A Typical Thursday

On Thursday I have no teaching at the University, so I stay home and work on Auburn projects, or run errands.  Today was a combination of both.  I was paid by the University for their share of my house rent, so I had to run down to the State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) to cash the check.  I have discovered that anything of an 'official' nature (post office, bank, etc.) requires at least three pieces of paper and lots and lots of stamping with ink stamps.  Mauritians really like to stamp official paperwork with ink stamps.  However, I got my money!

Pictured above is Jims' driveway, which is almost done.  Those two guys have been coming somewhat regularly for over a month (the irregularity is why it has been a month), and they are hand cutting the piled stone you see into the driveway.  They are amazing stonemasons, and have done all the work with hand tools and one cutting saw.

Today was also trash day, which was good, as our bin was piled slap full and was getting rather tangy.  Trash is simply piled into each houses square receptical - they are built into the wall.  The trash guys come by and rake it out, pile it into the baskets and then throw it in the truck.  I have seen no recycling of any type on the island.  Unfortunately, Mauritius has a tendency to get a bit rubbishy.  While the tourist areas are pristine the regular roads and routes we travel have a pretty constant edge of glass, papers and debris by the walkways.  There always seems be a trash can near, but the litter does accumulate.  It is an interesting fact, because individual homeowners and business owners are demons for cleaning with water - every morning the stoops and porches are scrubbed and rinsed.  It's just that the public byways don't seem to get picked up all that often.

This is a view of St. Jean road, the main thoroughfare for Quatre Bornes.  The blue bus is at one of my regular stops, with the DVD store behind it.  There are virtually no movie theatres in Mauritius anymore - there is one on Port Louis and another in Curepipe but that is it.  The reason is that pirated movies are everywhere, and no one bothers to pay the ticket price to see a movie.  DVDs can be bought for 3 for 100 Ru ($3.00 US).  Pirated DVDs are everywhere - street corners, small stores - everyone browses and uses them.  Just for fun I asked the guy if he had the 'A Team' movie (which is not yet out in the US, or on I-Tunes) and he said he only had it in French right now.  You can see why copyright people are furious - completely flagrant law breaking.

Mauritus is a great place for vegans to shoe shop.  The shoes are all made of plastic - all in China or South Africa.  The concept of arch support has not been introduced here.  The market has hundreds of styles, and they are all what the women wear.  Many have fake jewels, glitter or are made of shiny plastic.  They are all sandals or flip-flops, and cost anywhere from 120 Ru ($4.00) to around 10 bucks (300 Ru) US.  I'm wearing one of my favorite pairs in the above photo.  I though they would surely give me a blister, so when I wore them to work last week I took my trusted Chacos, just to have a back-up.  The $4.00 all plastic sandal was completely comfortable and I wore them all day!

Ille Aux Cerfs

On Sunday Jim, Mela, Neya took us to the small island off the SW of Mauritius called Ille Aux Cerfs.  All of the tourist books talk about how beautiful it is, but the books also mention that it is also a prime tourist rip-off area.  I can easily see that, because if you cannot speak French or Creole the guys who drive the boats to and from the island will take whatever they can get, and there is not always the promise they'll come back.  So - thank goodness for Jim, who negotiated a round-trip cost of 1500 Ru for all of us.  I can say that the day was well worth any hassle (3 different buses - 2.5 hour ride to get there), as it is as beautiful as every picture shows.

The island has two small restuarants and that is it.  Some of the typical tourist stuff - parasailing, etc. but it is pretty low key.  Basically, it is a remote tropical island for sun bathing and soaking in clear calm lagoons.

Here are Sam, Neya, Will and Mela on the boat on the way to the island.

Here is Sam on the way home, readying for his future career as a Ralph Lauren model.  That child is such a ham.

We bought a stuffed Dodo at the market a month ago.  Of course, Sam named him 'Dodo-ee' (Aunt Kerry will get that joke).  We have evening discussions as to who gets to sleep with Dodoee.  I took this picture this morning to prove to Will that he scored Dodoee last night, as there was much denial taking place.

