27!
Its an age that for years seemed so far in my future it didnt even warrant thinking about.I thought about 30 more than 27 which it quiet silly since you cant get to 30 without 27.
So here I sit in a hotel room in Singapore with a glass of wine and nothing but myself and my thoughts,and there are plenty of thoughts.
I've decided not to go out tonight,Im very tired but also I really want to celebrate with someone very special to me-me.
Who is Kate Schroeter?
She is a daughter and grandchild,a neice and a cousin.A sister a friend. Someone to love and someone to be wary of.
I have swam naked in the ocean and clothed in a pool.I have jumped over the Joan harrison pool wall in the middle of the night and skinny dipped with friends.I have lied to my mother.I have helped a stranger.I can listen.When Im alone I play music very loud and dance.I sing too!
I cry for things that happened ages ago because I remember so clearly how they made me feel.
I walk on the beach alone and close my eyes and say thank you for the day.
I love snack platters,I can eat all the cheesy poefs and mini quiches. I have an unhealthy obsession with sundried tomatoes.
I have lied to get what I want. I have used someone's weakness against them.I have been there for someone unconditionally.I've planned a wedding in my head. I have had my heart broken more than twice.I have allowed someone to treat me badly and not left.
I have gone to weddings and danced at others joy.I have gone to funerals and been overwhealmed by the finality of it all. I remember my 4th birthday party with my house cake made of biscuits.
I have acted in a play in a theatre.I have marched in a drummie squad.I have done hurdels and butterfly race.I have stolen sweets from a tuckshop.I have taken sides in a fight just so that the mob wouldn't turn on me next.I have gone to discos in garages and kissed a boy to Bon Jovi songs. I have bought coloured jeans and chealsea boots because everyone else did. I have sailed in a regatta. I have built forts in a veld and played princcesses and fairys. I have wished to grow up and be older.I have pretended to be something Im not to get people to like me. I have caused people to pretend to be something they're not to get me to like them.
I have taken part in a fashion show.I have entered a modelling contest and won.I have gone to parties that were to old for me.I have got drunk at 15 and kissed a boy in a pool. I have peirced my belly button and dyed my hair.I have chosen a boy over my friend.I have chosen a friend over a boy. I have had sex for the first time and remebered it. I have stood on a hill in the transkei and been awed by the sheer mass of the world.I have walked in mud and let it squish between my toes.I have been a secretary and a boss.I have spent a day around the pool with my best friends laughing.I have lived with a friend.I have shared my life with a man,every dream and fear. I have put someone before myself.I have lied to my parents.I have sometimes kept quiet when I should stand up and shout how I feel.I have been thin and fat and was shocked to discover which one Im happier being. I have faith in people.I want someone to be the best version of themselves.I have been tattooed.I have run on the beach in the rain. I keep old e-mails from lovers I once thought would last forever.
Sometimes I want to have children sometimes I dont. I have travelled all over the world.I have met famous people and street people.I have eaten in 5 star restaurants and over a campfire. I have made some amazing friends and try to look after them.I sometimes drop the ball,but thankfully they dont drop me. I have been a vegetarian and I have worn fur. I have fallen in love with the wrong man and even though its over still love him,and wont be sorry for it.Im proud im capable of such feelings.
I love Christmas and tradition.I love the farm in the Drakensburg.I love so many people and I dont tell them enough.I love you.
And so as I let my memories of the last 27years flow out of me and I realise that I am a work in progress.I am not yet done.I will continue to try new things and do things that scare me.I will continue to grow and share.I will try not let the heartaches and breaks ruin me,I will embrace all situations and learn what I can from them. I will not tell myself to always be strong,I will allow myself to cry and scream,to laugh and to sing.
I will allow myself to be me!
Thank you to all of you who help me to do that!!!!
I am Kate Schroeter
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Passenger drive me mad!!!!
The thought of getting on a flight to Toronto was sending me into mild hysteria! Its 14hrs with 250 people!But I couldnt swop it so I had to go.
To say it was a demanding flight is a hideous understatment.Lets start with the family from Burma who cant speak any,I repeat ANY english and ar travelling with their 8 children all of them on a plane for the first time.Try serving them a meal or trying to find out if they want anything to drink,they cant even say water. Then try getting them to use the toilet and flush-near impossible.Not to mention the mess they made,I've never seen such a filthy plane.Food,papers,old socks you name it,it was beneath their seats!
Then the family with 2 sick children.Before we've even taken off I see the son throwing up into the sick bag.Why would you fly when you ill?especially 14hrs,what if you get worse? Do passengers actually think that we have an entire hospital on board?That Im qualified to identify your symptoms and perscribe you the correct medication? That would make me a doctor and in that case do you think I would choose the glamarous job of an air steward????
Now my favourite family on the flight,the one with 2 sick children.Not only sick but severely sick.Both children vomitting and shitting everywhere.And yes everywhere means in the aisle of the plane. Now as previously mentioned Im no doctor but even I know that a stomach bug is catchy.If even tiny particles of poo get on your hands and you touch your food or mouth that you can get it.So it was really fun having to clean up runny baby poo at 39 000 feet!
So besides the sick passengers what about the rude demanding ones.
Doing a meal service and the options are chicken or beef but I've run out of beef so you only left with chicken.
On the menu it says we cant guarantee your meal choice but still you've never seen people get so angry.I just look at them and think you idiot! Do you realise that you are miles above the ground in a metal bullet flying through the air?That the fact that we will get you safely from A to B.That there are a hundred things I have to concentrate on to ensure the smooth running of the flight?
