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No, it is not a new song nor is it a colorful musical instrument. It is the name of a fish.

Red Drum

The story of Sea Fish Farming has started with Red Drum. A few years ago, a couple of entrepreneurs had the dream of starting a new industry, not just a business, in Mauritius. We are a small island and yet we have a large portion of sea which has not been exploited to its fullest potential. Some four years ago, after much battling to convince the government authorities to obtain the necessary permits and a plot of land at Pointe aux Feuilles and some acres of the lagoon on lease the entrepreneurs started a Sea Fish Farm. Today, Ferme Marine de Mahebourg (FMM) with a total paid up capital of some 100 million rupees, has in its first phase proven that Sea Fish Farming is feasible in Mauritius.

Red Drum are now spawning in an ultra model, world class hatchery, then raised at sea in special fishing nets and finally bred to the size required by the market. Most of the technical hitches have been sorted out. The installation respects all the international environment and hygiene safety norms. Exports to various overseas markets have started, and the fish has received a good response on the local market particular in the up market end of the hotels.

FMM is now tackling its next phase of development. By December this year a processing plant to pack fish filets for export to the very stringent European norms should be on stream. The total production capacity now stands at 1000tons annually. The path of sea fish farming has been opened by FMM. Over and above the RED Drum, FMM are now also breeding Guele Pave and Cordonnier our local fish breeds. Cobia which is also an imported fish is also being raised for breeding. It is worthy to note that it took over 3 years for the hatchery to get some of the imported Red Drum which landed in Mauritius on the 14 December2002 to reach maturity to lay eggs.

Should Mauritius seriously drive aquaculture as a priority industry, in the coming 5 to 8 years production capacity of 10 fold the present production level could be looked at by Mauritius. At an export price of 6Euros per kilo we would be looking at turnover of 60 million Euros.

A visit to FMM is really a worthwhile trip. To witness the birth of an industry which could be one of the pillar industries of the island in years to come is fascinating.

Hats off to the entrepreneurs who without much drumming are getting Mauritius out of red.

Quelles interpellations m’ont préoccupé ce dimanche à la messe ?

Dans son homélie, le célébrant en référence à l’évangile parle des difficultés pour les contemporains de Jésus de le connaître.

« D’où cela lui vient-il ? Quelle est cette sagesse qui lui a été donnée, et ces grands miracles qui se réalisent par ses mains ?
N’est-il pas le charpentier, le fils de Marie, et le frère de Jacques, de José, de Jude et de Simon ? Ses soeurs ne sont-elles pas ici chez nous ? » Et ils étaient profondément choqués à cause de lui.
Jésus leur disait : « Un prophète n’est méprisé que dans son pays, sa famille et sa propre maison. »

Marc 6 1-6

Celui que tout le village a toujours connu, serait un grand prophète qui accomplit des miracles! Ce n’est pas compréhensible.

En effet la dualité de Dieu et l’homme, Dieu fait homme, Incarnation reste jusqu’à ce jour difficile à comprendre. Comment le créateur peut être en même temps la créature? Mieux connaître Jésus serait il d’être éclairé sur la complexité de cette dualité ? Le Créateur qui par amour, pour être exemple, se fait humblement homme pour nous ouvrir la voie de la rédemption. IL se présente comme modèle à suivre en frère tout en étant notre Dieu.

La pédagogie de Jésus, poursuit le célébrant, a deux composants : annonce de la bonne nouvelle et accomplissement des signes par des miracles. Par cette pédagogie, Jésus nous invite à une relation intime avec lui. Les contemporains de Jésus sont attirés par les signes mais sont peu sensibles à la bonne nouvelle. Voir l’invisible message du Christ derrière les faits. Jésus nous parle à chaque instant dans nos faits de vie mais nous ne le voyons pas ou nous ne l’entendons pas. Je souhaite que l’exercice de réflexion dominicale que je m’efforce de faire et l’écriture de mes interpellations m’aideront à construire cette relation avec Dieu.

Le cantique chanté à l’offertoire a eu une résonance extraordinaire ce matin. Je l’ai chanté moult fois !