Figured out the self timer so Mom gets in a picture.  I have wet hair so the sun must have shined that day - yea for solar water!

I took these pictures while walking to the Shop Rite to buy groceries.  It is in our neighborhood, an area of Quatre Bornes called Sodnac.  Sodnac is one of the 'nicer' areas of Quatre Bornes, and is considered upscale.  In Mauritius it is fairly common for entire family units to live together, and often construction is occurring because a newly married son or daughter is moving in, or because a son or daughter is returning home to Mauritius from their overseas education.  The house in the center of this picture has been under construction for some time, another commmon sight.  Construction is a lesiurely process, with it happening when there is money and time.  Places may sit half or part finished for months.  The picture at the top is also a common sight, as people live in bottom floors while they add on to the top.  Two doors down my neighbor is doing exactly that, with one brother adding a second floor to the family home.

Will and Sam needed haircuts, and Mela (my landlords wife) had recommended a guy named Vijay on Saint Jean road.  So, after our morning at the market off we went to see Vijay.  He gave them GREAT haircuts, and they got the full Mauritiam treatment, with hair gel to create the spikes in their hair.  This is the exact look that all my students sport.  Will and Sam were not so sure, but Sam grew to like his quite a lot.  The cost for two haircuts was 200 Ru, or about $8.00 US.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but Wills' hair fascinates people.  Not Sams', which is darker - but Wills'.  Many many people reach out and touch it, and he gets patted on the head at least a few times a day.  It is always in the nicest way, and people are so very nice and friendly when they do it.  I think it is just the color - it is so very unusual here.  They only other redheads I've senn the entire time we've been here are two children who attend Clavis with Will and Sam.

Here is Will enjoying his Coke at our corner store.  This small shop is one block from our house, and it sells Cokes, sundries, the paper and other small items.  It is a very handy place, and I'm glad we found it last week.

The Lost Weekend

Life in Mauritius, to some degree, has started to feel like life in Auburn.  Get up, pack lunches, wake the kids, feed them, get them dressed and off to school.  I head to school immediately after that.  Pick the kids up after after school athletic practices, and go home.  See if there is any homework to be done, and if not,  play a bit and then off to bed.  Check e-mail, catch up on Auburn work, off to bed.  Repeat the next day.

The parts that are NOT like life in Auburn:  get to the store every day so that there is fresh bread for sandwiches, make a separate run to the chicken store before all the good parts are sold (if I'm not there by ten I'm left with necks and giblets), get to the vegetable market on Thursdays and Saturdays and find the guy with the good potatoes, and, last, get my neighbor (the father of my Muslim friend across the street) to go to the market on Wednesdays for me, when the meat is fresh.  He knows all the good cuts to buy!  All of this is why everything just takes longer - it is all an individual step.  There are big grocery stores but the produce is of horrible quality and the meat looks just a few days too old.  Everyone goes to the markets.

So, to break this up this past weekend I took the kids to Wolmar (two miles down the road past Flic N Flac) to a five star resort for the weekend.  We went to the Hilton and did the tourist all inclusive weekend.  It was pretty amazing - every luxury was available and we did all the tourist things - glass-bottom boat rides to the coral reefs, pedal boats, torch lighting ceremony at night, and extensive time in the multi lagoon pool with waterfalls.  Of course, I forgot my camera so I have no pictures of all of this.  The tourists who actually stay at such a place for more than two nights (and I'm sorry, but those people are nuts - two days was plenty for me) were wedding couples (the Hilton does a lot of destination weddings on their beach), wealthy retirees from France, Germany and Denmark, and honeymooners.  We stuck out a bit.  The hilarious part was leaving this luxurious resort (for which I paid a months rent (20,000 Ru (735.00)) for two nights) to wait for the Flic N Flac bus to take us home (cost:  50 Ru).

Tonight was cricket night and I played too.  Great fun was had.  Not great cricket, but what the heck.

