MEET THE EXPATS: Raquel: From the South of France to the North of Mauritius

We first met Raquel a while ago at the launch event of her magazine for creatives. Having met her again for this interview, we were charmed once again by her character, her kindness, her charismatic French accent and her free-spirited nature. She spoke to us happily about the life she and her husband Nicolas share here on the island, appearing to be very much at home and very much at peace in her current home country. Here’s what happened when we met the 30 year-old last week…

It’s so nice to see you again Raquel! So to begin with, how long have you been in Mauritius and what brought you here?

We arrived here two years ago – in August it will be two years. I’m here because of my job. In France, I was working in development and access to energy in Africa, but I was based in France. Then I changed jobs. I found this position in Mauritius in the energy and water sector. 

What made you make the decision to move to Mauritius? What was the point when you said to yourself, ‘Yes, I’m going to do this’?

I was looking for a new job first of all. My husband and I knew we wanted to live abroad. When looking for a new job, I had two choices: Bolivia or Mauritius. When we weighed it up, Mauritius topped our choices. 

Had you been to Mauritius before you found your job here?

No, this was the first time! Nicolas, my husband, had been here before. That was 15 years ago, so a lot has changed since then. 

How was your experience of diving straight in, without coming here to test the waters first?

I’ve always been working in the international field. Before working here, I had been working for five or six years for a small company involved in water pumping, and I was based in West Africa and Polynesia during that time - so I already had an international view (perspective). I also did some travelling in Latin America for a few months, so I wasn’t very worried about living abroad.

When you arrived in Mauritius, what were your initial thoughts and feelings?

In terms of environment and the nature around, I found that very powerful as well as the light and the colours. It was really strong. With the people, I could see that there were diverse groups of people. I also felt there was a familiarity as people spoke French and I could easily be understood. I also felt that people understood my culture, but I didn’t immediately understand theirs, as there is such a large mix of cultures here. People here are used to French people and even if they speak Creole to one another, they would speak French to me… so communicating with me was normal for the locals.  I am actually trying to learn Creole. I’ve started classes. I really love the Creole language. 

And you live in the North? Are there many other expats where you live?

Yes, I live in the North and no, there are mainly locals where we live. We’re quite close to the beach, but it’s mainly locals with their families who use this particular beach - you don’t really see many tourists. We’re also near a little temple. I really love where we are. Plus, most of our friends are Mauritians. 

How did you meet your group of friends here?

I think we met most of them through music festivals. When we just arrived, there were quite a few music festivals happening. 

Do you have any favourite festivals or ones that stand out for you?

I really liked the Ernest Wiehe Jazz Festival that took place in Tamarin. That was the first festival we went to when we arrived. I don’t think there has been another one since, but that was really nice. I also like the Eco-Bridge that took place in Tamarin also. We were really happy about this, as we like going to concerts, plus it was a way to find out what was happening culturally on the island. Depending on the festival, you normally have a particular community who attend, but one that was really interesting was Porlwi By Light. It was the first time Port Louis was full of people, out to see street art and music.  At this festival, it was really mixed. All Mauritians came out to see what was happening… you had families. It was really a great atmosphere! It was great to see since this is a recent dynamic here. It seems that people were waiting for these types of events. It’s great because there’s the space for these types of events to happen here, so if someone wants to create something like a festival, it is possible to do so. On the other hand, I’m aware that there isn’t a lot of financial support for these events, so it can be hard. 

Do you miss France, or is there anything you miss about back home?

I miss my friends, but this is normal when you live away from your roots, right? We usually go back every year for around two weeks but it can be quite hectic, as we try to see everybody and it can be a challenge fitting everyone in!

What do you like most about being in Mauritius?

Well actually, I spend a lot of my time working  - I usually leave home at 7am and I return at around 6 or 7pm, so I haven’t really visited the island as I could have done. But one thing I love about being here is my job, as I’m passionate about that. I also like to experience what it’s like to live on an island and also getting to know the local people. 

