The Eagle's Lodge

Blogging or Vlogging ?

2022-02-17T11:28:00.002+04:00

The title of this blog post actually dates back to the 30th November 2019 - more than 2 years ago. I was still wondering whether I should leave the blog where I have not been posting much the past 5 years for a Vlog which could be quite interesting.

Since then, We have seen the rise of the Tiktok app which has taken an immense place in the digital world and kind of changed the way people consume information. Rarely do people read these days. The current trend would be spending hours watching tiktok short clips.

It was not a surprise that youtube as well would invest and give more space on its app to the shorts videos. In any case, for our blog, it has remained nearly untouched for the past 3 years.

So why not today..

Mauritius news : Nothing new - Just the usual so not much to comment on

World news : Nothing new either

It would seem that the world is at a standstill waiting to re-start and resume where it stopped with the Covic Pandemic. We can only hope that borders re-open and everything goes back to normal now.

Here we are, so.. probably since We are here - we will be looking forward to some revamping on the blog and who knows where this will lead us to..

2022 - Easy money making with Cryptocurrency / Bitcoins

2022-02-17T11:19:00.003+04:00

This will be a short blog post. Cryptocurrency has been in existence since more than a decade but with not much success until the past 5years and suddenly many persons who choose to invest into the digital coins became millionaires overnight (Many, not all!) as it depends here how much money and coins you had when suddenly the Bitcoin rose up to $60,000 which is enormous.

It has gone down since then, and many who didn't get the chance to invest into it took the opportunity to do same and the bitcoin rose again. Now, important for you to understand that there are not only bitcoins out there. There are actually hundreds of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

You have main apps or websites to hold these and trade them like binance and coinbase. I have put down a link you can use to join the most interesting and easy to use app, binance. I installed quite a few and after playing with most of the most legit ones, I finally opted for binance which has two versions in 1 app, lite and pro versions.

Now is actually the right time to buy cryptocurrencies and you can do that with your credit card. why now? Because the prices have gone down and if you want to make profits, you need to buy when the price is low and sell later when the price is higher on the market, that's how you actually make money.

If you have any other easy money making trends coming up do leave it in the comment and we will look into it for the next blog post. :) Thanks

Blog Re-initialized, Mauritius politics going crazy!

2018-11-19T08:49:00.001+04:00

4 years nearly since my baby was born amidst the turmoil of the 2014 general election voting day. Since then, true to say priorities changed but I also gave some credits to the lepep government and kept faith sooner or later something good would eventually crop up.

4 years later - the lepep government has already exploded and only 2 parties, correct me if i am wrong, are leading the government today.

We all know what happened in the end which is also a new beginning for others. These events however should however open the eyes of the Mauritians.

None of our elected opposition parties felt the need or responsibility to do this. Therefore their "lacheter" confirms to me that they all form part of a big cartel.. They have been here for more than 5 decades - including so-called alternative parties..

Changing things won't be easy and at some point in time we can even ask ourselves, would it be worth it?

LaPlaz Moris - Aret Kokin Boneum

2017-11-17T00:05:00.001+04:00

Morisien / Morisienne

Ine l'heure pour ou rende ou conte ki pe ariver dans sa pays la.

Pa reste boucou avant ki ou vine locataire dans ou prop pays.

Longtemps kan ou envi ou alle bor la plaz ou camper..

zordi ou bizen dimande permission ek beach authority

Avant lors nimporte ki laplaz ou alle camper

Zordi la plaz publik nepli ena meme

Kuma nou pe dire dans sa video obas la - dans pa lontan olieu ou alle relax laplaz

ou pou bizen alle relax dans la foret parski nek sameme ki pou rester

Ena enkore boucou pou kozer - lontan mo fine reste trankil - tro lontan

Ine l'heure pou re vine met ene dialog ek zot lepep de moris

Parski pays la kot pialer pa pe korek ditout - tanne dire p rode tire rond point met robot!

Bon - ena telman lactualiter - keep tuned - nou pou revine ek 1 lotte ti mesaz serier

Pa blier partaz messaz la..

Depenalization of Cannabis in Mauritius

2016-05-09T22:26:00.001+04:00

About the recent crackdown on activitists for the depenalization of cannabis in Mauritius, We have a clear opinion on the matter:

1. We are not for legalization of cannabis in Mauritius as up to now but we are for a debate on the matter.

2. We clearly are against any brutality, using of brutality against activists and the people of Mauritius is totally unacceptable.

3. We urge the government and all stakeholders to come forward with a civil debate on the matter.

4. While cultural reasons might be an important point, on such matter where health is concerned, a more scientific approach is a priority.

5. Advice of countries such as Netherlands should be sought in dealing with a depenalization of such drug.

6. Researches should be made on the impact of such depenalization on our soil

7. We are a sovereign state with a democratically elected government, on such cases where they have not been mandated to act, they should advice for a debate and national referendum to give their consent for such decision.

Here's our 5 cents.

