Hi From Mauritius

Hi everyone

My name is Rik.  I'm originally from a small island called the Isle of Man in the UK but I currently live on another island, Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

Been online a few years, never really got into PPC before apart from a little and brief look at Adwords about a year or so ago.  Of course never went anywhere and I kicked it into touch and was also a little apprehensive of loosing my shirt in the process.  So finding Hexatrack has been a good bit of fortune so looking forward to getting back into it and finally making PPC work for me not just Google etc!!

Cheers
Rik

[SOFTWARESAVER]

Rik Hi,

Only just noticed your post. 

That is great to see because Mauritius is just about, my second Home and for sure other than my wife
my first and true love! 

Glad to see you here.

Software Saver

Hi

That's a surprise, didn't expect anyone else to know Mauritius.  We live in the north of the island, little place called Calodyne, about 15 minute drive fom Grand Baie.  Although our time here is coming to an end soon, works all done.  Amazing where the years go!

Where do you stay when you come here?

Cheers
Rik

[SOFTWARESAVER]

We have a home in PL's just down the road from MarieDelapay (My Spelling of it:-) on Musialin Road.
and are building another one in Point a sab purchased the block few months ago just after Christmas.
Will be for 'other' family members to use should they go to Mauritius for Holidays, plus will rent it out a bit
for known people on Holiday. Should start building in a couple of months I think.

And now have a another block in flicflac to build on late this year.

In 6 to 8 months I should be ready for my semi retirement plan to swing into action :-)
6 months in Mauritius and 6 months here in Australia with my family. Its taken some years but Ive got there
and cant wait for it all to happen! :-)

Enjoy your last bit of time in what I call my Blue Paradise wont you.

Excellent!  And congratulations on your pending semi retirement!

There is so much building work going on here at the moment.  There always was quite a bit but recently it seems to be everywhere.  I just hope they finish most of them, not like the hundreds you see just lying empty and half finished, such a shame!

Yes, I'm sure we'll enjoy what time we have left, although the weather at the moment is awful and soooo cold, well for here it is. 

All the best

Hi Rik and softwaresaver

What a small world!

My brothers wife is Mauritian.

What a beautiful and friendly Island.

regards Ian

Hi Guys
Yes a great place, I used to visit at least twice a year although I haven't been for a few years 

Friend of mine told me it's all changed, I just hope it's not being ruined.

ATB   Giles

[SOFTWARESAVER]

Its very sad Giles but yes I feel it has chnaged a lt and for the worse.

The wstern influence is great now so the people esp the younger ones are less ummm Maurition.
In that they are far more aggressive in nature, less warm and very into 'show Pony' stuff.

Ten years ago i predicted that with the advent of HonkKong being given bacl investers would srive money into the island.
tHis has now taken place and the islens is a place where you can get IBC's

What I did not want to see take place has.

The rich have become far more rich and the low poor Maurition has become eve more poorer
to a point where its almost impossible to survive on a normal Labout type jpb wage.

Example one of my family does cealing fixing for an african building company...he is very bright
very intelliogent and well educated. He works hard...he gets around $450.00 a MONTH!

Thats around 11,250 rupees.  The price of things there now you just will not be bale to live on that at all.
They are lucky they have 3 working sons in the family plus Dad...BUT...even with that I get requent
calls where they need money for food esp when they have had bad weather and the price of vegtbl's etc goes up.

All the BIG money has created a situation where the government (probably with bribes galor) is handing over 100's and 100's of acres of Beach fro land to develop
MASSIVE holiday estates for outsiders with money. Its a real shame what is going on.

They just do not appreciate what is being lost long term for such a short term gain and for so few to make any gain from the actions.

Sad Sad Sad.

With that all said....its STILL the one place I love with a passion :-)

Giles, have to agree with your friend and with Softwaresaver I'm afraid!   

