OLIVER ZAENKERT

Oliver was born in Cologne in 1970 to German Parents. He graduated from the German sports University, Cologne, with a Masters Degree in Physical Exercise and Coaching. Oliver then went on to be a personal fitness coach in Germany and Switzerland, before becoming a Water sportscentre manager, which he did in a couple of different countries. It was not long before Oliver met Katja in Turkey and they married.

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

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.”

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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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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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...

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LAINA RAWAT

Meet Laina Rawat., the young and dynamic CEO of the Trade & Commerce Division for the British American Investment Group of Companies. Laina manages the companies which fall under Quality Living Centre (QLC) including Courts, Quaincaillerie Centrale, Arcasa (Mtius) Ltd, Arcasa Paris and Effendi.


American born and bred, Laina funnily recalls how, at the age of six, when her father was promoted to president within his company, she informed all her classmates that her father was now the President of… the United States of America!
A very ‘hands-on’ person, Laina attributes one of the most important life lessons she has learnt so far, to her parents’ ideal to lead by example. As she aptly explains - “In life don’t expect others to follow your orders, try and do it yourself first, so at the end of the day you know what it takes for either yourself or someone else to conduct that task.”


Having completed her studies in America and acquired work experience from several retail shops, Laina moved to Mauritius and joined Marcom Co. Ltd where she gained some valuable know how in marketing, advertising and brand awareness. Her timely move to Arcasa (Mtius) Ltd meant that she was there from the initial setting up of Quality Living Centre (QLC), working on inventory, product display and marketing. She soon progressed to product purchasing and the management of the showroom.
After a further two years of dedicated hard work, Laina was swiftly promoted to head ARCASA and QLC.


Quality Living Centre was specifically designed to allow people to enhance their quality of life. Their aim is to put value into peoples’ home, their motto “make your home a haven for you and your family.” The Trade & Commerce Division ensures a wide range of offering that will suit people’s respective needs within their respective budgets.
As the CEO, Laina pays special attention to product variety, display, marketing as well as the management of corporate contracts.


Laina is extremely proud to be part of a group which is innovative and geared towards the future. She considers that “It is amazing to see the career path which one can build in our group – it is very encouraging for the younger generation.”


Although she sets the benchmark for success quite high with the measure of her achievements, Laina strives over and above to be a successful mother.
An American at heart, she describes the American social life as similar to what is portrayed in the popular ‘Friends’ sitcom! While, in Mauritius, the social life tend to be more centered on the extended family, in America the focus is on friends.


Another point that struck her is the work culture, which largely differs from that of America. Although she is quick to point out that the level of education here is much higher academically, in terms of mathematics, sciences, economics and accounts, she finds that a lot of initial supervision is still required. She concedes though that the majority of employees are quick learners and eager to accomplish their goals.


Laina is the mother to the gorgeous three year old Name. She endeavors to spend as much quality time as possible with the family at the week end, usually heading for the beach. Being in the retail industry it is little wonder that one of her favorite hobby is shopping. She also enjoys cooking desserts and traveling.


She believes that living in Mauritius will endow her son with a better appreciation of family values than if he had been living in another country. Another outcome of living here is that he is already fluent in both English and French.


According to Laina, being able to instigate change within oneself will always lead on to a healthier and happier lifestyle. Happiness is being able to enjoy the environment which is around you. She states “my belief is quite simple! Just try and be a good person and show kindness to others. I guess my life in America shaped this because despite what one sees on the news – America has a lot of very close knit communities where people are accepted for who they are. “

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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.”

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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.


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