Jean Claude Cimiotti-Le Metteur en Scene

Question: What is the most precious of your childhood memories?
Answer: My most precious childhood memories are the 14 years of country life which I enjoyed during my youth. As my Father was a Station Master in the Mauritius Railways, he worked in several rural regions in Mauritius namely in Roche-Bois, Cluny, Petite Riviere. I will never forget those years of country life during my childhood. This has allowed me to learn at a very young age the hardship of manual work and to appreciate the joy of harvesting the fruits of my labour.

Question: When did you or your parents migrate to Australia?
Answer: My Wife Nicole and I and our four children Bruno, Aldo, Franco and Sonia left Mauritius on 31st December 1982 and landed in Australia on NewYear day 1st January 1983.

Question: What is it that you like most about the Australian way of life?
Answer: The easy going way of Australians. The freedom of speech of the Media. The fact that you can show your preference for a political party without the fear of reprisals.

Question: What did you do in your first job or occupation?
Answer: My first job was as a secondary school teacher. Then I joined the Ministry of Lands as Assistant Land Surveyor.

Question: What are / were your career highlights?
Answer: 1965 :- Assistant Land Surveyor Ministry of Lands, Mauritius
1968:- Awarded a scholarship to study Aerial Survey in The Netherlands
1970:- Obtained Diploma in Photogrammetric Engineering
1971:- Appointed Quays Superintendent in Marine Services, Mauritius
1976:- Appointed Port Manager in the Mauritius Ports Authority
1983:- Migrated to Australia
1984:- Joined Australian Customs Service in Melbourne
1995:- Promoted Customs Inspector in the Australian Customs Service
1998-99:- Worked as Port Consultant for Mauritius Ports Authority in Port Louis
2000:- In charge of Securities section in the Australian Customs Service
2005:- Retired from Australian Customs Service

Question: What is your favourite book?
Answer: "Les Misérables" of Victor Hugo
Why?..... because in "Les Misérables" you can find " Toute la grandeur et la fureur et la douleur de la conscience humaine."

Question: What do you like most in people?
Answer: Loyalty, Frankness, Punctuality and good manners.

Question: Who do you admire most?
Answer: I have never practised "Le culte de la personalité."

Question: What is your favourite dish?
Answer: Rice & Daube "Grois pois" with tripes & a Chatiny coco.

Question: What is your most valuable trait / personal quality?
Answer: I am a perfectionist and always aim to achieve the best in everything I undertake or do.

Question: Tell us about your most worthwhile achievement(s)?
Answer: Having obtained my Phogrammetric Diploma in 1970.
Working as Port Consultant in 1998 & 1999 on the New Port project in Mauritius.
2004:- Publishing a 300 page book on the Genealogy of the Cimiotti Family.
2007:- Publishing my Autobiography.
Presenting to my fellow-countrymen in Melbourne some opérettes in French.

Question: What is the most memorable moment in your life?
Answer: The day I landed on Australian soil with my wife Nicole and my four children to settle permanently in this wonderful country.

Question: If you could wave a magic wand and do something that you desire most, what would it be?
Answer: I would not use the magic wand because then I would have got something for which I have not put any effort in obtaining. For me the greatest joy and reward is to reap after you have put in some effort.

Question: What is most precious to you at this point in your life?
Answer: My wife and my Children & GrandChildren.

Question: What are your plans for the future?
Answer: To attend the 100th Birthday of my Mother in 2013 in Mauritius.
To celebrate with my wife our Golden Jubilee in 2014.

Eddy Abraham-The Mauritian from Nosy-Bé

Question:
Where were you born and what is it that you cherish most about your birthplace?
Answer: I was born in Nosy-Bé, in the then French Colony of Madagascar. I cherish the souvenir of our house in Jhabal-Bé where I grew up, the garage where my father used to work, the “Sadua”, Mansion where the French bosses lived, the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Hell-Ville where I was baptised and the Hell-Ville Cemetery where my godfather Benjamin Abraham and my sister Denise Abraham are buried.

