She carries her home … in her heart. Charlotte left her native Hong Kong four years ago and followed her Scottish husband to Mauritius on his overseas assignment. Along with her, she brought her two children and… her home. There is so much to see, so much to learn in the world that she doesn’t want to settle in one country. This home is found in her heart.

Charlotte Scrimgeour is restless. This petite but wonderfully energetic woman, born and bred in Hong Kong is amazed by Mauritius. She describes it as a piece of cake with different colours. “Oh and sweet! So sweet,” she insists. Why? “Because of the sugar cane!”, she says before bursting out laughing. Seeing our puzzlement, she decides to explain, her eyes full of mischief. “It warms my heart to see a people so proud of being called Mauritian. And yet, there is so much diversity in the people and their culture but it’s been beautifully integrated.” Charlotte now has a wistful look in her eyes.

In Hong Kong, she says, the people are not proud anymore. “We want to say we belong to no one but ourselves but, theoretically, we belong to China and we don’t want to say we are Chinese because that’s not what we are.”

Charlotte studied in Canada, went back home. A couple of years later, she met the one that would become her other half. When they heard that Charlie, her husband, was to be posted in Mauritius, the first thing Charlotte did was to get on the Internet. “I had heard about the island of course, but Mauritius is not really well-known in Hong Kong, so I had to find out all about it.” Result? She was “excited because people lived in houses there!”

She means real houses, which are so expensive in Hong Kong that only the super rich can afford them. Charlotte has adapted well to her life here “because it would be impolite not to. My principle is, when you are in a country, you have to adapt to it, learn about the people and appreciate every little thing that comes your way.”

Appreciate every little thing, Charlotte most certainly does. She has discovered the two best things since sliced bread: “crushed chillies that are served in restaurants and luddoos(Indian sweets)!”

Charlotte is a practical woman. She is also down to earth. But she is above all a positive person. That’s why she has recently taken up life coaching. “ I listen to people, to their problems and try to guide them. I don’t give advice because that’s not my place but I try to put things in perspective for them, try to give them a more positive outlook on life.” Why does she do this, especially since her services are free of charge?

“Because the package, that life is, is not always a good one and since life is what you make of it, why not try and make the best out of it?”