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This report was taken from the MondayTimes by a kind approval.

Maldives Holiday

Austrian man found love in Maldives

Thirty one year old Frank Reschreiter first came to the Maldives 20 years ago as a diving instructor. This young man from Austria joined the diving school of Bandos Island Resort on 03 February 1981 and worked in Bandos for three years. Little did he knew that his fate was connected to the Maldives and that he would be staying for the next 20 years and more...

During his three years at Bandos he had a kind room boy whose name he remembers as only Mohamed. Frank says that Mohamed approached him first to see if Frank could teach him English. Frank made a deal with Mohamed so that Mohamed would teach him Dhivehi in return for the English lessons that Frank would give him.

"I noticed that Mohamed was a very devout Muslim. I saw him attending the prayers at the Bandos Mosque often and during our teaching sessions we spoke about Islam also," said Frank. It was during such discussions that Frank started getting more and more curious about Islam. He read books and talked to Mohamed and some others. Eventually, in 1983 Frank fasted for the whole month of Ramadan. It wasn’t fasting according to the Islamic ways because Frank wasn’t a Muslim yet. He just abstained from food and drinks during day time.

"I did the work at the diving school just as usual even though I was fasting. It was very difficult but I managed to do it," Frank explained. Frank believes that Islam, as it is practiced in the Maldives struck him as being a very peaceful religion. Though the foundations of Frank’s Islamic faith was laid while he was in Bandos, his official conversion to Islam took place a few month after he left Bandos to work in another resort."Sheikh Farook was in charge of the group of seven people who overlooked the official ceremony of my conversion to Islam," said Frank. The ceremony took place at the Islamic Centre in January 1985. Frank was only 35 years old then.

"Every so often I see Sheikh Farook on the streets of Male’ and he always greets me with a smile and asks me – Moosa Kihineh," said Frank.

After his conversion to Islam, Frank Reschreiter’s name was changed to Moosa Frank Reschreiter. He has the Dhivehi and the English versions of his conversion certificate to prove that and is very proud to be a Muslim. Frank -or Moosa, as he is more popularly known now- is presently 51 years old.

Moosa started diving in 1971, while he was 19 years old. Since then he has continued to dive regularly as a profession and has now logged 11,990 professional dives - including the ones he has done in Austria. He now works at a safari yacht owned by one of the leading tour operators and resort owners, AAA Company. Moosa was working a long time as a diving instructor on AAA’s safari yacht Cat Fish. Incidentally, as his diving schedules are made, he would be making his 12,000th dive today, 07 January 2002 (Monday). So this would indeed be a historic day for Moosa in more ways than one.

After his conversion to Islam in January 1985, Moosa joined Maayaafushi Resort as a diving instructor in February that year. That was how he came face to face with love in the Maldives – love that came in the shape of a young girl from the island of Feridhoo in Ari Atoll.

"At that time we had an interesting diving package organised by Maayaafushi. Guests would go on a one-day diving safari. We would dive and then stop at an uninhabited island for lunch and then dive again and later go to an inhabited island or a populated village," said Moosa. He went on: "That particular day we picnicked at Madoogali. It was then an uninhabited island even though it is a resort now. At the end of that day we went to Feridhoo to show a populated village to the tourists."The captain cum owner of the diving dhoni was a man from Feridhoo and at the island he took Moosa and them to his house and introduced the group to his family.

"I was especially sympathetic to a two-year-old young girl who was running around. I asked her where her father was and the girl’s mother became teary eyed on hearing this question. I later learned that the young kid was the dhoni captain’s granddaughter and the girl’s mother was the captain’s daughter. Apparently she married young and was divorced," said Moosa.

On later trips Moosa made to Feridhoo with the guests, he made it a point to visit the captain’s house and even took some presents such as biscuits for the young girl. During that time Moosa developed a friendship with the divorced daughter of the captain. After 10 months of friendship – and later love- they decided to get married. Since Moosa was already a Muslim he did not have to change to Islam again to get married to a Muslim woman.

Moosa and Razeena’s marriage ceremony was held in Male’ in a house owned by a relative of Razeena. The day was 13 February 1986. Moosa was 36 and Razeena was 23 years old then.

Moosa still remembers the one-month-long bureaucracy that he had to endure from the official authorities – filling form after form- before his marriage was allowed to go ahead. After the religious and official ceremonies, Moosa and Razeena and relatives returned from Male’ to Feridhoo and it was there that they held their wedding party.

"I still remember that. It went on for three days. Everyone from the island came and we had music and ate. Everyone brought some token present. Some brought shells and others brought some money. Everything was mainly token," said Moosa. Fifteen years ago when Moosa got married, the island of Feridhoo had a population of 388. "I was the 389th person," he said with a smile. Incidentally now the population of Feridhoo is 470.

