Water Attributes of Tamarin
There is a coral reef break south of the beaches off Tamarin Bay, creating some great surfing possibilities along the southwest shore. Most of the year, surfing is accessible but the breakers are best from May through September. A few surf shops are available along the beach in case you need to purchase or rent any gear.
Part of the appeal of the town’s water features is the wild, undomesticated feel around Tamarin Bay, thanks to its shallow salt flats that surround the area. In fact, this untamed characteristic transfers over to some of the water sports available. You can choose to hire a deep sea charter for some fishing, particularly hard fighting trophy fish like blue marlins.
If fishing is not your cup of tea, you might consider joining a dolphin watching group on a charter boat tour. Dolphin and even its cousin, the porpoise, can often be seen frolicking in Tamarin Bay, their favoured natural habitat. Some charters offer swimming excursions with these delightful, inquisitive sea creatures. You definitely do not want to forget your camera!
Snorkelling in the clear aqua blue waters in the lagoon area of the bay is another fun activity to try in addition to kayaking and kite surfing. A number of prime diving spots are located around the Tamarin waters, too. There is a spectacular professional dive to the Cathedral, an underwater cavern where the light from the surface reflects in beautiful ways. Of course, during any dive, you will see a variety of underwater sea life such as clown fish, sting ray, barracuda and bubble coral. Diving around the Tug 2, a wreck partially buried in the sand, holds a wealth of encounters with snapper, sturgeon and lion fish.
The Draw of the Natural Landscape
Beyond the native evergreen trees and palms that line the beachfront lays a wild, natural landscape. There are the remnants of an ancient volcano as well as forests and mountains. The nearby Black River Georges National Park offers a wealth of outdoor adventures such as hiking, sweeping views of gorges and waterfalls and nature trails ripe for exploring.
If you are a nature lover but do not necessarily care for the physical bushwalking a national park would entail, consider a round of golf or two. The Tamarin golf course is situated on a picturesque backdrop of jagged, rough sea cliffs. The view of Tamarin Bay’s blue waters is breathtaking.
Whether you are an intrepid nature lover or just like the novelty of it, Casela Bird Park is a must-see on your Tamarin tour. This park has over 1,500 birds, including rare ones like the Mauritius windhover and pigeon. Of course, you won’t see Mauritius’ most famous DoDo bird because it has been extinct for several hundred years!
You can also see a variety of other animals such as kangaroos, zebras, monkeys and native deer. Feeding the giant turtles is a real treat. However, it is the preying cats that have become the star attractions of the Casela Bird Park. You can walk with the lions and cheetahs, getting up close and personal. Playtime with the cats and the wildlife safari experience are some great picture-taking opportunities.
A Great Home Base for your Mauritius Escape
Tamarin is a short drive or bus ride away from other Mauritius towns like Port Louis, Flic en Flac and Quatre Bornes, making it a great choice for your vacation home base. You can enjoy the town’s beaches, good weather and some great shopping and dining experiences.
Thanks to the protection of a mountain range, the area is the warmest part of Mauritius, so every day is a good day to visit and stay in town. Because of its rustic, untamed beauty, Tamarin offers less crowded beaches and water-related activities. You can relax on the beach soaking up the sun and many appreciate the opportunity to relax with a book without worrying about other visitors tripping over your claimed beach spot. With sights and activities that appeal to both nature lovers and city dwellers, Tamarin is a great place to explore on your Mauritius holiday.
Monday, October 4, 2010
TAMARIN - A HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE MAURITIUS CROWN
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
OLIVER ZAENKERT
The call of Mauritius was then simply too strong and he returned with his bride to start their family. Oliver embraced Mauritian soil with his new wife in 2008 and they have been here ever since. Soon after arriving back in Mauritius they became a family of three. Neo, who recently turned two, is the light of their lives.
Oliver likes to live by the philosophy that every day is a new adventure and you must enjoy it as much as possible. When one looks at Oliver’s life it is plain to see that he has tried hard to live by this philosophy. Oliver has enjoyed a fairly remarkable life; living in ten countries over the last fifteen years--- Egypt and Greece to name a few.
This has been very beneficial to Oliver as he now has knowledge about many countries and their respective cultures, “It strengthened my attitude to be open- minded and curious, to think positively and listen to my heart”. He says that the biggest impact in his life so far was stepping on to a wind surfboard for the first time, when he was ten. This is clearly visible as he is still involved with wind and Kite surfing through his career today.
Oliver is involved in a business called Air-switch, which provides unique services and individual solutions in Kite surfing and other fields. From beginner to expert; Airswitch meets the needs of all Kite surfers. 2011 will be an exciting period for Oliver as plans are underway to open a Kite Surfing Academy, where Oliver and his team will train and educate young locals to be certified Kite Surf Instructors. If you are interested in kite surfing you can get in touch with Air-switch at www.Air-switch.com.
He is also involved with a business called Agile; where his wife Katja also works. Agile, as Oliver puts it, “is your authentic and professional partner providing superior solutions for health, nutrition and fitness”. If you feel your life needs a health boost have a look at www.agile-mauritius.com. Oliver’s work keeps him fairly busy, but he does not mind this as he has a great passion for it. This is apparent in the way in which Oliver talks about his work, “I think that I am really lucky:business and fun, hobby and work, passion and job – everything is linked”. When Oliver is not working, he likes getting together with friends and enjoying an active and fun lifestyle.
He also enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family at the beach, “sharing as many sunny vibes as possible”. This makes Oliver seem like a laid back person, however this is not the case. He likes challenges and believes that, “variety is the spice of life”. Oliver also believes that while wrong decisions may be bad at the time, they can shape us for future success. It is quite clear, therefore, that Oliver loves every moment of his life ... apart from hectic shopping that he leaves to his wife.
Oliver thoroughly enjoys living in Mauritius and views it as paradise, “I am very lucky; I’m living my dream in Mauritius. I have made fantastic new friends in extraordinary surroundings. Mauritius with its openness, its multicultural environment in a perfect climate – is paradise for me”. Oliver feels that he is a very fortunate and blessed individual – he has a beautiful family, a job he loves, and he lives in what he views to be paradise. However what really makes him fortunate and blessed is the wonderful outlook he has toward life and its challenges.
He tackles everyday as it comes and lives every moment of it to the fullest. We are lucky to have him on our beautiful little island.
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Thursday, July 1, 2010
ALEX ALEXANDER
Alex came into this world on a rainy Valentine’s Day at 1515 Hrs. Raised in New Delhi, India; he is the younger of two siblings.
As a child, he was happiest with his nose in a book, following adventures through the words of storytellers, such as: Sir Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alexandre Dumas, and others. He admits however that his own real life adventures began when he ventured off to the United Kingdom for his higher studies, post completion of his Bachelors Degree (Honors) in Commerce from Delhi University.
Upon completion of his MBA in Finance studies in 2001 from the University of Lincoln; he worked for a while in London, honing his excel and pub crawling skills, before venturing home to be closer to family.
Work Life He’s spent the last nine years entrenched in the world of corporate finance, operations, and now marketing. Today, he works for Fortis Clinique Darné, the premier private hospital here on the island. He started out working for Fortis Healthcare Limited in India in the former half of the decade. As part of his last stint with the Company, he was selected to join an elite team of 10 individuals chosen to work with McKinsey & Co. to design and implement more efficient operating systems across all Fortis hospitals.
Alex then headed the Investor Relations function at Emaar MGF Land Limited, one of the world’s largest real estate enterprises. However, his relationship with Fortis was destined to continue. He was invited back by friend and colleague Raj (now the hospital’s COO) who recruited him to re-join Fortis here in Mauritius and Alex has found it to be an enriching experience.
He spends his days as the business analyst spearheading business development and looking after the marketing function of the hospital, with goals of redefining the healthcare delivery landscape on the island.
It’s a labour of love for him as the day often flies by without his realising that he’s worked a 12 to 14-hour day. Island Life Alex is passionate about his career but he knows how to unwind, too! The island’s scenic beauty is very therapeutic after a hard day’s work--- especially with his favourite beer in hand to soothe the nerves. He tells us, “When you’re done appreciating its beauty, the Island has no dearth of activities which include golf (which his favourite doctor on the Island has promised to make him a pro at) to the complete opposite end of the spectrum – canyoning and scuba diving, with many other activities, too.”