Photo of Eddy Abraham with Governor-General Michael Jeffrey at Government House in Canberra

Question:
What is the most precious of your childhood memories?
Answer: Growing up with my sister Maryse, riding our tricycle near the river(full of crocodiles) in our backyard, my father’s vintage car, my Malagasy nanny Mboty Hoahoa, with whom I reconnected after 50 years, my male servant Miser, who put me to bed every night, the Pouce Pouce which took my sister and me to school in Hell-Ville everyday, my caring godmother Cécile Le Gros (deceased), my loving parents Marcel & Suzanne Abraham (deceased) and my dog Noiro, which chased our car, the day we left Jhabal-Bé to catch the boat to Mauritius.

Question:
When did you or your parents migrate to Australia?
Answer: My wife Brigitte, my son Jean-Dominique and I, migrated to Australia in November 1971

Question:
What is it that you like most about the Australian way of life?
Answer: The easy going way of life, the concept of a fair go for everyone and the opportunities the country offers to anyone who is willing to take them. I admire the sense of punctuality of Australians and the promotion based on merits. I also like the catch phrase, “No worries” and the way Australians always pay tribute to their elders, their heroes, their legends, whether they were on the battlefields, in sports or in any spheres of human activity.

Question:
What did you do in your first job or occupation?
Answer: Teacher in Government Primary Schools in Mauritius.

Question:
What are / were your career highlights?
Answer: Teaching English as a Second Language in Catholic Primary Schools in Victoria.

Obtaining a one-year scholarship to upgrade my qualifications, sponsored by

The Catholic Education Office of Victoria.

Pioneering a French Language Program for primary school students at St.

Colman’s, Balaclava, where there were a lot of Mauritian students.

Developing a Mauritian Studies Kit that was distributed to Catholic Schools with

a high percentage of Mauritian students.

Writing a Booklet, “Mauritians, who are they”, to introduce the Mauritian

Migrant to Catholic Schools.

Entry at La Trobe University and Melbourne University.

Upgrading my teaching qualifications to: Grad. Dip in Inter-Ethnic Studies &

Education, B.Ed.(Primary) and Post Grad. Dip. In Applied Linguistics.

Teaching English as a Second Language at tertiary level, namely at Kangan/

Batman Institute of TAFE.

Question:
What is your favourite book?
Answer: I must mention three:”Histoire de la literature mauricienne de langue francaise”

by Jean-Georges Prosper, “ Beaux Songes”, by Nando Bodha and “ Orchidée”, by

Marc Grégoire.

Question:
What do you like most in people?
Answer: Loyalty, fair play, frankness, reciprocating my sincerity, people who are achievers and not opportunists just sitting on others’ sweat, people who show their true colours, people who don’t lose their dignity, people who don’t self appropriate others’ laurels.

Question:
Who do you admire most?
Answer: Nelson Mandella

Question:
What is your favourite dish?
Answer: Beefsteak aux pommes.

Question:
What is your most valuable trait / personal quality?
Answer: I am a perfectionist, a man of my word, punctual, a well-mannered person. I give credit where credit is due. I am sincere, trustworthy and I speak my mind

Question:
Tell us about your most worthwhile achievement(s)?
Answer: Receiving the Order of Australia Medal.

Receiving the Inaugural Medal for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs.

Receiving the Order of St .Peter & St. Paul Medal.

Receiving the Etoile de la Créolophonie Award.

Setting up the Mauritian Program on Ethnic Radio 3ZZZ.

Administrator of the Victoria-Mauritian Pastoral Council

Receiving Holy Communion from late Pope John-Paul 2.

Being invited to two receptions at Government House in Canberra,

hosted by Governor-General Michael Jeffrey and Lady Jeffrey.

Winning a Defamation Case against Jean-Claude Antoine & Weekend.

Correspondent for Radio France Internationale.

Covering the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum,in

2002.

Putting the Mauritian Community on the Ethnic Map of Australia

Representing Mauritians on the Melbourne Archdiocesan Commission on Migration.

Question:
What is the most memorable moment in your life?
Question: My Wedding Day

Question:
If you could wave a magic wand and do something that you desire most, what would it be?
Answer: Share my achievements with my deceased parents.

Question:
What is most precious to you at this point in your life?
Answer: My wife Brigitte and my son Jean-Dominique

Question:
What are your plans for the future?
Answer: Continue to volunteer my teaching services to Australians.