Moosa and Razeena did not have a honeymoon immediately after the wedding. It was to be a late honeymoon for them. In fact, six years after the marriage, Moosa took his bride to his home country, Austria. It was to be their honeymoon – a one-month long vacation for both of them.

There they met Moosa’s parents and brothers and his other two daughters!

Moosa’s marriage to Razeena is in fact his second marriage, just as it was Razeena’s second marriage. They were both divorcees. Both had failed marriages while they were very young and both had children for the first marriages – Razeena had a daughter and Moosa had two daughters. Moosa’s first wife betrayed him, took his money and ran away with a boyfriend. And Moosa’s parents looked after the two daughters.

Moosa’s two daughters from the first marriage he had with an Austrian woman are now 28 and 30 years old. He keeps in touch with them by phone and mail. The two daughters have visited Moosa in the Maldives several time and the last time they came to Maldives from Austria was in 1992, but Moosa has been to Austria to see them in 2000.

Exactly nine months and 10 days after their marriage Razeena gave birth to Aishath Suzeyna Moosa – on 13 November 1986. "It was a funny thing. The Katheeb of Feridhoo came and started counting! It took him close to one hour to establish that my daughter was born after the full period of 9 month and 10 days," said Moosa with a smile. Moosa and Razeena’s second daughter, Seeniya Moosa was born five years after the birth of their elder daughter. Their marriage is now 16 years old.

"My wife wanted to try for a son but I didn’t want to have more than two children. I can’t have eight or nine children," said Moosa with a laugh. He loves his two daughters very much and does everything in his power to educate them and bring them up properly.

Six years after their marriage, Moosa’s wife got a new plot of land from the Island Office. Maldives has a unique system where people who apply for land get free plots of land. Free land is a right for everyone according to the demand and supply. Sometimes when demand exceeds supply, lots are drawn to decide who gets the land. In islands such as Feridhoo it hasn’t gone to that yet. The island still has a population of less than 500 and everyone gets land easily.

When Razeena got a plot of land in 1992 Moosa started constructing a house there. He was able to complete the construction in two years and Moosa is now proud of their house with modern facilities. The name of the house is Villa Pink Flower. He said that recently he started adding two more rooms to the house so that his two daughters could have their own rooms.

When Suzeyna completes her O’level exams this year, Moosa plans to take her to Austria so that she can see her father’s home country and meet the relatives and family members of Moosa. Moosa’s mother died of old age in 1998 and his father died a year later, in 1999. But he has two brothers, the elder of which has visited Moosa in the Maldives. Moosa owns one third of his parent’s house in Austria and perhaps some day his two Maldivian daughters could stay there when they go for higher education.

Both Suzeyna and Seeniya have Austrian passports but Moosa has not yet obtained Maldivian passports for them. It was only a few years ago that the law was changed to allow children with foreign fathers and Maldivian mothers to get Maldivian citizenship. Moosa plans to obtain Maldivian passports for his children soon. Suzeyna and Seeniya are in Feridhoo School - one in Grade 9 and the other in Grade 5. They both get commended reports and are doing very well in studies.

Some of Moosa’s good friends in the Maldives include the famous comedian Yoosay, Reeko Moosa, Aslam Rasheed and Musthag. "In fact Yoosay recently promised to give a computer for Suzeyan because she is always very interested in computers," said Moosa.

On of Moosa’s dreams is to make a Dhivehi comedy film after he retires from diving. He says that almost all the Dhivehi films have too many sad scenes. "Always ronee, ronee (crying)," he said. "So I want to make a film where people would laugh."

Moosa and his two daughters pray regularly and are good Muslims just like any normal Maldivian family. Moosa’s eldest daughter Suzeyna says that her maternal grand mother taught her to pray and read the Holy Koran.

Moosa said that he has a ten-year permanent visa for the Maldives, which could be renewable, and that he wants to raise his two daughters as good Maldivians. "My life and friends are here. My heart is here so I want to live in the Maldives forever," he said.

This report was taken from the MondayTimes by a kind approval.

Copyright © 2001 Monday Times Maldives

Austrian-Maldivian Girls

Aishath Suzeyna Moosa (below) and her younger sister Seeniya Moosa (opposite page) hold Austrian passports even though they have never set foot on the home country of their father, Frank Reschreiter. Frank is a diving instructor who found love in the Maldives; and Suzeyna and Seeniya are the 15 year-old and 10 year-old daughters that resulted form Frank’s marriage to a Maldivian woman, Razeena from the island of Feridhoo. Suzeyna and Seeniya study at the Feridhoo School have slightly reddish hair, fair skin, say that the islanders never treat them any differently on the basis that they have European blood.

1. Name: Aishath Suzeyna Moosa.

2. Birth place: Feridoo / Ari Atoll.

3. Date of birth: 23 Nov 1986.

4. Brothers sisters: 1 own sister, 2 half sisters in Austria.

5. Favourite food: Spaghetti and tomato sauce prepared by my dad.

6. Favourite drink: Coca Cola.

7. Favourite country: Austria, even though I haven’t been there. My father has plans to take me there once I complete my O’level exams this year.

