It’s the weekend baby! Unfortunately Minimal is out of action (read: hungover) so this week’s weekend roundup comes to you courtesy of yours truly.  I hope you’re ready because it’s gonna be a biggie.

Friday

There’s a lot of action tonight, so plan wisely. My suggestion is that you begin your evening at Ngyone for an Absolut Shark Experience. Shark is the new energy drink being launched by Scott so what better way to kick-start your night?

Get ready for French GoGo dancers, a Billabong fashion show, fantastic house music, giveaways and an energy-filled party!

Another big party is at Godfather Where ROUHANGEZE will be launching her new album, with ERIC TRITON also making an appearance. Doors open at 9, and tickets are Rs 200, so head on over and show your support!

Saturday

Saturday’s weather forecast is hot and sunny, so why not head on over to the beach? Then head on over to the Patch and Parrot in Point aux Cannonieres for a bit Tri Nations rugby action.  South Africa will be playing New Zealand in Durban. The game starts at 7pm and big game like this should have the place packed, so I strongly recommend contacting Shaun and booking a table: SEAN +230 972 2470 • EMAIL: info@patchnparrot.com

I am so helpful, aren’t I?

Then there’s another BLUESTEEL KLUBBING GEAR party at SHOUT/SHOTZ (The terrace) in Flic en Flac, and we all know how those go…aijaijai… Party starts at 10pm with international DJs performing. Tickets are Rs 350 presold, and Rs 450 if you buy them at the door. Get your tickets at:

PIZZADOTKOM-BEAU BASSIN-4540293
MC N BEN-BEAU BASSIN-4675849
PARADISE CAFE-ORCHARD
MAGASIN AU PRINTEMPS-QUATRES BORNES

And don’t throw them away! Save them to be entered into the lucky draw where you can win up to  Rs 3000m worth of Bluesteel clothing!

Phew. Looks like we’re going to need a weekend to recover from this weekend. Enjoy it. Be safe.

Xx Coco

Recently my attention has been drawn to a blog post that has been causing a bit of a stir. The Captain, a South African-born Mauritian citizen has written a blog post called “Are there too many South Africans in Mauritius?”.

The post looks at the question that many SA expats have been faced with lately: Are there too many SA Expats, or any expats for that matter, living in Mauritius. Are locals feeling invaded?

Personally I have been confronted with this question on a few occasions. How have I answered? Well it’s a hard one. Firstly I need to decide if I see myself as Mauritian or South African. I was born in SA and my passport is south african, but I grew up and have lived on this island since I was 6. My second language is French, not Afrikaans. My parents are Mauritian citizens. At the same time, I cannot ignore my ties to South Africa either. I suppose I consider myself a hybrid. The Prius of the People, if you will…

In his article, the Captain says of the recent surge in new SA expats,

“The effect is that one hears and sees South Africans everywhere. The local Mauritian has that overrun feeling. It doesn’t help that South Africans are very often loud, brash and culturally dof when it comes to Mauritius…..a number of resident South Africans set at about 3000 which is about triple the pre-flood number.

Is this too many?

Ask any Mauritian and he will say there are too many South Africans in Mauritius. Ask any South African in Mauritius and he will ask ‘What’s the problem?’

The problem, in my personal view, is complex and mostly emotional.

I can totally understand the Mauritian who stands in his empty restaurant looking at the packed one run by a South African accross the road.

I can totally understand the Mauritian lawyer who sees new South African lawyers eating away at all the juicy corporate clients.

I can totally understand the Mauritian Estate Agent watching as the South African competitors engulf the market.

These and other South African success stories show the positive side of South African competition, raising the stakes, improving the service, doing stuff that wasn’t done in Mauritius.

Unless you are the loser in this competition…….The real problem is that it is now very easy to blame all bad things on South Africans. This helps us to give order to our Mauritian world. Politicians find it extremly convenient to blame these new settlers in Mauritius on a mulitude of ills and their electorate is only too pleased to agree.

The intellectual half of my brain acknowledges that South Africans have brought a lot of money, skills and ideas to Mauritius. The emotional half of my brain wants to kick some of them out, particularly the slow adjusters.”

The article has provoked a number of mixed emotions. Have a look at the comments. On one hand, people love the article, saying “Fabulous! I honestly think this is the best piece I have read in ages! Great! Great! Great!” while on the other hand the article has offended people, such as Anonymous who wrote, “…I believe you should withdraw your article and apologise to those South Africans presently in Mauritius trying to do what you did here 16 years ago…”

What do you all think? Has mauritius been overrun? Or is there room and opportunity for everybody?

Read the Captain’s full article here.

Xx Coco

A little gift for you Islandlings, because you are so special. Here are some pictures of our beautiful island, taken from above. If you would like to order a print without a watermark or use them in anyway, email me at admin@islandvibe.mu

Click pictures for larger image

Enjoy! Xx Coco

Well my friends, the eclipse is over and there has been plenty of time for a tsunami to hit us. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you’re a pansy) our island has  made it out of this little scare without a wave in sight. Sigh. And we didn’t even get to see the eclipse either. Clearly, all is not always well in paradise.

But fret not! Look out of your window! You will notice rain, and lots of it! Go stand outside. Close your eyes and imagine…. ah…. sweet tidal waves of emotion…. this is more like it. Now dry yourself off, I have two surprises for you.

