by on 17 Mar 2013 Leave a Comment

My top posts of 2012

20130317-highlights

I started blogging in March 2004 and, like a lot of bloggers, I blog a bit less now.

Here are a few of my highlights from 2012:

Feel free to revive the posts, comment on them and share them on social networks too.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Business, Education, Linux, Mauritius, Movies, Music, News, Photography, Politics, Programming, Sports, Technology, Travel, Web
by on 12 Apr 2012 16 Comments

What Mauritius can learn from the USA

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One year ago, we made a memorable trip to the USA.

During the few past weeks, I have realised that this trip really opened my eyes on how things can be made better here in Mauritius. For instance:

In the USA, people are friendly

This is also the case in the other large countries I’ve visited (e.g. South-Africa, France, Thailand, etc.) It seems to me that the larger the country, the friendlier the people. I guess people are friendly when they feel strong (which is obviously the case in a large country with a large population). For example, people readily engage in conversation in lifts or in buses there…

In Mauritius, we are very shy. We do not talk to “strangers”. According to me, this causes a lot of stress (because nothing is better than socialising) and missed opportunities (on every levels — friendship, business, etc.)

I would love people to be more engaging here. Nothing beats talking to other people.

In the USA, people do

This one is obvious. The USA is the land of the entrepreneur. Just ask Steve Jobs or Bill Gates who both stopped university to launch their own businesses with some success some may say.

People do not dream of joining the government sector there and becoming a public servant. Instead, people there dream of becoming successful and amassing wealth by creating their own companies. Some succeed. Some fail. But those who fail are not stigmatized: in fact, they frequently get another chance to try. Risk-takers are revered in the USA.

Here in Mauritius, young people full of talent are being put in cubicles and asked to stop dreaming. And, unfortunately, some do. In the long run, Mauritius will suffer. Only dreamers (re: Gandhi) make society evolve by doing things differently from others. People here should be encouraged to launch their own companies and should not be stigmatized when they fail (Heck, they all do: Steve Jobs was thrown out of Apple at one point!). Banks should really help those who want to be risk-takers. And the Government, instead of only helping companies which already have turnovers in excess of Rs 20 million, should help those with a turnover of Rs 0 instead!

In the USA, people learn

When free, people in the USA can opt to go to museums, libraries, talks, conferences, concerts, parks, art galleries, etc.  to cultivate themselves. Of course, some stay in front of the TV watching reality shows but my point is that the others have possibilities.

In the process, those who want to know more get to know more. This can only be a good thing. I’ve always thought that kids should be exposed to all kinds of stimuli. We don’t know what talent they have. We don’t know what work they’ll do. Maybe the work does not exist yet! The best way to prepare them for the future is to expose them to different things. Of course, adults benefit from this too: so  many people have created great things after being inspired by others.

In Mauritius, we don’t have a lot of museums, libraries, talks, conferences, concerts, parks, art galleries, etc. People really need to become more knowledgeable, need to become more skillful and need to discover their own inner talent. The Government should realize that the only way to make Mauritius a knowledge hub is through knowledge. Right now, the knowledge hub is a vague abstraction with tall buildings, lots of commissions and ribbon-cutting inaugurations. The crime being done at the University of Mauritius needs to stop!

In the USA, anyone can say anything

This is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution there. People have freedom of speech and can basically say anything. Some people talk shit, some talk nonsense and some, through their words and emanations of their minds, change the world: artists, professors, entrepreneurs, inventors, bloggers, etc. In a way, this explains why people are friendly in the USA: they have always been encouraged to say what they have on the minds and, consequently, welcome conversation.

Here in Mauritius, we are not allowed to say whatever we would like. There is a law in Mauritius, the Official Secrets Act, which disallows civil servants from having an opinion and making it known to the public. Kids are routinely told to shut up when parents are talking. Politicians talk and never listen. Of course, people do talk here but, sometimes, they just engage in endless discussions e.g. on politics or on Liverpool vs Manchester United but without any real purpose or objective.

What do you think?

Filed Under: Education, Mauritius, News, Politics, Travel
by on 20 Jun 2011 3 Comments

Our memorable trip to France, England and the USA

As you all know, Kyan, Anya, Christina and myself visited France, England and the USA in April and May. Of course, we couldn’t prevent ourselves from taking hundreds and hundreds of photos… It took us nearly two months to choose the best among them and upload those to our Flickr account.

Here are our best memories from our visit to France, England and the USA:

Part 1A: Christina on a mission in the USA (19 March – 8 April 2011)

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It all started when Christina left Mauritius on 19 March to go the USA for work. There she met people from various countries and they traveled through some very well known cities and places:

Part 1B: Obtaining a visa in Paris (27 March – 7 April 2011)

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Kyan, Anya and myself went to Paris in France to (try to) obtain a US visa. After more than ten years, I met my uncle, Matchuk, and his wonderful wife, Angela, and daughter, Maya.

