The first time Sean Hawthorne came to Mauritius, it was for his own wedding, ten years ago. He had met his Mauritian-born wife in a train station in London. They decided to have a traditional Indian wedding, as her family is of Indian origin.

? I wanted it to be exactly as it should be; I did not want them to make it different because I am British. And it was amazing, all those colours, those scents and flavours. He still remembers his first impression of the country: ?It was like in the travel magazines: this jewel in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with golden sand and blue lagoons. But what touched me, above all, was the people. Everybody is so warm, friendly, accommodating!? They were living in the United Kingdom at that time. And they came here, once in a while, on vacation.

Two years ago, when Kuehne & Nagel, the intenational transport and logistics company he was working for in the UK, merged with a Mauritian firm, he seized the chance to come and live in his wife?s homeland. ?She had been abroad for fourteen years. I felt she had done her time there and it was my turn to leave home.? In one month, they packed and moved. And a new life started.

As regards work, he does not see any major difference between here and the UK. But the change is in their lifestyle and philosophy of life: ?In the UK, it is a permanent battle to get more luxury, a better car, a bigger house or the latest computer. People seem to have lost sight of the real meaning of life. Here, daily life is tougher and people would have many more reasons to be competitive. But they do not have the same priorities.?

If Sean moved to Mauritius, it is also for their three boys, now four, six and eight. ? In England, they used to spend the winter inside watching TV. Here, they are outside all year long, running, swimming, playing.? Sean and his wife are proud to hand down two different cultures to their children. They speak English, Creole and French fluently. ?It is a good thing for them to learn about their mum?s country and culture. And later, I would like them to go back to England to study?.

Sean has been travelling since he was a child. His father was working for the French air company UTA and he took him to South Africa, Singapore, Sri Lanka and America. And, when he was 18, Sean lived in Dubai and Sharjah for work. ?Discovering other countries and cultures gave me a different perspective on life. In London, when it snows, it is the apocalypse. But they have no idea what it?s like here when there is a cyclone.?

Is there anything he does not like about Mauritius? After a long silence, he answers: ?Well, yes: traffic jams!? What he misses most is his family: ?My younger sister just had her second baby. And I have not even had a chance to see her first child growing up! I feel sad missing important moments of my siblings? lives?. He also misses playing football, and ?watching the football matches on big screens, eating hot dogs!? Some activities that were part of his routine for years? Little things that could also change the meaning of life!