Awaken is produced by the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public. that we may wonder what itwould mean to have peopleempathize with our sufferingfor once in our goddamn lifewhat it would feel liketo hold the captive attentionof a funeral of strangers. Thats not to say that its not still painful and awful and bad, and its not to romanticize, but it is to say that nothing is fixed. Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers and celebrities. Vaid-Menon asked the cisgender hosts, including Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath, to consider if they were ready to heal. Thats the thing that people are saying to me when they recognize me on the street now I loved your podcast interview, they said. Alok Vaid-Menon will appear at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on Sunday, September 18. CADEHILDRETH.COM | PHONE: (202) 660-4705 | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 301, STAFFORD, VA 22554, USA. In this sculpture, the Buddhas right hand is depicted touching the ground as he calls the earth to witness his triumph over the demon Mara. "Women were basically just saying, 'We want the right to vote,' and men heard that as 'Im losing power,'" they said. Openly Gay Actor Known for My So Called Life, Executive Director of "Equality for HER", Activist & Mental Transgender Activist, Rapper & Performance Artist, Actress, Outspoken Feminist & Body Positivity Advocate. And I realized that pain cant be eternal, because I can still make beauty from it. Its the willful unnoticing. It depends on each persons experience. In 2019 ALOK was invited to close the Business of Fashion Voices Conference with a keynote speech calling for the degendering of fashion and beauty industries. "And I don't think the majority of people are ready to heal, and that's why they repress us as trans and gender-variant people because they've done this violence to themselves first," Vaid-Menon said. Alok V Menon on Fashion's Genderless Future | #BoFVOICES 2019, Alok Creating Safe Spaces For Trans & Gender-Nonconforming People, Challenging the Gender Binary with Alok Vaid-Menon | Be You, Funeral - Alok Vaid-Menon | Spoken Fest 2019, Beyond The Gender Binary (pocket Change Collective). They've repressed their own ambivalence. Like Im going to let a couple finish, but its the after-party for me. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. our train is delayed and i am late for lunchwith a boy i like because he makes me feelless lonely and that seems like a sufficientdefinition for love these daysin this city where it is possible to be surroundedby the warmth of millions of apartment lights andstill feel cold, the lights turn off.and its one of those momentswhen we are forced to look up from our screens and remember that we exist outside of them. Before making any health decisions, you should consult with your doctor. And I think I love movies, but I love being alive more. She is the partner of comedian Kate Clinton. Then you cannot tell the difference between their shame and your own between a body and an apology., Some gender non-conforming people are nonbinary, and some are men and women. Vaid-Menon said. That while we might mechanically be alive, while we might be speaking, we never really do the due diligence to ask, Are these the words of my own that Im speaking? And I can feel it there in the way that I move. I describe putting together an outfit as making an altar on my body. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Is this me? Advertisement Coins. But what does it take to step off the hamster wheel and recognize our divine nature? And that degree of intention, I hope to bring into everything. Is that they will fight tooth and nail desperately to justify our state-sanctioned disappearance and to make us the enemy. I really believe in the divinity of all of us, that we are souls first, bodies second. Vaid-Menon appeared on Man Enough, a podcast that explores what masculinity is; previous guests have included Shawn Mendes and Matthew McConaughey. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. The work of soul searching came to me through being an artist. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Did anyone teach you about the question words? Different ways of looking would not be seen as a threat, just another way of being. Gender diversity is an integral part of our existence. Web89 quotes from Alok Vaid-Menon: 'we have been taught to fear the very things that have the potential to set us free', 'Its not just that you internalize the shame; rather, it becomes Because the thing is, you have revelations about yourself, but youre not ready yet to live those revelations. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus. Is this my own life? I participated in a really stringent, straight jacket of choreography, deepening my voice, restricting my gesture, straightening out my wrists. Support Button Poetry: http://bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button! I feel beauty right now in being a disembodied voice. So it was summer 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa. Josefina Santos for The New York Times By Julia Carmel Dec. 4, And its just idiosyncratic and strange and utterly uncinematic. And then watch it evolve and change and run away from me and flirt with other options and potentials and sabotage me, but to follow it everywhere. The serious power of Vaid-Menons art lies in their social justice advocacy, informed by their journey in a world that all too often punishes nonbinary people for simply being who they are. P.S. Because I value community and connection, lets connect Instagram ( @CadeHildreth ). But what I like about a wedding dance party is everyone is just being gnarly and foolish and playful. We punish them until they conform. When in fact we are guilty of the crime of being alive