This has taken me a couple of years to write and I still think I am not ready but I will give it a go.

After years of searching for our little corner in sunny South of France, we found one. Not before visiting countless houses, ruins and exhausting all the estate agents books in each town we visited. France spells a magic that weaves uncontrollably over you as soon as you step on the soil. The air suddenly feels different. The grub looks more appealing. Why am I saying that ? but yes, I agree. We are not the last to fall in love with a dilapidated house in France and dream of living in it.

Are we insane ? No. We are passionate about life in France.

But insane, we are. Why ? because I fell in love with a stunning house completely charred by a big fire. The rustic 15th century lime stones which stood unscathed just blew my common sense. And it beckoned me. Come and get me ! And so, I did putting all my mind to the pros and cons and debating it over my dear husband who was horrified at the tasks awaiting. Still is.And we bought our stone house in France !.

Believe it or not, I don’t have long, unbrushed hair. I don’t don Birkenstocks through summer, sleet and snow.  I prefer hotels to camping, am not keen on picketing outside of fast food joints.

I do, however, eat a plant-based foods diet. I’m conscious of animal products and testing associated with my toiletries and household cleaners. And I do not participate in mindful activities such as yoga and meditation, and I can prepare tofu in thirty-plus ways.

Yes, I  follow a vegetarian lifestyle.

I’m not going to lecture you on why slaughterhouses are inhumane, why pigs are friends (not food), and explain why fur is akin to wearing a carcass on your back. But I will tell you (and recent media will back me up on this) vegetarianism is one of the foremost things we can do to help the planet. I am not alone in saying that maintaining animals for food is causing more havoc on the planet than anything else. Our land, water, and air quality are all at increased risk with more and more animal-based consumption.

This past January, the Globe and Mail published an article where they hypothesized that the global demand for meat is expected to double between 2001 and 2050. This staggering increase results in obvious animal suffering, but also creates an increase in global warming and environmental issues, and negatively impacts our health. The World Cancer Research Fund has published numerous studies on how limiting consumption of red meat and avoiding processed meats results in a lower risk of all cancers, notably bowel, breast, and prostate. Not only that, a vegetarian diet is low in cholesterol, which lowers chances of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments.

In April of this year, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production issued a report, a fact-based, comprehensive, and balanced exploration into the farm animal industry (www.ncifap.org). It showed that manure produced by animal confinement facilities is three times that of human output. This manure makes its way into our water, soil, and air, containing pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and heavy metals. Sure, we can control these in some areas; however, the utmost diligence will not protect us from it leeching into our water system, careening its way via transport of smog, and fertilized into our vegetables. Tests on air quality resulted in toxic answers: gasses and substances such as human pathogens are commonly found in the air we breathe.

Our water supply is also greatly affected by animal production. Between cleaning procedures and animal feed, the ratio equates to approximately 2500 gallons of water to 1 pound of meat; conversely, soy requires 250 gallons per pound of meat, and wheat 25 gallons.

The cause of global warming is based on the greenhouse effect, which is in turn cased by carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. These emissions leak from the degradation of waste, buildings, and animals themselves. According to a study done in 2007 by The American Science Journal, a kilogram of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a car every 250 kilometres, or burning a 100-watt light-bulb for approximately twenty days. One-third of fossil fuels, according to E magazine (a well-versed environmental publication), are produced by raising animals for food.  According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, one calorie of animal protein production requires more than ten times the fossil fuel input as a calorie of plant protein, simultaneously producing ten times the carbon dioxide.

The production of animal flesh requires sixteen pounds of grain for just one pound of output. These grain resources could instead be used to feed the 800 million or so people world-wide suffering from malnutrition. Sixty million people die of starvation every year; a child starves to death every two seconds. Considering, for example, that 80 per cent of corn and 95 per cent of oats grown in the US is eaten by livestock, it’s mind-boggling why humans are left with only the remaining twenty.

The process of slaughtering animals for food is a much longer, energy-wasting process then need be: once these grains are grown, tilled, taken care of, and trucked to their factories, they are then trucked to the farms. These animals are brought to slaughterhouses, then to processing centres ─ both of which use energy for transportation and to maintain. The meat is packaged and then transported to grocery stores. Between the energy, the production of fossil fuels, and the manure, our air is tainted. Every step of this process – growing, transporting, operating, even keeping the product cold in the grocery stores ─ uses up precious energy.

