Discovering a 'New World'
'Once upon a time' will be the line that I will tell to my children when I will tell them the story of my life. Right now I am still living it fully and also working hardly to achieve my goals. I am Marie-Ange Louis, a 20 years old mauritian. 8 months ago I made the most difficult decison of my life which has changed it completely. I am not regretting it now as I know that I have done it and tried to survive on this unknown country. I have decided to leave my small island Mauritius to go to study in France. To do this I have to leave all things behind and start a new life in a foreign country with new faces and culture. Inspite of this I was very excited and wanted to learn new things about their way of living and traditions. Nervous also, with a question in my head « Will they accept me the way I am? ».
I got only 1 week to prepare all my stuffs before the great departure. Trying in the meantime to prepare myself for the day. It is the first time that I am going to leave my family, my friends and my island for such a long time. On the day of departure, at the airport I have the strange feelings that I was abandoning my family. This day was very painful for me. I have not even put my feets on the airport ground that my mother was crying. Everyone that has come to say me goodbye has tears in their eyes. I have promised myself not to cry and be strong but I could not control myself. I cried holding my mother and sister in my arms and feeling guilty to leave them here alone. It is then that I understand the importance that my family and friends have in my heart.
Still crying I went inside for the check up reluctantly and wishing that all this was a dream. Before embarking. I went outside to say goodbye for the last time. Preparing myself mentally and keep saying that not everyone has the chance to go to France to study and that is my choice and I have to do it. My first flight was only for 2 hours because the aeroplane got a problem. We took the next flight for France the next morning. This time it was for real and we landed at Charles de Gaulles at night. We were left by ourselves my friend and I. There was nobody to guide us in this huge airport. We were completely lost and were outside in the cold. This was the first time I felt alone in this world and we tried to find our way to the hotel by ourselves.
The next day we took the plane for Toulouse where there were some friends waiting for us. A new start was waiting for me ahead and I was very excited. I was going to discover many things par example: a new dressing style because I am used to summer clothes, new seasons spring and autum, and also new faces and traditions. I had also to adapt myself to their way of living and also to the food available here. I thought that this will take time but no I have been able to be like them. The adaptation was rapid and till now I have met many people and they have accepted me the way I am. In Mauritius we live in a pluri-cultural society and we accept the differences in religions. We are a mix population and I am myself half Hindu and half Christian.I pratice the 2 religions as it form part of my life and religion do not have any importance for us. The family has a great importance and then come the friends.
I am learning new things as the day passes and I still have a lot to learn the days to come. I know that I will not regret this new experience in a new country with differents culture and traditions.
Marie-Ange Louis
Publicité