Alex quotes Mark Twain who aptly wrote in his non-fiction account of his trips to different countries titled Following The Equator. “You gather the idea that Mauritius was created first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.” Not just passionate about working in healthcare, Alex firmly believes in taking care of his own health as well. He often starts his day with squash, a jog, or time at the gym. He loves sports and like all true Indians, of course he’s passionate about Cricket. He’s also got a love of English football and supports Manchester United FC as well as the national team wholeheartedly.
While he loves the plethora of culinary choices here on the island, like all sons he misses his mother’s amazing cooking the most. In terms of family, Alex is currently single. He believes that happiness is a state of mind and feels very blessed with all that God has given him. Amongst the things he is thankful for - his family, a 7-year old Aquarian niece (just like her uncle), a promising career, great friends, and a phenomenal place to live in and explore. Alex claims that all of the above have helped him create a balance in his life.
Besides a former love that had a big influence on him personally and who he fondly remembers as explaining that love is about having a friend who “gets” you for the way you are, others who have vastly influenced him include Alex’s father, for his: unwavering work ethics, sincerity, and patience as well as his brother-in-law who has truly inspired him to not only dream dreams but to set forth and make them come true.
His unquenching thirst for knowledge is what has driven him across oceans and he continues to do so... To sum it up, in the words of Eric Hoffer, Poet & Longshoreman: “In times of change, the learners will inherit the earth while the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Thursday, June 10, 2010
PATRICK COCHRAN
Born in Zimbabwe in 1965, Patrick Cochran has lived in Mauritius since 2007. He and two partners run Forex Direct Ltd., and have done so since 2008. Patrick lives here with his wife Carrie (born in England) and their three children: Thomas, Phoebe, and Natasha.
Make a Plan!
Patrick firmly believes in the philosophy of "Make a plan" which comes from an old Zimbabwean saying. When things go awry, and they have at times, that's exactly what he does. Growing up on a safe Rhodesian tobacco farm while civil war raged around him, Patrick spent a lot of his time adventuring and hunting with his .22. More than once, when game was scarce, he'd find himself practising on the family's livestock. It never went to waste, though, as he'd later find bullets from that .22 on his dinner plate. He didn't realise, until much later when he had his own family farm, just how lucky he'd been to live so carefree and sheltered from the war on that tobacco farm.
After graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, he ventured off to work in the UK where he later met his English Rose…Carrie. After getting married, they decided to start their new life straight away in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Business boomed in his local Bureau de Change but they soon decided
to ditch the Malaria and moved to a chicken farm outside of Harare, where they built their own thatched roofed home, made a life and started a family. Life was good amid 20,000 new baby chicks every six weeks. And soon after starting life on that farm, Patrick and Carrie started having chicks of their own. Life was good until Y2K, when Mugbe's militia began targeting farms owned by white families.
By 2007, inflation had reached hepatillion percentages (translating to (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 %).
Savings rapidly evaporated, halving every thirty minutes while cost of living prices doubled each half an hour. Bartering became the only viable currency. Staples including petrol became difficult to get. At one point, Patrick had struggle to find and then to swap a sheep for 60 litres of petrol. This period was one filled with some hard life lessons. Patrick and his family quickly learned that nothing in life was certain and this cemented his feelings in that family and valuing each day was the most vital ingredient in a happy life. As Patrick often says, "I didn't sign up for this!" so he did what he knew to be the best option when you need to protect and provide for your family. He and Carrie made a plan. A two-week trip to scout the island of Mauritius led Patrick and his family here. They sold as much as they could in Zimbabwe, got on the plane with very few belongings, and never looked back. They nearly decided to go to Australia but we're glad to have them with us instead!Today, they are still in love with life on the island.
Life in Mauritius
Life in Mauritius for Patrick is filled with family, work, fishing, music, math, and golf. He and his band play music from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and even some of today's music as well. Some call him a wannabe rock star but he fancies himself a real rock star; living for life, laughter, music, and fun. He loves that his life never has a dull moment here. Between the scenery, the kindness of the people, and the nature of the democracy of the island, the Cochrans love their home here.
Patrick adores the lush Mauritian golf courses and the game of golf (but isn't sure if the feeling is reciprocal or not) and loves to fly fish as well. He still likes to visit his favourite fly fishing spot in Inyanga, in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe because, "There is nothing more satisfying than catching a trout with a fly you have made yourself."
A typical day in his life starts with cappuccino and rate preparation to help clients maximise their investment with foreign exchange deals. By the time the kids are home from school, he's ready to shift his gears to help with homework. While math isn't his favourite subject, it connects his work and home life…going from exchange rates to math figures. He loves that he can participate in the daily routines of the kids and watch them grow up in a safe country with great prospects.It's definitely worth the enduring the ath mind jolts!
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Friday, April 30, 2010
PAUL MARKS
Ask 50-year-old Paul Marks what he likes best about living on Mauritius and he will quickly respond it’s the beauty of the island, and the fabulous people and having the sea so close to his back door.
His answer is not surprising when you find out that Paul is an avid kite surfer. That is, when he gets time away from his job managing retail properties for the Currimjee Group. Of course, for someone who only requires four hours of sleep per night in order to ‘recharge his batteries’; this leaves plenty of time for popular island pastimes. Marks hates to think he’s missing out on anything by wasting time in bed!
The Road to Mauritius Originally from England, Marks grew up with a Scottish mother and Maltese father employed by the Royal Navy on the island of Malta. During his early years, the sea continually beckoned and his passion was satisfied by boat trips every Sunday, accompanied by numerous family friends. Marks remembers these weekly excursions as a fun time, characterised by a high concern for filling steel dust bins with ice to take onboard the boat.
It wasn’t until he got older that he realised the importance of this task; the dust bins kept the adults’ beer cold! Madrid, Spain was Paul’s home for four years and during his time there, the country made quite an impression on him. The Spanish tend to play as hard as they work, living for the moment, or as Paul says, “Carpe diem, but with more red wine”.
Paul married relatively young, when both he and his wife were 24 years old. Now in a friendly divorce it took them to Dubai, where he opened his own retail consultancy business. A previous job at Currimjee Jeewanjee and Co. Ltd ended up leading to a great new opportunity to oversee and manage the company’s Mauritius retail developments. Today he still owns property in Dubai, along with a house in Southern Spain – his ‘true spiritual home’ – but the island of Mauritius is where he happily hangs his hat.
The Most Important Things in Life Paul fondly recalls the social events he shared with his parents and siblings during his growing years. And today the family is still close – emotionally, if not geographically. They live near Liverpool except for a brother in Australia, a long ways from Mauritius. Still, they manage to get together regularly.
The importance of family was instilled in Paul during his years in Spain, where a greater value is placed on familial relationships than a fancy car or big house. He treasures time spent with his two daughters, 16 and 18. His eldest daughter attends university in Leeds while his younger daughter lives with her mother in Dubai. Marks reflects that raising his progeny to be polite and considerate young ladies is one of his proudest achievements in life.
And Manchester City Football Club ranks pretty high on his priority list, too..someone on the island has to support them! Now and in the Future Paul is kept busy with the daily challenges presented by his job with the Currimjee Group. Currently he is working to position, market, and find tenants to occupy the Phoenix Les Halles Centre. He is passionate about his job and eager to continually to understand the Mauritius market while serving the needs of the company’s customers.
His day begins quite early and often involves a full roster of meetings, strategy sessions, and consumer research. An early mentor of Paul’s once told him “Believe nothing that you’re told, half of what you read, and everything that you see with your own eyes” and this philosophy has served him well in the business arena.
Any spare time is spent kite surfing, working out at the gym, and enjoying a glass of red wine at the end of a long day – obviously a lingering influence from his time in Spain. His hobbies include interior design and cooking and he is avid about keeping things neat, tidy, and organised.