It doesn’t stop here, though. Our land is also at risk; consider, for a moment, all of the areas that are bulldozed to make more room for animals and the crops needed to feed them. Rainforests, too, are in jeopardy: clear-cutting of these forests results in fewer natural resources and the extinction of thousands of species.

According to the Toronto Vegetarian Association (www.veg.ca), the average agricultural land area in North America is 1.6 hectares per person; in other countries (foremost with plant-based diets) it’s only 0.2 hectares per person. Needing only this half-acre to produce food would save vast amounts of land to protect our resources. As we speak, 53 per cent of the third largest rainforest in Papua New Guinea is vanishing, and according to National Geographic, expected to be gone by 2021. The trees that would normally play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gas emissions have been destroyed, increasing the severity and speed of global warming.

Combined with the aforementioned (but only briefly noted) health effects, as well as the obvious (but often ignored) animal suffering, this issue shouldn’t be taken lightly. A group of studies done in 2007 from the US National Academy of Sciences revealed that carbon dioxide emissions are rising three times faster than in the 1990s: 3 per cent per year as opposed to 1.1 per cent.

There are a plethora more studies, all coming to the same conclusion: less meat = less destruction on the environment. Plant-based diets use less water, less space, less CO2 output, and wreak less havoc on our earth. Canadians eat more than twice as much meat as the global average, and by reducing this –even if initially designating one meat-free day per week – will aide in combating these issues. Combine this tactic with eating locally whenever possible, reducing chemical pesticides on your own lawn and garden, and becoming mindful of your choices.

It doesn’t take an Einstein to understand the obvious benefits. Albert Einstein said it himself:  “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

A must watch !

A friend sent this link to us and I have watched it over and over again.

Yann Arthus and Jean Luc Besson teamed up for this production and had a worldwide release on the WED but strange enough, it appeared on no news channels. This why you need to watch it and reflect upon the beauty and fragility of our planet. Pass it around to reach the maximum amount of viewers. This is no hollywood flick and did not get geared by mega marketing arsenals.

It is just an artist’s view of our world. It is pure and raw beauty !

Enjoy !

Thank you Mic.

My Mum told me I chuckled merrily when she first gave me my beach bath ….

Looks like I do till now. I love the sea. I am a true islander. Happiest when I am by the beach and the sea. Nothing else matters, life seems restful and all seems to come back to order. Being born in Mauritius, I could only follow the nation’s favourite pasttime. Picnicking at the beach, call it a day, a public holiday, a celebration, Mauritians will find any opportunity to be by the beach.

The whole family spends langorous, hedonistic and lazy hours under the shade of the casuarina trees swayed by the gentle breeze nimbling at delicious snacks in between runs of swimming in the lagoon. Wet and sticky with sand, everyone’s pleasure is tolling day long on the stretches of gorgeous beaches Mauritius is famous for. And to the more adventurous, comes the snorkeling. Yet to the more adventurous, diving takes a special place depending on time one can devote to follow this passion.

Mauritius undoubtedly shares the reputation of one of the most sought after and reputed diving spots on this planet. What makes this distinction ? Well, the rich variety of marine life, the crystal clear water, the temperature, and the accessibility ticks all the right boxes to a memorable diving experience. I spent all my childhood and adolescence by the beach. I learnt swimming quite late though, at 12 years old. Since then, I took part in many national competitions and won a few too.  But my dream was to be able to dive. And to start, I tried my  first snorkeling … it was a disaster ! I choked, spat, drank sea water … and my eyes hurt and burnt for some days. However, my first diving experience was painless. It was like anticipating agony at the dentist and it turns out to be smooth and eventless. My first initiation was given to me by a friend who now runs the first diving centre on the island.

It is nothing equal to any terrestrial experience. I saw a yellow and black sea eel ( below is a picture showing, but its not mine, courtesy to Nautilus), and shoals of simmering fish in a multitude of colours which all …. seemed a bit blurred and grey at first. But later, it was joy. A feeling of awe, intense euphoria with that frustrating and exploding sense of wanting to shout without being able to.