Unfortunately there is a very strong culture ( and growing all the time) or ripping people off who are not obviously local Mauritians.  There are very definite 3 tiered pricing structures depending on who you are.  Also crime is on the rise as people can not afford to live, they have no other way to survive.  It's all very sad and is damaging the island badly.  It's amazing when you consider how many seriously luxury hotels and money there is here.  Did you know that Mauritius has the highest concentration of 5 star luxurious hotels anywhere in the world?!  You wouldn't know if it you just lived here.

Softwaresaver is also right about the younger generation trying to be more "western" but unfortunately they "get the wrong end of the stick", so to speak and it comes over all wrong and it's not particularly attractive behaviour etc.  They try to be very cool, aloof, "pimp my ride" kind of thing and it just doesn't work.

It must sound like we are painting an awful picture of the place, but the good still outweighs the bad.  There is a great amount of potential here, they just need to change direction a little bit and Mauritius will take off for the better, not worse.  I still eny you Softwaresaver!

Cheers
Rik

Even way back there was a poverty divide and when the South Africans started pouring money in to the hotels / golf courses I had hoped that the local government would insist that a premium would be set aside not only for infastructural changes but also to develop amenities and opportunities for all locals.

Long ago I was intimately involved with a development and was encouraged that there were development restrictions on the island but in discussions with the certain government departments and other agencies realised that corruption was already rife and the average islander would benefit little by these developments. (I did not go forward with this development due to financial reasons).

I guess the powers that be must have got even greedier by allowing development expansion to maintain the lifestyle they had become accustomed to.

I am not putting down Mauritius it is still a beautiful island, but I think it is representative of so many countries, islands and enclaves in the southern hemisphere. It's such a shame as the natural beauty of many of these places is breath taking and more often than not the population is poor beyond measure mainly as a result of poor governance and avarice.

I am sorry I was getting carried away, it is a pet subject of mine as you may have realised. I do think though that this is a cycle that nations have to live though something like    Exist > Destruct > Rebuild   - well I hope there is.

The internet is one of the many mediums that may help to rebuild these places allowing the average Joe to help and empower themselves and projects like hexatrack (free version) and the free tutorials / forum are a fantastic aid to getting people to become independent.

ATB

[SOFTWARESAVER]

Giles your Pet is a good one for sure.

One of my aims when I spend more time there is to get involved more in the politics of the place.
I know it will be possibly dangerous for me to do so, but it needs to be done.

I also have in progress a website that is all about Mauritius, and yes I will be using it to profit off the tourism and help promote my
own little aspect of things BUT...I will also be pushing  for chairty donations with the aim of setting up a 'Business Helpline Fund'
for those Mauritians who have all the ability but just cant get on because of not knowing the right people to pull strings, and being of the wrong creed
and not having the money to make a start etc etc. The money to assist them will be given out on the basis of Business plan, the peoples ability and acumen and the potential rate of progress that can be seen in the plan. My aim is that as one develops it will be part and parcel of the loan and agreement that the new business helps assists funding of future businesses’ my hope is that will over time create a 'system' that drives itself along and is not totally dependant on donations.


In addition to that here in Australia I help raise money for a charity that brings over Children from Mauritius to Australia and pays for them to have needed operations and Hospital treatment they cant get at home or cant afford. The Mauritian community here help by putting the Mothers and Fathers up in there homes while the children are in Hospital etc. Its a great way to help out imo. So that will also be a Pet aspect regards the website and my time spent in Mauritius.

Your right regards some places need to go through growth, tear down etc buty I feel this is not the case for mauritius.
It has a well educated leardership etc what is required is more a chnage in the 'peoples' attitude and knowledge.

Voting in elections for example is an area that needs change. They just vote for creed, or some stupid promis that has been made and will never be kept etc.
I want to help promote and see a better balance between creeds and increase in the number of creol in government and places of importance and decision making and I hope....raise the creol status to where it should be.

Oh well any way as you can see I a also getting on my Horse lol

So time to go I think.

All the best in business to you all.

Sotware Saver.