My existence in the virtual world

In reply to Christiane’s blog entitled “Our mixed Heritage”, I posted a comment along these following lines:

Mixed Heritage or Metissage is the term I like. As often in nature, cross- breeding enhances the subject, when it strengthens the positive and minimizes the negatives.I for one, looking back at my ancestry, can claim French creole, and Chinese blood, and am very proud of it. Apart from the genetic aspect, I am also proud of my cultural metissage: my mother born of the union of a china man, and a half mulatto, half Chinese. My mother was raised in an environment close to the Vadamotoo family, the “madras baptises” we could say. My mother, who lived in a poverty stricken family since  her early childhood,   managed to get a good education with the help of her neighbors, the then wealthy “Madras” family who considered her as a sister. My mother later married the son of a well- to- do Chinaman, after much persuasion and numerous objections & refusals from my father’s parents. Considered as a mixed marriage by my father’s parents, their union was not at all acceptable. There were not only racial differences; in the late 40’s there were concerns of social ranking, community peer pressures, economical consideration and reputation. If it were not for the perseverance and tenacity of my parents, my brothers & sisters and I would probably never found this world. In the final analysis, my parents had a very successful married life. My mother brought into my father’s family some other values and qualities which have enriched the more Chinese values of the latter. She had to learn the Chinese dialect to converse with her mother- in- law.  Almost nearing her death , my grandma sought forgiveness from my mother for her inappropriate opposition to the latter’s marriage and told everyone around her that she had a most kind, and considerate daughter- in- law. Success is always the result of drive, determination and efforts.

 

A few days have passed since. Thinking back, I said to myself  that we are blessed in Mauritius to benefit from the proximities of the different cultures and customs and to have first hand experiences of them. Stephen Covey, who I believe would be visiting Mauritius soon, taught me a lesson whilst talking of his habit 6: Synergize is valuing the differences. In fact the Covey leadership center had made a film on Mauritius to demonstrate the cultural differences which, when properly channeled could bring in growth and harmony beyond imagination: 1+1 = 3 or more. I thus conclude that the cultural “half blood” or shall I dare say “double blood” is better than each of the single elements that made up the metissage. Vive le metissage!

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of a privileged journey of forty days for Christians.

As you know, Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for forty days to prepare for his ministry. It was for Him a time of contemplation, reflection, and preparation. By observing Lent, most Christians join Jesus on His retreat.

Lent consists of the forty days before Easter. Biblical societies relied very heavily on wood fires for heating and cooking, which meant that keeping ashes under control was a major housekeeping task. Then as now, if a person was preoccupied with something serious, they didn’t always tend to the housekeeping—it’s the least of their concerns. Imagine that there is a death in the family. A friend stopping by to pay their respects might gently say, “Did you know you have ashes on your face?”

So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Today someone might wear a black armband to signify that they are in mourning; back then people put ashes on their foreheads.

I attended church this morning and I can tell you that the church was packed full. It was great to see such reverence. The priest even said that Jesus must be happy to see such numbers of worshipers to follow his steps.

You can find biblical examples of this in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1-3, Job 42:6, and Jeremiah 6:26. During Lent, ancient Christians mourned their sins and repented of them, so it was appropriate for them to show their sincerity by having ashes on their foreheads. The custom has persisted in the church as secular society has changed around us. It is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday, when we begin a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual redirection.

Traditionally, the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service come from burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. If you burn the palm fronds yourself, don’t add any other ingredient—just burn the ashes plain. Add a little oil to the ashes so that they will stick to people’s foreheads. Of course, it is easier to purchase them from a religious supply house.

Some people only celebrate the happy times in Jesus’ life: Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas. But I think as true friends, we should also watch and pray with Him on HolyThursday, stand by Him at the cross on Good Friday, and retreat with Him into the wilderness during Lent.

In India, yogis often mark their forehead with ashes to remind themselves that they are made of carbon and will return to this state whilst their spirit will continue to survive. It is a lesson to practice detachment from earthly matters. The spiritual is more important than the physical.

