?What am I doing here?? wonders Bernadette before bursting out laughing. Then she shakes her head and doesn?t give another thought to the question. And goes back to what she is actually doing here - working.

In truth, Bernadette Smith loves Mauritius. But it is in her nature to get impatient about things, get irritated even further? and then blow a fuse! Then she feels better, calms down and is happy again. She?s had her say. But the Aries lady often finds that others don?t understand her sense of? let?s say, humour?

It took the Aussie lady over a week to open a bank account. In the meantime, she had to keep traveling back and forth to Port-Louis? for nothing. ?Because no one could manage to get the right information?? and she recounts her experience. So Bernadette blows up? and refuses to go to the bank. Then she decides to tell a friend about it and says, ?before I leave, I?m going to blow up a bank?. Her shocked friend panicked and told her never to say such a thing again; people might take her seriously!

Bernadette moans about the traffic but loves the way that ?the law doesn?t get respected on the roads so I can also get away with a lot of things.? She moans about ?how helpless many people are when you?re trying to get business done? but loves how nice and friendly people are. She loves the hot weather but doesn?t like the beach ?because there?s no shade?.

Contradictions! Contradictors! Don?t hold it against her; she?s just an Aries.

The Aries lady loves living on an island. Before Mauritius, she lived in the Seychelles for two years before going to East Timor for six months. ?I love the lifestyle. But I maintain what I have always said; Australia is the best place in the world.? Bernadette is planning on leaving the island in a year?s time. Does she not get attached to the countries she goes to? ?I suppose there are things that you miss, but there is too much of the world to see?? she says thoughtfully.

Would she come back? ?For sure. I would love to come and play golf here!? says the lady. Could she live here? ?Definitely. Mauritius is an easy place to live? but it?s not home,? she replies.

What would this unusual lady miss the most when she leaves? ?Oh God, the casualness!? she laughs. Bernadette remembers one time she was at Sydney airport and ?I saw all those people walk past in their power suits. They all looked identical, with their mobile phones and their briefcases. And then I listened to their conversations on the plane and I thought, ?Get a life! There is more to life than thinking business 24\7!? she recounts.

What Bernadette will definitely not miss? are Mauritian banks! ?I have devised a theory. Never talk to anyone not wearing a uniform. It means they?re new and they can?t help.? And there goes the laugh again! Good one. Advice that we could also use? Thanks Bernadette!