Part 2: San Francisco (8 – 14 April 2011)

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Yeah! We have our US visa! Kyan, Anya and myself took a plane from Paris and flew to San Francisco on the West coast of the US to meet Christina. We flew over Greenland to reach there!

We spent a few days in the middle of the Silicon Valley: at Audrey’s place in San Carlos as well as with Nawaaz, Failah, Adam and Sarah in San Leandro.

  • 1st day: Arriving in San Francisco.
  • 2nd day: Visiting Chinatown and the Musée Mécanique.
  • 3rd day: Discovering the Golden Gate Bridge with Nawaaz and his family.
  • 4th day: Walking through San Carlos and visiting the Hiller Aviation Museum.
  • 5th day: Walking through San Leandro and discovering how life was aboard a WWII submarine, the USS Pampanito.
  • 6th day: Visiting Alcatraz.
  • 7th day: Strolling though the Google premises, seeing the Computer History Museum and leaving for Los Angeles in a coach.

Part 3: Los Angeles (15 – 18 April 2011)

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We arrived in Los Angeles at night, checked-in in a nice hotel on Sunset Boulevard, a road which is parallel to the world renowned Hollywood Boulevard. During the next few days, we were tourists in Hollywood. And it felt like a dream.

  • 1st day: The Griffith Observatory and the famous Hollywood sign.
  • 2nd day: Being amazed at the really fantastic Universal Studios.
  • 3rd day: We could resist spending an additional day at the Universal Studios and, at night, we went to see the Stars on Hollywood Boulevard.
  • 4th day: Seeing Marilyn Monroe and the Californian Science Center.

Part 4: Washington DC (19 – 23 April 2011)

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We took an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington DC and crossed the entire United States. On arriving at the state capital, we were met by my dad’s cousin, Navin, and his lovely wife, Kavita. We had a lot of fun together during the next five days.

  • 1st day: Walking through Washington DC and seeing the White House, home and office of one of my idols: Barack Obama.
  • 2nd day: Seeing the Washington Monument and visiting the Capitol and the Library of Congress (we are members there now!)
  • 3rd day: Amazed in front of fighter airplanes (F-14, F-22, F-86, F-4, Mig-21, etc.) and the Enterprise space shuttle in the Air and Space Museum.
  • 4th day: Visiting (a few of) the Smithsonian Museums of Washington DC
  • 5th day: Walking through the Arlington National Cemetery and seeing the Lincoln Memorial

Part 5: New York City (24 – 27 April 2011)

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We reached the Big Apple in a glorious sunlight on 24 April. Navin and Kavita accompanied us on the first day there and we were glad to have them guide us in this mad city (in the good sense of the word).

  • 1st day: Walking on Broadway and Times Square by night.
  • 2nd day: Discovering New York City and the Apple Store next to Central Park.
  • 3rd day: Passing by the Statue of Liberty and seeing New York by night from above from the Empire State Building.
  • 4th day: Traveling through Queens before boarding an airplane at JFK for Paris.

Part 6: A quick stop in Paris (29 April 2011)

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We were exhausted when we arrived in Paris yet we had quite an excellent dinner in a small French restaurant with Matchuk, Angela and two of their friends.

Part 7: London (30 April – 2 May 2011)

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We arrived in London the day following the Royal Wedding (for the Chowtaree as a matter of fact…) We were pleased to meet our family there: Usha, Raj, Joshna, Mala, Vanesha, Bisham, Rushil, Kavi, etc. I also had the privilege of meeting for the first time, Stéphane, my sister’s “friend” (as my mum puts it).

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Of course, in between the eating, the drinking and the djalsa, we still got some time to indulge into some sightseeing.

  • 1st day: Taking the Tube and having a great briyani and singing party at Usha and Raj’s place.
  • 2nd day: Visiting the Natural History Museum and dining in London.
  • 3rd day: Meeting Cherina and Stéphane next to the Big Ben.

Part 8: Back to Paris (3 – 6 May 2011)

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Christina was happy to spend a few days in Paris as she wasn’t with us at the beginning of our trip.

  • 1st day: Buying Mauritian food in Paris.
  • 2nd day: Going to Disneyland with Maya.
  • 3rd day: Walking through the Quartier Latin, Montmartre and Pigalle…
  • 4th day: Seeing the Eiffel Tower a last time before leaving.

And, finally, part 9: our return to Mauritius on 7 May 2011

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We arrived in Mauritius with 9 items of luggage (count ‘em!). We had bought a lot of things everywhere and we also got a lot of gifts.

Once again, we would like to thank Matchuk, Angela, Maya, Audrey, Nawaaz, Failah, Adam, Sarah, Navin, Kavita, Usha, Raj and Joshna for everything they have done during our trip. Everything was easy and oh so very enjoyable thanks to them.

We were glad to meet Cherina and Stéphane as well as all the other family members and friends.

