Living and working in Mauritius from an expat's perspective

Tell us about you, Kaajal. 

I am from a town called Stalybridge which is just outside of Manchester in the UK. I've always loved adventure and travelling from my first adventure at the age of 18 to do some volunteer work as a teacher in Himachal Pradesh, India. From there, I began university, where I trained to be a secondary school teacher. Then to Sydney, Australia, on a working holiday visa to teach to South-East Asia. It was sensational, and I would recommend independent travelling to everyone.

A few months after I got back to the UK, I met my Mauritian husband, who also loves to travel. In 2014, we moved to Abu Dhabi, which allowed us to experience another culture whilst affording us the ability to travel together to many wonderful places. We had our twins at the end of 2017, and the fun and games continued - just at a higher level of volume!

Luckily, being a teacher means that I can move almost anywhere in the world and still do the job that I love so very dearly. I was not anxious about the move to Mauritius; I knew it was going to be another exciting chapter and literally a breath of fresh air for us.

What are you doing currently here on the island'

Currently, I am working for my own company offering English tuition for students across a range of ages. I feel that I am doing a job where I am able to be creative, thoughtful and meaningful whilst also being able to spend real quality time with my family. I am finally learning French, too, and my Kreol is slowly getting better (not good, but better).

What brought you to Mauritius'

In August 2018, I resigned from my teaching job in Abu Dhabi after having our twin boys in November 2017. As a first time mum, I needed to be with my babies for obvious reasons. Though we loved many things about life in the UAE, we had always known that we wanted to raise our boys somewhere where they could be immersed in nature rather than surrounded by high rise buildings. It just so happened that my husband had been visiting his mother in Mauritius, who had recently undergone major surgery, and as he was on the outbound flight, he felt nostalgic enough to apply for a job. As luck would have it, he received a job offer on his return, and we began planning our next move. A few months later, in October 2018, we landed on the island and settled into Tamarin in Rivière Noire, where we have been ever since.

How has the sanitary crisis affected your professional activity'

During the first lockdown, I was working at an international school as an English Teacher. Both my husband and I had to work from home. This was one of the most emotionally and physically taxing times of our lives. Having to work well, get the shopping done, and keep the house semi-organised whilst also taking care of our two lovely but lively two-year-olds was no mean feat! On top of that, my husband was also completing his Master's Degree.

Obviously, something had to give, and it did many times. For me, it was unsustainable and the toll it was taking would manifest emotionally. After seeing this occurring too often, my husband and I reflected on these sanitary crisis situations, which actually ended up providing us both with a feeling of revelation and clarification. I knew then that my values and principles were not perfectly aligned with my work, and I knew I had to do something about it. Essentially, the sanitary crisis pushed me to the brink and forced me to refocus my energy towards my own goals. This refocus led me to create my own tuition company.

Thanks to this shift, the second lockdown was much easier than the first. I was able to teach many of my own students online and, thanks to my clients, I could work around my own and my husband's schedule. We would take turns with the kids, and I could be flexible with my classes due to the fact that parents understood the situation and were compassionate. I will forever be grateful to them for this. Not that I had any doubt, but it assured me that I had made the right move in my career.

How do you juggle motherhood and a professional and social life on the island'

I feel the answer to this question is ever-changing. Motherhood is a work in progress as kids grow, and so we have to adapt and evolve constantly. I do feel grateful that I have the flexibility in my schedule to breathe and be myself, time to be fully present with my kids and time to socialise with my friends and family. I miss my family back home incredibly and cannot wait to go home next year for my sister's wedding. It's going to be a long-overdue reunion! For now, I am over the moon that my mum is visiting after almost two years away from her, we all need that dose of home to recharge and reconnect.

A bit of advice for any parent trying to find balance on the island is to make use of any support available, whether that is your own family, friends or paid childcare. Don't try to do it all by yourself. There are plenty of local Facebook groups where you can meet people, get ideas, find places to learn skills for yourself or places to take the kids to burn off some energy.

What's your favourite part of Mauritius and why'

The island itself is magical. You could be amongst the hustle and bustle of a noisy street with dogs barking, people talking, horns honking, food cooking and then less than 60 seconds later, you could be surrounded by silence, looking up at treetops and down at rivers, or laying on golden sand listening to the sound of the waves. Not many places in the world can offer you that.

I absolutely love the people of Mauritius. Mauritian people, in particular, have such a brilliant sense of humour; their sarcasm is like that of no other nationality I have met so far. You only have to look at the comment section of any Mauritian Facebook group to know what I'm talking about! There's a beautiful mix of people here, and I love the richness of cultures, nationalities and personalities. There's so much to learn and love about so many people here.

Tell us about your experience of relocating to Mauritius, finding a home, work, etc.'

Finding a home was number one on our list. My in-laws live in Bambous, and we wanted to be close to them. We have always loved the west of the island - the landscape, the facilities and the lifestyle - so Tamarin was where we focused our search. The experience of finding a place wasn't too difficult; there were plenty of choices in both style and price. Finding work wasn't too difficult either but with teaching, that's typically the case. The thing that shocked me the most was the difference in salary compared to the UK (and especially to the UAE). Nevertheless, after almost a year at home with my boys, I knew I wanted to get back to the job that I loved doing, so I began working part-time.

What are the main challenges you have faced as an expatriate in Mauritius'

Initially, it was a challenge being away from my friends and family. I missed things like being able to go out, keep connected socially, and have a focus of my own - I'm sure this is a challenge for most new parents, but thankfully my mum and friends have visited, and we've been back home a few times too. Once I'd settled, and now that I have been here for a few years, I have found that I am really finding a balance and enjoying what island life has to offer. This was helped especially by working here and meeting some great colleagues who are now good friends.

I don't really think Mauritius poses any specific challenges of its own though I would say it's important to respect and value the diversity of the various cultures and people living here or anywhere for that matter. If you've ever worked in a country other than your home one, you'll know that people do things differently and how you choose to view it will determine your stress level.

I do miss the UK music scene, cars not always stopping at zebra crossings but mainly the lack of crumpets!!

What are your plans for the future'

Our plans for the future are to maintain the balance between work, family, health and home. We have recently designed our house and are excited about the construction process, which will begin soon. Next year I'd like to offer free tuition sessions for a cohort of disadvantaged Mauritian youngsters; this is a personal project that I'll be working on. Exploring this beautiful island brings us a lot of peace, fulfilment and gratitude - plus, it tires out our boys wonderfully- so we look forward to even more discoveries and adventures.