8. Favourite time of the day: Sunset.

9. Favourite music band: Back street Boys.

10. Favourite local singer/ band: Ali Rameez and Dandana band.

11. Favourite Dhivehi film: Naa Umeedh.

12. Favourite Hindi film: Muhabbath Hei.

13. Favourite Hollywood film: My father has about 200 video films and my favourite is Pretty Woman.

14. Favourite Dhivehi film star: Seezan.

15. Favourite Hindi film star: Sha Ruk Khan.

16. Favourite Hollywood film star: Leonardo Di caprio.

17. Favourite type of clothes: Jeans.

18. School you are in now: Completed Grade 9 of Feridhoo School and will start Grade 10 this year.

19. Favourite subject at school: Accounts.

20. Least favourite subject at school: Economics.

21. Best friend at school: Leeza.

22. Do you often go swimming: My sister is more attached to the sea. I too go swimming sometimes.

23. Can you swim / snorkel: I can swim and snorkel. Since my father is a diver I have been to about four dives with him. It’s easy and I think more of our young people should dive. If you don’t dive you will never see the real and complete Maldives (unless you go for a ride on the Whale Submarine).

24. Have you ever been fishing: I go reef fishing with friends often. We go in a small boat such as a bokkuraa.

25. Have you met your grand parents from the father’s side? I have not been to Austria yet. My grand parents died a few years back before I was able to go and see them. They too were retired and weren’t able to visit us in the Maldives. One of my uncles (dad’s brother) and two half-sisters (from dad’s first marriage to an Austrian woman) came to visit us.

26. Does your father have many photos of his family back in Austria? Yes. We sometimes speak to our half sisters and uncles over the phone. Since German is the Austrian language and since we can’t speak German yet, it is difficult to talk to them. So we just say things like ‘how are you’ and ‘fine.’

27. Do you long to go there someday? Hopefully one year later, after I finish my O’level exams dad will take me to Austria for a one-month vacation. He can’t afford to take my sister and myself together so perhaps he would take one at a time.

28. What do you know about Austria? In the sitting room of our house in Feridhoo there is a eight feet by 10 feet colour poster photo of a mountain range in Austria. About 9 years ago my father took my mother to Austria and they brought many photos and videos. So I know how the country is.

29. Does your father sometimes take you aboard the tourist yacht that he works in? Not the one he is working in right now (Cat Fish), but before that he was working in Madivaru III and Atoll Explorer; and he took us to those two yachts.

30. Does the island children single you out because you are half Austrian and half Maldivian? No. They know our background but we are 100% island girls and we are treated as such.

31. Favourite magazine: I read all the local magazines and my father brings all those for us.

32. Any important Maldivians that you have met: I have never met the President, but I have seen the Atolls Minister, Abdullah Hameed when he visited our island once and I have also seen the Tourism Minister, Sobir and the famous comedian Yoousay.

33. How often do you come to Male: Not very often. Transport is difficult. By dhoni it’s 6 to 7 hours and it is only rarely that we get seaplane seats.

34. Where do you stay when you come to Male: I come with my parents and sister. We stay with a mother’s relative or in the room rented by father in Villingilli.

35. Where do you prefer to live – Male’ or Feridoo: Male’. After completing Grade 10 at Feridhoo School I hope to join either CHSE or some other A’ level school in Male’.

36. Favourite restaurant in Male’: When we are in Male’, father often takes us to Red Cap fast food restaurant at Relax Inn.

37. How high do you want to go in your education: I would like to do at least a degree, perhaps in a computer related field.

38. Career you hope to choose: I would love to become a pilot or an air stewardess.

39. Do you have dual passport and citizenship: My sister and I have Austrian passport, and father hopes to get our Maldivian passports this year.

40. Do you worry about getting pimples: No – certainly not yet.

41. Favourite flower: The national flower of Maldives, rose.

42. Favourite sports: Volleyball. Farther recently bought a net and a ball for us to play volleyball.

43. Local football: I support Club Valencia and their striker Nick is my favourite player.

44. Favourite TVM programme: We don’t have a satellite dish at our house yet and so we don’t get to see TVM so often.

45. Do you pray regularly: Yes.

46. Who taught you the prayers and Koran: My maternal grand mother.

47. If you get the opportunity to join Aminiyya School, would you join: Yes of course. More realistically, I would say I could join CHSE or some other A’ level school after completing my O’level at Feridhoo.

48. Do you believe that the sea level would rise one day and swallow Maldives: Yes I believe that would happen if we aren’t careful.

49. You would be 34 years old in 2020; how would you like to see yourself by then: A pilot or an airline stewardess with a degree in a computer related field and with a bright future ahead. @

This report was taken from the MondayTimes by a kind approval.

Copyright © 2001 Monday Times Maldives