Mauritius in 2016

2014-11-16T02:21:00.002+04:00

kisanla pou coz pou ou ?

PTR-MMM-MSM-PMSD tousala 1 sel sa..

Comier scandal fine touffer..?

ou fine blier ?

Zordi EOC pe dire ena case pa prioriter

Voila ki apel vrai changement:
- Nou bizen aret dinasti politik: zis 2 MANDAT pu PM ek PRESIDENT
- Nou bizen met enn frein tou GASPIYAZ cass ki tou banes guvernma fine fer.. kifer minis bizen roule dan bel bagnole.. fer zot roule dan bis zot va conne souffrance lepep
- Nou bizen arette donn tou bizness ek later TI COPINS ek TI COPINES.. kan morisien pou prosperer?
- Nou bizen fer parlman travay toute lane et ran conte ki zot fer.. sinon paye zot nek kan zot travay..
- Nou bizen okip TOU DIMOUN dan la penn.. ene ti pays kumsa.. autan dimoune dan problemes.. ena p mort lakoz pena cash pou fer loperation..
- Nou bizen donn SANS EGAL tou dimoun pu reissi dans la vi.. kifer ena p pass par limposte p fini vine chairman..gm etc..

- Nou bizen aret destriksyion LANVIRONMAN ek LA NATIR.. tourist vine guet nu natir.. lanvironman si nu gat li.. nou zenfan so lavenir pou en danzer..
- Nou bizen kre travay pu TOU SOMER ek GRADUE SOMER.. bizen faire travay dan secteur ki nou ena competence ensuite nou forme bane zeness dan secteur ki nou p rode developer..
- Nou bizen donn enn meyer service lasante - ARET NEGLIZANS
- Nou bizen redonn LAPOLIS SO VALER ek redress Law and Order dan Pei..

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Electoral Campaign - Conventional or Campaign 2.0 ? #Mauritius

2014-10-16T21:32:00.000+04:00

The dissolution of the assembly having been announced already, the parliamentary elections are close. The date, however, has not yet been disclosed. Being a fine strategist, the prime minister probably will take his time to disclose the date.

But why?

Simply because first he wanted to see if people are happy with his alliance with the ex-leader of the opposition and if the same people would be joining their ranks in number. It did NOT happen. To date, on a scale of probability, it seems around half of the population is still undecided on which side to support.

Second, due to the high number of candidates since both parties can have 60 candidates, a lot of talking needs to be done to avoid any frustrations and to give "guarantees" to some !. So it seems.

Who are the contenders to the parliamentary seats ?

The lists of candidates and parties have not yet been publicly declared but here are some who seem to be going for the elections:

FSM
JEUNE PATRIOTE MAURICIEN
LALIT
MAM
MMSD
MSM - PMSD - ML
PARTI JUSTICE SOCIALE - UNION POPULAIRE
PARTI MALIN
PTR - MMM
REZISTANCE EK ALTERNATIVE
THE LIBERALS

This time, the political campaign seems to be quite lively with the emerging parties mushrooming these days.

Some of those are known to be active only during the political campaign while some others are lead by some individuals who are known to be like tomatoes jumping in all sauces for some fame.

A political campaign if we boil it down to the essentials is NOT about banners / flags / alliances / personal attacks / distribution of money / re-surfacing of roads.

If we boil it down to the essentials, what are the elements we need in order to take the decision on which party we need to cast our votes?

We need creative ideas on how the political party will better our day to day life

We need to know what they will do for us, as a nation, during their mandate

We need to see who of those people we can trust

We need to see who of those people we think can administrate our ministries or provide for a true opposition in order and who will maintain its grounds and not join sides with the government

We need to know whether the parties we wish to vote are not asking votes only to take the power

Are the people requesting our votes reliable enough to represent our voice at the national parliament?

So many questions we need to answer ourselves to know if in our constituency we have people who are credible to be voted.

If we do NOT have anyone credible enough, what can we do ?

NOT VOTE ? No - This is the worst we could ever do.

What we need to do, is to be a candidate ourselves. Even, if it is only to show the way forward and to help others to emerge.

We are in 2014, we can no more tolerate people putting banners / tagging walls / gluing paper on our walls / putting plastic banners everywhere, etc.. We need in 2014 a modern campaign.

The people have shown their disinterest in conventional campaign by not attending the meetings of the ptr-mmm and msm-pmsd-ml.

I will end with the following lines:

It is during times like those, that we see patriots take a stand, that we feel the wind of change blowing, that we hold our breathes for a miracle. The miracle is US. Let us make it happen. - Ashfaq - 2014

Support the Revolution 2.0 Campaign - Share and Like !

Animu - Anime Creators in Mauritius

2014-05-01T15:24:00.000+04:00

The many anime lovers out there will be damn glad to stumble on this article. We came across some anime creators who happen to also make small artefacts of their creators. They were under a tent near the 1st of May meeting today at Beau Bassin. Here are a few shots of their stand and what we bought.

