Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Moving to Melbourne!

That would be me, moving to Melbourne. At the end of April! Eek! How exciting! How scary!


1. The 'Yve' Building - Melbourne, 2. Webb Bridge - Melbourne Docklands, 3. Neon Lobby - Bourke Street Melbourne, 4. Brighton Beach, Melbourne 2003, 5. melbourne at night, 6. Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, 7. m-m-m-Melbourne, 8. Tram,Melbourne,Australia, 9. Rialto Towers, Winfield & Rialto Buildings - Melbourne, 10. Melbourne's elegant details..., 11. Melbourne & The Yarra River, 12. Ol' Melbourne Town

Why, you ask, would I do something so extreme? Well, the short answer is that I have lost faith. I have lost faith in the future in South Africa: every day the news tells us more horror stories of violence, crime, mayhem and corruption. The politicians I thought were trustworthy turn out to be just as bad as all the rest, and our infrastructure is crumbling. Worst of all, I have lost faith that my vote will actually make any difference to all of this.

I want to live somewhere with (fairly) honest politicians, where murder is not something that happened to your neighbor last week. I wish I felt able to be an activist about this, but I am honestly just spending all my energy trying to survive. Not the best situation, and hopefully, when I feel safer and more stable, I will be able to raise some awareness and get some action going about the sorry state of a nation that could have been something so much more; we have Nelson Mandela, for heaven's sake. Maybe this is the first step? If any of you international readers are interested, visit IOL to read our daily news.

And of course Melbourne is so beautiful! So to paraphrase The Avett Brothers' song, The Weight of Lies:

Wherever you run, make sure you run
To something and not away from
Because the weight of lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you down.

(I've been listening to that album a lot lately)


I am running (?) to something great, I hope. The truth is, we all want to believe in a better future, and for me, this is the only way. If you live in South Africa, the questions need asking: Are things OK? If not, am I willing to do something about it? I answered these questions for myself and discovered that I am in some ways less than I thought, and in other ways more.

So, onward, to something (and away from), at the end of April!
I will miss, most of all, the amazing yoga community I am leaving behind. Thank you all, so much. For all I have learnt, for everything.

14 comments:

shula said...

That would be you, running to....

US!!!!!

Well, I'll be buggered.

DAWN said...

What a great adventure awaits you! I am so excited for your journey. I wish you safety and a smooth path.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Nadine, sorry that you have to leave your country for the reasons you've mentioned. Corruption and bad polititians are everywhere but some places are worst than others, of course. Hope you'll have a better time in Melbourne. I also hope you'll keep your blog up and running!
All the best for you!

Linda-Sama said...

never look back. all things happen for a reason, nadine.....just keep blogging!

good luck and best wishes!

Team Knit said...

That's so exciting!! Good for you, for just going for it!!

- Julie

Marilyn P. Sushi said...

Wow this is HUGE news and very exciting. I'm sorry you feel the way you do in order to make your move but maybe this will ultimately make this the best YOU that you can be. I can't wait to read about your transition.

Kat said...

There is something extremely juicy about BIG changes. Who knows what's waiting for you in Melbourne. BIG change=Big open door. Hoping the best for you.

Kris said...

Very touching post. Your comment "I am in some ways less than I thought, and in other ways more."
It is commendable to make efforts to help the world as a whole; one thing Yoga teaches us over and over is that we must feel inside what we strive to bring to the world. So to safety and faith; only then can you truly offer them.
Much love, Kris

Everyday Yogini said...

I am very excited for you Nadine... may this change be all that you hope for.

I look forward to hearing all about your transition!

Bonnie said...

Hi, Do you know where abouts in melbourne you are going to live? I'm a yoga teacher in melbourne. I hope you like it here have you been here before ooooo so many questions. It will be great to have you on board

Mary said...

This is very exciting! Of course I'm being selfish because this will mean that I will be able to meet up with you when I visit my sister in Melbourne. And Melbourne has the best bars and cafe culture :-)

I hope the move is relatively painless and you find your feet in Melbourne as soon as possible.

xx

Anonymous said...

I found your blog on Delightful Blogs and really like it. Would it be ok if I add a link to your site from my blog? It's a great addition to my daily reading.

Cheers :)

Nadine Fawell said...

Hi you guys!

Thank you all sooooo much for the kind words, your support means so much to me.

Kris, I am going to bear your wise words in mind in the months that come.
Bonnie, I would love to give you the lowdown - can't access your profile though, so email me at nadinedotfawellatyahoodotcodotuk and I will respond!
Christy, thanks for the link and the love!

Anonymous said...

how exciting!! Hopefully someday I'll make it there to see the Australian open (I'm a huge tennis fan) and can look you up:-)
btw, I think it's pretty brave to search for and then go for what you want and believe in.