Merise - Issue 8

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And so we find ourselves on the Eve of Christmas and on the eve of a new year. In Perth, flocks of galahs (a member of the cockatoo family) rest in the trees during the day, then descend on lush green fields for an evening snack, forming a carpet of mingled pink and grey. In the suburbs, fountains gush with abandonment and young girls with everlasting legs strut about in the shortest of shorts, displaying belly button rings and tattoos in mentionable and unmentionable places.

On just about every sidewalk, friends enjoy a leisurely hour of catching up over a flat white or long black. The beaches are packed with people snatching every opportunity to wash away the cares of 2013 in the briny waves. Kids playing in the sand, thongs, sunnies, hats, towels, beach bags and the smell of suntan lotion complete the holiday picture.

Gone are the anxious rushing arounds of the past year that reach a peak in the final scramble just before families and friends enjoy the bliss of heavenly company around a Christmas tree.

If there is one thing that I have learnt this past year, it is that we can never take our good health for granted. In today’s hectic life, we very often neglect to recover completely after an illness. We visit the doctor only when the matter becomes urgent, and it is not long before we rejoin the rat race. But one day, out of the blue, reality catches up with us and quick recovery is no longer a given. It is then that we are forced to consider a lifestyle change.

Not every health issue is due to an unhealthy lifestyle, but we give our bodies the best possible chance to heal
by living healthily. It is for this reason that I wish you and yours a blessed Christmas and a prosperous and especially healthy New Year.

Take care until next time!

Merise Magazine Description:

Merise is a digital family magazine initiated in 2011 to encourage and assist others, as well as to offer advice in facing the challenges of settling and integrating into our new community together. We talk openly about the different aspects of our lives that are under strain through the migration process – from helping our kids adjust to their new school environments, to leaving our parents behind and to changes in the dynamics of our personal relationships.

We provide valuable information about financial and visa requirements, encouraging specialists in various fields to submit articles on topics which we feel may be beneficial to our readers. Merise captures the beauty of our new countries by featuring different geographical areas in Australia and New Zealand, thereby giving would-be migrants or readers who are planning holidays or an interstate move, a better understanding of what to expect in their new domain.

Merise will become a friend to you and your family.

The ascending aircraft in the Logo is symbolic of our desire to reach for the stars. Even the name itself has meaning. By dividing the word ‘Merise e’ in two, it becomes ‘Me rise ’, accentuating our aspiration for life improvement. Merise embodies support and friendship and is such an essence in our lives that we feel inclined to personify the magazine. Merise is who we are.

It is important for Merise to support ‘her’ friends, not merely those who have recently arrived, but all expats in Australia and New Zealand who have left their home countries to find new direction ‘Down Under’.

Merise lends a hand in almost every way. Like anyone who has been through the immigration process and experienced it first hand, Merise is thoroughly aware of difficulties that may arise for both newcomers as well as experienced expats and knows how to help overcome, or should we say “survive”, these difficulties.

Merise explores different avenues and is vivacious and enthusiastic, living life to the full and is always on the lookout for new challenges and encounters. Merise's experiences and pleasures are shared with her friends, always encouraging and inspiring them.

Merise is fully bilingual and has English- as well as Afrikaans-speaking readers with whom time and information is equally shared.

It’s not that easy to find a friend as special as Merise . . .

Both versions of the English and Afrikaans editions of Merise are available on www.merisemag.com.