Scuba divers in Mauritius are spoilt for choice of dive sites. There are numerous dive sites strewn all over the island. Beginners can start at the shallow side of the ocean whereas experienced divers can head straight for the more adventurous dive sites such as cliffs, caverns, reefs, pinnacles and wrecks. One of the well-known and popular dive sites in Mauritius is the Cathedral that is located off the Flic en Flac on the western coast of Mauritius. Other dive sites in Mauritius include the Whale Rock and Roche Zozo that is an underwater rock pinnacle and the submerged crater near Ile Ronde.

Can’t wait to get my paddlers on again this Summer ….. Some nice pics at this site, click to see them : Panoramio

Would this sort of reading be cliche now ?  Well, to a Mauritian, no. It is heartbreakingly serious. We are losing the Tambalacoque tree very rapidly and only a dozen are believed to be still alive.

You would want to know why am I talking about a tree which is almost extinct when there are thousands of species which share the same fate. First of all, the Tambalacoque tree cannot fail to impress you with its majestic site. It is child’s dream to play around those multiple roots and vast shades of its sprawling thick branches.

Tambalacoque (formerly Calvaria major), also called the Dodo Tree, is a long-lived tree in the family Sapotaceae, endemic to Mauritius. The Dodo Tree is valued for its timber. Tambalacoque is analogous to Peach. Both have a hard endocarp surrounding the seed, but the endocarp naturally splits along a fracture line during germination.

To aid the seed in germination, botanists now use turkeys and gem polishers to erode the endocarp to allow germination.This tree is highly valued for its wood in Mauritius, which has led some foresters to scrape the pits by hand to make them sprout and grow.

In 1973, it was thought that this species was dying out. There were supposedly only 13 specimens left, all estimated to be about 300 years old. The true age could not be determined because Tambalacoque has no growth rings. Stanley Temple hypothesized that the Dodo, which became extinct in the 17th century, ate tambalacoque fruits, and only by passing through the digestive tract of the Dodo could the seeds germinate. Temple (1977) force-fed seventeen tambalacoque fruits to Wild Turkeys and three germinated. Temple did not try to germinate any seeds from control fruits not fed to turkeys so the effect of feeding fruits to turkeys was unclear. Reports made on tambalacoque seed germination by Hill (1941) and King (1946) found the seeds germinated without abrading.

Temple’s hypothesis that the tree required the dodo has been contested. Others have suggested the decline of the tree was exaggerated, or that other extinct animals may also have been distributing the seeds, such as tortoises, fruit bats or the Broad-billed Parrot. Wendy Strahm and Anthony Cheke, two experts in Mascarene ecology, claim that while a rare tree, it has germinated since the demise of the Dodo and numbers a few hundreds, not 13. The difference in numbers is because young trees are not distinct in appearance and may easily be confused with similar species. The decline of the tree may possibly be due to introduced pigs and Crab-eating Macaques and competition with introduced plants. Catling (2001) in a summary cites Owadally and Temple (1979), and Witmer (1991). Hershey (2004) reviewed the flaws in Temple’s dodo-tambalacoque hypothesis.

To me, the Tambalacoque remains my favourite tree along with the Talipot palm to grace the unique image I retain of my native island. Although the shore is fringed by beautiful Casuarinas, the island flora never failed to excite me whenever I ventured inland to see these wonders. From the giants water lilies of the Botanical gardens which can hold 4 seated men in its span, to the tall Talipot which blooms only once every 100 years !, and the Trochetia’s shy blush make me think again when I see plants left to the destructive hands of man.

Below pics of the Giant Amazon Lily in Mauritius, the Casuarina or Filaos tree as it is affectionately called, the Talipot Palm or Centenary tree, and the Trochetia. The Trochetia like the others, is endemic to Mauritius and is also the national flower. The national carrier ‘Air Mauritius’ has named its latest aircraft after it.

One of my Designs, Cover stamp.

BBC World Challenge 

BBC and Shell Oil came together to create the ‘World Challenge’ to create projects that make good businesses and also give something back to the community. It is one of the best challenges I have seen in recent years which awards the best ideas and actions for a sustainable future starting at grass root level.

