?The environment here is very different from that of Madagascar were are frequently bush fires which make the landscape bare and brown,? says Gilbert Andrianantoanina in his typical lilting Malagasy accent. He loves the lushness of Mauritius. The common sight of sugarcane fields was very impressive to him when he got off the plane. ?I simply love the colour green!? he adds with a little smile. He explains how big his native country is and how different parts of it have totally different environments. His town, Tsiroanomandidy in the province of Tana, is peaceful but the region all around it is known for being dangerous. ?This is because the cattle farmers often have their cattle stolen; there are always robbers prowling about.?

One can thus quite understand why he enjoys the peacefulness and security of Mauritius. He seems particularly impressed with the beaches, but prefers the tranquil and less developed places such as Belle-Mare. He enjoys going there for picnics with his family and can even have his own Malagasy food. Indeed, all the ingredients can be found in Mauritius. He explains how he does not have the same eating habits as in his home country since over there rice-based food is eaten three times a day! But his favourite dish is still Raomazava, ?something resembling a stew of meat and what you call brèdes?.

?I have never felt out of place here since the people of Madagascar and those of Mauritius are quite similar.? He finds that physically they have the same sort of features. ?When you look around you and see people who look like you it is difficult not to feel at home.? Since his job has taken him to so many locations in the Indian Ocean, he was used to traveling. But he had never been to Mauritius until his first posting in 1994. His wife and daughter soon followed him, and after the initial few weeks of normal instability, they too were happy. The Malagasy community here - about 600 to 700 people helped them a lot. ?They are like having our family next door and we meet up with some of them as often as three times a week.?

Gilbert does miss something from his native country though: the long drives across Madagascar... All the same, he does go back on holiday at least once a year and can travel up to 300 kilometres by car across the huge island just to enjoy changes in the landscape!