Asked about his definition of happiness, Paul responded that he seeks to enjoy life but lives by the adage from an Irish poet, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else”. He believes there needs to a alance between work, family and play. What better place than Mauritius to enjoy all?
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Friday, April 2, 2010
O’BRIAN BARBER
Growing up in Cape Town in a British/Dutch family, Barber, was always involved in sports. From field hockey to go-cart racing, he was taught that trust, passion, and commitment were the qualities that would allow him to excel at anything he chose to do. It was always golf, however, that really fuelled his fervour.
As a young tyke, he transformed a local park into a golf course where the neighbourhood children often joined him after school for an impromptu round. Barber first began playing golf in high school, earning honours in the sport. In fact, he was so good at ‘the gentleman’s sport’ that he used a golf scholarship to attend the University of Miami in Florida. Golf great Gary Player was his mentor, helping Barber obtain the scholarship across the pond in the United States.
From Promotions to Par for the Course It would take some time before Barber would get back to his true passion after graduating from the University of Miami in 1981. His first job postcollege was for a liquor distributor, then he went on to work with a Cape Town marketing company. Eventually he opened his own promotional product company with his wife, Sue, whom he met and married 17 years ago.
After 20 years of providing promotional products to liquor stores and a variety of South African corporations, Barber finally got back to his roots. He accepted a position as Golf Director at Mauritius’ Tamarina Golf Spa and Beach Club. Although he still remains on the staff of Tamarina as a consultant, Barber now owns and runs his own company, Let’s Go Golfing. The passionate golfer has hit the links at some of the most famous courses in the world, including in Chile, Australia, and the Middle East and also the prestigious St. Andrews course in Scotland, birthplace of the sport.
Mauritius Motivation
These days, O’Brian Barber is motivated to make his business a success,but he’s not forgetting to take his life on Mauritius easy. With three grown daughters each pursuing their own dreams, he’s kept busy passing his knowledge on to the next generation.
And success is not necessarily measured by his company’s P&L; according to Barber his personal relationships mean far more than anything else.
In fact, Barber, a self-proclaimed ‘modern man’ has no compunctions about claiming he is fitter, wiser, worldlier, and more family-driven than previous generations. He is confident enough to make public declarations of his love for family and friends. His best piece of advice? “Family must always come first and if it doesn’t, go see a doctor!” He certainly practices what he preaches, winning ‘Father of the Year’ in 2004. Barber’s next goal is to achieve ‘Husband of the Year’ in 2010.
Interaction with people is what drives Barber and his company. When many persons around the globe were decrying the gloom and doom that comes as the result of a struggling economy, he was gutsy enough to start a new business. Although it’s early days with sales he retains his commitment to making it work. Besides,Barber states, “we are living in paradise and what’s to complain about?” And Barber is now able to enjoy more of this paradise. Where he once worked 12-hour days starting at 6:30 AM seven days a week, he can now set his own hours. He bases his family and his business in Mauritius because of its magnificent beaches, beautiful night skies, the laid-back island lifestyle, and the wealth of great folks who populate the island. Barber claims it’s been great place to raise children, crediting the Mauritius school system with providing his girls an excellent education and well-rounded upbringing.
O’Brian Barber is someone who always sees the glass as half full. He lives in a place that thousands of tourists pay to visit while he enjoys paradise every single day. He is looking forward to spending precious hours with his family, who were all very supportive during his hectic schedule at Tamarina. Going forward with Let’s Go Golfing, he will continue to place more merit on giving than receiving, and always making his family the number one priority.The only things Barber wishes for that he doesn’t currently have? Roads without potholes, an island without litter, a world without Cancer, and the ability to use all parts of his brain. His last piece of advice, “Always see things half full – never half empty.”
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Sunday, March 14, 2010
ANDREW HARRISON
Andrew Harrison has spent all of his 25 years in the hospitality industry in management roles. He first joined Four Seasons as Executive Assistant Manager of the Jimbaran Bay Resort in Bali in 1995, helping to open Four Seasons’ second Balinese Resort at Sayan three years later. Following that, he worked in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Regent.
Mauritius has long attracted a strong family market, though Harrison is keen to point out that Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is not just another self-contained family-friendly resort. "Mauritius is one of the top repeat destination islands in the world. People expect the hotels here to be all-encompassing, but we want to take this expectation one step further," he explains. "The Resort is about more than offering the island's most comprehensive dining, leisure, golf and spa facilities. It's about introducing guests to the natural experience that extends beyond the Mauritian shoreline and creating opportunities to interact with the contrasting surroundings that can be found there."
Between 2001 and 2004, Harrison was Resort Manager and Hotel Manager of the company's Palm Beach and Aviara properties respectively. In November 2004, he moved to become General Manager of the company's Chiang Mai Resort. While there, he also oversaw the opening of Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle.
Clearly, 'paradise' destinations are Harrison's forte. So how does Mauritius compare?
Welcome to Harrison's paradise… "Here, it's all about the people and the element of surprise," he explains.
"It's great to come here with Four Seasons expectations and find such a strong core service culture already ingrained amongst the locals.And the island's beautiful association with nature is a great feature --- you expect the beaches and the sea but not the inner tropical wilderness and all the opportunities that it brings."
Harrison is an outdoor enthusiast. Having climbed the Matterhorn (4,478m), Mount Kinabalu (4,095m) and Mount Fuji (3,776m) twice, he scaled Mauritius' Pieter Both Mountain during the Resort's pre-opening phase, enjoying the challenge of its famous boulder summit that looks set to topple at any moment. He has also been known to cycle the 25 km between the Resort and the home he shares with his wife, Francette and daughter, Nikita ("who has been instrumental in the development of the Resort's kids' and teens'clubs, just as she was in Chiang Mai," Harrison adds).
Andrew’s thoughts on Mauritius In our business there is always a great buzz opening a hotel and even more so in a new country. Challenge is the first word that comes to mind but it's more than that.You have to contend with the location, culture, religion, customs, business modus operandi --- the list is endless.
Having seen the Four Seasons emerge from a building site with heavy plants and thousands of workers intertwined within the Deep River Beau Champ estate to become part of the Arnaud and Jean-Pierre alais' vision is quite inspiring. We now have a world class resort along with a stunning Ernie Els designed golf course which forms part of the Anahita World Class Sanctuary. Having weathered the storm of the worldwide economic downturn we are in a much stronger position to face the future. "Destination Mauritius" is being exposed further afield to new markets and customers. Mauritius offers a plethora of diversified activities on offer. The resorts have enough to keep families entertained without even venturing outside, which is very often the case.
From a day at the races at the oldest racecourse in the Southern hemisphere, to understanding about the life and blood of Mauritius at the Sugar Adventure interactive museum or experiencing the wilder side of life at L'Etoile and Domaine de Ferney, it is even possible to Sky Dive in the North --- the sky's the limit (puns excused). On a personal basis he loves exploring the island by foot at higher altitudes but with his feet on the ground, there are some spectacular mountains such as Le Pouce, which he has taken his wife and thirteen year old daughter up.And some where he leaves them behind, such as Bambou and Pieter Both, recognised by its stone boulder perched on the pointed summit. "Sitting atop you are quite literally on top of the whole of Mauritius".
Another activity which allows him to wind down from the frenetic resort business is road racing.The two wheeled version without a motor. In fact the MTPA has launched a great initiative to promote Mauritius as a cyclo-tourism friendly destination.
Every year a team from the Four Seasons enters the Coast to Coast race 100km from the airport to Grand Bay in the North. They have been doing this for the past three years and have a burning ambition to cycle the entire island in one day. "That's our next goal"! So, there is much more to discover in Mauritius away from the generic beach destination activities. Soon Mauritius will be a hub for the soccer-loving World Cup fans this coming June and July; yet again giving tourists the opportunity to enjoy the warmth of Mauritian hospitality. For a remote outpost in the South Indian Ocean there is a lot to discover. No wonder people keep on returning to our little paradise.
Mauritius "C'est un plaisir"
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Friday, February 26, 2010
CHRISTOPHER WILKINSON
Christopher Wilkinson-Pearce of Skydive Austral, a tandem skydiving adventure company in Rivière du Rempart, moved to Mauritius from Zimbabwe. Being in Mauritius has allowed him to live out his dream --- in full colour!
