The Brisbane Hardcore Band You NEED to Check Out!

 

Meet Hang em’ High – a five piece Australian alternative rock and metalcore band from Brisbane.  

If you frequent local gigs and bars in the Valley, or listen to Triple J, chances are you’ve already heard some of their music – if not, it’s time you did! 

Formed in 2020, Hang em’ High have already released two singles and an EP (check them out on Spotify) with more to come, and have performed at multiple venues across Brisbane, as well as the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. 

If you’re a fan of bands like Parkway Drive, Stick to Your Guns, and I Killed the Prom Queen, you’re going to love this band. 

In 2022 – now that restrictions are lifting and travel is back – Hang em’ High are taking themselves across the border for their very first national tour along the east coast. 

Starting in their hometown of Brisbane, they’ll be performing their latest songs for fans in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne. 

Tour dates will be announced shortly, and tickets will be on sale for just $15 from next month.

 

You can follow Hang em’ High on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date with their latest news, music and tour announcements. 

Moving Out for the First Time

 

Moving out of home for the first time is both an exciting and nerve-inducing part of life. There's no correct time or way to do it - but when you do, it's an amazing experience that'll give you an overwhelming feeling of achievement and independence.

I recently moved out for the first time with one of my best friends and her partner, and I've really been loving it. I've always been pretty independent so it's been great for me, but having a friend around has also meant it still feels like home and I've always got someone to hang out with in down time - which we've had a fair bit of lately with the whole Queensland lockdown we've just had. 

Sure, you'll have your challenges - missing home, adapting to new routines and motivating yourself to do things for yourself, bills, and working out how to live with people with different habits to your own for those of you who are sharing - but it's honestly all worth it in the end!

Here's some of my favourite things about moving out of home:

The Sense of Independence

As I mentioned, moving out of home gives you a real sense of independence. You're out on your own (even with housemates), you buy your own groceries, plan your own meals, can set things up to reflect your personality, can have who you want over when you want - there's a real freedom to it. 

Having Your Own Space

Living at home with family, boundaries are definitely a little more lax. Especially for me as someone quite private and independent, I feel more comfortable having more personal space and boundaries. Of course the boundaries are still a little less strict as I'm with a good friend, but I feel like I can have a private conversation, not be walked in on, or be questioned on what I'm doing so much. There's nothing wrong with that of course but for me personally it just gets a bit frustrating.

Valuing Your Family Time More

Going off the previous point, not having family on top of you all the time and being in each others space not only means you're going to be less frustrated with one another, but you're going to value and better enjoy the time you do spend with your family.

Open Communication

While this isn't present in all share households, it should be and enhances the whole experience. At home, even if you're paying rent, you've still got that parent and child dynamic going on. Out of home, you're all equals which means you all get to have your say in day to day life. It's great to be able to openly communicate your boundaries, expectations and interests for the household, and to work together to create a place that's comfortable and homely for everyone.

xx Chontelle

The Worst Experience

 

I'm a seasoned cat lady, I've had cats ever since I was little and I've had amazing moments, sad losses, and everything in-between. Currently I have two kitties - Jasmine and baby Misty, three including my mum's kitty Angel (Jasmine's daughter). I've had Jasmine literally since she was born - the runt of my previous cat Tiger's litter. She's 16 years old - 17 in September, so I've had her almost my whole life, and that's a strong bond. 

Three years ago Jasmine was diagnosed with Diabetes, which is a serious but manageable condition for cats. She requires insulin morning and night and eats a special diet for her condition. Recently, she hadn't been eating or drinking much and was more lethargic than usual, so I got her to the vet where she was put on fluids for dehydration and had some tests done. The vets were worried about her kidneys and her glucose being quite high, so we took her for a second day of being on fluids which finally had her improving and getting back to normal. Her bloods came back fine and it was really her kidneys she was having issues with likely due to her diabetes. This is where while it seemed like we were in the clear, things were going to go wrong. I bought a fresh vial of insulin as I was concerned the insulin she'd been taking had gone off and wasn't effective anymore. Getting fresh insulin would on almost all levels seem the perfect solution.

Jasmine was active and meowing and getting back to normal, so she came home and I gave her the fresh insulin as usual and fed her like normal around 7pm. Again, it seemed like everything was normal. Around 1am while I was laying in bed watching tiktoks, Jasmine laying next to me, I noticed that she was randomly twitching. At first I thought she may be having a nightmare, then thought she may be trying to move her arm that had a bandage on it constricting her a bit. I petted her and she was still twitching, and as I pulled her to me I realised something wasn't right. I quickly took her to mums room asking for the emergency vets number, and as I placed her down she fell onto her side no longer able to stand. This sent me from panicked to absolutely freaking out and distressed. I quickly got the vets number, called them and they said to bring her in.