World Challenge in association with Shell, Newsweek and BBC, is a competition aimed at finding individuals or groups from around the world who have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass root level. The World Challenge rewards projects that make a real difference to local communities without costing the earth. World Challenge 2006 is all about global involvement, casting a net for ideas from individuals or groups deserving recognition.

I was delightfully surprised to see one of my school friends making it to the finalists in 2006, her video clip being aired on BBC. My interest and concern grew and soon I found myself spreading the word for her project to be voted winner. It brought years of nostalgic school yard games and girlie stuff back to my memory. And it was such a revelation to see that my friend had achieved in silence a secret effort to save the endemic plants and others by making a seed bank and sending them to be planted to landscapists all around the world. From a joyful girl always riding high in sports to a chirpie good natured girl, here was a woman blooming with a strong conviction.

Her work is too vast to put in words but here is a glimpse : Care-Co, an organization based in Camp du Roi, Rodrigues and Flora Marketing Co Ltd, situated in Curepipe, are among the twelve finalists of ‘The world challenge 2006’ organized by BBC World and Newsweek, in association with Shell. The two companies have been selected from more than 800 nominations from 120 countries.

Seeds of hope for poor communities – Blooming Business

Most conservation organisations have come round to the view that there is no future for tropical forests outside heavily protected areas, unless local people get a direct benefit from their utilisation.  Flora Marketing was set up to ensure they get that benefit. The company encourages poor communities in the tropics to set up seed banks for traditional plant varieties. Some of these sustainably harvested seeds are sent to Flora Marketing´s Mauritius HQ for export to buyers in some 30 countries. The rest are used to reforest degraded land, helping to ensure a future income. The income from seed sales now benefits some 2500 employees around the world, many of them women with no alternative livelihood options. Flora Marketing´s policy is that for every dozen seeds harvested, at least four are replanted in the natural habitat. Care-Co (Making a buzz)

Helping the disabled through beekeeping

Hives for the Handicapped is a project started in the early 1990s by a charity called Care-Co. The project trains disabled people in the science of beekeeping and helps to set them up with hives. A small non-profit making company then assists the beekeepers to process and market their product. Apiculture experts from the UK pay occasional visits to provide advice and ensure that standards are being upheld. The honey has won recognition around the world, including a Silver Medal at the International Honey Show in London. It is sold at a premium price at two shops in Rodrigues and in several Mauritius hotels. It is also served on the breakfast trays of Air Mauritius, the national airline. The income from these honey sales – and from associated products such as beeswax candles – provides a good living for the project´s 15 disabled beekeepers. With high unemployment rate on the island, they would otherwise have few – if any – employment options. Care-Co hopes the project can be replicated for the benefit of physically disabled people throughout.

The competition runs in these  categories  : COMMUNITY WELFARE AND ENTERPRISE, HEALTH & EDUCATION, SUSTAINABLE FARMING, ENERGY, WATER and ENVIRONMENT. Each year, we get to know the extraordinary work that many people are doing via the tiny window showcased on this competition.  All this laudable endeavour can only give us hope that little actions  do matter. They will change the world and shape it into a better place. Amidst the vast destruction going on, there is also genuine efforts of reconstruction, preservation, protection, empowerment of individuals and communities who can reach out further to shape the landscape of tomorrow.

Image courtesy : Copyright © Gary Martin, 1996 - 2009

I was born on the small island of Mauritius.

Now, whenever I say that to people, they reply : ‘ Oh Where is Mauritius ?’, and for the nth time I unreel the quickest recognition of Mauritius. By quoting ‘ As dead as the Dodo’.  Remember ?. .. It is the first animal known to have been extinct by the hands of man.

The island of Mauritius is renowned for having been the only known home of the dodo. The dodo is a lesson in extinction. First sighted around 1600 on Mauritius, the dodo was extinct less than eighty years later.

