From Camp-Yoloff to Bell-Village, driving through Port-Louis during off-peak hours is a matter of minutes. But trying to test its pulse is another one. The first city of Mauritius, which has been holding celebrations since last Thursday for its Patron Saint, known as ?Festival of the City?, sounds like a many-voiced symphony ? of bus and car horns during the day ? with its mass influx of workers giving its hectic tempo. It is born again in the night at a few hotspots after being deserted by the busy-bees at dusk. Yet it is behind the doors of those who live there that we discover its true soul. Not always a happy one. Some of the privileged inhabitants speak about being a Portlouisian today.

?I like my life here and would not give it up at any rate.? Nadiim Hosenie, 22, who lives in the vicinity of the old colonial architectural mix of Nicolay Street in Camp-Yoloff, is following a BA in French at the University of Mauritius. It is the modern Port-Louis that first comes to his mind: nearby offices, administrative facilities, and ?a reliable drainage system? are most appreciable according to the student. But he confesses that modern life leaves him little time to enjoy the town itself. ?When I come back here, I enjoy the tranquility of my house and its surroundings. We live in harmony here.?

Noise level and car traffic

Some clouds intrude amidst this smiling picture: ?There is a real lack of regular police patrols in the surroundings. Even if the level of criminality is not as high here as in other parts of the town, there is room for improvement?, Nadiim remarks.

This is a misnomer if we listen to another citizen, Mahesh Fokeer, who more than 15 years ago came back to his native Ward IV, after 20 years in Belgium. For him, Port-Louis has lost much of its sheen in the past decades. ?It has become dull since the departure of some well-off families.? Mahesh regrets the lively social life, governed by the rhythm of religious celebrations in which everyone participated. ?At Marie-Reine de la Paix, people would meet and talk cheerfully.? Now, in a landscape of derelict houses, he deplores the mismanagement of the old tarred alleys with their canals ?damaged by vans that can hardly go through? and the fact that he barely knows his neighbour.

Noise level and car traffic are a concern for Elsie Choolun, not a born Portlouisian, but who has settled since 40 years, moving from a house to her actual home not far from Mahesh?s. ?I have been progressively accustomed but there is not much left of that feeling of living in a small village I first encountered. The youngest generation does not pay attention to politeness, there is much insecurity too.? Elsie refers to drug trafficking that generates family traumas in the neighborhood.

?I can?t walk in the streets with my jewels?, confirms G. Lallmahomed, who still prefers Ward IV to Plaine-Verte because of the calm she finds there. Coming from a village, she moved there some six years back when she got married. For her, the place is a mixed bag: ?I sometimes miss the large expanse of my childhood, but the nearby mountain is a compensation. And you have everything within reach: not only the offices or administration but also Caudan, the movies. So it is most enjoyable.?

Life in a town can also be witnessed through the vividness of small commercial activities. ?I seldom have to concede credit payment to my customers?, says a happy Nasrullah Jauffrally, who has been running a bike repair business at Brabant Street for three decades. Though Nasrullah does not live in Port-Louis, ?because you have to rent at high prices?, he points to the unique folklore of Desforges Street and its surroundings, ?where you always have people and colorful stalls open until very late in the night?.

Vibrant night life, social activities, a taste for differences is a vocabulary common to Anne-Marie Venpin, a charming grandmother and personality of Chinatown. ?I never balk at attending to a march on fire at the nearby Tamil Temple, whatever people say?, says with a smile the lively old lady, who teaches Tai Chi to women at Idrice Goomany Centre. ?I never believed in clans. 20 years ago, everyone would gather spontaneously in the neighborhood to sit and chat. Now everyone has parted, each one remains in his/her corner. I don?t know why, may be because in the modern era, we don?t have enough time to socialize.?

Food and education

She feels that the loss of interest for one another has come from some reluctance from authorities to maintain the town properly: ?Before inspectors would warn you whenever you would be at fault, with detritus on the street and so forth. Now you have to initiate the procedures if something goes wrong and there is still litter everywhere.?

Anne-Marie likes to recall her childhood during World War II: ?We had to be disciplined in those adverse times. Just down the road you have a small bridge: we were supposed in case of attack to take refuge under it: there was a small shelter fitted out under it.? The inscription remains: ARP to shelter. ?In those days, only food and education really mattered?, points Anne-Marie, referring to our consumerist era.

While authorities pay tribute to the old capital, we have been given the rare opportunity to reflect on our threatened values. As Anne-Marie says, ?we should all live in harmony?.