And what, if anything, don’t you like about being in Mauritius? Is there anything that you’ve found difficult or challenging?

Well, it’s a small island. Sometimes if you’ve spent quite a long time somewhere, you feel like you need to breathe and look for something else. That hasn’t happened to me yet. Even though it’s small, I know that there’s so much of it I haven’t seen yet. It’s a multi-faceted island and there’s so much to discover. 

Something that is apparent about living here is that you see there is a big gap in the way different parts of the population live. 

How does work-life here differ to work-life in France?

I feel people work a lot here and sometimes people have several jobs to manage financially. It’s quite a dynamic atmosphere. In my own, everyday life, it’s a bit different. I was living in the centre of France and at the end of my day, I would come back to my home. But here, after work, I’m right next to the sea and this is amazing. It’s all very open and natural. We are in contact with nature and this is very special. If I was to go back to France, I would definitely be thinking about these magic moments of coming back from work and being next to the sea. It’s incredible. 

When you’re not working, what do you like to do on the island?

I love going to listen to music and going to see cultural events. I’m also very focused on personal creative projects. I have my magazine, Mahout, which I’ve been working on for eight years now. It’s part of my life, so when I arrived in Mauritius, I already had this project. 

Tell us more about Mahout…

I started the magazine project quite spontaneously when I was 22. It’s about really different people coming together to pursue their creativity. It focuses on music, art, creativity and social issues. The diversity of points of view and creation really interest me - and to gather all these different people in one medium… it’s a place where people can grow by facing a different point of view to their own about a particular topic. This can be really enriching. 

It sounds fascinating! Did you start the Mahout project all on your own?

It’s a project that I started, but it’s a collaborative and participative project, so I don’t do everything alone. There are more than 170 people collaborating: in France, Latin America and now in Mauritius. It’s a Franco-Spanish magazine. 

And how often is the magazine published?

*Laughs* Currently? Every two years. It takes quite a lot of time as it’s not my main project. Once a topic is chosen, I usually spend 4-5 months letting the projects be created. Then I have to gather everything and centralise and study what we can select and make an order. 

You had the launch event of the magazine here last month. How did you find that whole experience?

It was very nice. It was the first time in eight years of working on this project that I did a physical event. It is a very unique project, as I am the only person who knows all the collaborators; this is everyone I met along my travels in life. There are a lot of friends of mine, but also people who I might have met for one day, or even just a couple of hours, who I spoke to and thought they might be interested in the project. It’s not exactly a virtual collaborative project, but it’s a bit like that as everyone is geographically dispersed. So, it was very nice to have a concrete physical event and have physical copies of the magazine that were printed here in Mauritius. Also, a graphic artist from Mauritius participated in the design of the magazine. 

Has there been a lot of interest from Mauritian people in this project?

Yes, after the event we had about 15 more people who wanted to collaborate. And we had a workshop on slam poetry, which was great. 

What are your future plans for Mahout in Mauritius?

Maybe we could start having a section in English, or to translate some of the articles. Some people have said that it can be a bit frustrating having some content they can’t understand. Plus, we aim to sell the magazine more widely in Mauritius. 

It all sounds so exciting! We wish you the best of luck with it. Talking of the future, do you plan to stay here in Mauritius and settle for a while?

I don’t really see myself staying here for ten years at this stage in my life… maybe in the future? Plus, there are still other Indian Ocean countries to visit and explore. 

Finally, is there anything you would like to add about yourself and your life in Mauritius for our readers?

I’m really happy to be here in Mauritius and to be working and sharing my magazine, be it with locals or the international expat community. If anyone would like more information, they can get in contact with me.

By Sabah Ismail & Khalid Khadaroo

You can find out more about

Mahout magazine on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/revistamahout/ or you can contact Raquel directly on revue.mahout@gmail.com to obtain copies or get involved as a collaborator.

Photo credits: Morgane Ng Tat Chung