6 tips for a smooth airport experience

We're finally back from our holidays (where I got to see the beach by the way!) after some misadventure at the airport. This eventful experience made me reflect on everything that happened to my and my husband while flying out over the years. So here are some "tips" for a smooth airport  experience...

Don't lose your flight tickets

Nowadays, with online check-in and mobile boarding passes, the likelihood of losing your ticket is slim, but 15 years ago, when most people were going to the travel agent and had to hold onto their tickets for days or even weeks, the risk was real! I had booked my tickets for the big Irish move and placed them in a very *secure* place (the kitchen table) only to realise the day before leaving that they were gone. I suspect my mum threw them away by mistake as they were probably buried in between a pile of rubbish... Unfortunately the travel agent wasn't able to re-print one and I had to buy a brand new ticket. She opened an investigation with Air France to make sure no one used the spare one, and I got a refund ONE YEAR after! Since then, I'm an organised freak when it comes to travel documentation!

Make sure you leave for the airport well in advance

That goes without saying, right? Even Google sends you reminders to leave on time! You should be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight, so you should take in account all possibilities that could occur on the road and even the airport. At least that's what my mum says: "There could be a car crash, a traffic jam, snow (in summer, seriously??), you could also get lost, who knows...". Most importantly a few of those things could happen at the same time.

Back in July, my mum drove my husband to the airport after he dropped the kids for the summer. She hadn't been to that place for a while so he had the GPS on. They got stuck in a traffic jam for an hour because a car had broken down just before a roundabout. Once they finally got out, they made their way to the airport but the GPS directed them to the military airport instead of the civilian one, and my husband arrived only 10 minutes before the plane departure. He was let onto the plane only for the fact that he had to be in Dublin the same day to leave for Mauritius the following day for his father's funeral. So, if you don't want to stress too much, anticipate all possibilities!

If you're dropping someone, stay until the plane takes off

And that's because, once again, you never know what could happen, especially if the airport is a long distance from your home. About 10 years ago, I went to France for a few days, and my parents drove me back to the airport. I checked in and started to queue for boarding so my parents decided to leave. As it happened, the plane was cancelled because some protesters invaded the runway and the plane we were supposed to take couldn't land. Unfortunately it was a small airport and they only had flights to London (I was connecting) 2 days after. My parents were gone already and I tried to ring them but their mobile phone was off. I only managed to reach them once they were back home, an hour and a half later. Then I had to wait another hour and a half for them to pick me up... The moral of the story? Do not leave someone until their plane take off, or keep your phone on.

Have a valid passport

This is a common mistake if you don't travel a lot. It happened to my mum with her ID card, but she managed to get a new one just in time. One of our friends was even at the airport when she realised her passport had expired so that was the end of the trip. But the worst thing that happened was when my husband's passport was only 5 months valid at the time of our trip to Mauritius (If you fly outside the European Union you should have a passport valid for more than 6 months after the return date). We flew out without any issues, and he was supposed to renew his passport while over there, but he was so busy catching up with family and drinking Mauritian beer that he didn't think too much of it. He was sure there wouldn't be a problem, but in the end, the airline refused to let him on the plane back to Ireland and I had to travel on my own with a baby, for 12 hours...

Do not leave your luggage unattended

*All luggage left unattended will be automatically destroyed*. I always laugh when I hear that announcement in the airport. After all who would do that? Well, when you're travelling with kids, inattention can happen. My husband was transiting through London with the kids, and of course, one of them wanted to go to the toilets. The eldest was carrying a suitcase and the small one had his bag pack, while my husband had another suitcase. The youngest complained his bag was too heavy, so in a panic and with the child almost peeing himself, he took the bag pack. After a minute or so, he realised he wasn't carrying his own suitcase anymore. But when he went back, it was gone. He went to the lost and found desk, hoping they hadn't blown his suitcase up already, but no, it was just being scanned. Then the agent asked him what was inside to make sure it was his. The problem was, I was the one who packed it! He did opened it once before to put the kids' hoodies in so he kind of knew (and it was just children's clothes). After he got his suitcase back, he had to fill in the longest form ever, detailing all the addresses he lived at, all the jobs he had, and the same for me (even if I wasn't even there!). MI6 probably has him on file now!!

