Bane nou trois l'annee 2011

Broken Computer

Hello.

Sorry there have been no blogs in ages! My computer broke (the battery is dead and getting another one would cost more than a months worth in wages here- wages are not high, and electronics are expensive)

Anyway, a very short update... I hope... I'm using internet cafe and paying for the privilege.

Some things that are going one:

• I only have 3 weeks left working at CEDEM!
• For those of you that do not know for the last 6 months or so I've had my own classes teaching English, often interlinked with ICT. Before that I was getting to know about CEDEM, doing my training and working more in the social care section when the school children were on holiday for 2 months and the Shelter kids who live at CEDEM were still around.
• It's an amazing place and I feel like I have bonded very well with the children and staff alike and am feeling very happy with the time I have spent so far.
  

• Secondly, as many of you will know I joined 'Nalini Dance Group'- one of Mauritius' famous Indian- classical, bollywood dance groups. I've been dancing since October, but started doing regular shows with them in December. This week alone I'm dancing Saturday, Sunday, Wedensday, Thursday and Sunday again! We have appeared on television a handful of times, and have had our photograph in national newspapers too. Dancing keeps me fit and I have lots of friends there. We are together so often that we have kind of bonded like a family!

• Thirdly, finally I have friends. And it is fantastic. For the first couple of months it was a little hard, but now those times are gone and the good times roll.

• I plan on uploading some photographs soon, so you can get a better picture of what's been going on...excuse the pun.

• Yesterday I went to prayers, with a pooja. A friend from work invited me- the session of prayer (only the middle day) started at 9am and finished at 1.30pm. It was fascinating and the food afterwards was immense- 7 curries and bakri! yum. People were laughing at me for eating slowly, I haven't quite mastered eating hugely quickly with my fingers, there is still time....

A la prochaine fois, les amis. xx

Torrential Rain in the News

If you look at the blog below you will see a short article that I wrote regarding torrential rain in Mauritius.

I received some good feedback on it and decided to submit it to a Mauritian Newspaper called 'The News on Sunday'...

They PUBLISHED IT!

Very exciting news for me, so exciting in fact that I bought myself three copies of the paper (costing me the grand total of 45 Mauritian Rupees... about 90pence)

« Ena Gros la Pluie La » Rain in the Paradise Island- 07.03.11

Not all that long ago drought was plastered across the news. Thousands of homes without water. Reservoirs in desperate need of it. “Rain, rain, go away, come back another day” would have been blaspheme! But the wind has changed. ‘Parasol’ has become ‘parapluie’ and dark pregnant clouds have given birth and we are feeling the effects. Strong and tenacious, their sopping infants descend.

Rain. As a Scot this was a defining part of my child hood. I’d walk to school in it- my clothes would get wet because of it- I’d walk home in it and I’d get ill because of it. I’ll quickly add that I do love my country. However, when I decided to embark on a gap year to Mauritius- “the Paradise Island” I hadn’t quite expected to be met by such wet.

Being in the tropics, I’ve discovered, means expect to be wet often. The rain in Mauritius is savage. Pathetic drops never play a part. Strong and tenacious, hour upon hour it falls flooding the country ‘tigit par tigit.’ It is the kind of rain that knows no fear and no shame and it falls in a country where the drivers possess the same quality. This morning in Rose Hill school girls screamed as buses tore past them- ripping up the water as they went. In Floréal, I walked along the road to work; numerous flashy cars raced through deep puddles beside me, as if they hadn’t noticed I was there.

This morning was special. A film crew came from MBC, some of the children thrived in the spotlight while others withdrew themselves…literally- got up and walked off the ‘set’/ out of the classroom. I was sure that nothing could beat this. Until…

Leave work early? « Mais ena gros la pluie la. Tou ban zenfants bizan parti. » So at 11am this morning copious school vans came to pick the children up and drop them at home. But somehow, three hours later I still find myself here, at school, sitting in an empty classroom. I can hear the rain outside, taunting me, mocking me for my tender age which is no longer, and with each drop I am inclined to accept its importance and necessity within the country. And now I say. Rain, rain, go away…but please feel free to come back another day.