« Tout un chemin pour te chercher, toute ma vie pour te chanter, chaque matin s’émerveiller de se savoir aimer »

Voila, j’ai trouvé le cadeau de ce dimanche. J’étais saisi d’émotion. « se savoir aimer » a pris une dimension si grande à cet instant. Jésus me fait réaliser que Lui et tout mon entourage ne cesse de m’aimer. Est ce que je suis conscient de cet amour gratuit qui me tombe du ciel? Jésus m’aime d un amour inconditionnel et pour l’éternité. Qui m’a donné la vie ? Mes parents diront les hommes mais, sans ce cadeau de l’amour de Dieu, serait il possible ? Qui fait ce que je suis aujourd’hui ? Vivant et plein d énergie, aimant mon prochain, je le suis grâce encore à ce cadeau de l’amour gratuit de LUI.

Je suis créature pour m’abreuver de cet amour gratuit et inconditionnel de LUI et pour être le reflet de ce don d’amour pour les autres. A penser à ce don d’amour, « se savoir aimer » j étais pour un bref instant comblé et au paradis.

Bon Dimanche a Tous

Who is he and who & why should One know him?

Paul Graham is an essayist, programmer, and programming language designer. In 1995 he developed with Robert Morris the first web-based application, Viaweb, which was acquired by Yahoo in 1998. In 2002 he described a simple Bayesian spam filter that inspired most current filters. He’s currently working on a new programming language called Arc, a new book on startups, and is one of the partners in Y Combinator.

Paul is the author of On Lisp (Prentice Hall, 1993), ANSI Common Lisp (Prentice Hall, 1995), and Hackers & Painters (O’Reilly, 2004). He has an AB from Cornell and a PhD in Computer Science from Harvard, and studied painting at RISD and the Academia di Belle Arti in Florence.

Paul’s ideas are published in Essays on his web site could help us to think and learn how to build our Cyber based development in Mauritius. I wish that we Mauritian specially Academia, Politicians, Government authorities, Entrepreneurs, Businessmen would be inspired by his writings to map out our model of development.

Paul’s dual track of Philosophy & Arts and Computer science educational back ground gives him insights which resulted in unbelievable achievement.

Of particular interest to me is his essay :HOW TO BE SILICON VALLEY http://www.paulgraham.com/siliconvalley.html

In short, Silicon Valley (SV) happened at the confluences of various factors and absence of other factors.

Learning about the factors will help us model our own.

The founding and creating element of a technology hub lies in two essential types of people: Rich People and Nerds.

No Bureaucrats

Bureaucrats by their nature are the exact opposite sort of people from startup investors.

Not Buildings

But it’s the people that make it Silicon Valley, not the buildings.

Universities

So if you want to make a silicon valley, you not only need a university, but one of the top handfuls in the world.

So if you managed to recruit, en masse, a significant number of the best young researchers, you could create a first-rate university from nothing overnight. And you could do that for surprisingly little.

Personality

It has to be a place where investors want to live, and students want to stay after they graduate.

There has been a lot written lately about the “creative class.” The thesis seems to be that as wealth derives increasingly from ideas; cities will prosper only if they attract those who have them.

What exactly is personality? I think it’s the feeling that each building is the work of a distinct group of people. A town with personality is one that doesn’t feel mass-produced. So if you want to make a startup hub– or any town to attract the “creative class”– you probably have to ban large development projects. When a large tract has been developed by a single organization, you can always tell.

Nerds Attraction

If you want to attract nerds, you need more than a town with personality. You need a town with the right personality. Nerds are a distinct subset of the creative class, with different tastes from the rest.

What nerds like is the kind of town where people walk around smiling.

Most nerds like quieter pleasures. They like cafes instead of clubs; used bookshops instead of fashionable clothing shops; hiking instead of dancing; sunlight instead of tall buildings.

Youth

It’s the young nerds who start startups, so it’s those specifically the city has to appeal to. The startup hubs in the US are all young-feeling towns. This doesn’t mean they have to be new. Cambridge has the oldest town plan in America, but it feels young because it’s full of students.

Time

That has two important implications. The first is that you need time to grow a silicon valley. The university you could create in a couple years, but the startup community around it has to grow organically. The cycle time is limited by the time it takes a company to succeed, which probably averages about five years.

Competing

One of Silicon Valley’s biggest advantages is its venture capital firms.

Does the impetus given by the spirit of the new Budget speech encourage the creation of a technology hub?

What are the gaps to be bridged?

Too much Bureaucracy! The battle to wage against the heavy bureaucracy has been ordered.

How will it be fought successfully?

We need infrastructure. High speed internet connections at competitive costs have to be available. More importantly we need to attract Nerds or brains and set them in right environment.

We have the youth and need to get them at university level.

