I am happily married to an Englishman, though when it came to introducing him to my Mauritian family I would rate it, in terms of stress factor, on a par with HSC exams and university finals combined, together with taking the driving test.  Multiplied by ten.  I was reminded of this at a dinner the other week, when a Mauritian girlfriend of mine was discussing going to Mauritius soon to introduce her boyfriend.  All of the other Mauritians at the table clucked in sympathy, having all been through this at some point.  As more of us study and work abroad these days, there is an increasing influx of foreign other halves coming to our sunny shores, so I thought I would humbly present my top tips for ensuring the process runs as smoothly as possible. 

First of all, breathe.  Your boyfriend/girlfriend will probably have a great time, while you’ll be stressed out: just accept it. However, the preparation has to start way beforehand; in fact , I would say start the groundwork at least 6 months before the trip. 

The below is based on my experience with an English boyfriend, so other countries will have their own variations;  if you have a foreign girlfriend I imagine the experience is broadly similar (except she might be expected to peel vegetables in the kitchen with the aunties instead of downing the rum with the men at the table – too bad). 

1.  Get him used to spicy food

No need to explain, of course. I suggest sneakily adding chilli to his food whenever possible, steadily increasing the dose each time.  You will have succeeded in your task when he can eat a spoonful of mazavarou without blinking. 

He doesn’t like chilli? Dump him. I am only telling you this for your own good, to avoid a more painful breakup in the future. You can thank me later.

2. Rum. That is all

Forget 20 year scotch or Irish whiskey -  you need to introduce him to rum. This is the medium by which everyone will judge him and assess his value as a man.  Unless your family is teetotal, in which case I really don’t understand how you want this whole thing to go smoothly – but good luck anyway. 

3.  Gajak, or the meaning of life

I tried to explain what gajak meant  to my husband (let’s call him H), and, trust me, it is harder than it seems.  If ever there was a word that embraced a whole attitude to life, this is it. A steady flow of tasty food, bottles of rum, and banter: once your partner understands the concept he will wonder how he ever went through life without it. 

Note: He should not make the mistake of thinking gajak replaces dinner. (H, 2 hours into gajak time: “But I thought we just had dinner?”  Me: “No, these were the appetisers. If there is no rice, it is not dinner yet.” ) God forbid he has no space left for your auntie’s faratas  when dinner time is here – that would be a major faux-pas. Gajak is a build up to dinner, not a replacement.  This is also why everyone is always eating for about 6 hours straight in any Mauritian family gatherings.  I hope your boyfriend/ girlfriend is not on a diet.

4. Sega and dancing

At our wedding in England, I had two playlists: pop hits and sega. Needless to say which one was more popular –  the dancefloor  nearly collapsed when bhai aboo came on.  

I feel  proud that in Mauritius everyone digs a good sega: from my grandma to the little kids, it is actually impossible not to get caught up  in the enthusiasm. It is rare for any culture to have such an inclusive music – so make sure you have a playlist at the ready to introduce your partner to sega. 

Note, English guys are not natural dancers, but top points for enthusiasm, especially when mixed with rum (refer to point #2 above).

Your man doesn’t like sega? Dump him. 

6.  Kissing in public is still a no-go

Unless things have changed since I was last on the island – snog him under the bus stop and your mum will have heard about it by the time you get home.  Ou tifi ti p fer vilain lor bis stop! Let’s just not. 

7.  Bisin al fer bonzour tou dimoun

The obligatory family visits will invariably take 2 weeks minimum.  You will be booked every lunch and dinner, and you will get fed an enormous amount of food.  If he appreciates your aunties’ cooking he will be accepted in the family with open arms: make sure he doesn’t refuse second/third helpings. Eating all the mazavarou and pima confit will earn him bonus points (“aryooo pima tou li manzer? Ene bon garcon selman ein!”)

You then have 3 days left to spend as you wish, be happy with it. 

There you go, these are my top tips.  Have fun!