If you like what they do, check them out at:

http://animu2010.yolasite.com/

Here are some snapshots:

Share with your anime lovers friends :)

1st May in Mauritius

2014-05-01T14:45:00.000+04:00

Unlike the past years where thousands would attend the usual labor day meetings of political parties to obtain some bryani, money, or to show their love for their respective political parties, this year the biggest political parties decided not to make any political meetings due mainly to the fact that they are still not sure with whom they want to make an alliance with.

Unlike the previous years, we wanted to check out the Mouvment 1er Mai which made its political meeting near the police station at Beau Bassin. The Mouvman premier mai allows political observers to share their views on the current issues in Mauritius and to take the mic on the platform.

It was mostly the type of gathering where you can bring your family and walk around, .. well that's what we did and it was very pleasant.

Anyways, here are some pictures:

Not many people are actually into going to meetings on the 1st of May .. Maybe all parties and movements should cancel those. Just Wondering !!!

Home made Mayonnaise recipe from Mauritius by my wife

2014-03-29T16:04:00.001+04:00

Quick and damn easy with only 6 ingredients and 10 minutes needed at most and 5 minutes for cleanup !. Why don't you do your mayonnaise instead of buying supermarket ones with full of preservatives and you are not even sure about the quality of the ingredients. With your own made mayonnaise, you can choose the oil, the fresh eggs, fresh lemons and add your taste of mustard and any herbs you wish. Not to forget that for what it's worth, your homemade mayonnaise will cost you much cheaper.

Ingredients:

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon of salt (a bit less is better but add to taste)

1 teaspoon vinegar (same as the one you put in your salad)

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (we used the lemon juice from supermarket for salad)

1/2 teaspoon of Mustard powder

3/4 cup of oil (we used sunflower oil - Brand: Slite and a plastic cup)

& if you wish

Small pinches of herbs (rosemary, thyme and parsley)

Instructions:

1. Separate the yolk from the white (we used an egg separator but it can be done without it easily)

2. Put your egg yolk in a bowl, add the salt, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder and herbs.

3. Use your mixer on the ingredients to get a bright yellow color. Mix all together for 30 seconds.

4. Put the oil drop by drop with a spoon while mixing the whole. Use 1/4 of the cup of oil.

5. Continue with the rest of the oil you should put it very little by little and each drop by drop you put in the mixture should be mixed completely before continuing.

6. When you have finished all the oil, you are done. Normally the mixing operation should take 8 minutes. You can add a spoon of hot water while mixing if it is too thick.

But, with the above ingredients it won't be :) We are sure about it because we did it ! :)

If you have an immersion mixer instead no need to add the oil little by little. You simply have to mix everything together. Start from the bottom to the top.

What I love about home made mayo :)

It is creamy and rich with a natural tanginess with makes you want to dip your fries into them. Also, this is perfect when you are planning a BBQ and got many guests coming. You don't have to ruin yourself over buying mayonnaise from the store. You can make as much as you want for half the price !.

And anyway store bought mayonnaise really taste like a watery imitation compared to this one.

How much time can you keep it ? [VERY IMPORTANT]

Last and definitely not LEAST ! .. Home made mayonnaise does not contain any preservatives and turn bad often over 48 hours up to 1 week (kept in fridge). You should take care to get fresh and good looking eggs, else look for pasteurized eggs.
If you use it quite rarely, it would be better for you to buy the store one. But for recipes requiring a lot of mayonnaise or like when you need a lot of mayonnaise for special occasions then its definitely better to make your own.

Have any recipes you want to share with us, contact us through our group on Facebook at this link > ashfaqblog < https://www.facebook.com/mauritianblogger

Crab Soup Recipe from Mauritius by my wife

2014-03-16T17:07:00.000+04:00

During those uncertain days the country is going through, the best we can do while waiting for those "de pere en fils" generations to pass away is to enjoy what we have left of our time on this piece of rock. So, here we go on this "rainy/sunny/rainy" evening. My little wife just happened to get an amazing idea: To make a Crab soup ! Though surrounded by the ocean, many Mauritians do not know how to make such a nice soup. Lucky for us, she will explain it all and it's damn easy.

Ingredients for 2 persons:

2 medium sized crabs 2-3 spoons of oil (We used a Stoneline cooking pot 20cm diameter which usually do not require oil - We added it only for taste. So it depends on the cooking pot you are using)
1 onion cut in cubes
2 spoons of Ginger and Garlic paste
3/4 Tomato paste (We bought a box of 200ml - Sungold)
3 tsp salt (add to taste)
3 branches of Thym
1 whole chilli (Gros Piment or you can use Pima Sek) - Add to taste

Cooking Procedure:

1. Break the crabs and clean them or buy broken ones.

2. Let them defrost in water while waiting to be cooked.

3. Put oil in the cooking pot and let it boil

4. Add onions, then ginger and garlic paste.

5. Let it fry for some time until the onions turn golden color.

6. Add the whole chili and mix them altogether. (Split the chili in the middle without cutting it)

7. Add the tomato paste, thym and Salt

8. Add water and let it boil. (Add enough water depending on your crabs to have them immersed when you will put them afterwards and allow a little space as adding the crabs will make the water level rise in the pot) 9. Add the crabs.

