Merise Magazine - May/June 2016

In this issue

For me autumn is a season of gratitude. It is a relief to down gear after the boisterousness of apparently endless summer days and to take stock of the beauty and amazing grace that has been lavishly, albeit undeservedly, bestowed upon me. Marga Jordaan contributed a beautiful piece about how grateful she is for her new life in New Zealand. Enjoy!

When Sharon Knapp answered a knock on the door in the middle of the night, she could not have imagined the journey that lay ahead. But this family managed to turn things around as this harrowing experience uncovered an inner strength to overcome obstacles and set them on a path to give back to an extraordinary community. Read more inside.

Does your little pip-squeak run circles around you with the ever improving modern technology? Fear not, because help is at hand! Read more about Yvette Adams’s book No kidding – Why our kids know more about technology than us (and what we can do about it!).

Happy reading, 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.