We hope to see them all in Mauritius soon…

Filed Under: Mauritius, News, Photography, Travel
by on 29 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment

New York, New York…

Start spreading the news
I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York

These vagabond shoes
Are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York

We reached New York, the busiest city on the planet, on 24 April and, initially, we didn’t like it. You see, New York, is very dense and, consequently, is not very clean. Additionally, people tend not to be too friendly in New York (as compared to the other US cities at least).

When we reached there, we immediately went on Broadway (but we didn’t watch any show there). Anya and Kyan were amazed to be at the center of the (occidental) universe.

After some time, we talked towards Times Square. This is something which is tough to explain with pictures or words: you really need to see it yourself to decide whether it’s worth its hype or not.

Personally, I liked the atmosphere there. But, to be frank, I was not overly impressed by the signs. Sure, they looked great, but I’m not a lot into absolute consumerism.

The next day, we left our hotel early situated a few meters from the New York Times…

We witnessed something unheard of in Mauritius: parking lifts for cars. New York is so cramped that some parking lots are on multiple levels and you get to see the cars moving up and down!

When we didn’t have time to eat in nice restaurants, we just got hot dogs from one of the hundred of vendors on the streets of New York. Personally, I prefer some nice Mauritian boulettes…

We went to the Rockerfeller Center next with my uncle Navin and his wife Kavita and we had a great time there. We didn’t climb on top of the skyscraper (as we knew we were going to be on the Empire State Building next) but we (tried to) visit the shops nearby.

One thing which is interesting in New York is the fact that most people walk or take taxis. Only a few New Yorkers actually own a car.

We then walked towards Central Park and came across THE definitive Apple Store.

To be fair, I was not overly impressed. This Apple Store, known all over the world, was just one big fancy fair. Nothing as I would have expected with a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere. Naturally, I was happy to see some Geniuses but, once again, nothing much to talk about.

We reached Central Park a few minutes later. We decided not to visit the Central Park zoo as we had already seen quite a view zoos before. We decided just to relax… surrounded by some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world!

The next day, we woke up early and took the ferry to Staten Island. This ferry is free and passes just in front of the Statue of Liberty. This was an amazing sight for Kyan, Anya, Christina and myself. Of course, it would have been better to climb the statue but our time in New York was limited and this ferry was the next best thing to do.

To be fair, photos cannot really do justice to the Statue of Liberty. I believe one should really be there in person to understand how great that experience can be. Sure, it’s just a statue but it’s also the most recognisable feature of New York City.

From Staten Island, we took the ferry back to Manhattan.

We then walked through the New York financial district reaching Wall Street a few minutes later.

Of course, we had to go to Ground Zero, the place where the World Trade Center was before 11 September 2001. My feeling there: deep sadness.

As we had purchased tickets to the Empire State Building, we decided to see New York from above. We reached there around sunset.

Being on the 86th level (which we reached using a one minute lift ride!!!), there was quite a bit of wind.

But, wind or not, this is what we saw when the sun decided to set. Once again, photos cannot convey the feeling we had. New York is marvelous from above.

Today, we left New York and have just landed safely in Paris. We’ll definitely visit the USA again in some years now that (1) we have our 10-year visa and (2) we have realised that we like the country… including New York of course :-)

Filed Under: News, Photography, Travel, Web
by on 22 Apr 2011 6 Comments

Having a great time in Washington DC

Washington DC is a beautiful city, as beautiful as an European city in fact as it was originally designed by a Frenchman.

The first thing we did on reaching there was to get as close to Barack Obama as possible.

We were delighted to have our picture taken in front of the White House.

Naturally, security was tight. We witnessed a great scene. The security guards had told everyone to stand still because one car (with some dignitary) was moving out of the premises. A man, who presumably didn’t hear the summon, kept walking. A secret service guy promptly told him: “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Hilariously, the man’s wife told him: “You’re on your own now.”

The next day, we went to the Washington DC monument which is huge yet beautiful.

And, of course, visited the Capitol. The guided tour was interesting as was the overall atmosphere. Being close to where the Senators and Representatives are is a great feeling.

We then passed in front of the US Supreme Court.

One thing which is interesting in the US is the sheer variety of restaurants that exist. It seems to us that Americans do not cook. They (mostly) always eat outside. So restaurants are plentiful, relatively cheap and varied. We ate salad in a French restaurant the next day and, as you can see, everyone was happy.

Yesterday, we visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Kyan and I were delighted to renact part of Top Gun, next to a glorious F-14D Tomcat.

We were amazed to see the real Enterprise space shuttle. It’s immense and, like the Washington DC monument, beautiful!

We also saw numerous historical airplanes, most notably Enola Gay, which was the first  airplane to drop a nuclear bomb over Japan during the Second World War.

Finally, just before reaching our home base, Christina and I both bought ourselves an Amazon Kindle. It’s a great device for reading books (and for lite browsing) and it’s cheap!

We’re having a great time in Washington DC.

Filed Under: News, Photography, Travel
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