10. Let it boil for 30 minutes over a gentle heat until the soup thickens.

11. Serve hot with bread ! Bon Appetit !

Some snapshots of the recipe:

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

If you have any recipes you want to share with us, drop us a msg on our page at the link below!
https://www.facebook.com/mauritianblogger

The Mauritian Dream

2014-02-17T23:25:00.000+04:00

A lot has been said about so many faults in the Mauritian system. How the politicians are pushing forward their sons and nephews and nieces to take over the political power. Bagging contracts from the government worth millions, and so on. This has become such a current thing in today Mauritius that Mauritians tend to take it as normal. The french expression explains it all,"un secret de polichinelle".

What about the Mauritian Dream ?

Few decades ago and some thousand miles away was born the expression, "The American Dream". We often hear about those words to describe the great american nation. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. This is utterly far from being the case in Mauritius. Take a lot at the names of those who have been in power the last four decades and see how the "circumstances of birth" play a great role in Mauritius.

Achievement ?

While a lot of Mauritians do their best and climb the ladders to success. What is their percentage compared to those who use "contacts" to get to the top of ladder in a tenth of that time ?.

The Mauritian Dream

At the expense of using the rhetoric of Martin Luther King Jr., The Mauritian dream is not far from the aspirations of the Americans back then.

I have a dream for Mauritius, instead of criticizing and not proposing anything like all those politician rats do day-in day-out, here are some proposals. But again that's my Mauritian Dream, here we go:

Freedom of opinion, faith and information.
All youngsters should be given a land on bail at the age of 18 where they can build a house.
Adoption of renewable energy as the only source of energy.
6 months of civil service for all youngsters who finish high school whether in police/fire services / other bodies.
Retirement at the age of 60 years old.
Intra-urban transport system in all cities and Train or LRT from East to West and North to South of the Island.
A maximum of 2 mandates totaling 10 years for the post of Prime Minister. A maximum of 3 mandates totaling 15 years for the post Minister. (Whether consecutive mandates or not)
School buses for each school providing to and from school to nearest bus-stop to the child's residence.
All government application form systems online.
Ministers should use public transport or own vehicle except on official events.
Threshold to put forward a Tax above normal percentage on high income individuals.
Year round promotion of 25% discount in all hotels around the island for Mauritians.
50% discount for all nautical leisure activities as well as nature trails.
A permanent committee to spot and remove all ethnic and cultural symbols from our official documents, money, etc.
MBCTV using as official language the creole and if needed then translate to English and French only.

The list can become very long indeed, .. What is YOUR Mauritian dream ?

InfoTech 2013 Sucks ! Read my misadventures.. ! #Mauritius

2013-11-23T22:01:00.001+04:00

I suddenly felt a strong urge to write a post this evening after some 2 weeks of silence-radio since Nitin Chinen got arrested. But, here i am. So let's get started. Infosuck, is a yearly event, meant to show the new technologies and advancement in technology. However, as you would have understood and witnessed, it has become more of a techno-bazar over the years. Not so long ago, it was forbidden to sell stuffs at the Infosuch but seemingly this is no more the rule. In the ICT field as in many other fields, some Mauritian companies seem to suck big time at customer care and training their employees on how to deal with customers.

Yes, Everyone is a potential customer of your company until you piss off the person. It is the same rule as "innocent until proven guilty" and this time I prove at least 1 company guilty.

why ?
Well read this:

Me: alor (hello), kuma faire pou zouer lors LAN (Local Aread Network) la ?
le con: demande bane piti par laba la
Me: mais mo trouve ena tshirt fast-clique lors twa, ek mo trouve fast-clique lors stand LAN la sameme mo p demande twa
le con: man, mo pa p travay la, mo p manzer
Me: aller rite korek sa, pa kass latet..

What to say ! Can i force the person to show me what to do to play ? I just want to say that company sucks big time for employing such basterds. Here's a picture of the stand:

Game on !
I went to the New Identity Card stand where they are giving off pamphlets and stuffs to convince people to join .. and guess what ?

Le Girl: Sorry, vous n'avez pas le droit de prendre des photos du ID card.

Le Moi: Mais, c'est pas un sample sa?

Le Girl: Oui mais vous n'avez pas le droit de prendre des photos parcequ'il y a des mesures de securité, quand vous aurez la votre vous pourrez prendre une photo.

Le Moi : Je suis un bloggeur, c'est surtout pour informer les gens et qu'ils puissent voir à quoi ça ressemble!.

Le Girl: Non, mais, vous n'avez pas le droit, le pamphlet vous pouvez prendre en photo et mettre!.

And by then, I was like WTF !! .. They want to take my fingerprints, take my picture in 3d or whatever and I cannot even take a picture of their sample ID !. WTF is going on !.