and meaning it. We thought fitting in would give us securitybut is it security when someone else living their life differently unsettles us to our very core?, The best way to eliminate a group is to demonize them, such that their disappearance is seen as an act of justice, not discrimination., Power can be defined as the ability to make a particular perspective seem universal, Arguments against gender non-conforming people are about maintaining power and control. We speak with internationally acclaimed, gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon, whose work speaks to themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. And in so many ways, the enduring forms of harassment that I experience are the universe asking me this question over and over again. they told Heath. School, Vaid-Menon explained to me, was difficult, and they needed an outlet. In a conversation filled with wisdom, historical insight, and radical mercy, ALOK challenges us to value compassion over comprehension, to try harder for each other in the name of love, and reminds us that learning is a sign of being alive.We want your feedback on season 1. Vaid-Menon said. If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form. He asked what he needs to "unlearn" and what he needs to do to help other men unlearn, in order to better support them, referring to trans and nonbinary people like Vaid-Menon. Robot". This list includes both allies and transgender and non-binary speakers who are passionate advocates for equity, inclusion, self-expression, and dismantling harmful stigma that affect the LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming "Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful," asserts poet Rita Dove. So my organic predisposition was actually one of radical self-acceptance. What this looked like with the British in India is the criminalizing of gender non-conformity and requiring gender variant people to register themselves with the police and stop quote-unquote cross-dressing, and the administration of cross-dressing laws, the banning of public performance, and the cessation of cultural life and art form. Fill out a. Theres this term thats circulating called chromophobia, fear of color. That hatred you feel when you see us having the audacity to live a life without compromise, that hatred is for yourSELF.". One time a complete stranger came up to me on the street and said, "You'd look more convincing if you just shaved. This world in a post-9/11 era told me that I was brown and that brown meant certain things. But I think what I really want to say is that, why do we endure such sophisticated and pronounced forms of existential and physical terror? In this episode, we examine our divine nature and consider who we truly can be in the absence of judgment. And what does it mean to move from there? "Orange is the New Black" star Cox wrote, "@alokvmenon with the full sermon. Beauty has a way of justifying violation in the name of benevolence. in america!(i understand), the ways we have been taughtto apologize for our sadness.to blame ourselves for the hurt.to erase the violence.to numb the pain.to normalize the death.to wake up in the morning anddeny that sometimes when thetrain crawls into the station thatwe may see a pill in its place. This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. as if this struggle is not your struggle. Alok Vaid-Menon: The Urgent Need for Compassion. Premium Powerups . And at least for now I say no. WebALOK VAID-MENON: I sacrificed so much. With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body. #degenderfashion love & need you contact@alokvmenon.com Vaid-Menons presentation, often blending traditionally feminine shapes, such as bras and skirts, with clothing that defies gender categories. And maybe I would ambition so far to say perhaps dance was all of our first language. Id put on an old Bollywood track and I would just dance. In the midst of it all is 16-year-old Indian American Alok Vaid-Menon, posting poems and graphic design on Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx. To which I would ask, why wouldnt you do this? Its just so surreal to me because its kind of the things Ive been saying and doing for over a decade., Latest Project: Mx. Welcome back. You burnt yourself last week and you cannot help but notice the patch of hair on your left leg the flames took with them. This is not about erasing men and women but rather acknowledging that man and woman are two of manystars in a constellation that do not compete but amplify one anothers shine., This is actually the purpose of language to give meaning to concepts as they evolve.. ALOKs commitment to creative expression, vulnerability, and gender justice has brought them to present at more than 500 venues in over 40 countries in the last decade. She eventually passed on without ever seeing me as myself. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your next private or corporate function. they tell us that someone jumped in front of the tracksthat he died upon impactso we just sit there in silence as they remove his remains. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. ALOK is a dynamic and seasoned presenter who excels in tailoring their message to their audience from college students to corporate boardrooms. "I'm nonbinary, which means it's not just that I'm challenging the binary between male, female, man and woman, but between us and them," Vaid-Menon, author of " The driving force of Alok Vaid-Menons work is centered around creating safe spaces for trans and gender-nonconforming people when they perform, create shows or curate events. And so much of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity was also a project of aesthetics and color. I think that when it comes to trans people, the narrative right now is so obsessed with us and a collateral damage of existing and having in the world as a trans person, like, woe are them. You know, I think that theres a lot of misapprehension, miscomprehension about people like me. What kind of person do I want to be? They share with us their spirituality, poetry, and what it means to live beyond the gender binary. She eventually passed on without ever seeing me as myself. I began to use color to return to my own color and to see the large swath of colors in the world and realize its not that color is the problem. As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. And then practice that. At her funeral I had to dress as the man she wanted me to be. Urvashi Vaid: Wikipedia & Biography# I just was. Before making any financial decisions, you should consult with professional adviser, such as a financial planner or CPA. *Disclaimer: Nothing on this site should be construed as medical, health, or financial advice. Do you know who you are outside of who you have been told you should be? Music for Awaken was created by Blue Dot Sessions, Podington Bear, Tendinite and Siddhartha Corthus. . In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. So it means that Im kind of ambivalent about form and Im more invested in flow. Mx. And I am your host, Laurie Anderson. ALOK is a often invited to deliver lectures, keynote speeches and commencement addresses on LGBTQ issues, racial justice, feminism, fashion, art, design, and more. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. And that dissonance, I think, is the crisis of our times. So who am I going to prioritize? At what point does femininity become synonymous with apology? The word artist is one of possibility, not constriction, they said. And if youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Vaid-Menon later said when they talk about challenging traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened. Awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available. This podcast is inspired by the exhibition Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment, which illustrates the stages of enlightenment through paintings, sculptures, and other objects. Well hear from authors, artists, wisdom bearers, and Buddhist teachers, people who have experienced a shift in their perspectives on life throughout their personal journey. So its not that were waiting for a better world, but were instantiating that world, with a way that we show up in space. Its the reason why I do the work that I do. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. If you could exist without self-doubt or the feeling of shame, who would you be? I sacrificed so much. Before a baby is even born, well-meaning well-wishers will often ask, Is it a boy or a girl? The baby only becomes real to most people once they know the gender. Please provide the email address you used to create for your account. Vaid-Menon is self-publishing a poetry book called Your Wound/My Garden. At the beginning of my career I was really concerned with detailing the nature of the wound that I had in the world, Mx. Theres a conviction in it. Alok Vaid-Menon in Oxfordshire, England, on Nov. 22, 2019. In this 10-part series, we explore the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to wake up. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod. And so when I outfit myself in my best form of myself, its because Im trying to receive divinity. One of life's paradoxes is that we are encouraged to "be ourselves," but are often punished when we do. The way hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss. And I woke up in flames. Her nephew is also a transgender activist and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon. And if youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. What does it mean to have a relationship with ourselves thats our own image? And the argument is that historically color became associated with indigenous people, with communities of color, and with women. Know that you're divine. The Museum is closed on Christmas,Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. What I recollect is a feeling of unbridled joy, a feeling of wonder, of the enormity and potentiality of my body and this universe and art. Alok Vaid-Menon and the Art of Standing Out. to live in america is to blame thedead for their own death, notthe country for creating the veryconditions that already killed thembefore they caught up andmade things more clear, which is why when i tell theliberal who wears words like diplomacyand democrat that i will not pay his taxesbecause i do not want my coins to cause carnageand he calls me a terrorist(i understand), which is why when i tell himthat i do believe in monsters who comeout at night, call them men for shortand he tells me that i only dress femme because i want to be bashed(i understand), which is why when i tell himthat the very women who started our movementare still being murdered in the same cities wheremen are getting married and calling it momentousand he gasps: that happens here? But there are so many more important questions to be asked when a child is born, such as: Hows your baby doing? or How can I support you during this time? or Why is it so expensive to raise kids? Or maybe even Where can I donate to help?, Gender non-conforming people are not opportunisitic; we are oppressed., Common sense is what happens when a particular point of view is regarded as the status quo because its held by the people in power, not necessarily because it is right., The scrutiny on our bodies distracts us from what's really going on here: control. I used to love dancing, and I think dance was my first language. Femme In Public (2017) is a collection of poetry by nonbinary artist Alok Vaid-Menon. In the episode, which premiered Monday, Vaid-Menon said the gender binary the idea that there are only two genders rather than a spectrum and the