different language but like me you can either use google translate or enjoy their beautiful photos they took creating memories. 

Even thought it was a hard goodbye,  we love knowing it will aways be a warm welcoming hello when we eventually see each other again. 

Till we see you again!!

Fringe World

Living in the city has its perks of being lazy never helps. Fringe world has been going for whole month and E and I never got the time to go until today. Seeing we have our friends over and still nice and warm nights , we thought we would enjoy a night with them on the town. 

Sitting in a park surrounded by characters in costume and enjoying a few drinks is a great way to enjoy a night and a way to celebrate fringe World. 

Next year we should certainly make a plan to actually see a show. There are shows for kids with clowns and strange characters as well as shows for adults where could be seeing a bit more nudity.

Instagram - November

1. Boys and Their Toys
2. We're getting ready to jump into the next $ years of MR and MRS
3. Happy Bday My Hassie (Let there be more time where gets stuck on your beard and face - for me to laugh, take a photo and then help you remove it!!
4. Keep Smiling
5. Bird Life
6. Weekend Adventures 

Follow me for some behind the scenes of our #hassie_life @chante_cm11