As would say the Frenchmen, Jamais deux sans trois. So, here is the third one!. The supposedly 3D TV really need to change its name. The video is blurred without the glasses, and fine with the glasses which is absolutely normal but it is nowhere near any 3D experience you would expect.
My opinion: You might want to wait some more before getting one of those !

(Click on the picture to see enlarged version)

I have the great pleasure to present you the Miss Elite Busines School ! :) lol

Vertical world in Collaboration with Nokia trying to drag some people to their stand though people are massively going for brands like HTC, Huawei, Iphone and Samsung since some time and Nokia has lost a considerable market share.

HTC proposing some good deals as well for the Infosuks, while buying an HTC one, you obtain an HTC Desire C as a gift ! which is in itself a great deal as like our blogger friend, you can sell yours as its new and original price around Rs 6000, you will have like Rs 5000 more off the price of the HTC one !.

Do write some comments in the section below, anonymously if you wish, to let us know about your opinions on the event and any misadventures with that sh*t company !

E.T in Mauritian Sky ! Halo is back !

2013-11-12T13:30:00.001+04:00

E.T seems to be loving Mauritius island. Here it comes back today hovering all over the island and being sighted also in Reunion island today.
The popular Reunion island website LINFO.RE writes the following about the Halo:

Ce phénomène optique peut se produire plusieurs fois par an et peut durer de quelques secondes à plusieurs heures. Le 11 octobre dernier, un halo solaire a été observé dans le sud de l’île et plus précisément, dans le ciel de Cilaos. Lorsque le ciel est dégagé, les habitants peuvent admirer ce magnifique spectacle. Se formant à 10 000 mètres d’altitude, il existe plusieurs types de halos, plus ou moins éloignés du soleil.

Mauritians have been taking pictures and posting on the various social media websites during the mid-day about this quite unusual sighting.

Here are the pictures taken for the blog:

All pictures are copyrighted.. Please send us a message or blog comment if you intend to use our picture for any purpose whatsoever.

Keep Sharing.. Let's go VIRAL !

Breaking News: Nitin Chinien announces PM Ramgoolam's car to be blocked !

2013-11-12T11:26:00.000+04:00

The singer and former animator of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation [MBC] Nitin Chinien, announces on a video post on youtube that a crowd will block and stop the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam's car. He continued further in inviting the chairman of the MBC, Dan callikhan to put a police record.

The ex-animator of the M.B.C says that he has not been paid his salaries and 3 months' notice before being sacked and wants to get paid after 2 years of unemployment. He further states that the police cannot lay hands on him and that he is well protected by the ''ti-dimoune''.

This new episode could also somehow be some kind of drama viral video the singer and former former animator could be doing. We have no idea if what he is saying is about a real cause to get his unpaid salaries or if this is some sci-fi movie he is making using youtube.

We, however, advice user discretion!, and wish to point out that the blog has nothing to do with the author of this video, know nothing on the motives of the person who uploaded the video on youtube.com , has no information regarding the allegations in the video and that we are publishing this solely as for entertainment purposes.

Though, we usually promote activism and freedom of information, this post is solely meant for sharing a dramatic entertainment video with no prejudice to any third parties.

Budget 2014 Mauritius - What do you think about it ?

2013-11-08T19:46:00.001+04:00

The FM says that We're are 3/4 of the way to becoming a high income economy country ! .. in 6 budgets we will be there ! Translation: They are looking for another mandate ! hehe.. that's a down to earth opinion .. but quite plausible.
Here we go, budget measures:

[UPDATE: The budget speech can be found here : LINK]

