End of Flucation, and the Prettiest Place on the Planet

So let me explain. I've recently been afflicted by an internet brownout, caused by my not having paid the bill. I would like the know, however, how I was already late in paying the bill seeing as though it never arrived. I shall get to the bottom of this conundrum, although it is not pressing, now that I have found a kiosk on the way to the university where I pay off my bill as often as I'd like. Once again, I hemorrhage roupies. I will tell you that during said brownout, I read my last book, so now I will have to buy more. For which I will hemorrhage roupies.  

So school has resumed, and after much bureaucratic finagling, I finally have a complete schedule for the semester. My courses are: 20th Century American Literature (completely an accident, honestly), the Sociology of Migration, the Mauritian Economy, and Disadvantaged Populations/ Intercultural Social Work. The American Lit. class is actually proving to be more pertinent than I had previously anticipated, because the theme of the literature we are studying is race. To inform the literary discussion, the class is comparing and contrasting racial situations and demography in Mauritius and the United States, which is actually giving me a great frame of reference for my own understanding of race in Mauritius. As my independent research here centers around demography and ethnic relations, this class is actually proving to be perfect. Similarly, the social work class is food for my intellectual curiosity, as is the sociology. The economics course is serving two purposes: first to give me a better understanding of exactly how Mauritius got to be the way it is economically, and secondly to remind me why I could never be an econ. major. Ever. There were derivatives on the white board, and while I understood them well enough (read: I had them explained to me at length by a benevolent student after class), they harkened back to my days of calculus. I feel the same way about calculus that my sister does about Naval Officer Candidacy School: I'm glad I went through it, but I never would again. (I really did love calculus, as much as I had to work to understand it. That math stretched my brain in the weirdest ways. Someone find out how Ms. Andrada is for me. I miss her.)

Back to my sister; she is also blogging about adventures abroad. Hers, though are aboard the immensely intimidating USS Nimitz as it makes its grand tour of places she can't disclose for reasons of national security. JABatsea.blogspot.com. She really is spectacular.

It is worth noting that I do not have swine flu. I did, though, manage to give myself food poisoning the weekend before classes resumed. I am certainly no culinary master, as Sam, Mullins, my mother, or anyone else can verify. In fact, I can barely cook at all, though I am forcing myself to learn. The culprit for my food poisoning was chicken, as far as I can tell. I must have gotten some raw chicken juice on something that later entered my mouth. Or, it is certainly possible that I just undercooked the meat. Yes, I am a genius, I know. 

Also concerning my schedule, in true Miles-form, I have managed to avoid having classes on Mondays and Fridays. This leaves me two extra days every weekend. I've started the Monday tradition of going to some part of the island where I have absolutely no reason to go, except that I have never been. This Monday, I went to Mahebourg on the Southeastern Coast of the island (woah. Flickr it). After a serious of buses took me to the old capital district of Mauritius, I wandered around looking for the ocean. Mahebourg has a lovely seafront promenade completed in the past ten years that borders 'Blue Bay.' It is named this because the reef here protects a relatively large part of the bay from the ocean itself, thus keeping it shallower and for some reason, the most brilliant color of water I have ever seen. The mountains on the opposite side of the bay slope down directly into the water. I consider myself moderately well-traveled, due to the endless generosity of my long-suffering dad, but I can honestly say, not even the view from the London Eye or the Great Wall of China can beat this panorama. I didn't bring my camera on Monday, but I will definitely be returning to the area, and I will provide photographic evidence. 

It's also worth noting that I took the longest bus route on the island (Route 198 from Port Louis to Mahebourg) on Monday. The total cost for the journey, of well over 50 km, was 28 roupies. This is well under $1 US. Buses can be pretty economical over long distances. They can also provide you with access to the Mahebourg waterfront, and the Shoprite center outside of Quatre Bornes, if you're so inclined. I hear there's a bookstore at the Shoprite, and who knows? They might even have the covered trash-can for which I've been searching such a long time. I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to list a few things about Mauritius that have made it relevant(ish) to the modern world. I'd venture to say that most Americans have never heard of Mauritius, and that certainly is a shame. So here are some fun facts for you.

1) As aforementioned, Mauritius was the only home of the Dodo bird, before European settlers hunted it to extinction.

2) The Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Port Louis, is the birthplace of the worldwide indentured labor trade.

3) The 'Mauritian Post' stamps, a rare series from the mid-19th Century, are among the most famous and most prized stamps in the world by philatelists. They have been known to fetch around $1 million US at auction. Yes, I also like the word philatelist.

4) The naval battle at Grand Port (near Mahebourg) was one of the last (and only) times that a Napoleonic naval detachment defeated a British naval force in a major engagement. There is a monument on the promenade honoring it. 

5) The old theatre in Port Louis was the first operational theatre in the Southern Hemisphere. It only houses performance sporadically, now. 

6) Mauritius is one of the world's leading exporters of clothing, due to some ingenious economic policies since independence in 1968. Check your labels, you might just find "Made in Mauritius." 

So, next time you call someone a dodo (or, more likely, you hear a 4 year old call someone a dodo), defeat a British naval armada, or spend your life's savings on a collectible postage stamp, think about Mauritius. I do it everyday.