May I wish all of you Christians a holy spiritual journey for the next 40 days?

Do you know why Google invested in Nanosolar?

What progress has since being achieved for this new technology?

Could we be daring enough to invite Nanosolar to roll out the technology and use the whole country as a Laboratory and a world show case of its products? Aren’t we blessed by the sun?
Imagine the solar house generating its own source of energy and even supplying the grid network with its surplus.A whole village could be developed along this same concept. There after a whole island could follow. Can you now dream of a clean energy efficient island country? Why not the Nanosolar Island?

Nanosolar’s vision:

At Nanosolar, we believe that energy should be clean, affordable, and abundant; and that the path to this is through innovation and technology.

In an age where carbon fuel scarcity is making peak-time electricity very valuable and where carbon fuels are driving global warming to unsafe levels, it is increasingly mandatory for electricity to be produced locally, clean, and in ways that reduce the peak-load burden on already overtaxed electricity grids.

At Nanosolar, we are working to make it possible to put A Solar Panel on Every Buildingâ„¢.

By setting the standard for solar technology with industry-leading cost efficiency and availability, we are planning to become the world’s largest solar energy technology company and thus contribute to creating a future based on inexhaustible, clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

Our revenue aspiration is to be the fastest company ever to go from $1 to $1 billion; and to sell $100 billion (in ’05 dollars) in PV panels by 2020.
For such a venture,we need our entrepreneurs to move and our politicians to buy in the dream and to set the proper regulatory frame for it to happen.

I invite you Mru Bloggers to start propagating this idea with your friends and the friends’ friends. Hopefully we would have created a loud enough “buzz” to get a spark. So the first step would be to Cut and paste this post to all your address book. The second step to arouse the mass media to this idea. The third step could be a write a petition letter to our Minister of Energy. Let us start off the NANOSolar Island!
What are your views?

Quelle chance j’ai eu ce week-end d’entendre deux homélies sur le même texte de l’évangile. Le célébrant de la messe du samedi soir à Notre Dame de Lourdes insistait beaucoup sur la grâce de Dieu et surtout la gratuité du don de Dieu. C’est précisément la gratuité du don qui nous exhorte à aimer nos ennemis! Et voilà que notre évêque Monseigneur Piat, à la messe du nouvel an chinois, nous parle dans sa célébration qui a été transmise en direct à la télévision, de la magnanimité de Dieu et de son invitation de faire de même.

Les appels à la prière que nos frères musulmans font à l’aurore bien des fois m’irritent, surtout en ce moment où, par rapport à la chaleur de l’instant, nos fenêtres sont ouvertes le matin, permettant le son de pénétrer ma chambre et ainsi mon sommeil. Mais en réfléchissant un peu, je me dis que cet appel à la prière m’est également destiné, d’autant plus que le message lu ou chanté parle de Dieu infiniment grand et miséricordieux.

Les opposants à mes pensées sont aussi mes frères dans l’humanité, et enfants du même Dieu. Ils ont droit à un égard égal à ceux qui sont en union avec moi. Ils ont droit à mon amour inconditionnel et gratuit. Ils ont droit à ma considération malgré leur ingratitude et méchancete. Ils ont droit au même pardon. C’est inhumain mais Divin. Voici, ma demande et priere au Seigneur pour être Miséricordieux comme notre Père est miséricordieux.

The number of times I heard the word “Happiness or Happy” to wish our friends the Chinese Newyear moved me today. The same thing happens on most feasts isn’t it? Happy Newyear; Happy Divali; Happy Easter; Happy Sankranti or Merry Xmas

I had earlier written a blog on Happiness and had brought to contribution one of my favourite mystics:

Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs until they have been polluted and contaminated by the stupidity of society and culture. To acquire happiness you don’t have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired.

You don’t have to add anything in order to be happy; you’ve got to drop something. Life is easy, life is delightful. It’s only hard on your illusions, your ambitions, your greed, and your cravings.