Focus on budget is on infrastructure. Rs. 18.4 Billion and in the 3 next years approx. Rs. 54 billion Extension of Airport - 525 Million on 72 hectares of land - terminate in July 2014 Construction of Airport Hotel. 3.2 Billion for portuary development and development at Jin Fei to accommodate for ships carrying fuels. Construction of storage facilities for oil and petroleum - Creation jobs for engineers. Opening of Terre Rouge- Verdun and Verdun - Trianon roads.
New projects to alleviate congestion.
1. Phoenix Jumbo Round About Project.
2. bridge over GRNW to link Coromandel to Sorez
3. Tunnel through signal mountain to Champs-De-Mars
Purchase of 200 semi-low floored buses equipped with latest features and more Eco-friendly.
Subsidy of Rs 1 million per bus .. no vat on the new buses ..
N.T.C, restructured
100 semi-low floored buses to be bought from Japan. complete overhaul of existing fleet. Maintenance to be transferred to authorized agents.
Vehicles of 5 tons and above to be equipped with hi-tech equipment for security and fitness test each year.
L.R.T on Port-Louis to Curepipe corridor - Singapore corp. helping to prepare the project. 6 Pre-selected companies to submit detailed proposals.
Utility sector - Rs. 3 billion to increase St. Louis by 60 MW A new water authority bill next year to improve efficiency.
CWA/WMA/Irrigation authority will be merged Rs 1.3 Billion to replace old pipes and implement new technologies.
Faculty of Ocean Studies to be setup at the University of Mauritius Biomass development scheme introduced under MID funds to give incentives to small planters.
Removal of VAT on Photo-voltaic panels, reduce cost by 15%.
Rs. 6 Billion for implementing MID projects, lagoon, parks projects and studies for research and extraction of petrol.
Film Industry - B.O.I expects the film industry to generate Rs 500 millions in 2014 Africa strategy to support companies investing in Africa - Budget of Rs 500 millions in 5 years.
subsidy of 25% on freight for doing business in Africa, subside on insurance premiums.
50 renewed bursaries to African students.
Permit for construction- Creation of e-Monitoring system to track all applications for permits for construction all applications will have to receive clearance within 15 days, all utility companies will have to give clearance within 10 days. If no answer within delay from utility companies, means that application has been accepted.
Tourism Sector - Government and Tourism Industry to setup a public/private committee to see what can be done.
M.T.P.A to give training on foreign languages and cooking Creation of serious fraud office and implement best practices from abroad.
SICOM to be listed on Mauritius Stock exchange.
Rs 7 billion investment over next 5 years by operators to move to optical fiber cables
Cross-connection of LIONS and SEAS cables over Seychelles.
New loan guarantee scheme for small entrepreneurs - Government will guarantee directly the amounts. 8 additional bursaries for ICT Laptops to be given but Rs. 690 insurance fees to be paid by parents. ZEP schools to benefit for additional help.
Exemptions for contributions to NPS/NSF for foreign employees will be removed.
15 additional inspectors to check work places.
Recruitment of additional 100 fire fighters.
Budget of Rs50 Millions for setting an enquiry office and creation of project management to reduce delays in projects.
Health: Rs 9.2 Billions - To treat diabetes and Cancer - National diabetes center and National Cancer Agency to detect cancer at earlier stages.

Rs 500 millions to extend services at Candos hospital + setup of 3 medi-clinics at a cost of Rs. 50 millions approx.
Rs 500,000 to Rs 800,000 grant for medical surgeries
Plantation of 200,000 trees in the next 2 years.
Sports: 35 scholarships for high level athletes for next year, increase of allowance by 5%.
Sports act will be amended.
Football: Reviving traditional clubs as far as nothing communal is in the names.
Creation of a semi-professional league
Budget Rs. 387 millions [ 4 new stadiums, upgrading of football / volleyball, rehabilitation of Maryse Justin,.. ]
Basic Pension and all pension schemes increase by 3.7%
4th Recreation center to be constructed at Riambel.
Social allocations increased by Rs. 1000
Accommodations to be made at trochetia at cost of Rs. 24 millions
Changes to be made to child protection act
Additional Rs. 40 millions for renovation of Plaza Theatre, Rs. 40 millions reconstruction of forum at Curepipe and renovation of Serge Constantin at Rs. 30 millions and construction at Tombeau Pere laval at Rs 18 millions.
Setting up of Sanskrit Speaking Union
P.M.O will receive applications for broadcasting of films/TV programs (local) to 3 broadcasters.
Housing Empowerment Schemes - (up to Rs50,000 income) depot reduced to 5%, 2 years moratorium. Govt. guarantees 20% of the loans. Government will reimburse TVA up to Rs 300k for loans up to Rs2.5 millions
Social Housing Units to be built
Social Housing fund revamped into a National Habitat fund with a wider scope
12 types of Construction plans freely given from the MHC
NHDC flat environments to be upgraded.
Rs 2000 to buy leased land from government ( 17000 families concerned )
Pre-paid meters released by CEB and available at no cost to low income households. Waver if bill under Rs.175
Extension of water tank schemes for families up to Rs.15,000 income
Tourism Package in Rodrigues maintained.
Consumer Welfare fund to help consumers
Removal of VAT on Soya products
9 year schooling to be introduced - CPE exams to be stopped.
Duty on Cigarettes and alcoholic drinks - increase of 5%
Duty on Air-conditioners to give incentives to customers for buying less power consuming equipment
Land transfer tax, applicable 1st January 2014 - 5% flat rate
58 additional officers at MRA to be recruted.

Voilà ! .. Please write your comments below on the Mauritius Budget 2014 !

ZTE H108N router replaced from Orange

2013-08-24T18:20:00.001+04:00

After 6 years using the Sagem Livebox given on the My.T package by Mauritius Telecom, got a quite pleasant surprise today. The My.T technicians came around and tried solving the synchronization problem but it appeared that the Livebox was dead :( I must say that it was a really great device.

The Sagem Livebox never had any issues during the past 6 years! I hope I won't have any issues with this one either!.

So, Here it is, my New ZTE H108N, much smaller and a lot more of LEDs flashing everywhere !

Speed Test:
And now we tried a Speed Test to test the connection :)

Desforges, Port Louis - The traffic jam!!!