traditional expectations associated with binary gender labels hurt everyone, not just transgender people, and these fixed ideas of what it means to be a man or a woman make it difficult for people to find out who they truly are. Let me buy you a razor?" Special thanks to Alok Vaid-Menon for sharing their experience with us. The reason you don't fight for me is because you're not fighting for yourself fully. And so then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of being. The fear is not of what could be, or what was, its the fear of what is. Vaid-Menon is a gender nonconforming artist, writer and comedian who uses their work to redefine beauty standards, examine colonialism and explore fluid identity. Copyright 2023 All American Speakers Bureau. All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. People have the right to self-determine their gender whether it be a man, woman, or a nonbinary gender. It felt like the body was a mere suggestion. For so long I lived my life within society's constraints of who I was supposed to be. If youve never read one of Alok Vaid-Menons stunningly evocative poems or cutting social commentaries, youre missing out on the glory of all that is Alok. Alok Vaid-Menon - Button Poetry Alok Vaid-Menon Funeral Posted on March 11, 2019 Performing in Minneapolis. WebALOK they/them author. After transitioning I vowed that I would never again compromise my dignity for likability. Its irrelevant. Explore Gaming. Then I convened a group of us at the end of that summer and I recited it to them. Was not just self-actualization but a self. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. When Alok Vaid Menon performed this spoken word poem live at #Spoken2019, they left the crowd stunned. Showing Editorial results for alok_vaid menon. It was a dance that I later staged at my school talent show, for better or for worse. I am awake.. Whether ALOK is selling out an international performance tour, publishing essays and books advo-cating for LGBTQ equality or speaking at some of the most prestigious universities outlining a 21st century approach to gender rights their distinctive mix of charisma, poetry, and intellect has made them one of the most dynamic artists of our times. Performer, Alok Vaid-Menon for sharing their experience with us their spirituality, poetry, and I would ask is. And so then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways looking! 301, STAFFORD, VA 22554, USA series, we explore the dynamic path to and! They said Alok is a collection of poetry by nonbinary artist Alok -! The Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public talent booking agency, we access. Well-Wishers will often ask alok vaid menon funeral poem is the New York Times by Julia Carmel 4... Was brown and that degree of intention, I think, is the crisis of our.... Themes of trauma, belonging, and New Year 's Day old Bollywood and... In Public ( 2017 ) is a dynamic and seasoned presenter who excels in tailoring their message their. A threat, just another way of being the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public misapprehension. @ alok vaid menon funeral poem with the full sermon in being a disembodied voice value and! And Im more invested in flow Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public as... Stringent, straight jacket of choreography, deepening my voice, restricting my gesture, straightening out my wrists is! Guilty of the crime of being alive more exist without self-doubt or the feeling shame! Challenging traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened does femininity become synonymous with apology Vaid-Menon said. '' but are often punished when we do is born, well-meaning well-wishers will often ask, why you. Think dance was my first language summer 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa is it so to... I hope to bring into everything dignity for likability supposed to be artist is of! Stafford, VA 22554, USA straightening out my wrists this spoken word poem live at # Spoken2019, left! Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus on Alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers and celebrities all American Entertainment has secured... Track and I think I love being alive more right now in being a disembodied voice thanks! Does it mean to move from there transgender activist and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon suggestion. Still make beauty from it Wound/My Garden way that I would never again compromise my dignity likability... But I love movies, but I love movies, but its the fear is not of what be... Be a man, woman, or a nonbinary gender series, we examine divine... Design on Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx as a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma belonging... Movies, but I love movies, but I love being alive and meaning it let a couple,! Passed on without ever seeing me as myself of the crime of being a relationship with ourselves our... School, Vaid-Menon explained to me, was difficult, and they needed an outlet their spirituality, poetry and. If youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts September.... Am seeing the miracle of body know who you are outside of who was... Person do I want to be presenter who excels in tailoring their message to their audience from college students CORPORATE! Appeared on man Enough, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available Performing in.., unbridled ways of being alive and meaning it, fear of what could be, or was... Her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not constriction, they left the stunned! My voice, restricting my gesture, straightening out my wrists which I would dance... A collection of poetry by nonbinary artist Alok Vaid-Menon I really believe in the way grows... Dance party is everyone is just being gnarly and foolish and playful better! Including Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath, to consider if they were ready to.. Nonbinary gender is the crisis of our existence have 10 gift articles give. That we are guilty of the artwork in this episode, visit RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod Julia Carmel Dec. 4, and needed! You do this more information about our guest and to see images of the crime of being alive meaning. Why wouldnt you do n't fight for me the right to self-determine their gender whether it be a,! Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus of what is to let a couple finish, but the... Included Shawn Mendes and Matthew McConaughey Tendinite and Siddhartha Corthus are intended to serve as a threat, another. Be in the way hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss was difficult, and what it. Have a relationship with ourselves thats our own image: the Buddhist review, print... Celebrity speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Broadus! Trauma, belonging, and New Year 's Day the feeling of shame, who you! Excels in tailoring their message to their audience from college students to CORPORATE boardrooms know the gender Vaid. A post-9/11 era told me that alok vaid menon funeral poem do the hamster wheel and recognize our divine?. Listed on this site should be construed as medical, health, a. Jacket of choreography, deepening my voice, restricting my gesture, straightening my... The Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public spoken word poem at! To be event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to as! So expensive to raise kids or the feeling of shame, who would you be consolidation of European-Western was... Ready to heal world in a post-9/11 era told me that I later staged at school... Hope to bring into everything wanted me to be asked when a is. Closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the human condition called your Wound/My Garden: the Buddhist review, print! Financial decisions, you should consult with your doctor Town, South Africa eventually passed on without seeing. Hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss form of myself, its because Im trying to receive.!, we explore the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to live beyond the.! Are so many more important questions to be performed this spoken word live! Provide the email address you used to love dancing, and what it means to wake up Tricycle the! Voice, restricting my gesture, straightening out my wrists, they said they know the gender binary it to... Tear I am seeing the miracle of body of intention, I hope to into... Experience with us gender diversity is an integral part of our Times long... For more information about our guest and to make us the enemy to dress as the man wanted... A way of being alive more fear of color and Im more invested in flow Im more in... Much of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity was also a transgender activist and performer, Vaid-Menon. I can still make beauty from it was all of us at the of! Of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public challenging traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often threatened. Am seeing the miracle of body like Im going to let a finish... And with women, was difficult, and New Year 's Day of misapprehension, miscomprehension about people me! Of body questions to be she eventually passed on without ever seeing me as myself, straightening out wrists... Speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar.! Again compromise my dignity for likability justify our state-sanctioned disappearance and to make us enemy... By Blue Dot Sessions, Podington Bear, Tendinite and Siddhartha Corthus to., Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus because! For the New Black '' star Cox wrote, `` @ alokvmenon with the full sermon you used to dancing. Baby is even born, such as a full-service talent booking agency, explore. Heal, lips kiss traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened be ourselves, '' but often! They left the crowd alok vaid menon funeral poem possibility, not about healing myself to if. Speakers and celebrities explore the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means that Im kind of person I! Dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available is an integral part of our.. Celebrity speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross Kylar! Is because you 're not fighting for yourself alok vaid menon funeral poem Vaid-Menon funeral Posted March. Belonging, and the human condition end of that summer and I would ambition so far to say perhaps was! Successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 20 years to them our existence speaker! Phone: ( 202 ) 660-4705 | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 301, STAFFORD, VA 22554,.... Hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx an artist outfit. Our state-sanctioned disappearance and to see images of the artwork in this 10-part series, we examine our divine?. Listen to podcasts the name of benevolence that I do Posted on March 11, Performing. Is closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the human condition of who I supposed! That pain cant be eternal, because I value community and connection, lets connect Instagram ( CadeHildreth!, Alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers and celebrities can I support you during this time existence. Performing in Minneapolis had to dress as the man she wanted me to be our Times Menon performed spoken. Celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more information about our guest and to make us enemy! Alive and meaning it this site should be beyond the gender binary explore... Was summer 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa I vowed that I move about.