If you book connecting flights, make sure you have plenty of time between both flights

We came back from Brittany last week-end and when we arrived at the airport, we were told the plane was delayed for 2 hours because of a crack on the runway (!). We got transferred by bus to another airport an hour away, which means we missed our connecting flight in London. There was only 90 minutes in between the 2 flights, but I had booked that one because I didn't want to be home at 1 o'clock in the morning. Also, I thought that in the event of something happening on the last flight, we would be stuck in London for the night. That was without counting the appalling Ryanair Customer Service who stressed us out even more (their only solution was a flight on the following Thursday!!). We almost considered renting a car and travel to Holyhead to take the ferry home. At least their agent at the airport was a bit more helpful. He initially told us they weren't doing any stand-by for the last flight, then, after an insane amount of begging he finally agreed, but there was someone before us on the list. "So you actually do stand-by!" I told him. He replied it was an old lady. Fair enough. Except the old lady was actually a 25 years old guy whose first flight had also been delayed. Ryanair, you never cease to amaze me (in a really wrong way!). In the end, we had to pay 400 pounds to fly out that night, all that because there were less than 3 hours in between our 2 flights. Lesson learned I guess.

If every trip went without a hitch, we wouldn't have any stories to tell, wouldn't we? So, even if there's always stress involved at the time, we always manage to laugh about it afterwards!

What about you, any interesting airport stories you want to share?

Read More

6 things I forgot about France

I usually go to France once a year, for a holiday in my hometown. I know people and the surroundings so when I go there I am not surprised by anything really.

But lately, I had the opportunity to travel to other parts of France thanks to my job, and I realised there are some little things I forgot about my country…

Military presence in airports

When I landed in Beauvais a few  weeks ago and also in Mulhouse the other day, the first thing I saw at the exit were military people, with full on uniforms and shotguns. I completely understand they were there for safety, but still, when you not used to it, it feels a little bit scary. It reminded me that France was still in a state of emergency and the possibility of a threat was real. Having said that, I did feel completely safe any places I went to after I left the airport. A terrorist attack is really not the first thing on your mind when you are visiting a foreign city. Even in the metro in Paris, I was more worried about getting out at the right stop than the possibility of an attack...

Table service in bars

I spent an evening in Nancy, on the beautiful Place Stanislas. The square was surrounded by bars, all with an outdoor terrace. I sat down and looked out for waiter. He was a bit busy and told me he would be with me within a few minutes. It got me thinking how this French system is complicated. If you want a drink in Ireland, you go to the bar, ask for it and pay straight away.

In France, you just sit down. The waiter comes, takes your order, goes to the bar, gets your drink, has to remember where you sit, gives you the drink, comes back with the bill, takes the money, goes back to the bar, gets the change, comes back to you…

It’s just a waste of time if you ask me!

People speaking French around me

I know it’s kind of a given if I’m in France right? Well, I’m just so used to be surrounded by English speaking people that I often surprise myself by thinking :”Oh, there are some French people here!” when I hear them talking French beside me. And then I remember than I am in fact in France… Please tell me I’m not crazy and I am not the only one experiencing this!!

The beauty of the country

I am ashamed to say I have visited Ireland a lot more than France. Of course I know Brittany because that’s where I’m from, but aside from my home region, I know very little about my home country. I have been to the Southwest twice and Paris a few times. With my job I have now the opportunity to travel a bit more and I really feel like a tourist when I go to France. When you live somewhere, you don’t really see the beauty beside you and I am now seeing my country from an outside perspective. I don’t really have time to do proper visits as I am mainly there for work, but I always take the time to walk around the cities I’m in, admire the architecture, take pictures and have a nice meal. I have been to places I would have never considered before, like Reims or Nancy and I realised France really has beautiful buildings and landscapes. I drove through the Vosges region and the views were really breathtaking. Next time I’m over in France I think I’ll take an extra day off just to visit, it’s really worth it.

