tapijo

The Loterie Nationale has been officially launched on Wednesday 28th October 2009.  On the occasion of the soft launch, the holder of the winning ticket (6/40) will be awarded the prize of Rs 12 million. So what is the loterie Nationale? Guess all of you know the loto (no, not the creole word for car), the game in which you need to hold all the numbers in order to win. Yes this is it. 58% of the receipts will go directly into the government pocket to fund “de grandes causes nationales”.

Prior to the official launching of the game, Lottotech (the company behind the loto game) invested massively on advertising, training retailers (spread widely in the island) on the use of their machines. The draw will be held on the 7th November. So if you think that probability has no secrets for you, then off you go! BTW the ticket costs Rs 20 for a choice of 6 numbers. Good luck!!!

This morning, i woke up and was craving for some fried eggs. So i had fried eggs for breakfast. Hey guess what? The egg did not taste like egg… There was the yolk and the white all right. But it was so tasteless. I noted that some time back but this time, i asked for feedback and i got confirmation. Are our table eggs synthetic? Do your eggs taste funny too?

Since Wednesday, one kilogram of white sugar is now sold at Rs 19.50 against Rs 10.95 and this is the recommended selling price. The price has now been liberalised and us, consumers will pay more in practice. The price increase may be explained by the fact that the sugar community, planters and industrials will no longer be subsidising the white crystal. According to the Chamber of Agriculture, the price of sugar since 1991 has remained unchanged and the subsidies have cost the sugar industry an additional rs250 to 300 millions each year. “Dans le contexte de la reforme du secteur, cette mesure est acceuillie comme une bouffee d’air frais par tous les planteurs” dixit the Chamber of Agriculture.

So dear consumers, for one kg of white sugar, prepare to pay more than rs 20. Raw sugar will cost twice. Recession obliges reduce your sugar intake also. Also prepare yourself to spend more on cakes and sugar based delicacies.Ile Maurice ile durable?? May be this will reduce the number of diabetes given that we top the world list in terms of amputation due to diabetes complication.

This time i could not help but voice out my frustration to the new (and undoubtedly) higher price of electricity which us the end users (that is residential users) need to pay to the CEB.  The article which can be found here suggests means and measures to decrease energy consumption during peak hours. May I make an appeal to the CEB what should the government decrease substantially the tax on solar equipments and accessories we would be glad to bypass the electricity you gratefuly supply to us. Why is that it is us the end users who need to put our hands in our pocket?? Does that mean that from 0800 hrs to 1829hrs, there is no peak in energy usage? Industries use much more energy than us residential users. Do not tell me that during gthe 2 hours, energy consumption by residential users is much more higher that during the 10 hour time slot. If there is strain on the CEB network, then it better reviews its infrastructure so as to accommodate the ever increasing population. And Maurtius is dreaming of 3 millions tourists, with the archaical network of water and energy distribution??? LOL!!!

Just learned that price of diesel, petrol and heavy oil have been revised to become 20% and 15% cheaper respectively. The price reduction has been effected after the urge of the Minister of Finance to economic operators to follow the trend of petroleum prices on the world market. The plea for price reduction has also been aired to members of the chamber of commerce with respect to the basic commodities. The Minister intends to reduce the inflation rate to one digit ratio. The Bank of Mauritius has also revised its repo rate by 0.50% downwards.

Thus as from tomorrow Saturday 1st November 2008, the price of diesel, petrol and heavy oil will be as follows per litre:

Diesel to become MUR 41.00 instead of MUR 51.20 (decrease of 19.92%)

Pertrol to become MUR 39.80 instead of MUR 46.80(decrease of 14.95%)

Heavy oil to become MUR 16.13 insteadof MUR 18.97  (decreaseof 15%)

Since Sunday, we shifted our clock one hour in advance (summer time).  But since Monday, i have a feeling of lethargy and my eating habit has been disturbed too. Although there are no major problems in waking in the morning, I do feel sleepy and tired afterwards as if I had not made my 8 hours sleep. When it comes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, same fate. Do not eat well or no appetite at all. Sounds like i shifted to another country with totally different time slot. Ah well, hope to get accustomed. Have till March 2009 to get accustomed and afterwards rehave to adjust again!!!

Since Saturday, our PABX line went dead. We could neither make or receive calls.  We did not bother and thought it would be only temporary. On Monday, same scenario. I decided to phone Mauritius Telecom on 8900. The operator took my contact info and I insisted that a technician be sent as soon as possible. The operator replied that a team will be sent on site should they be around. Later i noticed that ADSL line too was dead. This time i phoned 8902. Here again the opeator took my contact info and same rhetoric when i insisted that mails exchanges can not be made and we needed to send or receive faxes.

The boss’ wife came into play and called X, Y, Z to phone MT to enquire and send technicians as soon as possible. Finally, she talked to one of our managers who happens to know someone at MT. Soon after the contact came and checked all our phone lines. He called MT and it was then that we came to know that a nervous system at Coromandel went down and it was the reason for the faults.

Day 2-Today. Still no ring tones. The wife again called the manager. He replied to her that the fault was common to all locations in Coromandel. Later surprise! MT technicians were around. They were very caring and asked about locations of central exchange box. It was in the afternoon that i knew (through the wife) that the manager after consultation with the boss promised the technicians a reward if they could solve the problem very quickly. No comments!!!

It seems that not only Mauritius is being affected by rising prices of basic commodities. Consumer groups in Europe have gathered themselves on streets to protest against the ever rising prices of rice, wheat, flour to name a few. Even in Italy there has been a one day boycott on pasta. In Bangladesh, surprisingly, rice is being rationed.  People were queuing since early morning to buy five kilo of rice, their staple food. India has even stopped exporting rice preferring to cope with the local demand but this effort is being undermined by shortages in supply.  Food price crisis is going global. According to the BBC, researchers at the IRRI need to be thinking of a way to boost yield on ever decreasing acres of land under agriculture.

The recent rain pour did not do much to alleviate the household’s baskets. Most vegetables were affected by the flooding and if one is lucky to find some on display at the market, his wallet needs to be well stuffed. So for the time being better turn to canned food, hoping that brighter days are only some days away…  Too optimist or naive??

Very very hot and mosquitoes buzzing around… Got some breeze but still can not attenuate the heat. Wish that at least at night we could have some rains and a nice temperature to ease our warrior’s sleep. Yesterday only slept 3 hours. Tried to recap the loss during the day but the bed reminds me of sauna and all i could do is to take a nap on the ground. Damnit how can the Japanese sleep on the ground. It’s so hard!!!

Bzzzzzzzzz!

Slap!!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Clap!!!!

Bzzzzzzzzz! Clap! Clap!

How i hate that aspect of summer! And they dare to disturb you even if you light on your mosquito coils. Even the classical spread of mentholated jelly at the back of the ears does not work.  So i had to wake up, switch on the lights and chase for the intruders with my “bouffi” eyes. Not a single one in sight! It’s already three in the morning! Yawn!!! Off the lights!

Re  Bonne nuit!