Entries from February 2007 ↓

Time for rejoicing. Time to start anew. Time to look forward to a better year.

It is also the day of the highest movement of people in China. Traditionally all Chinese return home to spent the start of the year together with the family.

My daughter Stephane and her children flew from Montreal to arrive today to see us.

Happy year of the Pig to all of you. This year of the fire Pig is of particular significance to me as I shall be 60 and the 5 elements of the Chinese horoscope combined with the 12 signs coincides only every 60 years.

Year 2007 is a Chinese Red Fire Pig Year. Why did the Chinese name the year 2007 as the Red Pig Year? Chinese calendar used the Stem-Branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use the animal names

En ce jour de notre fête Nationale, Maha Shiva Ratree, je voudrai vous présenter, un extrait d’un récit de quelqu’un qui a vécu chez nous il y a quelques années.

Ce qui m’épate c’est la ferveur des dévots de Shiva et surtout le nombre grandissant des pèlerins. Que la fête soit un point de ralliement identitaire de la communauté hindoue ! Que la convergence vers un point commun le grand bassin soit signe d’unite!

Citation

Je me souviens aussi que la vedette incontesté et incontestable de ton marché est ton herboriste, celui là même qui dispense les herbes qui guérissent tout (ou donne la ” vigueur ” sans viagra) de génération en génération. Et puis, sans en avoir l’air, je n’arrive pas à oublier cette spiritualité ambiante de l’Inde mais quelque peu « dévoyée » que tu distilles comme de lourds parfums d’orchidées. Oh, ne te vexe pas ! Quand je dis que ta spiritualité est dévoyée, ce n’est pas une insulte, bien au contraire. Par « dévoyée », j’entends que cette spiritualité a recréé à sa mesure le savoir et l’érudition des bramanes qu’elle n’avait pas pu importé dans les maigres balluchons des coolies débarqués des pointes de l’Inde après l’abolition de l’esclavage ; qu’il s’agit d’une forme de spiritualité sans prêtres, et pratiquement sans livres qui a reconstruit ses structures et son clergé. Par exemple Le Gange et ses pèlerinages ont été remplacés par GRAND BASSIN, ton lac solitaire, niché à l’intérieur des collines, hors des itinéraires touristiques. Et c’est là que chaque année, pendant plusieurs jours les fidèles convergent dans un gigantesque balai qui envahi l’île du Nord au Sud.

Je me souviens que pour la fête de Maha Shiva Ratree, chaque village, chaque communauté tient à transporter à porteurs des ” cathédrales ” de bambous, des feuillages, des pierreries, des décorations, en l’honneur de Shiva. C’est bien normal puisque les habitants les auront patiemment construits pendant de longs mois, comme peuvent le faire en d’autres lieux les écoles de Samba.

Je me souviens de la concentration de ces ” monuments ” sur Grand Bassin…… cette marche forcée, de jour comme de nuit, enfants aux crochets des basques des parents, indifféremment à la gauche ou à la droite de l’autoroute. Pour comprendre la ferveur de ton peuple, il faut avoir assisté, à 6 heures du soir, quand la nuit commence à tomber, aux immenses cortèges quasi silencieux de pèlerins en dévotion qui montent en files lumineuses aux temples de Grand Bassin pour y honorer les signes de Shiva, lingam et yoni. Ces signes sont baignés d’offrandes de fleurs et de noix de cocos importées à grand frais d’Agalega et que les prêtres découpent d’un seul coup de coupe-coupe. Je me souviens qu’en début de soirée, au bord du lac, les fidèles jambes de pantalon troussés, les pieds dans l’eau y trempaient de milliers de petites lumières, des pastilles de méta qu’ils laissaient ensuite glisser sur le lac à bord de larges feuilles de manguiers, le tout accompagnée d’une lente constellation de prière.

Fin de citation

Jean Michel Billaut as announced came to Mauritius and delivered 3 full day seminars on the theme Future 2.0. He also gave a short presentation to the managers of the National Computer Board.

Jean Michel forecasts the slow death of our call center industries with the advent of Visio-technology coupled with the increased of the bandwidth of the internet due to be in place soon with the decision of the French Administrations to install ‘end to end’ fiber optics connections throughout the French territory.