Place Stanislas, Nancy

                                              

Paris Opera

The (very) hot weather

Seriously, I think I was going to melt. I am not used to this kind of weather anymore (not that I was used to it in Brittany or Ireland!), and yet I was looking forward to it before flying out. I kind of regretted my enthusiasm when I discovered there was no air-con in my hotel room. The whole time I was there I was just hoping I wouldn’t look too sweaty for my job meeting! The good side of the hot weather was enjoying a cold refreshing cocktail in the evening and not worry about rain!

This one was well deserved!!

French people can actually be nice

Last year I wrote a very controversial post about French people being arrogant (I can’t even post the link because it was reported to Facebook, and I wouldn’t want to re-open this touchy subject anyway). This time I had a completely different experience in France. From the time I booked my rental car to the time I gave it back, I only came across nice, helpful people. The hotel staff, the people I met for work (and I was with competitors so it could have been awkward and less than amicable), the bar I had a drink in, the airport staff, the people in the queue at check-in… Even when I was in Paris a few weeks ago, everybody I met was in a good mood, and I didn’t have high expectations, trust me! I don’t know what happened, but I was so impressed it made me want to make up with French people. That’s a good start, right?

What about you, anything that you find strange, amusing or that you forgot about your home country?

Read More

A French holiday

Biarritz

For the first time in at least 10 years, we're going on a "real" holiday. OK, it's more like a short week away because it's only for 5 days, but still, it's in a place where we don't know anybody, and far away from any family.

We're going to the south west of France, near Biarritz, and I'm very excited. We'll be staying in a house with a couple of Irish friends and we have planned to drink wine everyday a great deal of activities for us and the kids. I've already been online trying to find things to do in the area like surf lessons, museums, beaches, boat trips... There's even a train that goes up the mountain and I know the boys will love it.

But why am I so excited to go to France? I mean, I shouldn't be so happy to visit my own country like if it was an exotic destination! When I was younger, all I wanted to do was go abroad, discover other countries, landscapes, and I have to say, I have travelled a lot more within Ireland than France.

Now that I have been here 13 years, it has become my home and I'm less eager to go on holidays in other parts of Ireland. I'm in the same situation as when I was 20 years old. I want to go abroad, visit other places and see something different.

The weird thing is that going on holidays to France fills me with the same excitement than the first time I went to Spain, Scotland or Mauritius. I feel like I'm going abroad, even if it's my native country.

I know there will be no language barrier asking for directions or buying a baguette in a boulangerie. But I will probably act like an Irish person, marvelling at the price of the wine (and regretting to only have a hand luggage!), discovering Basque country culture, food, drink and traditions. And in true Irish style, I might even moan about the hot temperature, but I won't go as far as looking for an Irish pub (although you never know...)

Maybe France really has become a foreign country and I should take more time to discover it because the diversity in landscapes, climates, architecture and regional cultures is just exceptional.

We often overlook what's just next to us, and for many years I didn't see the point of travelling within France. Maybe living abroad has made me see my native country under a different perspective.  And I can't wait to uncover what a French holiday has to offer!

Read More

Day 31: All the things I didn't write

I had a plan for the series, and yet, I feel there are so many little things I didn't talk about, or not in details anyway.

I should have written about Mauritian food, the delicious meals I had the opportunity to share with my family,  and the local dishes I tasted like dholl puri, octopus curry and even hedgehog...

I should have shared more pictures about local life, or at least written a bit more about it and not just concentrate on places to visit.

