| * What's your divorce/suicide/unemployment rate?* ay that�s a bit difficult. I need to find official numbers, but official numbers do not reflect reality. For e.g. unemployed persons do not necessarily enroll as unemployed as there are no unemployment benefits, what�s the use? Divorce rate was 2% in 1999. Probably due to the high rate of arranged marriages. They don�t have the choice but to marry and they never divorce due to family pressures and pride. I would like to point out that Half of the Mauritian population consists of Hindus and whether they like it or not, they are conservative, they arrange marriages etc. Therefore, official figures are distorted. Sometimes there�s no divorce, some of them commit suicide but for honour deny the suicide etc. There was an extensive article on suicide in Mauritius but I forgot to copy it from the magazine and mum threw it away. Anyone who has the Expresso with the suicide article, please email me asap. * What languages do you speak?* Creole [which is African mixed with French and English] , French, English and ancestral languages depending upon ethnic groups: Hindi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Urdu Mandarin and Arabic. * What's the coldest it can get?* Winter is in May-September. On Average it�s 15-18 degrees in winter but the temperature falls down to 9-11 degrees [Celcius] in certain regions. * Do you have many foreigners living there?* Yes, quite a large number. There is a private school which follows the British school system and is mainly for foreigners. It�s extremely expensive anyway. Foreigners need the school cos it�s hard for the kids to cope with our competitive school system, they usually fail. [I knew a couple of foreigners who tried to follow the normal system but they failed their exams] Also, people from UK and France often retire to Mauritius. [they spend 6 months in Mauritius and 6 back home]. A lot of people also have double-nationalities. Moreoever, we also have foreigners from poorer countries who provide cheap labour. They are mainly from India and China. Newsweek published an article about Chinese workers being exploited [August 12 2002] but you shouldn not believe everything they've been saying. [some *are* exploited, some let themselves get exploited. It's a long story.] * Would you recommend it to other people?* Honestly, no. But then again, it would depend on the person and their motivation. If, for example, I have to recommend it to a university student who has to spend a month or two for tuition purposes, then why not. If it�s for tourists who could kill for sea and sun, why not again. If it�s to foreigners who will live here and earn money in their currency and send their kids to a private secondary school, then yes, of course cos they will not know what it is to live here as a Mauritian. But if you have to take my place, then no, no way, I would not recommend it. * What do your houses look like?* Mauritian houses are usually big, in concrete [due to tropical cyclones] with high ceilings. Most houses are made of concrete and there are different types of houses. It�s not like overseas where all houses are alike! Poor people live in houses that are made of aluminium sheets and a sort of resistant hardboard. Wooden houses are very rare cos they require a lot of maintenance. Pools in the backyard are not common at all. Only some upper middle class and high class people have them. Oh and we have walls in front of the house too! Next � Back to Mauritius [you wish] |