Where are the venture capital firms? How long have we got to wait?

You will be glad to know that of the list of selected words, I have chosen to sense the essence of our minister’s speech, the word NEW was said 65 times, INVEST* 65 times, EMPLOY* 59 times, JOB 41 times, DEVELOP*37 times, SME 32 times, SKILL 24 times and ENTREPRENEUR 24 times.

Who is an entrepreneur? Where do the terms come from?

Lucky us Mauritian for being bi-lingual. Our French vibes might give us a better understanding of the word.

I quote the world business guru, Peter Drucker:

“The entrepreneur,” said the French economist J. B. Say around 1800, “shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield.” But Say’s definition does not tell us who this “entrepreneur” is. And since Say coined the term almost two hundred years ago, there has been total confusion over the definitions of “entrepreneur” and “entrepreneurship.”

WIKIPEDIA gives:

An entrepreneur (a loanword from French) is a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise or venture, and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks.

Most commonly, the term entrepreneur applies to someone who establishes a new entity to offer a new or existing product or service into a new or existing market, whether for a profit or not-for-profit outcome (see entredonneur).

Business entrepreneurs often have strong beliefs about a market opportunity and are willing to accept a high level of personal, professional, or financial risk to pursue that opportunity. Business entrepreneurs are often highly regarded in US culture as being a critical component of its capitalistic society.

Famed entrepreneurs in America include: Henry Ford (automobiles), J. Pierpont Morgan (banking), Thomas Edison (electricity/light bulbs), Barron Collier (advertising), Milton S. Hershey (confections), Bill Gates (computer operating systems and applications), Steve Jobs (computer hardware, software), among others.

The British entrepreneurs include: Richard Branson (travel and media)

It would appear that entrepreneurship would ooze us, Mauritius out of our predicament and to propel us into the coming era of global competition.

I quote relevant extract of the speech:

A cycle based on trade preferences that has allowed our country to make significant progress since independence. We have used these trade preferences and also overseas development assistance well. However, the world has changed and we have not adapted. The preferences are now being swept away but we have not reacted. We have been naïve in believing that these preferences would endure and that we could continue to obtain concessionary finance to sustain our now outdated socio-economic model.

It is time for the nation to embrace radical change and build a new, open and competitive service platform that is fully integrated into the global economy, like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubay. More important, by also removing other disincentives to small businesses and to hire workers, we will increase employment, reduce vulnerability and alleviate poverty.

This is why the first Budget of l’Alliance Sociale is not, as many feared, about austerity but instead launches the changes needed for a new era of growth, wealth and employment creation.

Broadening the circle of opportunities

To broaden the circle of opportunities we will

1. set up an innovative and comprehensive Economic Empowerment Programme;

2. tackle high female unemployment and low earnings of women;

3. radically improve the support framework for new entrepreneurs and SMEs;

4. Expand the range of financing instruments for micro enterprises and SMEs.

I am setting myself to ponder, to encourage and if possible to building more entrepreneurship in the future. I consider myself to have been through out my carrier an entrepreneur. Sharing my experiences could trigger hopefully more entrepreneurship so much needed and sought of.

A fortnight ago, at a charity lunch at Ebene Hotel School, I had the very great pleasure to meet in the assembly Sylviane. I must admit that I do not really know her well but was a friend of her husband in the glorious days when I was energetic enough to play badminton. This meeting brought back the memory of her works and drove me to go back to her website.

A few years ago, through a friend I was introduced to the works of Philippe Lim, a keen photographer I knew in my teens, today a professor of photographic art in Montréal. Philippe encourages talents by publishing the works of passionate photographers on the web. He makes it possible for us to attend a permanent art exhibition on the web. http://www.imageriecreative.ca/ This is really a great gift of technology and of Philippe.

There and then I discovered the works of Sylviane. She proudly shares with the world her passion for travel and photos. I invite you to visit her site: http://www.rochecouste.net/

From what I conclude, like Sylviane,” Passion drives interest in living”. Nurturing a passion, a keen interest, a goal to attain, give one a reason to live and to live happily.

May I wish you dear reader, a Passion and Passion to live happily?

What does one do when one retires and continue to stay young?

I came across a wonderful piece of advice written by General Mc Arthur over some sixty years ago. The General’s quote is said by somebody who I respect and admire. At age Ninety, in spite of his recent illness, this person, young in mind, is busily everyday working on his PC browsing the intnet and getting his thoughts published.