Sega dancers at my brother in law's wedding

Local fisherman in Mahebourg

Yummy fruit juice stall in Port-Louis

Mahebourg's market

But on the whole I'm quite proud of what I've achieved. I've written everyday for a month (except yesterday but Halloween got in the way), and I've stuck to it. I hate failure so I really took this as a personal challenge. 

My only regret is that I focused so much on writing I haven't really read anything for the past 30 days. So I think November will be "reading" month. I will go trough the other bloggers who participated in the challenge and discover the stories they told.

One thing for sure, I'm taking a little break from the blog (I'm exhausted!) but I'll be back very soon with Irish stories! 

Read More

Day 30: The Dodo bird

This is what the Dodo may have looked like...

When I first asked Fabrice about the Dodo bird, one of most famous symbol of Mauritius, all he could tell me was: "They were birds that lived on the island, the Dutch came and killed them all"... A bit too short of an explanation don't you think?

The dodo is an extinct bird that was about 1 metre tall and may have weighed around 15kgs.  We think that it's flightless because there was enough food around the area and no predators on the island before humans invaded it.  Obviously, nobody still alive has ever seen a Dodo bird, and considering it became extinct by the 17th century the only proofs we have are drawing and paintings. 

So what happened? At the end of the sixteenth century, Dutch sailors took possession of Mauritius and started to hunt the bird. The introduction of domesticated animals and a rat invasion also provoked the early disappearance of the bird.

The dodo also became famous for its part in Alice in Wonderland, and is also prevalent in  popular culture, where it usually represents a symbol of extinction and desuetude. 

The extinction of  the Dodo has also called attention to the problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species.

Read More

Day 29: Popular Mauritian drinks

I couldn't do a series about Mauritius and not talk about Mauritians' favourite drinks. 

Phoenix is to Mauritius what Guinness is to Ireland: a national institution. It's a "golden lager" beer brewed in the country since the sixties and has an alcohol rating of 5%. I'm not a beer drinker, and yet, I like Phoenix. It's light, not too fizzy and it's just a perfect refreshment on a hot day (which incidentally happens a lot...).

65cl bottle. Perfect for sharing... or not!!

Rum is also very popular with locals. It's usually drank with coke and locals will tell you the perfect measure is two third Rum, one third coke. I personally do the opposite, but that's because I don't want to end up sick...

On my first trip to Mauritius, I discovered an unlikely sign of Ireland in the form of an energy drink: Malta Guinness. Yes, a non alcoholic Guinness. Needless to say my Irish friends weren't impressed! It's actually produced in Nigeria and exported to East Africa, Malaysia and the UK.

I didn't like it to be honest, but for Mauritians, it's like the equivalent of Lucozade!

Of course there are many more beverages to discover in Mauritius, like amazing cocktails, milk straight from the coconut, or Allouda which is a milk based drink with strawberry syrup and tukmaria seeds, a pure delish!

Read More

Day 28: Sugar cane

Sugar cane is cultivated on more than 70 000 hectares of land in Mauritius. Most of the 600000 tons produced is exported to Europe, so next time you bake a cake with Demerara or Muscovado sugar, take a look at its origin, it could come from Mauritius...

When you are on top the hills, you can see the immensity of the fields. Sugar cane will pretty much be all around you.

On one of our trips, we had the opportunity to taste raw sugar, straight from the cane. You will know the plan is ripe when its base is dark red.

You have cut the cane in chunks and take off the outer layer. Then, just chew or suck on the strips to extract the sugary juice. 

It won't come as a surprise, but it tastes really sweet! 

Read More

Day 27: Breton connections

"Breton square" in Mauritius

Coming from a small village in Brittany, I was far from thinking that my place of birth would have some sort of connection with a tropical island twelve thousand miles away. 

To start with, the first governor of Mauritius, Mahe de la Bourdonnais, was Breton. Given the fact that many men from the region were in the marine, it's easy to understand how so many ended up on every corners of the world. I know we have a tradition of travelling, but I wasn't prepared for all the Breton connections I found in Mauritius over the years...