I've been walking to work some days, about 3 miles or so.  Sometimes I beat the bus to Reduit.  As it gets hotter I may lose my enthusiam for this.  Everyone thinks I'm insane.  Mauritians do not walk too much unless they have to do so, and the entire time I've been here I've seen about four people running for exercise.  The amazing thing is that the vast majority of the population is skinny, and they eat all the time.  But is not a typical American diet - the staple here are lots of fresh vegetables, rice, very little meat and no saturated fats. 

The picture above was taken from an overpass over the Moka river, which I walk across as I go from Rose Hill to CyberCity.  If you look closely you will see a woman doing her laundry in the river.  This is not too common (she was about the third I've seen), but in the poorer sections of some towns you will see it.  As I walked to the boys school this afternoon I go through a poorer section of Moka, and I saw that at a point in the river someone had built a sort of 'wash station' with the stones piled just so for slapping the water out of the clothes.

Sam with my camera on the bus.

Sunday in Port Louis

Sunday we took an express (no stops!) bus to Port Louis, which is the capital of Mauritius.  It is the largest city and has around 15% of the population.  Many people commute to Port Louis every day to work.  Jim, Mela and Neya took us, as they wanted to buy Neya a good pair of shoes.  Matt, the new Fulbright student, also went with us.

The waterfront of Port Louis is the closest to a 'tourist destination' (other than beaches) that I've seen.  There are restaurants with outdoor seating along the waterfront, a movie theatre, and many many shops. 

Sam, Neya and Will at the waterfront.

Rice for sale (in a really big way!) in Port Louie.

Saturday was the day of big celebrations for Ganesh.  Above Will and Sams' heads is a banner celebrating Ganesh, who is pctured on the banner.  This was taken around the corner from our house, where they had a Ganesh celebration.  I have no idea why Sam has that look on his face, other than perhaps he wishes to look like Ganesh.

Many Hindus have small shrines in their yards.  This is an especially nice one located a few blocks from our house.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi, and I'll just include the information about this holiday, lifted from a local website:

'One of the most auspicious festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on 11th September this year. In many parts of the country, Ganesh Chaturthi is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavathi. Lord Ganesha is the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati and the brother of lord murugan. It is celebrated in honors of the birth of elephant-headed God Lord Ganesha with great joy and passion for 10 days.


Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. As per Hindu calendar, Ganesh Chaturthi is observed in the month of Bhaadrapada starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period) which falls around August or September. This festival will end on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period). All the Hindu prepares the best recipes specially ‘moodak’ to celebrate the event. People put idol of the Lord Ganesha for 10 days at their houses and after 10 days, the idol will dip into lakes, rivers and the sea happens all over India which shows the end of the festival which is also known as ‘ganpati visarjan’. People says “ganpati bappa moriya, agle baras tu jaldi aa”.'

End web information.

All over town are banners celebrating the event, and all of the temples have strung up bunting and banners and erected tents.  It is apparent that much partying will occur this evening.  Our neighbors have put up a tent, and their front yard now looks like they have prepared for an outdoor wedding reception.  It is really pretty - lots of lights.  I'll go get a picture this evening.

Happy Eid!

Ok - it's settled.  Friday is the holiday of  Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.  Apparently everyone takes it off, even if you are not Muslim.  No school.   Today we took the bus to the town of Flaq, which is on the eastern side of the island.  I went with Jim and Mela, my landlords, as they had to go to Flaq to pick up some jewlery.  We then took a taxi about 10 miles to Belle Mare beach for a picnic, another picture perfect spot.

At Clavis school the boys are taking football and cricket as after school activities.  Cricket is pretty much the same as baseball, when viewed as an activity for ten year olds.  One patient coach, two boys with amazing God-given talent to track and catch a ball, and about ten more boys who may or may not some day develop the ability to play a bit of cricket.  After 50 minutes everyone is slightly bored and the game reverts to the time honored boy activity of 'wrestle on the ground'.  Will and Sam do not suck at cricket, and both got a few hits.  They cannot bowl to save their lives, as they want to pitch it across the plate instead of producing the bounce of a 'slow bowl'.