It was maybe 2 minutes from the start of the twitching to her being unable to stand/move. The drive to the emergency vet took just under 10 minutes, and she'd begun seizing just before we turned into the vet. That's how fast it happened. She had to be resuscitated and I honestly thought I'd lost her, it was just awful. 

When the vet finally came in and said she was stable I was shocked but so relieved. Her glucose had dropped too low (2.2) and she'd gone into hypoglycaemia - diabetic shock. If I'd been asleep, or been a few minutes later, it could've been too late. In retrospect, and speaking to the vet about it, it seems like the old insulin had gone off and was ineffective for so long, that purchasing and using the fresh and effective insulin was too much for her and dropped her sugars right down. 

Thankfully, she was able to be stabilised and is alert and able to move again. She'll be at the emergency vet all night and I'll be up until I literally cannot stay awake because I'm still incredibly shaken and concerned, but at least I know she's currently doing well and receiving the care she needs.

This has been such a scary and stressful experience, and while this isn't the usual content I'd be writing on my blog I first of all needed to get it all out and do something as I try to calm down and process everything, and secondly wanted to share this in the hopes that it helps someone else to know the signs to watch out for and how quickly things can take a turn for the worse with a diabetic kitty.

I'm just grateful she is doing okay for now and we are going to hopefully get answers to what we can do to get my precious baby girl back under control and well again.

xx Chontelle

15 Facts About Me

 

I've probably already done at least two of these kind of posts on my blog in the past, but considering the 3 to 4 year hiatus I've taken, and how I've changed in that time, it's probably time for an updated version. So for those of you who are new to my blog, or who are seeing me pop up on their feed for the first time an a long while (hello again strangers, haha), here are fifteen fun facts about me!

1. I'm both feisty and outgoing, and super shy and awkward - and that's on being a Leo with crippling anxiety!

2. I'm a Leo sun, Capricorn Moon and Scorpio Rising. So you can just imagine the chaotic energy and internal conflict I've got going on!

3. I have three cats - technically two of my own, Jasmine who is 16 years old and Misty who is just over 9 months old - and Angel who is my mum's cat, Jasmine's daughter, and 12 years old. I honestly adore them, I'm a proud cat lady haha!

4. My favourite food is Italian and Japanese, always.

5. I love reading and writing, although sadly I haven't done much of either in a while. I've made a resolution to get back into it though, and I'm super excited about that!

6. I've been vegetarian over four years now - one of the best decisions I've made!

7. I would love to work for myself one day - possibly as a freelancer in writing/communications, owning my own business, who knows!

8. My favourite colours are pink, purple and black, and anything sparkly!

9. Seafood creeps me out - I'm vegetarian now anyway but I was always scared of most seafood, I've never had any crustaceans besides prawns (which had to be pre-peeled and I'd use napkins to pick it up and cover it's body in sauce to be able to eat it), and seeing a whole fish or octopus with the suction things still on disturbed me.

10. I love travelling and exploring new places - I've been to 10 countries so far (including Aus) and can't wait to explore more when we can travel again!

11. I was homeschooled for a year from year 6 to 7!

12. Some of my all-time favourite movies include Rocky Horror Picture Show, Grease, the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Burlesque, Wild Child, and Mulan!

13. I'm about to start my final part-time semester of uni after a hiatus, so I'll have my degree by the end of the year!

14. I have 6 tattoos - a heart on one finger and a crescent moon on the other, the Leo symbol on my wrist, two hearts on either side of my collarbones, and a flame playboy bunny on the lower back of my arm.

15. I've always wanted to learn Tarot but been intimidated by it and stuck to oracle cards instead, but I've been slowly learning and can't wait to be able to do readings properly!

xx Chontelle

Turning 25 - The Quarter Life Crisis

 

Yep, you've heard about it, some of you may be experiencing it with me, some of you already have, and some of you still have a way to go before it hits you. It's often joked about, 'you're only turning 25, you're still so young there's nothing to be worried about'. And sure, that's true, but it sure doesn't feel that way. 

In my last month of being 24, I find myself stressing and worrying and overthinking about my life so far, my future, what I have and haven't achieved, what I should've by now, and comparing myself to everyone else. I'll be straight up with you - teenage me had two ideas of what life would be like at this age. The first, I didn't even know if I'd make it. The second, stable and successful in a career, graduated uni, proper relationship, my own place, the works.

