Promila loves cooking and sports. In India, she had many hobbies and often won prizes in disciplines such as badminton. She is fascinated by Mauritian beaches and would probably like to spend more time at the seaside. But her job takes up all her free time.

Promila is the only Hindi teacher for a whole school and every year the number of pupils increases! She seems to be a kind of ?star teacher?: she?s had Hindi laureates twice and her students are often nationally classified in the Higher School Certificate results. ?It?s an interesting job and I?m happy that the results are so good?, she says with the musical Indian accent which she has not lost over the years.

If today she is well adapted to Mauritian life, it was not that easy at the start. ?A different lifestyle is always difficult to adjust to, since people are not brought up in the same way. But I was rather dismayed by the closed-up attitudes of Mauritians. I was expecting something different and wasn?t satisfied when I got here? she says. She had problems especially because she spoke only English and Hindi. ?When one doesn?t speak Creole, it?s complicated to communicate,? she explains.

Over the years though she learnt to adapt. ?It?s better now?, she concedes in all simplicity. She has also mastered the subtleties of local cuisine. ?I?ve learnt a lot about cooking in Mauritius. The Indian food here is different from my home food. I think it?s because the soil here is different and too many insecticides are used. It spoils the taste of the vegetables.? As a vegetarian, she finds it a shame that Mauritians are not interested in discovering and learning about vegetarian dishes.

When she talks about her three daughters, Promila?s face lights up with a broad smile. When she confides that two of them ?are twins?, her smile is even broader! Two are working and the third one is studying medicine in Hungary, she points out, with a proud note in her voice.

Promila is very happy that her children have been ?brought up in a better environment and have had a good education.? When she first came here, she was shocked to find Mauritius underdeveloped, but now ?things have changed, people have changed. India isn?t as stable and clean as here and there are too many big-scale religious conflicts and too much poverty over there.?

This doesn?t stop her from going to India from time to time to renew her wardrobe! ?The salwar-kameez that costs Rs 2,000 here costs only half the price over there.? She usually brings back a few outfits for friends and relatives. ?The cost of living is much higher here, especially for food and medicines?, she points out, adding, with a slight frown of concern, that the economy doesn?t cater for ?people from all walks of life.?