Today on reading Guy Kawasaki’s blog, I was again awakened to the question of “Happiness.” He quoted:

Andrian White, a University of Leicester Psychologist who wrote on Self Well Being ( SWB) Factor of nations wherein Mauritius would rank 73th on the World Map of Happiness. I would only wish that we climb the ladder of the ranking!

Whilst the interest in SWB within positive psychology is to be welcomed it is interesting to note that the commercial development of the subject is in the very countries where SWB is highest. This leaves positive psychology open to the accusation of selling self-help to the worried well. The current lack of positive psychological studies in countries where levels of SWB are low does nothing to assuage this concern. It is worth asking where are the positive psychological studies exploring the effects on SWB of providing healthcare and education to communities that have never before has access to such resources? An approach that explored these questions really could be called positive psychology.

EXTRACT FROM THE PAPER OF Andrian WHITE

I wonder: how is it possible that the inhabitants of Paradise Island have such a low SWB ranking? It is worth noting that Denmark is at the top of the heap whilst our neighbour Paradise Island Seychelles is ranked 20^th. Why?

My meager contribution to the positive psychology to increase in our country is to offer to you and your friend the location of a free e-book of 90 pages: How to Be Happy and Have Fun changing the world.

Be Happy!

Time for rejoicing. Time to start anew. Time to look forward to a better year.

It is also the day of the highest movement of people in China. Traditionally all Chinese return home to spent the start of the year together with the family.

My daughter Stephane and her children flew from Montreal to arrive today to see us.

Happy year of the Pig to all of you. This year of the fire Pig is of particular significance to me as I shall be 60 and the 5 elements of the Chinese horoscope combined with the 12 signs coincides only every 60 years.

Year 2007 is a Chinese Red Fire Pig Year. Why did the Chinese name the year 2007 as the Red Pig Year? Chinese calendar used the Stem-Branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use the animal names

En ce jour de notre fête Nationale, Maha Shiva Ratree, je voudrai vous présenter, un extrait d’un récit de quelqu’un qui a vécu chez nous il y a quelques années.

Ce qui m’épate c’est la ferveur des dévots de Shiva et surtout le nombre grandissant des pèlerins. Que la fête soit un point de ralliement identitaire de la communauté hindoue ! Que la convergence vers un point commun le grand bassin soit signe d’unite!

Citation

Je me souviens aussi que la vedette incontesté et incontestable de ton marché est ton herboriste, celui là même qui dispense les herbes qui guérissent tout (ou donne la ” vigueur ” sans viagra) de génération en génération. Et puis, sans en avoir l’air, je n’arrive pas à oublier cette spiritualité ambiante de l’Inde mais quelque peu « dévoyée » que tu distilles comme de lourds parfums d’orchidées. Oh, ne te vexe pas ! Quand je dis que ta spiritualité est dévoyée, ce n’est pas une insulte, bien au contraire. Par « dévoyée », j’entends que cette spiritualité a recréé à sa mesure le savoir et l’érudition des bramanes qu’elle n’avait pas pu importé dans les maigres balluchons des coolies débarqués des pointes de l’Inde après l’abolition de l’esclavage ; qu’il s’agit d’une forme de spiritualité sans prêtres, et pratiquement sans livres qui a reconstruit ses structures et son clergé. Par exemple Le Gange et ses pèlerinages ont été remplacés par GRAND BASSIN, ton lac solitaire, niché à l’intérieur des collines, hors des itinéraires touristiques. Et c’est là que chaque année, pendant plusieurs jours les fidèles convergent dans un gigantesque balai qui envahi l’île du Nord au Sud.

Je me souviens que pour la fête de Maha Shiva Ratree, chaque village, chaque communauté tient à transporter à porteurs des ” cathédrales ” de bambous, des feuillages, des pierreries, des décorations, en l’honneur de Shiva. C’est bien normal puisque les habitants les auront patiemment construits pendant de longs mois, comme peuvent le faire en d’autres lieux les écoles de Samba.

