American Ex-Pat Blogging From Mauritius

[rkennedy01]

I've just launched a new blog detailing my experiences as an ex-patriot living on Mauritius. FYI, I've been living here for over 4 years now so I've accumulated quite a bit of first-hand knowledge and advice that I'll be dolling out over the coming weeks. Here's the URL:

http://whiteguysurcharge.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!
RCK

[Joe]

Hi Randall,

welcome in the club !

Do you speak french ? At least a bit ?

Joe

[rkennedy01]

Joe,

A little. As much as 3 years of rusty high school French will allow.

Fortunately, my wife is fluent and does all of the translating for me. One of the advantages to marrying a local...

RCK

[Gerard]

I am sorry that your experience in Mauritius has not been a very good one and in your blog, you made various statements that you feel discriminated against, you accuse all citizens of Mauritians of being corrupt to the core and you paint a very gloomy picture of life on the island. I am a citizen of Mauritius and do feel very offended, insulted and hurt by your scathing comments. I have many friends who are ex- patriates like yourself and they have integrated very well to island life . Mauritius is still a third world and developing country and should not never be compared to the west. The USA have far worse problems indeed including violence, racism ( The Klu Klux clan, the white supremacists, the violence, daily shootings etc.). When you went to live in Mauritius, you only focused on the negative side and maybe your expectations were not met. Please do not demonise Mauritian people who are renown for their kindness and their warm welcome. If things are so bad, i am sure that you can always relocate to your wonderful and idyllic country and spare yourself all the problems you complained about in your blog.
Good day to you sir.

[rkennedy01]

Gerard,

What are you smoking? Mauritius is one of the most racist countries in the world. Everything here revolves around race: Business, politics, religion. It is a bubbling cauldron of simmering hatred and thinly veiled malevolence. The Malbar hate the Laskar and Creoles. The Laskar hate the Creoles and Malbar. The Creoles hate the Plantation Whites. The Plantation Whites hate everybody. It's a sick, twisted society that presents itself as a model of "multiculturalism" when in reality it institutionalizes the very racial divides it claims to have overcome.

There's a reason why only a handful of powerful White and Indian names dominate the upper echelons of business/government, and why both the Muslim and Creole populations remain consigned to the fringes (though the Laskar have made some progress infiltrating the mid-level bureaucracy in recent years). It's simply how the island works. Your race defines both your prospects and your loyalties. Period.

Note: Though I write as an ex-patriot, my perspective is that of an insider thanks to my marriage into one of the more well-known Hindu Indian families on the island. Surrounded by multiple generations of well-connected native Mauritians, I see and hear about everything that is going on within the dark underbelly of island society - from who's bribing who to get the right permits in Quatre Bornes to which party is passing out what kind of gifts to buy the most votes in Mont Roches (hint: they weren't wearing purple).

Treachery. Corruption. Discrimination. Back-room dirty dealings and sinister cover-ups. These are the facts of life in Mauritian society. But don't take my word for it. Browse lexpress.mu. Then ask Mr. Ramgoolam why he has banned the island's most prominent news outlet from covering his press conferences:

http://lexpress.mu/story/12676-atteinte-a-la-liberte-de-la-presse-les-temoignages-de-solidarite-continuent-a-affluer.html

Oh, that's right - because freedom of the press is not constitutionally guaranteed in Mauritius. Piss off the wrong person and the government shuts you down cold. Sort of like Russia, but with better weather.

And as for those "warm, kind" Mauritian people? Don't be fooled, fellow tourists/ex-pats: They hate you. They resent you. You have what they want, and the only reason they're smiling is to disarm you while they figure out how to best rip you off. Everyone here knows the score - to argue otherwise is to admit that you're in on the scam.