Chris has had an adventurous spirit since being a young boy. His insatiable appetite for skydiving has allowed him to live in paradise and create a booming business that is increasingly popular among tourists. About Chris Chris, born in 1970, grew up on a farm in Umvukwes, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). His mother (an Indiaborn British woman) and his Dad (South African and British), were a little astonished at his initial profession choice of airdressing.
Growing up during the civil war was interesting, to say the least.Trips to town were escorted, curfews needed to be adhered to, and Chris and his cousin befriended many young troopies, in order to extort bullets from them for necklaces.Days on the farm were filled with endless amounts of hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and exploring. Abandoned pioneer mineshafts were explored, as were raptors nests atop huge trees. Peering into raptor nests while being at risk of an attack by unforgiving talons was addicting. Chris's insatiable lust for adventure began early.
Education and Early Career Aspirations Chris attended Plumtree boarding school and left in 1986, to begin his career in hairdressing. Chris was an
entrepreneur early on. At 13, he discovered that he had huge earning potential at a school with a client base of 500 boys that needed haircuts
on a regular basis. Being a hairdresser at school could finance his adventures, namely: smoking, fishing tackle, ammo (which financed the holiday
hunting soiree), and being able to keep him good and busy.
In 1986, when leaving school to be a full-time hairdresser, he discovered his true calling. Being an in-demand male hairdresser was a lucrative roposition and it afforded Chris the opportunity to seek out true adventure--- skydiving. Chris learned to skydive and after 1,000 jumps he was offered an instructor position in Spain. Deciding between the two wasn't an easy decision as both were close to his heart.
Chris & Louise
Chris met Louise while working in a salon.Their first date was a hiking trek and Chris came within inches of proposing after just two weeks. He
managed to wait until two months after they first met and says it was the beginning of many great milestones in his life. Chris and Louise regularly share dreams and do goal setting at the start of each New Year. They write down dreams and goals and set timeframes to bring their visions to
fruition.Dreams listed included: starting their own hair salon, building a great house in an indigenous woodland in the leafy suburbs of Harare,
travelling extensively around southern Africa, and spending a lot of time with close friends. Chris and Louise's goals have all blossomed. In terms of
their value system, they aspire to live a life which is filled with compassion and tolerance for all beings; striving for equality, honesty and being the
best parents possible.
From the start, though, there was a dream to start a new tandem skydiving company and that dream has also recently blossomed --- right here in Mauritius.
Mauritius Tandem Skydiving Biz Chris began to look into starting a tandem skydiving operation somewhere in Africa and after much research, felt Mauritius to be the perfect place. He met Gaetan Paquay, who loved anything to do with aeroplanes and who was moving from Zimbabwe to settle in Mauritius with
his family, so Chris proposed a partnership. Three years later and after much hard work by them both Skydive Austral was in flight. It took a lot of planning and meetings with the Director of Civil Aviation and all his officers, writing Operating Manuals, Standard Operating Procedures, meetings with the Minister of Tourism, and more. The hard work has been worthwhile.
Chris commends the Mauritius Department of Civil Aviation on the great job they do, "They are a great team of professionals who take their
responsibilities seriously. They have the heart to be approachable and caring. Skydive Austral is grateful to have such an authority behind it."
Chris firmly believes that fortune does indeed favour the bold and is happy that his dream of running a tandem skydiving business in beautiful
Mauritius has come true.
About Tandem Skydiving
Tandem skydiving involves the adventure of skydiving but with the aid of a skilled skydiving instructor attached to you.
SKYDIVE AUSTRAL LTD
Address: Z.I., Mon Loisir S.E., Riviere du Rempart, Mauritius
Cell: +230 4214987, +230 4995551
Fax: +230 4126520
Email: skydiveaustral@myt.mu,
chris.skydiveaustral@myt.mu
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Monday, January 4, 2010
CLIVE BARNES
It is common these days for people to change jobs fairly frequently during the course of their career - football players are perhaps an extreme example of this phenomenon. But there are still individuals around with a strong sense of loyalty and duty, people who do the job for the job’s sake.
Clive was born in London in 1950 to Jessica and Clifford Barnes. He spent most of his
formative years there, but the family moved to South Africa, briefly, before finally settling down in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe).
Tragedy struck Clive during his high school years, when his mother unexpectedly died, but his academic career and later attended Natal University in South Africa studying English literature, history and economics. His plans to continue his education in England
were scuppered by the devastating news that his father had cancer, and so Clive moved back to Rhodesia and attended university in Harare to do a PGCE (diploma in education), while travelling three hundred miles every weekend to visit his terminally ill father.
By 1974 Clive had a masters degree in education from the University of Zimbabwe and decided to return to Rhodesia, beginning his first job there as an English and history teacher for a small,boys only, secondary school in Harare. By 1979 he had become deputy headmaster of the school and in 1980 he met Jane, a young and attractive teacher whom he was later to marry. By the age of thirty two, Clive had become the school's headmaster. Being very fond of cricket and rugby since childhood proved to be fortuitous, as in 1985 Clive became headmaster of the prestigious Prince Edward school for boys - a famous international rugby school. He held this post for the next twenty years and during that time toured Britain,Australia and Africa with the rugby team and celebrated the school's centenary in 1998. He also became the "headmaster in charge of cricket" for Zimbabwe and eventually found himself working for the ICC (International
Cricket Council) on the audit and security committees.
By this time Rhodesia had become Zimbabwe and Clive came to know Robert Mugabe quite well - the president was very supportive of
the school and sent all of his nephews there. Unfortunately the situation in Zimbabwe deteriorated, it became clear to Clive that it would be wise to start earning some foreign exchange - being a trillionaire in Zimbabwian dollars does not hold much currency in other countries.
So, on the eighth of May, 2005, Clive and his family, which now included two daughters - Jessica and Harriet, moved to Mauritius. Clive became headmaster of Northfields International High School and his mandate was to expand the institution as rapidly as possible.The school is co-educational, with student ages ranging from eleven to eighteen. In 2005 there were only 75 students and no exam system was in place. Clive quickly introduced the Cambridge IGCSE and 'A' level exams and over the past five years the number of pupils has increased to just under three hundred. Originally comprising mostly local children, there followed a strong influx of English speaking expatriates' children, but there is now a good mix of children from different backgrounds. More French speaking parents are sending their children to Northfields, as they realise that a good knowledge of English - the world's lingua franca - improves their children's career prospects, especially at the international level.
Indeed, Clive has galvanised the school into acknowledging its internationalism, "Kids must think internationally and globally, they mustn't think narrowly..." As part of this perspective, the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams have been running alongside the 'A' levels for the past two years and are now replacing them. It is a system which is growing worldwide, with two thousand seven hundred and fifty IB schools globally and estimates predicting ten thousand by 2015.Northfields is now a member of the Conference of international British Schools, of which there are three hundred and fifty around the world, and the African International Schools Association, further establishing its international credentials.
Extra curriculum tuition is common in Mauritius and is something which Clive sees as, "... a sort of deadly disease. It doesn't encourage children to play sport or do anything cultural. Debating, drama, music...These are very good ways of developing children in a world where it will be demanded that they be team players and people who have
something - just a little bit extra."Therefore, the majority of children at Northfields are free to expand their horizons and take part in what would be considered normal behaviour in other countries, such as the eighty to ninety boys who have become keen rugby players.
New horizons are no stranger to Clive, and over the past thirty five years he has visited India, A u s t r a l i a , Europe, China, America, Canada, Sri Lanka, Russia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco, Gambia, the Seychelles, Rodrigues, Kenya, Uganda and Egypt.
The only continent he has not visited is South America. In July 2010 Clive will be leaving Mauritius as he would like to manage one more school before retiring. He is currently contemplating offers from Calcutta in India and Beijing in China. He would like to be remembered as being a passionate educator and seems to be well on his way to achieving that goal.A quick perusal of the Facebook fan page created by ex-students and dedicated to him, really says it all.
