Culture Smart Mauritius

The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Tim Cleary

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Paperback

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French

Kuperard Publishers
01 April 2011

Cultural studies; Travel & holiday guides; Business travel; Places & peoples: pictorial works; Languages & ESL; French - Cultural Material; Phrase Books

Series: Culture Smart!

This island nation is a very new society, forged over the past three centuries. Although similar in many ways to neighboring Reunion and the Seychelles where there is also a mixed population of African and Indian ancestry, Mauritius actually has a much greater South and East Asian influence than these islands. But that is not the whole story: a strong French cultural and linguistic heritage persists, even though the island was taken over and ruled by Britain for a hundred and fifty-eight years, and you only have to scratch the surface of many a Mauritian custom to find its African and Malagasy roots.

Although it would be difficult to claim a single overarching identity for the Mauritian people, certain traits recur in the accounts of foreign visitors: hospitality, warmth, and friendliness, albeit with an unexpected element of reserve. Above all, the most defining characteristic of the Mauritians is their multiculturalism. The island s rich cultural diversity reflects the origins of the people who settled there, and Mauritian language, food, and religion form an intoxicating medley. Mauritius is not always, however, the haven of peace, love, and understanding that it may seem at first sight. The reality is more complex and nuanced. Although today many Western and European-style customs are encroaching on both private and public life, Mauritians are ambivalent about this, and ancestral traditions are still firmly established in the daily lives of the population.

This book aims to make sense of the modern and the traditional, of the complex legacy of shared and ancestral cultures. It will help you to navigate your way through the contradictions of Mauritian society and to enrich your experience of this fascinating and beautiful island.

By: Tim Cleary
Imprint: Kuperard Publishers
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 169mm, Width: 110mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 177g
ISBN: 9781857335422
ISBN 10: 1857335422
Series: Culture Smart!
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 01 April 2011
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Tim Cleary has a BA in French from the University of Leeds, where he specialized in Creole languages and the Francophone world, and an MA in Linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has worked as a translator (French to English), has lived in Mauritius, and in 2010 married a Mauritian, with whom he is learning to speak Kreol. Tim currently lives in London and works at the famous Stanfords map and travel bookshop in Covent Garden, but he visits Mauritius regularly. He enjoys listening to Mauritian sega music and drinking the occasional can of Phoenix lager.

Reviews for Culture Smart Mauritius: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York Times