RCK

[Gerard]

My my......i do not want to start feuding with you my friend......my point is that there is no utopia anywhere in the world.....There is no perfect society.....racism is endemic everywhere.... certainly more in the USA, in the United Kingdom where i currently live, and everywhere else in the world.....i have not personally encountered any serious problems as i have a positive outlook on life wherever and i have had a very successful career in my field!...... I again reiterate that you should not paint all Mauritians with the same brush....the society where you originally come from is not much better either......you seem to target all Mauritians which is unfair....if you have adopted the Mauritian way of life, you should focus on the positives and not dwell on the negative aspects of our island life. Finally, i would like to end this debate by saying that you should also comment on the positive aspects( there must be something you like about us Mauritians) of our island life and stop insulting the very people who have made you welcome.

[Joe]

Gerard,

Randall may see things a bit too negative, but I also think that there is a lot of truth in all the points he made.

Randall,

I'm here since several years and although I share most of your criticism, I can tell you that the mauritian society is changing fast and young Mauritians are definitely i.e. less racist than the old ones; exceptions underline the rule. My wife is also mauritian and we have discussed several times most of the points you made and she then often drew a picture of a Mauritius more than 20 years ago and we compared it with today. It's definitely changing in a positive direction !

I appreciate your criticism, but you should do it in a more diplomatic way. Bitter medicine coated with sugar has a much higher acceptance

[Gerard]

Thanks Joe for giving a more balanced view of things. We all use this forum because of our love of Mauritius and despite all the negative aspects depicted by Mr kennedy, there are hundreds, if not thousands of tourists and ex-patriates who are spellbound by the natural beauty of the island and the warmth of the people. As i previously mentioned, i have lived in the uk for nearly fourty years now but i do visit the island regularly and i am fiercely patrotic and proud of my roots and as a member of the Mauritian diaspora, i never cease to promote the island in my current environment. There are indeed some aspects of british society which i do not like but by being positive in life has ensured success for me in all my endeavours. I have adapted very well despite the initial culture shock i encountered the first few years after i settled in the uk. Mauritius has progressed in leaps and bounds since we got our independence and we are now an example of good governance in the african region. Of course we are still a developing country and there are some old dubious practices which still needs to be stamped out and i am sure that Mr Ramgoolam and his government will ensure that progress is made in that respect and that meritocracy prevails. Despite of what has been said by the author of this topic, the diverse members of our colourful population have a lot of respect for each other and this creates a stable environment which is envied by many other countries in the world. Mauritius is unique......Mauritius is beautiful.....forever Mauritius :)
Best regards,
Gerard

[Joe]

Gerard,

that you love your country as a Mauritian ... that's understandable. But I reading you last comments, I got a bit the feeling that the Ministry of Tourism's marketing department could not have written your comment better ...

Gerard, your view of Mauritius really needs some overhaul from your side. I know, I know ... think positive ... I agree, but there are limits. And here in MRU are definitely several things not like they should be. And because I like this country and because I don't want to leave this country, I have an interest in improving it, if I can. And criticizing those things which are really not good, is one way. Not hiding them under the carpet.

Mauritius is a paradise ... for the tourist in the 5 star hotels and that's what they pay for. But if you have to live here its definitely not a paradise, but frankly said, no country in the world is, was or will be a paradise.

[Gerard]

I can understand your misgivings Joe.....you originate form a well developed country with different established values. You should really have been in Mauritius about 30 years ago and then make the comparison. The standard of living was much much lower than it is nowadays.......most people were on the breadline and really struggling to cope.......the progress made since then has been astounding in such a short time.......you certainly would not have wanted to live there a few years ago........this is why i keep saying that it is still a developing country.......we have not reached the standards found in the western world, but we are certainly much better than most countries in the African region.......lots still needs to be done to stamp out the corruption which unfortunately still exists in some sectors and i do hope that the current political regime will ensure that things do improve. This is rather difficult to eradicate but the new generation are more aware of the problem and things are definitely moving in the right direction. The positives are that the people in general are very nice and humble people ( with the exception of some unsavoury characters the kind of which you will find everywhere in the world ) and the island is one of the most beautiful places i have ever seen.
ps: i do not work for the Mauritian tourist board.....my views are my own.....i do love my country and i am very proud to be Mauritian