tapijo

Since six in the evening, we heard a loud sound outside. Since we were busy preparing dinner, we did not pay attention.  Then at half past seven we again hear the buzzing sound. So i went out and peeped out to see officers with the famous fogging equipment. They were fogging the streets and the canals. The ‘gun’ is very loud, more than the modified tuyau d’echappement of motorcycles. And the smoke smelled and burn eyes… Is that a good idea to use the machine at this time of the day when everyone is having supper or is returning home from work only to suffocate in the midst of the fog? The minister should have timed the fogging earlier when everybody is at work..

Been quite hot yesterday. Does not appear we are in a transition period. As a result, have not been able to sleep since 2 days. Sommeil casser vers 1.00 am sometimes 2.00 am. And to make matters worse, mosquitoes have started to fer letour. What is happening? As i look around, i could not help but notice that ants are migrating to the upper part of the house. At office, ants are invading bread and powdered milk.  N they are even walking on monitors even in a conditioned environment. Weird, isn’t it???

Hon Finance minister Dr Rama Sithanen delivered his transition speech on Friday 22nd May 2009.  The main points are:

1. excise duty of MUR 1.00 on aluminium cans and PET bottle for soft and alcoholic drinks;

2.  all profitable companies are to allocate 2% of their profits on CSR activitie;

3. new solidarity levy on fixed and mobile telephony companies set at 5% of profits and 1.5% of turnover for the next 2 financial years;

4. the solidarity levy on profitable banks increase to 1% of turnover and 3.4% of profits for the next 2 financial years;

5. reduction of ministers’ salary by MUR 10,000 as from July 2009, and control and reduction of trips overseas;

6. increase of 5.1% of old aged pensions;

7. injection of MUR 3.5 bn to support SMEs in the face of economic crisis and to save jobs.

8. construction of a university campus worth MUR 600m;

9. no increase nor decrease in VAT rate;

10. incentives to renovate hotels and reduction of taxes for construction companies;

11. construction of harbour bridge as well as other infrastructures to relieve congestion;

12. as regards to IRS/RES promoters, land transfer tax of 25% payable at the time of signature of contract. The remaining balance to be payable in 3 equal instalments over a period of 18 months.

Further info on the budget speech can be found here.

It’s raining. Do not know when i will leave here. When it’s raining hard like that, road is congested like crap. It’s like a Thursday or Friday afternoon.  Not a single inch of movement till half past five when it is already dark.  Hopefully the rain will ease a little so that i can go home !!!

The National Pay Council met yesterday to decide on the compensation 2009 for workers. Hence it has been decided that for workers claiming salary of:

up to 3,800: increase of 5.1%

3,801-12,000 :increase of rs 200

12,001 above: no increase

As usual, there has been an agreement to disagree between syndicats and the federation of employers. BTW the grand argentier will be delivering his budget speech on the 22nd May 2009. There will be two speeches this year, the other end of the year.

Just heard that lowest temp this winter is forecast to be10 deg.  Winter should have already started but it seems that we are still in a transition period and the cold season would be later than expected. Surprisingly we had cold temperatures during the first few days of the month but lately the temperature has risen uncomfortably to decrease substantially at night. No wonder auspicious for flu spreading…

My heart have been pounding hard since one week and it is until today that i decided to have a check up. Until yesterday, i did not have any symptoms associated with the hard beat. I began cold sweating and had the feeling that my toes were very cold and numb. Moreover i have the sensation that i could not breathe at all when i am in bed. The sensation became more pronounced late at night. I decided to have some paracetamol just in case the symptoms were signs of a heart attack. The beat got harder in the next 30 minutes but gradually slided down. It was not until 3 in the morning that i managed to sleep.

So before going to work i decided to have a check up at the family doctor. Got discouraged at the long queue there. So dashed right to work, and latter phoned the doctor to enquire when i can drop by. Later in the morning i re dropped at the doctor’s office and  re-queue again. This time, i decided to wait. There was a couple before me and they took more than 30 minutes to leave, asking questions. Man, the doctor likes to talk and put stories forward.

It was finally my turn and after telling him my ailments, he boldly asked my age and told me that the pain and symptoms were of psychosomatic nature and that i have to brush away these thoughts. He also began to paint my personality telling me that i like to do things right and that i was on the “nerf”.  Woahh!!! Nobody ever told me that…Next he took my pulse and heart beat. All ok! Then to reassure me, he took a blood sample. Afterwards all went black. I fainted. I could not even recall when i was put on the ground and my feet were up. When i regained consciousness i could hear the doctor telling me to breathe… Slowly i got up and the GP told me that i fainted because i was scared and my blood pressure went low and blood was not irrigating the brain. Scary!!! I was not even thinking of blood… Unconsciously may be???Second time fainting and losing consciousness.

So after resting and regaining color, i went back to office, taking with me panadol for fever (i was hot according to him) and some tablets to sleep as the only prescriptions.  Blood test results on Monday!

UPDATE:

Results out-viral infection…

Really amazing! Turn on your speakers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Some of you may have already heard of.

Today I watched the film the day earth stood still featuring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, John Cleese. It is a remake story of the 1951 classic sci fic. The film is about the day Klaatu an extra terrestrial being (played by Keanu) landed on earth. His mission: save the earth. Actor James Hong, who landed on earth 70 years ago acted as his contact and briefed him on human activities and their destructive nature. From there on Keanu pressed the red button and human race and traces of their activities started to get wiped off.

Locust or nano robots..

The only hope for the human race is Jennifer Connelly(played an astro physician specialised in microbiology) who will try to convince Keanu that human has another facet worth saving. Kind of like the film with nice special effects. Good start for me. First film of the year and high score.. Vivement que sa continue :p

Rs 100.00 one pound of love apple…. Lovely love apple!!! rs 100.00 one pound… Incredible. Since one week, prices of vegetables keep increasing and the cerise sur le gateau is now the vegetable which rentre dan tous la sauce. Peuhhhh!!! Hard to be a vegetarian these days!!!