Je me souviens de la concentration de ces ” monuments ” sur Grand Bassin…… cette marche forcée, de jour comme de nuit, enfants aux crochets des basques des parents, indifféremment à la gauche ou à la droite de l’autoroute. Pour comprendre la ferveur de ton peuple, il faut avoir assisté, à 6 heures du soir, quand la nuit commence à tomber, aux immenses cortèges quasi silencieux de pèlerins en dévotion qui montent en files lumineuses aux temples de Grand Bassin pour y honorer les signes de Shiva, lingam et yoni. Ces signes sont baignés d’offrandes de fleurs et de noix de cocos importées à grand frais d’Agalega et que les prêtres découpent d’un seul coup de coupe-coupe. Je me souviens qu’en début de soirée, au bord du lac, les fidèles jambes de pantalon troussés, les pieds dans l’eau y trempaient de milliers de petites lumières, des pastilles de méta qu’ils laissaient ensuite glisser sur le lac à bord de larges feuilles de manguiers, le tout accompagnée d’une lente constellation de prière.

Fin de citation

Jean Michel Billaut as announced came to Mauritius and delivered 3 full day seminars on the theme Future 2.0. He also gave a short presentation to the managers of the National Computer Board.

Jean Michel forecasts the slow death of our call center industries with the advent of Visio-technology coupled with the increased of the bandwidth of the internet due to be in place soon with the decision of the French Administrations to install ‘end to end’ fiber optics connections throughout the French territory.

I was so pleased to have held in my hand a proto-type version of iliad e-reader.
My partners of APM who contributed for Jean Michel’s trip to Mauritius, left the seminars happy to have learned so much about the future yet still hungry for more knowledge.

In the nutshell, without larger bandwidth,hi speed internet and without fiber optics connections the future of Mauritius would be gloomy.

Merci Jean Michel

http://billaut.typepad.com/jm/2007/02/ocean_indien_n1.html#comments

As often the case, the fluff has become more catchy and exciting than the essence. Today is the big day. St Valentine! Do you know of the essence of this day? Why do you fete this day? To be reminded that you have to tell and demonstrate to your cherished that you love her is excellent. St Valentine day for me serves the purpose. I look up wikipedia or read some of specialized website on the subject to know more of the history around this day.

What fascinate me: the marketers have used their entrepreneur’s genius to transform this occasion into an opportunity to push the consumers to spend by creating fluff around the event. Can you imagine the money spent around this St Valentine day? Since a fortnight the media has not stopped to pump up the event. Even Book Court my preferred book store in Caudan and Shoprite ,soon in Flacq has joined in the bandwagon of using the Valentine’s event.

For the chocolate industry, this is one of the big events of the year. What is the close relationship between St.Valentine and Chocolate? Read below about the psychoactive Chocolate. Do give to your partner her shot of love chemical in a chocolate Valentine gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate is a psychoactive food. It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The cacao tree was named by the 17th century Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term theobroma means literally “food of the gods”. Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.

Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.

The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate’s reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.

Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study needs replicating.

Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the worlds oldest supercentenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets at the age of 119 – three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.

In the UK, chocolate bars laced with cannabis are popular with many victims of multiple sclerosis. This brand of psychoactive confectionery remains unlicensed.

Chocolate as we know it today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Swiss confectioner Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F.

Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer. More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified. Chocolate clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the central nervous system are poorly understood. So how does it work?

CHOCOLATE : the Psychoactive Cocktail

Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Sceptics claim one would need to consume several pounds of chocolate to gain any very noticeable psychoactive effects; and eat a lot more to get fully stoned. Yet it’s worth noting that N-oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, two structural cousins of anandamide present in chocolate, both inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. It has been speculated that they promote and prolong the feeling of well-being induced by anandamide.