Monday, November 30, 2009
PAUL VAN FRANK
Paul was born in the Congo in 1957, second son to Sylvia and Claude van Frank, who were English and Belgian respectively. He remembers little of that country, as the family moved to Belgium when he was three years old.
Tennis was Paul's first love, though by the age of sixteen he realised that life as a professional player was probably beyond his ability. Not to be discouraged, he qualified at an early age as a tennis coach in England and thereafter worked with the likes of John Newcombe, at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy in San Antonio, Texas, and Harry Hopman, at the Harry Hopman International Tennis Academy in Tampa, Florida.Travelling extensively around the globe and staying in luxurious hotels was part of the job and he helped to coach some of the top fifty ATP professional tennis players.
At sixteen Paul also became financially independent, due to his tennis career.
He put himself through university in Ghent, Belgium, studying law and marketing but continued to work as a tennis coach during the holidays. By the time graduation arrived, he had come to the conclusion that life as a lawyer was not for him and subsequently became manager of a local tennis and squash club.However, the urge to travel once more soon became irresistible...
Moving to Antigua, Paul became Sports and Recreation Manager for the Jolly Beach Resort and thus began is career as an hotelier. Island-hopping the Caribbean over the span of he next thirteen years, he worked as Resident Manager at Club St. Lucia (in St. Lucia) and landed his first job as eneral Manager (GM) working at the Fort Young Hotel in the Commonwealth f Dominica. The Renaissance Aruba Resorts and Casino was his ext port of call and he stayed there for three years working as GM.
Over the years Paul has troubleshot numerous resorts around the world, averting them from financial liability to profitable enterprise. As fate would have it, his last job in the Caribbean brought him full-circle back to the Jolly Beach Resort, this time as GM.
Here he had "The most significant turnaround of my life..." in the form of Wendy, an English lady, solicitor and disgruntled customer staying at his hotel.
Ten days later he proposed to her and they have now been happily married for seventeen years. In 1994 Paul and Wendy moved to the Seychelles, but fourteen years of island life had created a certain amount of ennui for Paul and they soon moved to Istanbul, in Turkey, where he worked as the Managing Director of Kemer Golf and Country Club over the course of the next four and a half years.
In 2000 Paul was tasked with resurrecting the Begawan Giri Estate in Bali (now known as the Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri). In 2002 the resort was not only voted number one in the "Top 100 Best of the Best" Conde Nast Readers' Travel Awards, but also "Best Overseas Hotel Spa" - a rare and prestigious achievement indeed. Paul was soon head-hunted to work in Thailand as Chief Operating Officer for a number of properties, but with the main focus on Rayavadee. Located in Krabi, it has played host to films such as "The Man with the Golden Gun" and "The Beach", due partly to the fantastic natural beauty of the location.
Two and a half years later Paul had his first appointment managing a world class "destination spa",Ananda, in the Himalayas. "Destination spas" have been around, at most, for fifteen years and there are only twenty or so well-known, high quality such destinations in the world.They differ from resorts in that the spa is the focus of the establishment and other facilities are supplementary.The Ananda was voted the number one "destination spa" in the world for three years running.
In July of this year, Paul began to apply his skills to "Shanti Ananda Maurice". Specialised in Ayur vedic treatment, there is, "... no other spa of this calibre in the Indian Ocean," and they employ expert therapists, yoga instructors and Ayur vedic doctors, trained in Southern India, to provide a variety of programs such as weight loss and detox treatments, stress management and over sixty types of health therapies. This luxury spa-resort also appeals to couples and honeymooners, as well as families, and provides activities such as tennis tuition, non-motorised water sports and special events for children.
Paul's work is very much the focus of his life at the moment. He works seven days a week and does everything possible to make this resort reach it's full potential. Despite his global success in management, he derives utmost satisfaction from training and developing the people he works with and as an "antique dad", he loves to spend time with his three and a half year old daughter, Phoebe. Ironically, though Paul is great at planning the future of hotels, the path his life takes he tends to leave, at least to some extent, to destiny.
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Monday, October 5, 2009
SANDRINE FANCHETTE
Born in the year 1970 in Britanny, France. Sandrine was the only child of Claude and Monique David. Her early years were spent mostly in France, but at the age of eighteen she left for university in Barcelona, Spain to study Marketing and International business. The desire to do an MBA took her half way around the world to San Francisco in California, where she met Bernard, a Mauritian and fellow MBA student and the man she fell in love with.
Work took Bernard back home to Mauritius, where he was employed in the tourism industry and a month later Sandrine followed. Her first job was as a marketing manager for a textile company and during the next three years the young couple married. In 1998 Bernard's work for Happy World took them to Madagascar, where Sandrine became financial director for a large textile company and later advanced her career in marketing further, working for Demad.
During their nine years in Madagascar their daughters Morgane and Ambre were born and though they loved life on that large island, in 2005 Bernard's career with Courts prompted yet another move. This time to Bali, a much smaller island in Indonesia.
For the first time since graduating, Sandrine now found herself without a full time job. She enjoyed the company of her young daughters and had the time and opportunity to put her long time passion for cooking to good use and so began culinary classes at home, once per week, for the Bali International School and the Bali International Women's Association.
Their time in Bali was relatively brief, lasting just over two years and in 2007 the family moved back to Mauritius. Bernard's fifteen or so years of experience working in retail and Sandrine's marketing skills were now put to the test, and within a few months they opened their own furniture store – Vivere Living – in Grand Bay, selling both indoor and outdoor furniture.
The business proved to be very successful and in 2008 they opened another shop in Emerald Park- Trianon. As testimony to their hard work and entrepreneurship, they recently moved to larger, six thousand square feet premises, in order to keep up with demand.
Vivere Living imports about ninety five percent of its products, bedroom-ware such as mattresses and pillows come from Singapore, sofas and chairs from Malaysia, China and Singapore and accessories and other decorations from Indonesia, China and Madagascar. Many products also come from Vietnam and customers can place special orders for unique items from Europe. The quality of the goods is excellent, made in many cases from one hundred percent leather and in wood veneers like oak and walnut.
Sandrine and Bernard believe strongly in good customer service and not only train their sales staff, but also provide an installation service for the products they sell, employing twenty staff in total. Their reputation for service and quality has enabled them to work closely with interior decorators and architects on villas and apartments and work with the IRS/RES schemes has become a growth market for them. They also supply local hotels and have exported to private customers in the Seychelles and Reunion.
But it is not all about work! Sandrine still enjoys cooking and she and six of her friends have formed a club in the Grand Bay area “Les Toquees de l’Ile Maurice”. They visit local restaurants and spend time with the Chef, learning new skills and recipes. Sandrine also enjoys yoga, which is perhaps why there is a large stone statue of Buddha, weighing almost a ton, situated in the entrance to her shop, and yes, you can buy it.
In the future Sandrine hopes to make her business even more successful and has tentative plans to open stores abroad. For the time being however, she is happy being a wife, business woman and mother, and providing the best service that she can to her customers.
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
JASON BARRY
Fifty pounds may not be worth much. But don't underestimate the potential consequences of a fifty pound bet - your life could change dramatically. Heaven Can Wait...
It began in World War Two when an RAF pilot crash landed his Mosquito aircraft in a field near Uppingham due to engine failure.There he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl who was working in the land army and whom he later married. On October 3rd, 1965, she gave birth to Jason Barry - their third son and fourth and youngest child.
Educated at Loughborough Grammar School, Jason developed a passion for sports which remains to this day. However, in 1984 he was faced with a major decision - to go to university and study law, or stay at home and care for his ailing and recently widowed father. He chose the latter and in 1987 Jason and his family scattered the ashes of his parents in the same field where the Mosquito had landed years before.
Alone in a large house, Jason pondered his future. Fortunately opportunity knocked and Jason began his career coaching sports and teaching geography at a Leicester prep school, he considers it to be one of the best jobs he ever had. Good Advice...
In 1994 Jason, realising that as a semiprofessional cricketer he would never make the 'big-time', accepted a fifty pound bet that he couldn't play a cricket match in fifty different countries, each game raising money for the "Save the Children" charity. Jason accepted the challenge and packed his bags and left home. "My mum once told me 'if you ever get a chance to travel and get out of Leicester take it with both hands.' She was absolutely spot on, so that's exactly what I did."