Robert Bathfield who I met recently, told me that the 90 years old senior, though broken by age and illness would regain vitality immediately once you talk of his web site and the internet.

I guess you would be able to recognise his voice.

Dear friends, Blogging gives me vitality also because each blog written is the result of yet another project.

The web site to visit: Here

We just came back from a wonderful, pleasing & enyoyable , fruitful week end in Cilaos Reunion island.

The APM team, Victor Chaneman, Rene Fontaine, the organiers did a very good job. We were welcomed by Victor at PierreFonds Airport, the south airport of Reunion island where we were wisked out of Etang Sale in a very comfortable bus to Cilaos 1800mts high in 1 hour 30 minutes.

The hotel were informed of our arrival the check-in took only 2 seconds and soon after our welcoming drinks, there we were in a meeting room with our APM friends attending a first 3 hour session on sustainable development through technology.

Jean Michel Billaut a 61 year young homosapiens full of energy but more importantly full of knowledge was provided as hors d’oeuvre for the brains. In brief, JM Billaut transmitted to us his resolve to make his town PAU to step in the forefront of the coming Nano Revolution.

What a wonder to listen to JM Billault! He provided some possible paths to explore & to make our to-morrows in Mauritius and Reunion islands economically better.

Do visit his blog, you will not regret your action and time.
After the cocktail and drinks, a delicious typical Cilaos meal was served. The low temperature of 11 C helped the consumption in quantity and quality of yonder day’s grape juices.

The next day followed with a beautiful sunrise which can only be experienced in the circle de Cilaos. Darkness gave way to a slow transformation of a dark purple tint of the surroundings to gradually finish up with a clear blue sky.

The freshness and chill of the morning opened up our apetite for breakfast, & our need to knit exchanges with the 70 strong delegations there.

Two other sessions with in turn, Isabelle Lauger’s vision of economic model and “the tale of a world tour in 80 men” by Mathieu leRoux made our day.

A convivial lunch with the delegates, where delicious lentilles de Cilaos and Curry Canard et son riz de Mais were the stars.

After a second night in the fresh atmosphere of Cilaos, & a pleasant sightseeing down hill drive of the mountain we reached the airport for our 45 minutes flight to Plaisance.

We are back happy and satisfied of our short escapade.

Propos bibliographiques recueillis de Philippe Ng Sing Kwong, le 15 octobre 2005, quelques mois avant son départ.

Philippe est né en 1922 à Meixian, en Chine. A l’âge de 18 mois, il fut adopté par sa nouvelle famille, et ne se souvient pas de ses parents biologiques. C’est très coutumier à Meixian et ailleurs en Chine d’être adopté par des proches parents sans enfant. Il passa son adolescence dans sa famille d’adoption qui a contribué à son éducation primaire. Il fréquenta l’école jusqu’à la sixième.

Après ses études, n’ayant pas de travail dans le village car les temps étaient très durs, il fut approché par un oncle de la famille Ng, qui était de retour de Maurice dans le village, et qui cherchait à recruter de la main-d’œuvre pour soutenir ses activités. Ainsi, un oncle, sous le nom de Ng Young Kwong, avança de l’argent pour payer son passage en bateau à destination de Maurice. Philippe décida de partir malgré son âge très jeune (16 ans), rempli d’un esprit d’aventure et motivé par un devoir d’accomplir sa vie.

En 1938, il débarqua à Maurice, et fut accueilli par son bienfaiteur, tonton Ng Young Kwong. Il commença ses armes comme nouveau venu dans une boutique à Mahebourg, tenu par la famille Wan, ancêtre des Wan Sek Law. Néophytes, ne parlant pas le langage, il est coutumier aux nouveaux arrivants d’être chargés des tâches les plus ardues pour servir le reste des employés de la boutique. Ainsi, il était apprenti cuisinier, marmiton, manutentionnaire en attendant d’apprendre le créole. Trois ans durant, il progressa et commença à maitriser le créole. Au terme de son emploi à Mahebourg, boutique éloigné dans la campagne, il devint commis, donc, était capable de servir la clientèle.

Sur recommandation de ses proches de la famille Ng, maintenant capable de converser dans le langage, il fut offert une nouvelle position, comme assistant commis, dans un grand magasin de Port Louis, dont les propriétaires étaient les Ng Yelim. Philippe voyait dans sa mutation vers Port Louis, une opportunité de s’épanouir et d’avancer dans la vie. C’était, en quelque sorte, une progression car, d’une petite boutique campagnarde à un magasin en ville, son statut augmentait.Le travail en ville était moins contraignant au point de vue horaire car les magasins, en ville avaient des horaires établies, contrairement aux boutiques de la campagne. Quatre ans durant, il apprit les rouages du commerce.