Chocolate contains caffeine. But the caffeine is present only in modest quantities. It is easily obtained from other sources. Indeed a whole ounce of milk chocolate contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of “decaffeinated” coffee.

Chocolate’s theobromine content may contribute to – but seems unlikely to determine – its subtle but distinctive psychoactive profile. Surprisingly, perhaps, recent research suggests that pure theobromine may be superior to opiates as a cough medicine due to its action on the vagus nerve.

Chocolate also contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It is the rate-limiting step in the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function typically diminishes anxiety. Yet tryptophan can normally be obtained from other sources as well; and only an unusually low-protein, high-carbohydrate meal will significantly increase its rate of intake into the brain.

Like other palatable sweet foods, consumption of chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s endogenous opiates. Enhanced endorphin-release reduces the chocolate-eater’s sensitivity to pain. Endorphins probably contribute to the warm inner glow induced in susceptible chocoholics.

Acute monthly cravings for chocolate amongst pre-menstrual women may be partly explained by its rich magnesium content. Magnesium deficiency exacerbates PMT. Before menstruation, too, levels of the hormone progesterone are high. Progesterone promotes fat storage, preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods. One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Chocolate cravings are admitted by 15% of men and around 40% of women. Cravings are usually most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.

Cacao and chocolate bars contain a group of neuroactive alkaloids known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are also found in beer, wine and liquor; they have been linked to alcoholism. But the possible role of these chemicals in chocolate addiction remains unclear.

One UK study of the human electroencephalographic (EEG) response to chocolate suggests that the odour of chocolate significantly reduces theta activity in the brain. Reduced theta activity is associated with enhanced relaxation. This study needs replication.

Perhaps chocolate‘s key ingredient is its phenylethylamine (PEA) “love-chemical”. Yet the role of the “chocolate amphetamine” is disputed. Most if not all chocolate-derived phenylethylamine is metabolised before it reaches the CNS. Some people may be sensitive to its effects in very small quantities.

Phenylethylamine is itself a naturally occurring trace amine in the brain. Phenylethylamine releases dopamine in the mesolimbic pleasure-centres; it peaks during orgasm. Taken in unnaturally high doses, phenylethylamine can produce stereotyped behaviour more prominently even than amphetamine. Phenylethylamine has distinct binding sites but no specific neurons. It helps mediate feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension and euphoria; but confusingly, phenylethylamine has also been described as an endogenous anxiogen. One of its metabolites is unusually high in subjects with paranoid schizophrenia.

There is even a phenylethylamine theory of depression. Monoamine oxidase type-b has been described as phenylethylaminase; and taking a selective MAO-b inhibitor, such as selegiline (l-deprenyl, Eldepryl) or rasagiline (Agilect) can accentuate chocolate’s effects. Some subjects report that bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) reduces their chocolate-cravings; but other chocoholics dispute this.

I had always been a marketing man at heart. I was already a Graduate of the Institute of Marketing in the late 60’s before the Institute became a Chartered Institute by the British authorities. Now known as CIM, the institute is thriving.

My keen interest in supermarkets and  industry of retail groceries moved me to keep track on the developments in this field. From recent trip to India and the reading in India on business, I can forecast a gigantic expansion in retail groceries in India.Wall mart is eyeing India. Local giants of the like of Tata, Birla  have already signed up with world wide players in the field  to capture the opportunities.Up to now,the government  of India has been very reluctant to open the market to foreign investors but would give permit of operation to joint Indian and foreign partnership.

SPAR a world wide operator with whom I had dealings for a number of years have already a foot in India.

Tesco, a UK based operator is growing from strength to strength. Logistics and Marketing are the two drivers of this industry. The right product,at the right time  and price to the right customer!Have you heard of dunnhumby way and relevance marketing? They are the marketing brain of Tesco, Kroger and many more..I just finished reading their small book Brand is dead!Long live the customer.It is a fable for business today written by Suzanne Cadisch which very succinctly and  in very simple language gives the essence of the success of Tesco today.More information to serve your customer better!