By NEERAJ MAHADOO
Staff Writer
 

"Where are you from?" is the customary question.

"Mauritius," I reply sheepishly, anticipating the habitual response.

"Whatsatt??"

"Mauritius, M-a-u-r-i-t-i-u-s," I emphasize to establish any form of communication at all.

For a split second people lose all their means and just gape at me; the amazed looks on their faces translate to a screaming "Where the hell is that?"

"It is in Central Africa," I answer, lying blatantly.

"That's awesome!"

End of conversation. Who would actually like to know about this country which is just a tiny dot on the world map and has such a "complex" name which is so hard to pronounce?

The catch here is that Mauritius is nowhere in Central Africa. I cannot have the leisure of pointing out where it is exactly; this would be too tedious and the little "lie" simply saves a lot of time and energy for all of us. But here is the truth revealed exclusively for Bates Student readers.

"God made heaven after Mauritius."

"Garden which some God chose to rest on the sea, Mauritius where the sea sings and the birds sleep."

These are but a few of the words Mark Twain and Paul Jean Toulet (spokesman of the Fantasist school) respectively chose to describe the mesmerizing, perfectly alluring resplendence of this paradise island.

Situated in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a little tropical island about 3000 km off the east coast of Africa. It boasts golden beaches, jade green waters, seven-colored earth and endless stretches of exquisite sugar cane fields, all of which are a real delight to the eye!

The history of Mauritius is an equally fascinating aspect which explains the cultural pluralism which reigns there.

The island was first visited by Arab sailors and by the Portuguese. The first inhabitants of the island,who arrived in 1615, were Dutch. Next came the French who baptized the island "Isle de France." After a gruesome war in 181O, the island finally fell into the hands of the British Empire, which ruled until 1968, the year in which Mauritius established independence. Since 1992, Mauritius has been a democratic republic.

The highly cosmopolitan nature of the Mauritian population is one of our greatest prides and strengths. Though only 1.2 million people live in the nation, there is a breathtaking diaspora of ethnicities and religions represented.

The African descendants, the "Creoles," feel closer to Africa, the Hindus and Muslims have a cultural affiliation with India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Christians identify with Europe, and the Chinese look to China as their motherland, and so on.

Yet temples, churches, mosques and pagodas cohabit in close proximity to each other, in sublime peace and harmony. All festivals are an occasion to rejoice with equal zeal and fervor and as a unified nation: the fire of the West and the lamps of the East blending in unison.

Where else can you find this exhilarating mix of people with smiles for each other as well as for you? Such is the extent of tolerance, respect and friendliness! It is but unity in diversity. More things doth unite us than doth divide us.

The "sega" is a very rhythmic African tribal dance to which every Mauritian sways and the dialect "Creole patois" is the medium of communication. The common person not only knows French and English, but will be happy to converse with you in Hindi, Bhojpuri and other Indian languages.

Because of the influx of tourists, you might find taxi drivers speaking German, Italian or Chinese with an ease which will make you feel instantly at home. The major industries are tourism, sugar exports and textile manufacturing. Most of the tourists come from Europe, Asia and Africa to bask in the sun of this nirvana island.

Mauritian cuisine is a combination of African, European and Asian dishes. There is a myriad of them, which are prepared with love, tropical spices, seafood and indigenous ingredients like the palm's heart which is a rare delicacy. The most famous specialty is perhaps the "dholl-puri," a very fine pancake stuffed with spicy curries. Chilies not only make the food palatable, they are the spice of life there and have an attached cultural dimension!

The following places are visited by hordes of tourists annually and they are indeed a visual feast! The "Pamplemousses Garden" which has among a variety of native plants, including the "talipot palm," a floral prodigy which blooms once every 100 years! Legend has it that he who sees this blooming plant will have all his wishes fulfilled. The "Chamarel," the multicolored earth spot is a natural curiosity of volcanic origin, where one can find seven colors (including red, violet, green, dark blue) of earth fusing to produce a picturesque sight beyond description.

Mauritius is also a reservoir of endemic flora and fauna. The pink pigeon and the kestrel, two of the world's rarest birds and the trochetia plant are being studied extensively to prevent their disappearance from the gene pool. My country was the home of the famous but extinct dodo bird, too.

I sincerely hope that I have made you want to visit this little island au soleil which is the "tiger, star and key of the Indian Ocean." We excel in hospitality and our visitors are only next to God!

If you want any more information on how to get there or want a look at great pictures, visit the Mauritius homepage and other related sites on the web:
http://www.maurinet.com/mauritius.html