I went to a catholic school where there was a long tradition of missionary brothers. Every year, we were fundraising and sending school supplies to less fortunate countries, including Mauritius. Some of the catholic brothers from the Saint-Gabriel congregation even set up a school on the island, back in the eighties. They went there, built it from scratch and welcomed hundreds of young Mauritians to whom they gave an education. It was (and still is) a "vocational" school that concentrated on manual subjects like car maintenance, electronics, cooking, baking and so on. Their goal was also to train local teachers who would then take over the school and run it. 

On one of my trips, I discovered I had closer ties to that school and the catholic brothers than I thought.  

We were invited for a meal to my sister in law's brother that I briefly met before. We got talking a bit more in details about his job and his life in general. That's when he told us he went to Saint-Gabriel school and believe it or not, I personally knew one of his teacher from my old school! He was so grateful about the education he received that he kept in touch with one of the other teachers until he went back to Brittany to retire. I didn't know that particular person, but when I went back home, I asked my parents, and as it happened, he was a good friend of them! They gave him a message from his former student, and he still remembered him after all these years. My parents told me he was very happy to have news from him and Mauritius as he had very fond memories of the country.

When my parents came over a couple of years later, they also took the opportunity to visit Mahebourg's church because one of my mother's uncle used to be a priest in Mauritius in the sixties (I didn't even know about that story before!). She went into the church, looked for the oldest person there and just asked if she knew her uncle. Believe it or not, she said he was the priest who celebrated her sister's wedding!

On another occasion, we decided to have a drink in a local bar in the village we were staying. It wasn't really a coincidence because we read it in the touristic guide, but the bar was owned by a Breton guy. Of course, I started talking to him and he asked my where I was from. When I told him the name of my town, he said there was someone from the same place on the other side of the counter. I turned my head, and who was there? My neighbour!! Since then, he has settled in the country and even married a Mauritian girl.

One of my parent's friend also have a son who married a girl from Mauritius, so basically, in my home town, there are at least three families with Mauritian connections... and there are only 8000 inhabitants there...

I also went to a Breton crêperie in Port-Louis, owned by one of my cousin's friend (who also married a Mauritian guy!), I spent an afternoon on a catamaran that was named "Le Bretagne" (Brittany in French), and in Flic-en-Flac, there is square that is called "Place des bretons" (Breton's square).

Talk about small world!

Read More

Day 26: Famous quote about Mauritius

Read More

Day 25: Interview with Pascal

Five years ago, on one of our holidays, I decided to talk to different people about their life in Mauritius. At that stage, I had seen pretty much everything the country had to offer in terms of tourism, so I wanted to dig a bit deeper and meet locals. I could have interviewed my family  but as it turned out, their friends were more interested in sharing stories...  

That's how I got to interview Pascal, a good friend of my father in law. 

What's your name ?

Pascal Ramsamy

And do you know where your ancestors come from?

My grandmother was from Madagascar and my grandfather from Pondichery

Do you know how your ancestors arrived in Mauritius?

What I was told is that the African and Malagasy came as slaves.    

The Indian side (Pondichery included), it was more like a "job offer". They were told that if  they came, and they would find gold under the rocks...

What do you do in life, do you work?

I try to survive by making others survive

You're gonna have to explain that!

My father was a bricklayer, and he was a bit violent. My mother left him, and she went to America. I was placed in a shelter managed by Father Julien Lourdes. I stayed there for 13 years.

He taught me what it is to be human. I've always lived like this. Even if life is not always easy [he was homeless for a while], he has always told me not to feel sorry for myself, to try and help others; and by helping them, I help myself.

What do you do then if you say you're trying to help others? I see you already gave us some guavas [we got a whole bucket!], it's nice!

That's not helping!