This week Will went on a field trip to the hydroelectic plant, while Sam got to go to the town dump for his field trip.  Apparently, a trip to the dump costs 70 Ru (2 bucks).   Sams' class is studying recycling and trash - hence the dump.  He was most impressed by the tractor smushing stuff.  They then ate lunch at the beach - a pretty cool lunch spot!

Waiting for children to finish practice covers all countries.

Belle Mare beach.

Saturday in Curepipe

Saturday we took the bus to Curepipe (pronounced 'Kur-pip') .  Curepipe was first founded in the 1840s as people fled one cholera epidemic or another, and it is central town about 10 miles from us.  It is not scenic, or tourisy, or nice.  In fact, it is a dirty, squalid and crowded place, but it does have a lot of shops.  The famous quote in all the guide books is that when Mark Twain visited he referred to it as: ' the nastiest spot of earth'.  Can't say I found much to disagree with that statement.  Curepipe is about a one hour bus trip.  The main reason for going was to look at model boats.  Mauritius is famous for the detailed and correct models of ships, and they are a popular tourist purchase.  Curepipe is the center for this boat construction.  Will and Sam are desperate to own a model of the USS Constitution (they are channeling their Grandfather Guertal, another inside joke - sorry).

 

The only large animals on the island (other than humans) are deer, which are farmed for venison.  Any beef is imported from South Africa or New Zealand (at least, that I've seen in the stores).  That beef is all flash frozen, and sold that way.  The venison is sold fresh at market.  The deer head, such as seen here at the Curepipe market, is often displayed.  As marketing tools goes it is an odd one, but you know what you are buying.

Bus travel is tiring.  Will slept all the way back from Curepipe.

Sam is fascinated by the seafood section in the local ShopRite, and we must go visit every time we shop.  He has to go and see the octopus.  Now you can, too.

Our bathroom.

This is Sam standing in front of some of the women in the workshop. The detail is amazing. A ship such as shown behind him is around 12,000 Ru (or 400.00 US).

I have not yet posted any photos of the house, so here are some shots.  Note my laundry rack by the front door.  It goes in and out regularly in an attempt to get dry clothes.  Now that the boys are in school I have to do laundry a LOT  (Bill and Becky are laughing here - inside joke) as the boys cover a white polo with dirt every day.  I finally gave in and sent Will with the money to buy a white polo (from the Clavis school store) for every day of the week - it's just easier that way.

Here is a picture of my lab class outside taking bulk density measurements.  The lab coats are a hoot, and they all have them.  We do not even have hammers to hammer the sampling cores into the ground - we use big pieces of wood.  No tins for gravimetric moisture either.  We use manila envelopes, which is surprisingly pretty effective.

I never thought I'd grow used to rainbows, but there is one every day in Mauritius.  This is because it RAINS every damn day, and the sun is right behind it.  I spend part of every day with my umbrella up and my sunglasses on.  This view was taken from the bus on the way back from Flic N Flac.  The crop is sugar cane, which covers the inland regions of the island.  It is their number three item of monetary importance, behind tourism and textiles.

On the way back from Flic N Flac the bus goes through a kind of squalid town called Boussin.  We took a detour around a block and went past an entire area of what we would call the 'projects' back home.  It placed the nicness of our place in Quatre Bornes in perspective for the boys.  Although the Mauritians like to talk a great deal about how well all the cultures and religions mix in fact there is some division along racial/religous lines.  The houses shown above are largely occupied by Creoles, a population descended from freed slaves.  Many of them occupy a lower social and economic rung.  The wealthier (and typical of the folks who live around us) are the various castes of Indians who trace their Mauritian roots back hundreds of years.  They have wealth (every day we walk by high end BMWs and Mercedes) and are building lovely houses in my neighborhood.  Their children often go to school out of the country, and I have met many whose children are in the UK  studying to be doctors or engineers.