2013-08-24T17:10:00.001+04:00

The Desforges street (a.k.a Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Street) in Port louis is always traffic jammed. Most of the cars however, have no business to do on the street itself and is just a transit on their way.
Alternatives do exist:

To go North
Use the parallel street Remi ollier

To go South
Use the parallel Sir Virgil Naz

So, if you are coming in port louis city center, you would prefer staying away from Desforges street during Weekdays
between 8-9 am, 3-6 p.m
and
on Saturdays between 11- 2 h 30 p.m

Voila, that's all from me..

Tteoobl 318 Waterproof case for camera - (Product Review)

2013-08-20T13:44:00.000+04:00

DX.com – DealExtreme The Tteoobl 318 20-Meter Outdoors Diving Waterproof Case for Camera w/ Neck Strap - Black has been purchased from the dx.com website and is quite cheap. The waterproof case comes with a neck strap and all in a box shipped to you in a matter of a few weeks.

Pros:

Cheap- it is sold at only $12.10 which is actually very cheap since you do not have to buy a waterproof camera and can use your own point and shoot camera with this product with a very low investment.

Secure- With the use of the neck strap, you can swim freely among the fish and be free of your movements. You can then grab the camera when you are ready for a shot and afterwards just drop it and let it hang around your neck while you continue exploring the underwater beauty of the lagoon.

Picture Quality- The picture quality is very good compared to other products where the image gets blurred.

Use: Very easy to use, all you need to do is open the 3 screws and push your camera inside and tighten them back. Then, test to see if water goes inside. If everything is fine, you can start using it. To access the camera trigger, a finger compartment is provided in the design. You can shoot your pictures easily.

Camera Models: It is designed normally for Lumia but I have tried it also with a Nikon Coolpix and it works fine. Should work with most point and shoot small camera having a zoom function.

Cons:

Size- The camera is a bit loose inside but it can accommodate several models though.

Material- The material looks durable but the opening/closing system seems a bit fragile and will not last for years but for that price it will last at least for 2 years.

So here is a small video of the unboxing of the product:

Video:

Bottom line:The product does what it says. It is cost-effective compared to buying a waterproof camera. It is a worthy purchase but maybe it should have been an under $10s product.

The product is available at the following link:
http://dx.com/p/tteoobl-318-20-meter-outdoors-diving-waterproof-case-for-camera-w-neck-strap-black-175447
DX.com – DealExtreme - SKU#175447

World Photography Day - 19th August

2013-08-19T18:00:00.002+04:00

Billions of pictures taken, printed, shared.. The legacy of a genius by the name of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce who invented the firs. Much later, Thomas Sutton took the first color picture in 1861. Here is an image illustration of cameras through the years:

Source: http://blog.epicedits.com/2010/11/23/the-rise-and-fall-of-digital-and-film/

Today, cameras are found on phones, in buildings, on the road, in vehicles, nearly everywhere. We are constantly being watched or constantly immortalizing moments and putting them online where they are shared, copied, edited and will probably remain till the end of the internet.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:View_from_the_Window_at_Le_Gras,_Joseph_Nic%C3%A9phore_Ni%C3%A9pce.jpg
The first permanent photograph ever taken.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tartan_Ribbon.jpg

And above the first color picture ever taken is that of a multi-colored ribbon.

Below is a very funny photo evolution of photographers from masscovers.com , most start on their foot and as they become more and more entangled in the photography hobby they go down all the way ! :)

keep tuned for the next article :D

Robotized Walking Device for handicapped !

2013-07-25T12:36:00.002+04:00

Gone are the days where handicapped persons would have to use the wheel chair and need help all their lives! After the motorized wheel chair which was already quite an innovation, here comes the Robotized Mobilization Device. It not only helps the person to move around. But literally lifts the person up from bed and put him a walking position!.

Tek RMD Introduction / Long Vesion from Tek RMC on Vimeo.

With the use of the device as you can see from the video, the person can easily do all his daily works by himself, whether going to toilet, preparing food, going to library, .. It gives the handicapped a completely autonomous way to freedom of movement. Of course, as all devices, it comes with a price tag!. Even Wheel chairs do! The price for this great device is only $15,000 (around rs450,000) which looks surprisingly affordable for what it does. It is nearly the price of a car, but honestly at this price, It seems to be worth it.

For the time being, it is on Pre-order. So, you can go to the website below to make your pre-order and pay $5,000.
Here are the links:
Website for Device and information: http://www.matiarobotics.com/index.html
Website for Pre-ordering (reserving) device: https://checkout.matiarobotics.com/checkout.php?ThisAction=customer_info&fcsid=edlhniqh298k29u1qd005061p5

Nitin Chinien V/S MBC/PTR/MASA - ABUS

2013-07-23T10:57:00.003+04:00

Nitin Chinien appeared in a video yesterday on Youtube where he states that he is a whistle blower (since when actually! no offense intended) a.k.a lom danzerer (this sounds a bit theatrical)! that mbc shouldn't have messed with and that the police should have taken care of his file and very unfortunate that his file took fire ! And he intends to seek indemnity/compensation/whatever. And he gives all the others 14 days in order to compensate him and he was apparently 2 years without any jobs.