By 1999 Jason had toured 128 countries, setting a new world record for playing cricket matches in the most number of nations. During those years of travel Jason became skilled at communication and marketing, through having to accommodate sponsors such as Reebok, Fujitsu and Sandals Resorts. He conducted interviews with Nelson Mandela and President Menem of Argentina and even joined Viv Richards' team in Antigua. In Soweto, he became the third ever white man to play cricket there and received some excellent advice...
Imagine a ninety two year old tribal wise-man, dressed only in "Y" fronts, seated on a large Heinz baked beans tin, in a little shack. "I have three pieces of advice for you." The wiseman said. Picking up two rocks he continued, "Your life is like a stone - on its own it is cold, round and hard but when it touches another stone...", he clinked the rocks together, "...it makes a sound.When you meet other people, don't be a cold stone, make music." He paused before asking, "What is your definition of intelligence?" Not sure of the answer, Jason replied, "You're the wise-man of Soweto, you tell me."
"It is very simple. Learn what you did yesterday and apply it to tomorrow. If you always did that, imagine how intelligent you would be." Impressed, Jason asked,"And the third piece of advice?"
"Always remember," the wise man replied, "in Africa - always wear a condom." But it wasn't all fun. Jason worked for the BBC and reported on the scud missile attacks on Israel by Iraq in 1998. In 1999 he went to work for Deloitte auditors in Estonia, applying his skills in marketing and communication to expand the business and in 2002 he incorporated his own public relations and marketing company. By 2007 the global financial crisis had become apparent and so he made the decision to head for greener pastures.
Island Life
An offer from Starwood International Hotels and Resorts brought Jason to Mauritius, where his current job has involved repositioning the Méridien brand and the global marketing launches for The Grand Mauritian and the Four Points hotel in Cyber City. Of course, when it comes to golf he is now spoilt for choice and he enjoys playing cricket at the Gymkhana Club. Indeed, Jason is very much in love with his lifestyle and sees no reason to settle down just yet.As he puts t, "On a Saturday afternoon when I pick up my golf clubs and head off to the golf course, I don't have to explain to anybody where I am going. Some people would say that's nice, some not; for me it's just my lifestyle and if it changes I hope that I'm a flexible enough character to be able to change with it."
Though Jason has travelled more than most and may appear to be a "wandering soul", he is actually rather down to earth and thoughtful. Our conversation ranged from supernovas to the value of introspection and the "grounding" effect of family and friends. Indeed, the only legacy he would like to leave behind for his loved ones is fond memories, accompanied by a smile.
He is still owed the fifty pounds...
read online free Islandinfo magazine
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
N’TASHA
The early years
N’Tasha was born in Pretoria, the executive capital of South Africa. Her parents believed that she “had to earn money the hard way” and so, while still at school, she had two jobs, a credit controller at a large chain and a waitress at the local steakhouse.
Wanderlust took hold for a time and N’Tasha travelled around South Africa, staying for a while in Durban where she worked for Dunlop Slazenger in customer services before moving again to East London and finding work with Protea Hotels.
After returning to South Africa to complete her studies, N’Tasha worked for the ABSA bank. Starting as a teller for a meager salary, she quickly worked her way up to management level. Little did she know that all this work experience, dealing with customers and providing them efficient services and quality products, was to prove to be invaluable as the opportunity arose for her to combine her passion for good food with her love for Thailand.
Thaifoon
The wittily named Thaifoon restaurant is well known for its “Angry Duck” and “Tom Yum” seafood soup and at two years of age is going from strength to strength. N’Tasha shares the workload with her husband David and attributes their success to their passion for the services and products that they offer and excellent customer relations.
The input of positive people is also important as it offers the opportunity to listen and learn from them. N’tasha’s father in law is a perfect example of such a person, and the long, hard road he took to success has taught her much.
N’Tasha loves a bit of competition as she finds it motivating and is currently venturing into two other business areas. She sums up her attitude to work succinctly, “You have to enjoy what you are doing and I wouldn’t want it any other way, I love meeting people and I feel that I have achieved my goal when my customers leave saying ‘It was wonderful, thank you’”.
Family
While on holiday in Wales N’Tasha met David Lan Yee Chiu who was studying for an MBA at the time. They quickly fell in love and as fate would have it, it turned out that both their families lived in Mauritius! David is Mauritian and has a family business in Port Louis. N’Tasha’s father set up the Mauritian branch of the Form Scaff scaffolding company, still located at Plaine Lauzun in Pailles, and lived in the country for 15 years before moving back to South Africa.
N’Tasha and David have been married for over 6 years now and have one 20 month old daughter. N’Tasha recalls her surprise when she realized that there were going to be 600 people at the wedding, “Back in South Africa 200 guests is considered to be a huge wedding, but in Mauritius they celebrate in style and volume. The guest list also impressed me as we had ambassadors and ministers Etc. to name but a few. Needless to say I felt quite important!”
Not surprisingly, there was much to learn when combining a Chinese and South African family, but they get along very well and enjoy celebrating both cultures’ festivities, a benevolent trait that is common amongst the people in the melting-pot that is Mauritius.
Mauritius
“I love Mauritius. I love the fact that we are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs and clean white beaches.” Amen to that! The friendliness of the people also rates highly on N’Tasha’s list of the island’s virtues, as does the quality of life, “There is always someone saying hello in the street, or while you are driving, or stopping you for a little chat in the local supermarket.”
Other strengths are the country’s stable and sound economy, the ethnic diversity of the population, its differing cultures, the fact that both English and French are spoken and the relatively low crime rate. “I feel that Mauritius is a safe place for my daughter to grow up in. I am very happy that my child will grow up in a multi- cultural country, it is very important to me that she grows up free.”
N’Tasha recommends that visitors try a sunset cruise on a catamaran and visit different parts of the island to discover its many hidden treasures. She is a keen scuba diver and this is something that people might also like to try. Last but not least, she thinks that tourists should take time to meet the locals and leave Mauritius with fond memories of a friendly nation.
The Future
Making a difference in people’s lives is very important to N’Tasha and is something that she would like to be remembered for, along with being a person who cared for others. She feels that life should be embraced and that people, ex-patriots in particular, should beware being over-nostalgic. She sums it up nicely with a simple eloquence,
“Put down your roots, but make the world your home.”
© Mauritius in your hands - Islandinfo. All rights reserved
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Hazel Coldwell
The Past
May of 1978 was a month like any other. Spring was making its presence felt on the Scottish Highlands and the sleepy town known as Bridge of Allan was going about its daily business, as it had done for many centuries past. Then, Hazel Coldwell was born.
One of the first things one notices about Hazel is her energetic, almost effervescent, aura which fails to hide, and indeed complements, a quick intelligence. It came as no surprise at all to discover that she started work at a relatively early age, working for a hairdresser for a mere seventy-six pence an hour and buying her burger after burger.
At fifteen she moved with her parents and two brothers to Tenby in Wales – the place she loves and talks about with passion – and found a more amenable job working in the cloakroom of a night club. Even at such a young age her ambition was evident and after two years of working as a barmaid at the local pub she became its manageress.
Despite her ambition, Hazel wisely invested time in her education and went to the London College of Fashion to study Fashion Management and read Interior Design at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design.
But her career soon rose to prominence again and she skipped her graduation ceremony because she had already found work on a “super yacht” in Parma, Majorca for one hundred euros a day. The boat belonged to a billionaire and the word “super” barely does it justice. It was sixty-five meters long, twelve meters wide and four storeys high. It had two helicopter pads and birth for a sea plane, a forty two foot sail boat, a rib – a type of speed boat – and a tender, which is a vessel which supplies its mother-ship.
After a year Hazel became head house keeper. A year later she was promoted to Purser and was responsible for ordering the ship's stock, its accounts and rosters. She worked there for a total of four years and so impressed a friend of the owner that she took a job as his Personal Assistant and spent most of the next two years living in New York – a city she adores. While there she tried her hand at freelance fashion design for six months and created handbags and t-shirts, but soon after meeting her fiancée to be, Jud, she left and moved with him to France.