Our first surprise: I give you…. The Eclipse as seen from Japan. Enjoy watching this without looking like a dork in those paper sunglasses:

You’re welcome.

And now, because I can’t contain it any longer, I give you your second surprise: A Tsunami! YES PEOPLE. There was indeed a tsunami this week, although it didn’t hit us. It hit New Zealand. According to the Huffington Post

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off New Zealand’s western coast Wednesday, generating a small tsunami. No injuries or major damage were reported.

Ok ok, before you tell me to eat my words for saying there would’t be one, may I just point out that the tsunami was caused by an earthquake. And not only did this earthquake case a swell wave (see that?) but it also moved New Zealand 30cm closer to Australia. Nice.

Thus ends our Tsunami Watch. Guys, it’s been quite a day. I don’t know about you, but all this weather has worn me out.

Xx Coco

Wait, is that….?

Nope. False alarm.

Still fine.

Phew.

So far, so good...

I’ll keep you posted.

And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here.

Xx Coco

On the 9th of July my mind was officially blown as I stood at the Grand Bay Yacht Club watching a four-man crew rowing towards me. arrive The team of 4 kiwis, “Rowing for Prostate,” had just rowed from Australia to Mauritius.

Rowing for Prostate arrives at the GBYC

Are you paying attention?  Australia to Mauritius! That is FAR people! About 3132 nautical miles to be exact.

The crew comprised of  Tom Wigram, Peter Staples, Billy Gammon and Matthew Hampel, all expat Britons living in New Zealand. Their goal: to become the first southern hempisphere team to ever cross this stretch of water in the Indian Ocean Rowing Race 2009.

Some very hairy men: Tom Wigram, Peter Staples, Billy Gammon and Matthew Hampel

The trip was not an easy one, in fact due to a faulty battery in their satellite telephone, the crew lost contact with land for 10 days. During this time they had to deal with broken seat rails (which had broken 3 weeks into the race, meaning that they had to row without moving backwards and forwards for the remainder), severe food rationing and even capsizing! Um guys, I think it’s time to re-look the hardcore rating of the Mauritian Ocean Classic.

Not a race for pansies.

And this should give you an idea of what conditions can be like:

Throughout the race, the rowers kept a blog about their experience. After reaching the shore, this is what Billy, the main blogger, had to say:

This had been an absolute mine field of emotions, and a catalogue full of experiences beyond our wildest dreams…and nightmares…including a physical and emotional test way beyond anything we could have ever prepared ourselves for – but as I’ve said so many times before, I wouldn’t have changed any of it for the world. We set out some 81 days ago safe in the knowledge that we were entering a world we knew very little about and what bit we did know would be of little assistance in a world where mother nature could and would be so unpredictable – so beautiful on the one hand, yet so desperately angry on the other…but at all times so very very powerful.

The purpose of this adventure was to raise money for prostate cancer, and to find out how you can get involved, go here. The men placed second over all, behind a British crew who finished in 68 days, achieving their goal of becoming the first southern hemisphere team to row this stretch of water.

305 nautical miles from Mauritius

Pretty darn amazing don’t you think?

Have a listen to their interview to this radio interview, if you can handle the Kiwi presenter:

Are you guys as impressed as I am?

Xx Coco

In other news…there is a total solar eclipse predicted for Wednesday. Wicked cool except we won’t be able to see it. Isn’t it funny how every time there is a natural phenomenon predicted, someone out there gets the heebie-jeebies and causes a bit of a panic?

Rad!

There have been a number of emails circulating warning people that the eclipse will cause a tsunami, such as:

“Hello there. I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July. There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd. It is also when there will be sun eclipse. Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Si Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit. Please try and stay away from the beaches in July. Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings.”

Come on people.  Seriously?  Firstly, tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and not eclipses. Secondly, while astronomers are able to predict eclipses, earthquakes are much more stealthy. And thirdly, if you don’t believe me, have a look at what NASA’s Dr. James Foster has to say:

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do indeed occur at times of eclipses. But records show that they occur with no greater frequency or power than on days when full Moons or new Moons occur (without eclipses), when all the planets line up on the same side of the Sun or on days when the Moon is in a crescent or gibbous phase. As special as eclipses are, they simply don’t have a known impact on any geophysical phenomena.

The guy is a  rocket scientist. I would trust a rocket scientist over some douche who writes 2 instead of to any day.  So I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna be spending Wednesday at the beach. Where I will be listening to this:

Chat 2 u l8er.

Xx Coco

You may have seen the billboards around town, and finally it’s here: the first english daily online newspaper in Mauritius! That’s right, our little island just got a little more cyber-savvy. Personally I am thrilled about this, I think the french papers on the island are of a pretty high standard but as far as english ones go, we have been seriously lacking. But not anymore! Now we are cracka-lacking!

Subscribe to NewsNow now (yes NOW) for free and you’ll automatically be entered into a lucky draw and stand a chance to win a 32″ LCD screen, an iPOD Classic or a digital camera. NEATO! But do it fast because the prize draw is at the end of August. Don’t believe me? Check out the flyer:

See?

Get in touch guys, feel the pulse.

Xx Coco

Don’t panic! I’ll never leave you again my little ones. The vibe is officially BACK.
Tell your friends.

Xx Coco