I was so pleased to have held in my hand a proto-type version of iliad e-reader.
My partners of APM who contributed for Jean Michel’s trip to Mauritius, left the seminars happy to have learned so much about the future yet still hungry for more knowledge.

In the nutshell, without larger bandwidth,hi speed internet and without fiber optics connections the future of Mauritius would be gloomy.

Merci Jean Michel

http://billaut.typepad.com/jm/2007/02/ocean_indien_n1.html#comments

As often the case, the fluff has become more catchy and exciting than the essence. Today is the big day. St Valentine! Do you know of the essence of this day? Why do you fete this day? To be reminded that you have to tell and demonstrate to your cherished that you love her is excellent. St Valentine day for me serves the purpose. I look up wikipedia or read some of specialized website on the subject to know more of the history around this day.

What fascinate me: the marketers have used their entrepreneur’s genius to transform this occasion into an opportunity to push the consumers to spend by creating fluff around the event. Can you imagine the money spent around this St Valentine day? Since a fortnight the media has not stopped to pump up the event. Even Book Court my preferred book store in Caudan and Shoprite ,soon in Flacq has joined in the bandwagon of using the Valentine’s event.

For the chocolate industry, this is one of the big events of the year. What is the close relationship between St.Valentine and Chocolate? Read below about the psychoactive Chocolate. Do give to your partner her shot of love chemical in a chocolate Valentine gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate is a psychoactive food. It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The cacao tree was named by the 17th century Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term theobroma means literally “food of the gods”. Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.

Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.

The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate’s reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.

Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study needs replicating.

Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the worlds oldest supercentenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets at the age of 119 – three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.

In the UK, chocolate bars laced with cannabis are popular with many victims of multiple sclerosis. This brand of psychoactive confectionery remains unlicensed.

Chocolate as we know it today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Swiss confectioner Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F.

Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer. More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified. Chocolate clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the central nervous system are poorly understood. So how does it work?

CHOCOLATE : the Psychoactive Cocktail

Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Sceptics claim one would need to consume several pounds of chocolate to gain any very noticeable psychoactive effects; and eat a lot more to get fully stoned. Yet it’s worth noting that N-oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, two structural cousins of anandamide present in chocolate, both inhibit the metabolism of anandamide. It has been speculated that they promote and prolong the feeling of well-being induced by anandamide.

Chocolate contains caffeine. But the caffeine is present only in modest quantities. It is easily obtained from other sources. Indeed a whole ounce of milk chocolate contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of “decaffeinated” coffee.

Chocolate’s theobromine content may contribute to – but seems unlikely to determine – its subtle but distinctive psychoactive profile. Surprisingly, perhaps, recent research suggests that pure theobromine may be superior to opiates as a cough medicine due to its action on the vagus nerve.

Chocolate also contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It is the rate-limiting step in the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin function typically diminishes anxiety. Yet tryptophan can normally be obtained from other sources as well; and only an unusually low-protein, high-carbohydrate meal will significantly increase its rate of intake into the brain.

Like other palatable sweet foods, consumption of chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s endogenous opiates. Enhanced endorphin-release reduces the chocolate-eater’s sensitivity to pain. Endorphins probably contribute to the warm inner glow induced in susceptible chocoholics.

Acute monthly cravings for chocolate amongst pre-menstrual women may be partly explained by its rich magnesium content. Magnesium deficiency exacerbates PMT. Before menstruation, too, levels of the hormone progesterone are high. Progesterone promotes fat storage, preventing its use as fuel; elevated pre-menstrual levels of progesterone may cause a periodic craving for fatty foods. One study reported that 91% of chocolate-cravings associated with the menstrual cycle occurred between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Chocolate cravings are admitted by 15% of men and around 40% of women. Cravings are usually most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.

Cacao and chocolate bars contain a group of neuroactive alkaloids known as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are also found in beer, wine and liquor; they have been linked to alcoholism. But the possible role of these chemicals in chocolate addiction remains unclear.