Mauritius
Their daughter, Mia, was born on the seventeenth of November 2007 and a year later the three of them followed in the footsteps of Jud's parents and moved to Mauritius. At the beginning of 2009 they started their own company, Luxury Living Ltd., which specialises in interior design and the design and supply of uniforms and bed linen to the luxury yacht industry. Hazel's extensive knowledge of the business and her education have proved very useful.
But it doesn't end there, Luxury Living Ltd. is also the Mauritian agent for Carrol Boyes – who is famous in South Africa for her work in pewter, stainless steel and aluminium – and Charl Dettmer a talented young photographer (www.charldettmer.com). Both artist's work is available for sale at Hazel’s shop at the Black River Business Park in Tamarin.
Of course all work and no play is no good for anyone and Hazel loves to spend time with her family walking in the gorge or visiting places like Chamarel. She finds Mauritians to be very relaxed and friendly people but would like to see more recycling in the country!
Her future plans include expanding her business to include event management and she is also very keen on getting involved with charity work, particularly, “At the risk of sounding like a Miss World contestant...” with children.
© Islandinfo
Friday, July 24, 2009
DHARNA HASSIJA
With her parents and older brother,Dharna moved to Tanzania during her second year of life but moved back to India years later to study Political Science with Economics at Delhi University. Working and Studying For the next five years she worked for British Airways in Tanzania before leaving for the UK for work. It was there that her childhood passion for clothes and fashion resurfaced and at the age of twenty five she went back to university to study “Fashion Design for Women's Wear” at the London College of Fashion. India beckoned once more and Dharna headed back to Delhi to study jewellery manufacture and design. She wasted no time putting her new skills to practice and in March 2004 held her first exhibition at the Sea Cliff Hotel in Dar es Salaam, which kindly hosted the event and provided waiters to serve drinks –all free of charge.
With a meagre twenty four hours of advertising by word-of-mouth and leaflets, Dharna managed to sell sixty five percent of her stock in just one show and this success encouraged her to continue her efforts.Coming to Mauritius Dharna had been in touch with a Mauritian
named Roddy Ramsamy, on the internet for quite while, but they actually met for the first time in India when he flew out to visit her and her father who was in hospital for treatment. It was this act of kindness which decided Dharna to marry him and the wedding took place in December 2004.
Moving to Mauritius, Dharna attempted to continue her fledgling jewellery business but was now faced by a new challenge “People did not know how to wear the jewellery I was offering them, what to wear it with, when to wear it or where to wear it.” With the support of her husband and
family she was determined to break the ice. Another problem was that Mauritians preferred gold rather than silver. But she still continued to use silver as it is less expensive than gold and helps her to keep costs down. For the same reason she uses semi precious stones and “AAA” quality zircons and her goal is to achieve the look of Cartier but at a reasonable price.
Having noticed a gap in the clothes market in Mauritius, Dharna put her jewellery manufacturing on hold and began designing dresses to cater to that niche market. In October 2008 she opened a women's fashion shop, “Dharna Hassija”, in Floreal Square selling clothes of her own design and
accessories to go with them. Her dresses range from casual to formal, glamour to evening wear, and are designed to be more “fluid” – having more movement – than others on the market.They are made from light materials such as silk, satin, georgette and chiffon and, like her jewellery, each item is guaranteed to be unique. A new range of designs will be coming out in June.
Advising clients on what suits them and what does not, is an important part of Dharna's work. She prefers to sell a less expensive dress which looks good on a person rather than a more expensive one which looks terrible.The last thing she wants is for customers, “... to be wearing a
dress, and telling their friends that I recommended something which doesn't suit them at all.” Dharna's advice is taken to heart by many of her customers and they even bring other clothes, bought elsewhere, to ask about how to wear them or what to wear them with. It is here that Dharna's jewellery comes into its own for, along with other accessories, it can be used to form the perfect ensemble for fashionable women.As she explained to me,“For every person it's entirely different.A dress will fit differently, colours will look different and people have their own personal tastes to take into consideration.”
Hobbies By her own admission, Dharna is too lazy for sports, but she does like a good book or listening to soft music with a bit of soul. She often buys books on a wide range of artistic subjects to act as inspiration for her own design work. Interior decorating, painting, even origami all serve to stimulate her imagination and while she may not read those books, she will look at the pictures again and again.
Big Ambitions In the near future Dharna plans to extend the shop at Floreal and open two others and also looks forward to expanding into the Indian market in a couple of years. For the long term she is happy to settle down in Mauritius and fervently hopes that the country will become a shopper's paradise and that, eventually, her name will become synonymous with high design and fashion.
©Islandinfo
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Muriel Roussel Prior
“In 2006 Muriel moved to Mauritius and initially worked as a high school teacher at La Bourdonnais for almost two years, but later became a professor at Alliance Française university lecturing in Economics. Interestingly and to her credit, she saw the first signs of the coming of the current world economic situation back in early 2007. In 2009, following a visit and some advice from a friend who runs a concierge in France, Muriel started a new business, La Conciergerie de Maurice."Born in Paris to French parents, Muriel hailed from a very “European” family,
with german and Italian uncles and a Swiss sister. Educated in Paris, she studied
Turkish, Pachtoun and Farsi at Paris university with a view to working for the
French Foreign Office. However, upon graduating in 1972 she went on an eleven
month tour of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan with three friends, and spent four of
those months living in the palace grounds of the Shah of Iran in Tehran, during the
winter. When asked what it was like she replied demurely ? “It’s very nice.”
Upon returning to Paris, Muriel and her friends made a documentary about their travels
abroad, on the strength of which she landed a job as a journalist and camera woman for
a French news programme which broadcast on cinemas just before the main movie.
She worked for them for two years. It was in 1975 that Muriel met and fell in love
with her husband Colin, an English computer scientist. They were happily married for
ten years and had four children, Cedric,Alexandra, Barbara and Mary.
Tragically, Colin died at the age of thirty five due to a sports accident and Muriel
was faced with a dramatic and unexpected change in her life. Recalling those events
and asked how she managed,
Muriel shrugged slightly saying, "I coped." She went back to university, this
time in Aix en Provence and Marseille, to study Political Science and Economics &
Management. Shortly afterwards, in 1988, Muriel formed part of a delegation which was
sent to French Guiana in South America to audit the Ariane space rocket programme.
Their mandate was to determine the funds that the project would require to continue
operating, which worked out as something in the region of one thousand million Francs.
Muriel remained there for three years with her children and in their spare time they
visited numerous islands in the Caribbean, such as Martinique and Guadeloupe and
countries such as Venezuela, Peru and Brazil. Returning to the South of France,
Muriel worked for an American company, ICA, for a while as commissioner
of auditing and for Val Adour as a financial manager. She then left France for New
Caledonia, a French island in the South.
Pacific, but the travel time between the two countries was too long and so she
relocated to Reunion. There she was again a financial manager, this time for Sterne
and later became a teacher for the Reunion Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 Muriel moved
to Mauritius and initially worked as a high school teacher at La Bourdonnais for almost
two years, but later became a professor at Alliance Française university lecturing
in Economics. Interestingly and to her credit, she saw the first signs of the coming
of the current world economic situation back in early 2007. In 2009, following a visit
and some advice from a friend who runs a concierge in France, Muriel started a new
business, La Conciergerie de Maurice. The goal of the company is to provide personal
and organisational facilities to organisations and individuals.Whether it is
catering services for a simple meal or a party, or organising corporate transportation
by helicopter, La Conciergerie will endeavour to provide the best services possible.
The company also specialises as a relocation agent and will help with such problems
as finding a place to live, organizing residence and occupation permits and
locating good schools for children.
La-conciergerie-of-mauritius.com has all the information a person might need.
Now a grandmother of four, Muriel enjoys swimming, golf and walking with the
Mauritius Hash House Harriers as well as visiting Reunion and France to see her
children. Her main ambition is to see La Conciergerie become one of the most
important companies in Mauritius and to prove to herself that at over fifty
years of age she still has what it takes to create a flourishing business.