The most obvious questions anyone would like to ask here are the following:

Will his fight stop once he is paid his indemnity of some rs2millions and his unpaid salaries amounting to rs800k ?
Will his fight stop if he is given back his job at the MBC tv ?
Is his fight only for himself or will he take the place and duty that was destined to him and become one the remembered ones like his father?

All those questions can only be answered by himself and we cannot but wait and see what he is up to ! ... This video, however, is going to go viral on the mauritian social sphere and the consequences are difficult to forecast !

Deadly Violent Flash Rains Puts Port Louis on its knees!

2013-03-31T00:25:00.001+04:00

Shock and awe, Exactly 4 years later. The writings were on the wall.. 30 March 2009 and now 30 March 2013. This is not an action or sci-fi movie!. Everyone who lived this day in the Port Louis city center today can witness that today was a really shocking one. Vehicles of all sizes floating on water which had inundated the Jardin de la compagnie, Water all over the motorway at the waterfront. The city was paralyzed and the island was on its knees!.

UPDATED 11:27 PM 31/03/2013 : 11 DEATHS

The death toll continues to increase.. The death toll right: 8 victims !. Victims of what ?

Victims of the branches and dirt accumulated in the rivers that came down in fury and blocked at the bridges at the canal du pouce !. The river flooded the area and that's where it all begun!
Victims of the authorities, why so much garbage in the rivers ?. What are the cleaning services doing ? Are there no quality assurance ?
Victims of the nature ? I wonder ! 300mm of rain at Ste Rose in Reunion and NO DEATH. HALF that amount in Port Louis and already 8 deaths and counting !

The writings were on the wall already in 2009 ! and nothing has been done up to now ! check out the link below for what happened in 2009 ! exactly the same except that this time we have deaths ! a lot of deaths !
http://ashfaqblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/flash-rains-in-port-louis.html

Keep Tuned !

Fire Breaks out in Central Port Louis on Royal road, chinatown, in hardware store.

2013-03-26T10:28:00.002+04:00

The Port Louis City center woke up today to the sirens of the Fire trucks. Shock and awe could be read on the faces of the hundreds of persons gathered all around the place to witness this fire. The building sheltered a hardware store, a cold storage and a shop at the back. For Chinatown festivals, some persons are also used to selling Chinese cakes in front of the building. The fire trucks arrived, but soon were empty!. No water to extinguish the fire!.

The Firemen were just standing around and watching the fire, as most persons, after having secured the zone. One woman who was around since the morning said,"Since 07h30 the firemen are around and nothing is being done to put off the fire!"

One man, seemingly angry, added,"What is the use of the CCTV cameras, if they cannot even see that a fire broke out, how will they see criminals?".

A quite skeptical man later while talking to his friend concluded,"This building is probably not insured. As most buildings taking fire around, you will see in a few months, this will be replaced by a several floors building".

The problem being faced by owners these days is that many of those shops have been renting the space since many years back and without contract. Legally, they cannot be forced to move out. One of the easiest way, would be to put fire to the place. The tenants would be forced to move out then. Or, at least, the owners will be able to build a several floors building and get a maximum of rents out of the space.

Free Alain Bertrand! Free Mauritius

2013-03-15T09:21:00.000+04:00

Alain Bertrand, an activist for the association Azir Moris, has been arrested for trying to deploy a banner with "NO TO COAL" written on it. This action was supposed to raise awareness of the population with regards to the project of the construction of a coal powered plant in Albion. This project is regarded as a threat to the environment by many ecologists locally and abroad.

Already 3 days that Alain Bertrand is being detained in police custody and the police opposed his appeal to obtain a caution. He will be remanded to police cell until the 20th of March until the next court hearing.

At this stage, we cannot remain insensible to the plight of this man who only wanted to raise awareness about the protection of the environment which is important for everyone living on the island as we are all on the same ship.

We understand the concerns of the authority that the Mauritian flag should not be disrespected and as patriots we feel that the Mauritian flag has been used with a lot of disrespect while been held under an helicopter for the Independence day or when a parachutist had it attached in his back, it is not to be used like a mantle.

We strongly feel that it is adding insult to injury that is remanding him to police cell while criminals and others are given caution and liberty on parole as the man has shown that his type of protest is a pacific one and had absolutely no intentions of hurting people or disrupting public order.

I, therefore, urge the population and the concerned authorities to liberate this fighter for the nature on humanitarian grounds as his intentions were only to safeguard the nature for ourselves and our children. I urge my dear readers to lobby for the release of Alain Bertrand. If, like us, you feel that he deserves to be a Free Man and that we need a Free Mauritius where pacific protests can take place, copy the picture below and share it on your facebook and with your friends.