One UK study of the human electroencephalographic (EEG) response to chocolate suggests that the odour of chocolate significantly reduces theta activity in the brain. Reduced theta activity is associated with enhanced relaxation. This study needs replication.

Perhaps chocolate‘s key ingredient is its phenylethylamine (PEA) “love-chemical”. Yet the role of the “chocolate amphetamine” is disputed. Most if not all chocolate-derived phenylethylamine is metabolised before it reaches the CNS. Some people may be sensitive to its effects in very small quantities.

Phenylethylamine is itself a naturally occurring trace amine in the brain. Phenylethylamine releases dopamine in the mesolimbic pleasure-centres; it peaks during orgasm. Taken in unnaturally high doses, phenylethylamine can produce stereotyped behaviour more prominently even than amphetamine. Phenylethylamine has distinct binding sites but no specific neurons. It helps mediate feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, apprehension and euphoria; but confusingly, phenylethylamine has also been described as an endogenous anxiogen. One of its metabolites is unusually high in subjects with paranoid schizophrenia.

There is even a phenylethylamine theory of depression. Monoamine oxidase type-b has been described as phenylethylaminase; and taking a selective MAO-b inhibitor, such as selegiline (l-deprenyl, Eldepryl) or rasagiline (Agilect) can accentuate chocolate’s effects. Some subjects report that bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) reduces their chocolate-cravings; but other chocoholics dispute this.

I had always been a marketing man at heart. I was already a Graduate of the Institute of Marketing in the late 60’s before the Institute became a Chartered Institute by the British authorities. Now known as CIM, the institute is thriving.

My keen interest in supermarkets and  industry of retail groceries moved me to keep track on the developments in this field. From recent trip to India and the reading in India on business, I can forecast a gigantic expansion in retail groceries in India.Wall mart is eyeing India. Local giants of the like of Tata, Birla  have already signed up with world wide players in the field  to capture the opportunities.Up to now,the government  of India has been very reluctant to open the market to foreign investors but would give permit of operation to joint Indian and foreign partnership.

SPAR a world wide operator with whom I had dealings for a number of years have already a foot in India.

Tesco, a UK based operator is growing from strength to strength. Logistics and Marketing are the two drivers of this industry. The right product,at the right time  and price to the right customer!Have you heard of dunnhumby way and relevance marketing? They are the marketing brain of Tesco, Kroger and many more..I just finished reading their small book Brand is dead!Long live the customer.It is a fable for business today written by Suzanne Cadisch which very succinctly and  in very simple language gives the essence of the success of Tesco today.More information to serve your customer better!

La Joie Chrétienne ou la voie du bonheur. A la messe, le nouveau vicaire, le Père Victoire qui vient d’être affecté à notre paroisse, fait une juxtaposition entre la lecture de l’évangile et le passage de Jérémie dans son homélie. Nous sommes donnés le choix entre suivre le chemin des hommes ou la joie et voie Chrétiennes. A nous de choisir !

Pourquoi ‘malheureux les riches’ ? Pourquoi ‘malheureux vous qui êtes repus’ ? Quand nous sommes dans le confort et la plénitude, nous croyons être maîtres du monde. Le culte du « Moi ».Notre regard se retourne vers nous mêmes et nous savourons le plaisir sans nous soucier des autres peut etre ! Notre avidité pour les biens temporels nous prive de rechercher et d’amasser les trésors de l’infini, que ce soit l’amour de Dieu et l’amour du prochain.

Pourquoi ‘Malheureux êtes vous quand tous les hommes disent du bien de vous’ ? Quand notre motivation de bien faire du bien ne réside que dans les compliments et les congratulations des hommes, nous devenons le dieu des hommes. Est-ce cela notre mission primaire ? La joie chrétienne a une autre motivation : plaire à Dieu. Faire la volonté de Dieu et servir Dieu devraient être notre moteur unique. Ainsi, en écrivant ce blog ce matin, je dois me demander : Quelle est ma motivation ? Est-ce pour me faire valoir auprès des lecteurs ou pour servir Dieu dans la propagation de son message d’amour ?

Aussi paradoxale que cela puisse paraître, la voie de la joie chrétienne vante le bien être des pauvres, des affamés et des méprisés. L’évangile nous demande d’être heureux dans ces situations humainement impossibles. Où est l’astuce ?

