Monday, January 10, 2011

AMANDA KHAN


Amanda Khan is passionate about Mauritius in both her personal life as well as her professional one. She arrived on the island in 2003 with her husband Chris and daughter Roxana and simply fell in love with its beauty. Seven years later, she and her family are still here loving life. But, Amanda’s journey to the island started much earlier than her arrival in 2003.

Childhood Memories
Her parents were from Guyana, South America but moved to London, England at an early age. Amanda herself was born in Toronto, Canada and raised by her mother Afrose Khan, a nurse, along with her brother Chad.Raising two kids was a struggle for this single mother but she always maintained an upbeat attitude, providing
love and support.

Amanda's home was filled with music, dancing and baking, thanks to the influence of her mother. There was always music playing from Motown as well as hits from the 1960’s and 1970’s being favorites. In fact, Amanda's uncles would teach her how to dance to some of this music during the countless family parties held at home.

Because music was such a huge part of her life, Amanda started playing classical piano at the age of five, a lifelong hobby that she continues to this day. Another passion of hers is baking. Amanda would follow her mother around the kitchen, learning the basics of baking from the age of nine. By the time she was a teenager, Amanda progressed to cake decorating, even earning extra money by taking cake orders for special occasions like weddings.

Defining Moments
Because her two kids were a priority in her life, Afrose Khan instilled in them a strength and determination to pursue their dreams. Amanda's mother encouraged her to travel and see the world, to experience other cultures and really live life to the fullest. In fact her mother presented her with a month long stay in London, England as a high school
graduation present. Thanks to the encouragement of her mother, Amanda travelled confidently to a number of places, including a year's stay in her parent's home country of Guyana at the age of 22. Other notable places that she has lived
include Nepal and Malawi.

The ability to travel really opened up the world to Amanda and her experiences have defined who she is today. She is a business owner, a qualified yoga teacher, a Shiatsu therapist, a laughter yoga teacher trainer and mother of two children – a daughter Roxana, aged 8, born in England and a son Will, aged 2, born in Mauritius.

Her Mauritius Journey
Upon her arrival to Mauritius with her husband and daughter, Amanda fell in love with the weather, landscape, sunny days, and of course, the water. In fact, her love of the Mauritian outdoors segued into a love affair for kite surfing. During her spare time, Amanda loves to go to the island of Rodrigues to combine her love of kite surfing and nature.

She feels that Mauritius is an excellent place to raise a family, not only because of the natural landscape but also because of the hospitality and welcoming nature of the island's residents.

Life in Mauritius is a fulfilling one for Amanda and her family. She defines happiness as staying positive no matter what and feels that this approach to life promotes a healthy mind and heart and allows positive interactions with others.

One of the many things Amanda is passionate about in her life in Mauritius is her company Roxspa Ltd; a company that creates and markets handmade aromatherapy spa products with all natural ingredients native to the area. Her company's defining principle is "Support local trade" which means that Amanda also purchases materials through organizations that are dedicated to the empowerment and employment of underprivileged women and disabled workers.

Besides her enthusiasm for supporting the local economy, Amanda is also a devoted mother. She wakes early, about 5:30 a.m. to fit in moments for herself before her kids wake so that she can spend quality time with them when they are not in school or engaged in other extracurricular activities and homework. One of their favorite pastimes includes visiting Mont Choisy beach and watching the sunsets. Despite a busy schedule, Amanda squeezes in another passion in her life– dancing. She feels that the training in ballet, modern jazz and contemporary dance helps her clear her mind and finds it liberating and therapeutic.

Life in Mauritius is a fulfilling one for Amanda and her family. She defines happiness as staying positive no matter what and feels that this approach to life promotes a healthy mind and heart and allows positive interactions with others. Amanda feels that life is too short and that people should be reminded of this so they can still take a chance and live their dreams.