Juste après la guerre, en 1945, sur l’incitation de son oncle, le papa de Kwet Toung, il décida de partir de chez les Ng Yelim pour établir une boutique à la rue des Pamplemousses. Encore une fois, il voyait une opportunié d’être à son propre compte, autonome, et de fonder, par esprit du devoir, une famille. Avec un capital de Rs.3000, financé largement par son oncle, ils opéraient cette boutique. L’oncle était le partenaire principal, et utilisait ses contacts pour approvisionner la boutique en marchandises, et Philippe tenait la boutique. Bon an, mal an, ils s’en sortaient et avaient de quoi survivre. Malheureusement, au dire de Philippe, l’oncle acquittait ses dettes des surplus des recettes de la boutique. Comme ses dettes étaient supérieures des revenus générés par la boutique, leur commerce, sur l’insistance des fournisseurs, était intenable car ils étaient dans l’impossibilité de s’approvisionner en marchandises. Notre Philippe se retrouva démuni de ses économies et devait retrouver un autre travail. Peut être une défaite dans la vie qui l’a bien marqué, mais ô combien, le motivait pour faire encore mieux !

Il trouva de l’emploi comme commis dans une boutique à la rue Barbeau, chez les Li et y logeait. En 1946, il économisa suffisament d’argent pour faire venir sa « promise » de Chine. En effet, pendant son absence de Chine, ses parents avaient choisi une fille qui, selon la coutume, rejoignit la maison de la famille à l’âge de 11 ans. 1948 vit l’arrivée d’Edna à Maurice. Il rencontra sa femme pour la première fois et celle-ci le rejoignit dans son logis à la rue Barbeau. Puis il travailla à Beau Bassin, chez M. Ip Ten Youn, jusqu’au mois de septembre 1950. Par ailleurs, ils élirent domicile à la rue Bombay, où naquit Ah Pine dans la même année.

Toujours par le réseau de la famille Ng, la famille Ng King Kwong de Port Mathurin proposa du travail à Philippe. L’opportunité lui sourit encore une fois. Ils déciderènt donc de partir et de s’établir à Rodrigues. Il travailla quelques temps chez la famille Ng King Kwong, jusqu’au jour où, sur les recommandations de France Wong Kee Chuan, ils décidèrent d’ouvrir conjointement un commerce à la Ferme. Comme la famille avait déjà un commerce bien établi à Port Mathurin, Philippe était chargé de s’occuper de la boutique de la Ferme.

En 1957, d’un commun accord avec France Wong Kee Chuan, Philippe devint le seul propriétaire du commerce de la Ferme. Il réussit, à ce moment là, son rêve d’être autonome, indépendant et responsable de lui. Une nouvelle fierté et dignité augmentaient son estime en soi. Ainsi, sa famille s’agrandit et le commerce prospéra. Ce fut, cette fois-ci, le bon filon

Les réussites successives de ses enfants aux examens de la petite bourse, les succès de ses enfants dans leur vie sont une fois de plus source de fierté pour lui et sa famille. Le devoir d’un chinois n’est t-il pas de voir réussir ses progénitures pour marquer sa propre vie ? D’avoir dans sa famille des professionnels – mèdecin, ingénieur, professeur d’université – ne fait que couronner les efforts et labeurs donnés toute une vie sacrifiée à la cause du devoir.

Son vœu pour l’avenir était de voir encore réussir ses enfants et petits enfants dans leur vie.

C est l’histoire de bon nombre des immigrants chez nous.

Subject: Crazy IdeaThis email was sent to a group of friends who went at school at St.Mary s college Rosehill Mauritius.

I spent the last few hours reading and listening to 2 amazing guys: Armand & Alex. They will be running 2 seminars for 1 dollar! I found the seminar preview fantastic that I would recommend all of you to visit the site and let me have your comments thereon on this blog. I also discovered Dave Lakhani who suprisingly got me so hooked that my backside got numbed from sitting too long from of my desk and forgot all about my sunday siesta.He updated my rusted notion and knowledge of Public Relations(PR) and put a new perspective to PR & the use of PR in today’s internet age.