Maybe, but thanks to you we'll have something to eat tonight!

What I'm really trying to do is help everyone. We look after sports in the community, young kids who are not attending school, young kids who go to school but can't afford private lessons...

And where do you do that?

There is a community centre. We have to give some of our time.

So is it voluntary?

Yes, I try to make a small contribution to the lives of others.

But do you work? Do you earn some money?

I am working. First, when José [my father in-law] has a few jobs I go with him, if not I'll do the odd jobs here and there...

But it's not easy, it's more like  day to day survival.. And even if you say you don't feel sorry for yourself, does it not make you unhappy?

I'm not unhappy, I am rather optimistic. I have a dream

And what is it?

My dream is to one day find my son

So you have a son? Where is he?

In Cannes

Do you have any contact with him?

No, his mother cut off all contact when he was one year old. I have tried but she doesn't want to see me.

What's his name ?

Pascal

So you know his first name, does he have your surname?

No, because he was born in France, so he has his mother's name.

Because in France with a name and a surname you can find someone quite easily

Even if I can't approach him or speak to him, I just want to see him.

Do you think you will manage to find him?

Oh yes I will. I will go to France, even if I have to swim!

It's gonna take a long time because the flight already lasts 12 hours!!

And then I will go to Brittany

How did you hear about Brittany?

José told me about the friendly Breton people

Ah, that's when he came to my parents' house.

I watch TV, and Brittany looks like a beautiful place

Thank you. In fact, if I asked you to talk to me, it's also because after coming here several times and visiting all the tourist places, I really wanted to meet the people.

You want to know Mauritius from the inside, right?

Yes that's it

Not the postcard

That's because often, all that tourists see is the beach, palm trees etc, and that's a bit sad

But you see, Mauritians, when they speak about France,  it's only Paris! They don't know Marseille, la Canebière... They don't even know that Joseph Wresinski created an organisation to defend human rights. He is the founder of "ATD Fourth World".

Yes, I know his name

And Father"Julien Lourdes" is a Jesuit who welcomed underprivileged children. He is much closer to God than the Pope. He listens to Bob Marley, he was in Madagascar, he had some accidents, he has scars. But he's very charismatic

Is he your role model?

I was in a Mauritian state school. But he told me what it is to be educated. One can be intelligent but stupid.

I was in school until  form 5 (5th year). I wanted to go until the final exam [Leaving cert] but I was told "No, it's not worth it"

Who told you that?

My father. He said I should be a policeman. I said to him: "no, I hate the police." I could not do that. If we take 1000 policemen, 997 are like that: they beat people up, accuse you of all sorts of things, try to make you confess to something you haven't done...

Does this have to do with the fact that you are Creole / Catholic, a minority, and that the police can discriminate this part of the population?

The problem is that the majority of the police force is Hindu.

Yes that's what I was getting at...

In Mauritius, everyone protects his own community

The problem is that there is 70% Hindu

And they control everything

They are the wealthiest ones, and  have the most power?

I've never seen in France a religious movement interfering in police business

In France Church and state are separate

It's different here. Religious groups control politics

Okay, but  does that mean that in fact, Hindus control the  whole country?

Exactly. Only once, but with a special agreement, we had a non-Hindu minister. Hindus don't want to vote for Beranger [Former creole prime minister]. Yet he is good and he works well.

You say that Hindus don't want to vote for a creole or a white candidate. Yet, all we hear about Mauritius is that it's multicultural, everyone gets along, everybody lives in harmony...

That's the postcard! but hey, it doesn't mean that you can't have friends who are Hindus or other religions. Among ourselves, we're good. It's the political leaders. Between the people it's alright. You are Muslim, Tamil, Hindu, creole, you're Mauritian. But the government, no.

But why?

It's divide and conquer. Look at Fabrice, he's Irish, not Mauritian.

But he is Mauritian!

No he's Irish first, then Mauritian

I'm also Irish then!