The list of endangered dinos_bird.php species continues to growing at an alrming rate today …

The tragedy of the dodo highlights the potential effects mankind can have upon the environment, and the ease with which humanity can disrupt the delicate balance of an ecosystem by eradicating whole species. As one of the earliest examples of modern ecovandalism, the impact of the Portuguese and Dutch sailors on Mauritius not only wiped out the famous dodo, but further disrupted nature in unexpected ways.

Incidentally check this amusing account of the Dodo here Dodo_bird

Before I lose the thread, let me just remind myself that Mauritius is all about a lesson not well learnt.

Green Parakeet, endemic to the island.the magnificient Kestrel, an endangered species.

the Bulbul or Zozo Conde, a cousin of the Caribbean Ti Sucrier

That of how vulnerable our environment is and how we are depleting the world of its fauna and flora without blinking an eye. This story serves to highlight the dangerous implications of animal extinction, and why humanity must work to safeguard the environment and nature. The bio-diversity of our world must be protected, both for current and future generations. The dodo was such a unique species of bird, that some three centuries later, it is still remembered as a symbol of the harm mankind can bring to the environment. As the memory of the dodo and the legacy of ecovandalism lives on, we must not forget to take heed of such a warning – particularly as more and more species are brought to the point of extinction.

The buzz word nowdays is sustainability, protection of our natural environment. And yet, we breeze by the news with a total indifferent candour reading about the ice cap melting, the dwindling numbers of the white bears, the dead end fight the animals are facing to their extinction at the hands the mighty poachers pawns to the multi million business tycoons.

Mauritius is one of the youngest islands born in the Indian Ocean and stuns jetsetters around the world by its pristine beauty and ideal setting in a sub tropical environment. It is neither too hot, nor too chilly, never too still or too windy, not too humid nor too dry, sum it all it has the perfect climate, air and sky quality and clarity to make it stand out to be recognised as being an exclusive destination. No wonder mark Twain wrote ” God saw Mauritius and create heaven after it’. One can only understands this pretentious statement when one lands on this tiny price of paradise. No words is superfluous enough to describe how magical the place is, and the people did a great job to make it a haven out of nothing but sweat, dedication and love for an equal world.

Despite having a low GDP, Mauritius is widely regarded as a developed country as the GDP is enough for all 1.3 million people. Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors.

A plan by ADB Networks calls for Mauritius to become the first nation to have coast-to-coast wireless internet access. The wireless hot spot currently covers about 60% of the island and is accessible by about 70% of its population.

Mauritius ranks first among all countries in FDI inflows to India, with cumulative inflows amounting to US$10.98 billion. The top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Mauritius between January 2000 and December 2005 were electrical equipment, telecommunications, fuels, cement and gypsum products and services sector (financial and non-financial).

Mauritian society includes people from many different ethnic groups. The republic’s residents are the descendants of people from India (Indo-Mauritian), continental Africa (Mauritian Creole people usually known as ‘Creoles’), France (Franco-Mauritian) and China (Sino-Mauritian), among other places.

In Mauritius, people switch languages according to the occasion. Over the course of a day a typical Mauritian might use English to write a school essay, Creole Morisien to chat with friends and French to read a novel.^[19]

The Indian Ocean country’s constitution makes no mention of an official language and its one million citizens speak either English, French, Hindi or Mauritian Creole — a French patois.

When it was discovered, the island of Mauritius was the home of a previously unknown species of bird, which the Portuguese named the dodo (simpleton), as they appeared to be not too bright. By 1681, all dodos had been killed by the settlers or by their domesticated animals. An alternate theory suggests that the imported wild boars that were set free destroyed the slow-breeding dodo population. The dodo is prominently featured as a supporter of the national coat-of-arms (see above).

The island has also given rise to a diversified literature, prominent in French, English and Creole. Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, the 2008 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, is of Franco-mauritian origin and lives on the island for part of each year.

The tiny island nation certainly is struggling hard to makes its place in the sun, and its development has not been flightless like the Dodo.

The island is keen to preserve its endangered species and shares a close collaboration with international conservation agencies to help in achieving its goals.

Should we learn a lesson from our past and help preserve what is left ?

Tonight I will cuddle up to my Dodo buddy and think if only I could have rescued him …… maybe I will dream of racing with him on the beach kicking coconuts  ….. unlike in the “Ice Age’ where it was watermelons !