Im keeping and eye on the guy in the back who is drinking to much and is shouting for a ciggie? Do you realise that if he smoked in the bathroom and and the thousands of tissues in the waste bin catch on fire and we dont get to that fire in time we could crash?We have only 90secconds to put a fire out before its out of control.
Now does having to eat the beef sound so bad? And come on,it all tastes the same!!!!
What about the passenger who pushes the call bell a hundred times.You do realise that we are doing a million things in the back? And that yes,even I need to sit and eat at some point.If I dont eat and Im weak and something happens on board and I dont have the strength to do CPR on you or open the door in an emergency who you going to turn to? Are you trained to do that?
So when I drop everything and come to your call bell and you ask me for a glass of water or worse yet a cup of tea,you can be rest assured that the smile on my face is fake!
Get up and come to the back and ask for it yourself! Its good for you to walk around and it really makes the crew feel better and then they'll be so nice to you.
And my personal mission is to teach people to bring their own water onto the plane.You can buy it from duty free! That way you have water with you at all times and you dont have to ring for it!
It makes sense,I would never travel without water!
So straight after take off I handed out customs cards for Canada.13 hours later while we rushing around doing the thousand things that need to be done just before landing and you ring the call bell and I dont come,and you have to come to the back and get angry with me that Im not answering your call and then ask me for a customs form Im going to get mad! You've had 13 hours to realsie that you've lost yours,13 hours!But you wait for 5 minutes before touch down!
You drive me mad!!!!!!
We about to land everyone is sitting,including the crew.We've come around and collected all your blankets and headsets,we've told you to put your seat up,seatbelt on and window blind up.Only an idiot would not know we about to land. So why.Why oh why oh why do you stand up and try and go to the toilet?
Everyone is sitting down,the crew are in the jumpseats! SIT DOWN!!!!!!
Then we land and the captain says please remain in your seat till the plane has come to a COMPLETE stop.Theres no rush,you cant get out of the plane till we open the doors,theres no where for you to go!
SIT DOWN!!!!
Ah yes girls,this is the glamarous life I lead!!!!
To say it was a demanding flight is a hideous understatment.Lets start with the family from Burma who cant speak any,I repeat ANY english and ar travelling with their 8 children all of them on a plane for the first time.Try serving them a meal or trying to find out if they want anything to drink,they cant even say water. Then try getting them to use the toilet and flush-near impossible.Not to mention the mess they made,I've never seen such a filthy plane.Food,papers,old socks you name it,it was beneath their seats!
Then the family with 2 sick children.Before we've even taken off I see the son throwing up into the sick bag.Why would you fly when you ill?especially 14hrs,what if you get worse? Do passengers actually think that we have an entire hospital on board?That Im qualified to identify your symptoms and perscribe you the correct medication? That would make me a doctor and in that case do you think I would choose the glamarous job of an air steward????
Now my favourite family on the flight,the one with 2 sick children.Not only sick but severely sick.Both children vomitting and shitting everywhere.And yes everywhere means in the aisle of the plane. Now as previously mentioned Im no doctor but even I know that a stomach bug is catchy.If even tiny particles of poo get on your hands and you touch your food or mouth that you can get it.So it was really fun having to clean up runny baby poo at 39 000 feet!
So besides the sick passengers what about the rude demanding ones.
Doing a meal service and the options are chicken or beef but I've run out of beef so you only left with chicken.
On the menu it says we cant guarantee your meal choice but still you've never seen people get so angry.I just look at them and think you idiot! Do you realise that you are miles above the ground in a metal bullet flying through the air?That the fact that we will get you safely from A to B.That there are a hundred things I have to concentrate on to ensure the smooth running of the flight?
Im keeping and eye on the guy in the back who is drinking to much and is shouting for a ciggie? Do you realise that if he smoked in the bathroom and and the thousands of tissues in the waste bin catch on fire and we dont get to that fire in time we could crash?We have only 90secconds to put a fire out before its out of control.
Now does having to eat the beef sound so bad? And come on,it all tastes the same!!!!
What about the passenger who pushes the call bell a hundred times.You do realise that we are doing a million things in the back? And that yes,even I need to sit and eat at some point.If I dont eat and Im weak and something happens on board and I dont have the strength to do CPR on you or open the door in an emergency who you going to turn to? Are you trained to do that?
So when I drop everything and come to your call bell and you ask me for a glass of water or worse yet a cup of tea,you can be rest assured that the smile on my face is fake!
Get up and come to the back and ask for it yourself! Its good for you to walk around and it really makes the crew feel better and then they'll be so nice to you.
And my personal mission is to teach people to bring their own water onto the plane.You can buy it from duty free! That way you have water with you at all times and you dont have to ring for it!
It makes sense,I would never travel without water!
So straight after take off I handed out customs cards for Canada.13 hours later while we rushing around doing the thousand things that need to be done just before landing and you ring the call bell and I dont come,and you have to come to the back and get angry with me that Im not answering your call and then ask me for a customs form Im going to get mad! You've had 13 hours to realsie that you've lost yours,13 hours!But you wait for 5 minutes before touch down!
You drive me mad!!!!!!
We about to land everyone is sitting,including the crew.We've come around and collected all your blankets and headsets,we've told you to put your seat up,seatbelt on and window blind up.Only an idiot would not know we about to land. So why.Why oh why oh why do you stand up and try and go to the toilet?
Everyone is sitting down,the crew are in the jumpseats! SIT DOWN!!!!!!
Then we land and the captain says please remain in your seat till the plane has come to a COMPLETE stop.Theres no rush,you cant get out of the plane till we open the doors,theres no where for you to go!
SIT DOWN!!!!
Ah yes girls,this is the glamarous life I lead!!!!
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