I have no doubt at all that she will be successful.
© Islandinfo
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Life & Times of Alan Grihault (Part Two)
Last post we left Alan seemingly jobless in the UK, after 50 years of dedication to teaching and teacher training. What follows next is a story of determination and perseverance that should be an example to us all. Read part 1 of The Life & Times of Alan Grihault).
Having been refused further employment by DfID (Department for International Development) because he was over 60, Alan received a further blow when an Indonesian Educational Project with Cambridge Education ended, due to
For the next 6 months Alan and his wife Sara lived in
Back in
Once settled on the island, Alan’s priority was to find a publisher for his book. This was easier said than done. The first publisher took 3 months to decide whether or not they would publish and the second said they would publish, but in black and white. Finally, lucky number three took only 2 days to decide that they would publish.
Did I say lucky? Two Christmases and nineteen months later the book was ready for printing, with Alan having worked at the printers many times and helped with the page layout himself. It was, to say the least, “a terrible and frustrating experience!” Finally, the owner of the company admitted that he could not print the book himself, but that another printer could, on Sundays...
So, one Sunday 1000 copies of the book were printed and 50 were bound. Alan bought all 50 but, upon receiving them, he stopped his cheque as the book was a complete mess. Now, unbeknown to Alan, stopping cheques is illegal in
In the mean time another printer, Mr Michel Coquet of IPC limited, had gone through the book page by page and highlighted all the printing errors. Following an acrimonious meeting with the original printer Alan was offered the other 950 books for Rs150 each, but as they were of such poor quality and unsellable, Alan refused.
Michel came to the rescue. The dodo is an integral part of Mauritian history and he wanted to make his mark by printing and publishing the book himself and leaving something for posterity.
The whole debacle turned out to be something of a blessing, as the delay allowed Alan to conduct further research and he was able to re-write the book including the latest information. It is now a book that he is justly proud of. Alan also wrote two other small books during this period, “How to Get a Job” and “How to Study and Pass Exams”.
Alan has also ventured into the arena of broadcasting. The Mauritian Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) broadcast the
Although the series was of excellent quality it was, inexplicably, never aired. A pity for, as Alan notes, radio is an excellent format for teaching children as it stimulates the imagination and creativity. In contrast, television has a hypnotic effect and evidence suggests that it may actually retard early brain development.
Despite this unexpected turn of events, Alan continued to work with the MCA and produced ten new stories, this time for television. He also presented a new Maths series called ‘Maths Alive’. Alan felt that children didn’t want to switch on their television sets and see the same sort of mathematics as they had been doing in their classroom. They wanted to see something lively and in real life situations. The series was a tremendous success and Alan has become a mini-celebrity amongst young children. Alan has also presented many science programmes such as “Science is Fun”, and a new venture is a couple of programmes on ‘Pirates’.
The President’s Fund for Creative Writing in English, was another excellent project that Alan has worked on since “retirement”. It consisted of regional workshops with primary school teachers, instructing them how to teach creative writing through storytelling, poetry and drama. The scheme was very successful and participants benefited enormously from the experience. Alan would dearly like to do more!
The success of “Dodo – The bird behind the Legend” prompted Alan to write his next book, “Solitaire – The Dodo of Rodrigues Island”. Published in 2007, it is about the dodo’s cousin, another extinct bird, and is a very interesting read.
Now 72 years old, Alan can be an inspiration for us all. He still runs regularly and is at present Grandmaster of the Mauritian Hash House Harriers. He has spent the last three years researching the pirates and treasures of
Alan’s website is: www.dodosite.com
© Islandinfo
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Life & Times of Alan Grihault (Part One)
Born inauspiciously in the Channel Islands on July 10th 1936, Alan left with his mother at the age of 6 months never to look back. Little did he know that over the course of his lifetime he would travel much of the world, help educate thousands of children, become an expert on two extinct birds and eventually settle on another small island, this one in the Indian Ocean some six thousand miles from where he was born – here in Mauritius.
Alan’s mother was a nurse, a valuable profession at the best of times and invaluable during World War Two, which dominated Alan’s early childhood. From the age of two he was boarded out to care facilities while his mother lived and worked in the hospital at Teignmouth, Devon, in Southern England. Some of his earliest memories are of bombs exploding in the distance, but these are tempered by pleasant memories of visiting his grandparents in Derby during the holidays.
From the age of 11 to 17 Alan was a pupil at the Queen Elizabeth’s school in Crediton, Devon. A rare “Democratic” school where the boys governed themselves in a structure not dissimilar to the parliament structure of Britain itself. Alan’s experiences there are worthy of an entire book and a few sentences cannot possibly do it justice. Suffice it to say that as “Under-minister of Agriculture” and later “Minister of Home Affairs” Alan gained valuable experience in responsibility and management that was to stand him in good stead for the rest of his life.
After leaving school Alan did nine months as a Farm Pupil before going to agricultural college to do a two year National Diploma in Poultry Husbandry. During this period he attained a NCR (National Certificate in Rabbit Husbandry) and BBKA (Certificate in Bee Keeping Husbandry) but left before completing the main part of the course, to his mother’s chagrin.
Ten weeks later it was time for National Service which Alan did with the Royal Army Medical Corp. Two years later and Alan found himself cutting nettles in the rain, on a farm in Teignmouth, for a grumpy old pastor, for two pounds fifty per week. Needless to say he quit.
Young Alan still hadn’t found his vocation in life, but fate drew him onwards. A job with the Teignmouth Urban District Council saw him driving tractors on the seafront and beach, putting up huts & working on pedal boats. This brought him into contact with a student teacher called Andy Wood who suggested that Alan also try teaching.
On July 10 1958, precisely twenty two years after his birth, Alan attended an interview at Kesteven Teacher Training College in Lincolnshire. With five O-levels he would be the least qualified student there, but as luck would have it the Principal was keen on rugby and the rugby captain needed a new wing-three-quarter. Alan fitted the bill and graduated two years later with a Distinction in teaching practice. Thus began a career in teaching which was to span for 50 years from the UK and Africa to the South Pacific.
From 1960 to 1966 Alan was a primary school teacher in Derby, England and also achieved a Diploma in Child Drama. He married and had two children and at age 30 began work for the ODA (Overseas Development Administration which later became DfID (Department for International Development) which sparked a wanderlust which was to last much of his life.
His first ODA assignment was in Kenya where he was quickly promoted from primary school teacher to teacher trainer & lecturer in science, maths, physical education and drama. He also had his third child while in Kenya and adopted one cow and a clutch of chickens.
1969 saw Alan return to the land of his forefathers, Derbyshire, where he became headmaster of Clifton Primary School. What became of the cow and chickens? One can only guess.
The travelling itch struck again in 1973 and this time Malawi was the destination. Alan arrived there just as Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda banned New Mathematics, so instead of lecturing in New Mathematics Alan became Officer in Charge of Teacher Upgrading.
By this time Alan was doing jobs reserved for graduates and so was advised by the ODA to do a degree. To this end he became a student at Birmingham University at the tender age of 38, reading a B.Phil degree in Child Psychology.
Next, Alan became lecturer of Educational Psychology and Sociology at St. Luke’s Teacher Training College at the University of Exeter. Following that post, Alan first came to Mauritius lecturing at the College of Higher Education and running educational workshops. It was also in Mauritius that he met and married his wife Sara.
The travelling continued as did Alan’s love for Africa. The next decade saw him working in Botswana, the Seychelles, Zambia, UK, and briefly in Sierra Leone, followed by two years on the beautiful island of Vanuatu, situated in the South Pacific.
But Africa beckoned yet again; in the Kenyan Rift Valley Alan trained school inspectors and advisory teachers, and while in Swaziland he also trained school inspectors in the teaching of primary mathematics and science. Indeed, maths and science has been a consistent theme throughout most of Alan’s life and he has published many textbooks and guides on how the subject should be taught at the primary level.
In 1999, while applying for work in Malawi, Alan was informed by DfID that he was over the age limit, being over 60. Thus began part two of the Life & Times of Alan Grihault and a journey into the as yet unexplored arena of his creativity...
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