No

You're gonna have to explain...

In Mauritius, he's Irish first, then Mauritian

But why ?

Because when he comes, he brings Euros. He doesn't bring 1 rupee, he brings 45 rupees [1 euro equivalent]. And Mauritians, they tend to take those who come from outside as "white".

I understand, but it's a preconceived idea that Mauritians have

No, it's  the politicians who planted that idea into our heads

What do you mean ?

I'll give you an example. I'll do my studies in England. The state pays for my studies. Why? Because I was the best in my class. Because I went to the "Royal College of Curepipe", an elite school. Well ,I'm in the UK, studying law, and I become a lawyer. But I don't go back to Mauritius. When I return 20 years later, I come back with pounds, not with rupees. So I am not eligible. I need to become a member of a political party to get my abilities recognized.

It's crazy to think they put ideas like that in people's heads. For example, we live in Ireland. We don't "survive", but we are not rich. When we want to come to Mauritius we have to save for at least six months. Last year I spoke with a beach salesman. When I told him that I lived in Ireland, he immediately said "ah but why don't you buy a house here". I understand better where it comes from...

When a Mauritian worked in France say, for 30 years, when he returns he will be taxed because he brings euros. Anyone from outside brings foreign currencies.

Is that why they try to get foreigners to buy houses at exorbitant prices?

Exactly!

Earlier on, we were talking about multicultural nation, but for you, what does it mean to be Mauritian? What does it represent?

No culture, no nationality, only Mauritian

But Mauritian is a nationality

No. Mauritians have no nationality, they have nothing. Mauritians are Australian, Canadian, French, American, Mozambican, Indian, Arabic, Chagossian, Chinese...

What you mean is that Mauritius is only made of people who were brought into the country?

Reunion island was the same, people were brought there. They are not Réunion "Creole" or "Malagasy".  They are a group. You can't find that in Mauritius. For example, I watch football.  Egyptians came to play here. Muslims came from Port Louis with the Egyptian flag. Yet they are Mauritian. A team from India came. All Hindus were there with the Indian flag.

But look,  recently it was the national holiday and everyone put the Mauritian flag on their house.

Now that's bullshit. The only time I saw Mauritian pride is when Stéphane Buckland was at the Olympics. That day, we were all Mauritian in front of our TV. It's the same when it's the "Island Games".

Sometimes I feel like Mauritians who leave abroad have more national pride

This is because they are far away, and Mauritius seems like a paradise

On a more cheerful note of, can you tell me what do you like about Mauritius.

Solidarity for others. For example, Radio 1 asked five million rupees to build homes for people in difficulty. They managed to get 17 million!

Even when people don't have anything they still give?

There was a lady who came, she said she saved 10 rupees on her daily shop. Even when we  have nothing, we will try to help others. We can fight for a good cause.

What's your favorite place in Mauritius?

In the woods, anywhere. I can breathe there. The beach is reserved for a certain...elite.

Really ?

Yes, in front of the hotels, it's for tourists, the beaches in front of villas is for those who live there...

Let me ask you a question. What do you think of Mauritians?

I find them very generous and they are always smiling

Like the postcard !!??

Yes but that's actually true!

But you haven't seen everything behind the postcard...

I think I have  experienced a little bit more than the average tourists who don't leave their hotel. But to see everything, I would have to live here.

No, you shouldn't see everything

Why?

It's good to know so you have less preconceived ideas, but in another way...

It can make one feel guilty...

You feel guilty for living in wealth when others are in poverty and try to survive? But no, that's not it. You are the one who tries to survive. For me, "wealth" is just sitting, eating rice with a curry. There are others who can't even eat but spend 6000  rupees into other things...

Mauritius is still a paradise. It has everything except money. With a little cooperation and humanism we will go far.

I went back to Mauritius 3 years after this conversation with Pascal, sadly I learned he died a few months before. He never got to find his son. 

  

 

 

Read More