Instead, I'm still confused about what I'm doing with my life, where I'm going with my future, how I'm gonna get there, never had a relationship, still working towards my degree, and living at home. I've had my setbacks, my anxiety was so bad I was scared of leaving the house or even ordering food myself for a few years, and while that's definitely improved my anxiety still takes a massive toll on me. I struggle with trusting people which effects my relationships, and I have a tendency to procrastinate and self-sabotage.

But it's not all bad. I've found looking back on the positive steps and progress I've made really helps me to see that it's important not to get caught up in an imaginary timeline on your life. Everyone does things at their own pace, when it's right for them. I've started to become more confident in myself. I got over my fear of driving last year and finally got my license and my first car. I got out of my comfort zone and started getting out more and made some amazing friends and memories. I'm no longer as anxious about talking to strangers or doing things by myself. I've got a good, stable job that I enjoy and I'm looking at moving out soon. And I'll finally have my degree at the end of the year. I have an idea of what I want to do with my life, and while I may not have achieved all of this by the time I wanted, I've done it nonetheless.

I guess the point of this post is really that while reaching my quarter century is honestly terrifying to me, I've got to look at the positives and realise how far I've come. Turning 25 is scary, but it's also exciting. And it's true, I am still young and I have so much time to achieve the things I want to achieve. Instead of stressing and freaking out about it, I need to relax and appreciate where I'm at now and look forward to the future and all it's got in store for me!

xx Chontelle

6 Places I Want to Visit After Covid-19

 

If there's one thing I've really missed since the global pandemic hit, it's been getting to travel and explore new places. With Covid-19 essentially shutting down the world for the time being, it's left me daydreaming about the places I want to explore (or re-visit) once we're finally allowed to travel again. 

From overseas sightseeing holidays, to more local trips I may be able to experience sooner, while there's certainly plenty more I'd like to see, here are six of the places I want to visit post-Covid!

1. New Orleans

This one has been on my list for a long time, and was always slated to be part of my next USA holiday. There's just something about this city - the quirky and picturesque architecture, the vibrant nightlife, dark and interesting history, and the spooky, witchy and spiritual side to the city is incredibly intriguing to me. It's definitely not the easiest or cheapest place to visit coming from Australia, but it's an absolute must for me.

2. South Africa

I've always wanted to visit South Africa. I'm half South African and would love to see the places my mum grew up and lived in, meet some of my family, and explore all of the stunning natural wonders the country has to offer. 

3. Los Angeles

So I've actually already been here with mum back in 2012 (how is that nearly a decade ago now?!?!), and I really enjoyed it. We went over Christmas and honestly nobody does Christmas better and more extravagantly than Americans so I'd definitely recommend visiting during that time. However, I'd really love to visit maybe late summer or in the fall, when it's a little warmer and has a proper Cali vibe to it. There's so many things to do that we just didn't get the chance to, and travel agents warned us off visiting places that were 'dodgy' like Downtown LA or Venice Beach, that I actually would've loved to experience. There's also quirky walls and beautiful scenery to get those insta pics, and it's super vegetarian/vegan friendly, plus I'll be 25 (aka old enough to rent a car so we can drive to all these great spots) so I'm really excited for a second visit. Of course, going back Disneyland is a massive bonus too!

4. Sydney or Melbourne

Again, two places I've been to before (having lived in Melbourne for a year even), but I'd really love to go back to either of these two. They're Brisbane's big sisters and definitely have a lot more to see and do than I've been able to, and would be a more affordable holiday I could probably take pretty soon considering interstate travel is generally allowed at the moment (although I may wait a bit longer due to restrictions/border closures being pretty unpredictable for the moment).

5. Phuket

I was actually wanting to make this one of my next trips before Covid struck, it's a little closer to home for a cheaper international holiday and I've never visited anywhere in Asia before (strange for an Australian traveller, right?) so I thought it would be a really cool first trip over there. The beaches/water and sea-mountains (is that even what they're called? you know the ones I'm talking about) and caves to swim in just look stunning. I would've loved to have done a Contiki tour there as I've only ever travelled with family, and I'm hoping those tours will be back when it's finally time!

6. Tokyo

Honestly, I think Tokyo would be the coolest place to visit. First of all, I love the food, so I'd be eating very well. I also find the culture super interesting, they're so advanced in many ways and it's a bustling city that I'm sure I'd have no trouble finding great things to do and see in. I'd definitely want to visit during their Spring and see the Cherry Blossom trees in full bloom, visit some traditional Japanese gardens, learn more about the culture, and of course, take a trip to Tokyo Disneyland!

Where are you looking forward to visiting once we're allowed to travel again?

xx Chontelle