This “plaisir” country is easily recognizable by the manner in which every conversation starts. All Mauritians greet other Mauritians by these words: “A part sa, sa va”. I have been wracking my brains for years now to understand the quality of “sa” and what the “sa” can mean or convey. Mauritian quality must be probed as everything seems to be covered by “sa” which apparently is versatile and pregnant with presumptive meaning. I try to decipher the meaning of “sa” by asking the greeters what is “sa”. People are taken aback when they are confronted by my question as they never contemplated the possibility of anyone asking such an impertinent question.

Some who are more versed in such highfalutin conversation have these stock expressions: “femme zenfant bien” assuming that all people are married and have children when the reality is more often than not otherwise. This confirms the saying that some people are wise and others otherwise.

Some foreign visitors are studying the vacuity of such expressions when it is generally known that items for conversational discourse are definitely not lacking. I refuse to accept that we who are the citizens of this paradise country are unable to engage in sensible conversation. Or are we so much enmeshed in praying with the socio-cultural and political pundits that our thinking faculties have sunk into nothingness.

Another expression which is doing the rounds is this one: “Eh chose, tout bon la”. What that “chose” is, is a multi-million question. It is not possible to know what position that “chose” is or takes unless we use another expression to convey this super meaningful wisdom: “Ki position, Boss, faire ene l’usage”. Or should I use the Creole dictionary meaning for “l’usage” by “lisage” or “lisaz”? Or should it be “lizaz”? I believe that “tou dans lordre” and it is time to get down from the tree i.e. “desane lors pied”. I just misplaced the Creole dictionary and I beg for excuse if my creole writing is unorthodox.

Next time I will make sure that it will be fi ne as I will arrange for “dresse partout”. Just think about the billions that Mauritius spends on education every year to obtain quality and excellence and, if this is all that we can offer in terms of intellectual input, it is no wonder that the output is what it is. Or to put it pithily, this country is adept at “geste touye connaissance”.

In the wake of the March 12 Independence celebrations, we were told that we, as taxpayers, would not be given the amount spent on the show as Quality has no price. That is simply not acceptable as an answer since taxpayers’ money must be spent in a manner which is transparent and accountable. But there was a price and the amount must be made public. 45 years after independence, there is no justifi cation for shrouding public expenditure as we have a right to know how the quality was obtained.

A part sa tou korek.