Est-ce que mon regard et mon interprétation de la situation sont à défaut ? Comment pourrai-je être bienheureux tout en étant pauvre, affamé et méprisé en même temps ? Serait- il possible que ‘être bienheureux’ soit sur un ordre spirituel, donc vu de Dieu, et que les autres conditions soient un ordre humain ?

Cette foi en Dieu, dans l’espérance de la résurrection, raison pour laquelle par amour pour nous, Jésus est venu, change aujourd’hui mon appréciation du paradoxe.

Oui, je peux être bienheureux au présent tout en étant pauvre, souffrant, malade, affamé et méprisé. Ce qui importe s’est bien le regard de Dieu !

Nicole is being treated for cancer.The evil has recently been diagnosed and the progress of the disease is said to be growing fast.I was shocked to hear of Nicole’s illness.
As many Mauritians who have migrated in the 70’s to Canada,some of her children now live in North America whilst Nicole and Maurice had elected to reside partly in Singapore and Floreal Mauritius for some years already. Nicole herself comes from a family with many children. Her sisters and brothers, most of whom are over 60 are presently living in Mauritius,Canada and Italy. How to keep track with the relatives and friends? The blog is the solution.

Reading Nicole’s blog allows the whole gamut of well wishers, relatives and friends to keep track of her progress daily.

Nicole & Maurice: Bon Courage, God Bless you. You are in my prayers.

China and India are without doubt,the two super powers of the coming decades.Each country has their +s and -s. As a free-minded observer,I have been for the last few years keen in watching the development of these countries.

Ever since my early work life,I had a very close association with India. Having worked for Air India in my prime years, when I was given my first management job,I still maintained a love for this wonderful country continent. I was so lucky to have traveled so often and so extensively through out India with travel writers and travel agents. To be invitees of the ITDC, Indian Trade and development Corporation in those days, I was treated like a real Maharajah.I often jokingly say that I was an Indian mystic,perched in the Himalayas in my previous life.
As for China: blood and origins are vibrating in my body and soul.

Deloitte Research has published recently a document,China and India:The Reality Beyond the Hype, which has retained my keen interest.

This morning I woke up with the thought “how was it difficult to optimize the logistics in any business”? In fact, to a large extent I have spent a large portion of my working career on this subject. Optimization of the logistics is the essence of running of a successful business operations. I was first time awakened to the concept of logistics, way back to a management course I attended in the early 70’s at BOAC in London when we were given a very tedious exercise and were taught the use of “Critic Path Analysis” as first time designed by the brilliant logistics experts in the project of “Polaris” the missile in the 50’s.
To have on the selves of a supermarket the right product ,in sufficient number of units at the time when the customer would like to have them at the right price is the aim of the businessman. Matching demand and the offer at the right time, right price and in the optimum quantity is more easily said that done.Just in time delivery is the buzz word!
Tom Peters, the management Guru that I have been reading since the early 80’s in his books and now almost daily, on his blog had always impressed me in his insistence that logistics are to be performed at perfection.

In my notes, I had for my memory sake, summarized the 10 traits of a leader from articles and books published by Tom Peters.Here they are:

1. Leaders create opportunities.

2. Leaders do!

3. Leaders re-do.

4. Leaders convey a grand design.

5. Leaders make mistakes.

6. Leaders nurture other leaders.

7. Leaders are great performers.

8. Leaders accept responsibility.

9. Leaders take breaks.

10. Leaders do stuff that matters.

Logistics will come under item 4.:the grand Design.

Would you be interested to have a non interested view of a fellow traveler on his latest appreciation or dissatisfaction on the services provided by the hotel you are about to book?

Vinivi a newly established internet service in Mauritius is now providing this service on line for 36 countries and covering over 19000 hotels or lodgings!

I encourage you to visit the site and to discover for yourself the benefits you could derive from its services. Furthermore why not encourage a Mauritian based enterprise to prosper?

I spoke today with the initiator of the project, Gilles Granger to inquire about his business model and his success factors.I leave you to guess his answers.