<B>Life is even sweeter underwater</B>

There is not a single day when she does not enjoy the big blue. This South-African born owner of an import/export company believes in living life to the full and making the most of it.

?I love the sea and all it offers. I scuba dive almost every day.? If she was an animal and looking for happiness, Barbi Mueller would only be one of those joyous seafarers, the dolphins. Simple and vital, she greets us without reserve, just as the nearby sea welcomes us in its splendid generosity.

Seven years ago, Barbi started her business, which consists in ?sourcing and looking for products to send to South Africa and other African states?. It seems to work well and it is encouraging to hear from somebody involved in regional cooperation with some of our natural partners that ?Mauritius has a lot to offer in the business. My clients are very happy with the quality of the products here.? She has sound experience in commerce as she was in the marketing division of a firm in her native South Africa. As such, she has travelled to many countries. It was during one of those trips ? to attend a South African Trade Show ? that she discovered our island. ?I fell in love with the country and its people.? She was back on holiday four months later.

But her passion for the ocean has deeper roots than in Mauritius. ?I grew up in Durban and was fortunate enough to live in a house right on the beach. So I have always been a sea and sun type person. Durban is very similar to Mauritius with regards to climate and vegetation.?

Unsurprisingly, Barbi wanted to be a scuba-diving instructor, or skipper of a boat, ?own my own yacht, teach people to dive and learn what the sea has to offer and sail the world?. If she has not yet fulfilled all her dreams, she has enjoyed travelling. And she has also been helped by some good luck : ?I have a daughter in Dubai, my mother in England and many close friends in Germany. Every year I am fortunate enough to visit them all.? And, after deciding to take a break from her fast-track life in South Africa, she is now enjoying living on a tropical island, spending at least three hours a day in the sea at Pointe-aux-Piments.

Naturally, when she got married here, it was on the beach that the celebration took place. ?It was very romantic. My husband is also South African and works here in Mauritius as a lecturer for Champion Marketing.? Her passion for the sea has been transmitted to her children. «My daughter, who is 26, also got married here in Mauritius on the beach. My son of 22, who lives in South Africa, works as a diving instructor. I have also a son of 18, who is at university in Port Elizabeth.?

Her very natural and uncomplicated ways remove barriers between Barbi and other people. Though her main language is English, she does understand a little French and Creole and finds the language ?no problem?. The people in the business I communicate with all speak English very well. And, more generally, she is very at ease in her adopted country. ?I love Mauritians and their culture. I am very blessed with good friends here. I love the food, the Phoenix beer and the relaxed way of life. Mauritians have a great love and respect for each other. What I have experienced is the way they stand together as families.? Whether with locals or foreigners, Barbi networks easily. ?I am fascinated by people and where they come from and what they do.?

She also likes to share. Having run a conservation project in South Africa to enable children to discover and love the wonders of underwater life, she ?would like to do the same here.? The children not only had fun but also learnt about marine conservation. A word to the wise is enough!!!