Today a funny thing happened....

A little girl asked me why my skin is brown.

It was one of those moments when the kids are getting to know you, you're actually having fun coaching them, you can tell they like you, and then boom they start asking personal questions. My spurofthemoment answer? Cuz people are different.
Seemed to work.
Follow up question: where are you from?
The Caribbean, how about that?!!
Wooow

This was during a water break. So the session continues and later I only had to deal with more innocuous inquiries such as what was my favourite colour. But it really makes me stop to take stock of how much of an influence I have on the kids I work with, the things they pick up from me other than soccer, the things they might think of me as a person, how I make them think of things.... New team for Spring, it's gonna be an interesting season.

Welcome to Spring

SO happy it's brighter and warmer and soon I'll be outside kickin' some ball! ;-)

International Seed Bank

I know i'm a bit behind with this one: the Global Seed Vault located on the Spitzbergen Island territories of Norway located in the Artic Circle. The vault was built to house, supposedly indefinitely, plant seeds and samples for species from around the world in an effort to avoid permanent loss of these species. While I applaud the idea and the fact that it was actually implemented (there are in fact many smaller "repositories" around the world), it does make you think about the fact that we are gradually losing crop species. Plant, fruit, and vegetable species are gradually becoming less diverse, and even becoming extinct. Yes extinction is not reserved only for animals.

Not surprising its the fact that such an endeavour would be undertaken by Scandinavian countries, the nations with the best living standards in the world. Those Prime Ministers took part in the ceremonial "turning of the sod". But guess what? Norway paid for the whole thing! Millions of dollars. And countries can place seed deposits for FREE. Other international organisations help in fundraising etc. for countries to prepare their contributions. The Norwegians are also paying for the upkeep of the place. Where do they get all this money.......

Anyways, Trinidad should get it together right away and send up some of our own specimens. I feel like the fruits I was so used to as a child (not THAT long ago), seem to be less and less common. Or even fruits my parents would talk about, that only on a lucky day would I see now, far less have the chance to try them. Topi tambo, chataigne, pommecythere, peewah, pommerac, series (sp?), so many different mangoes, sour cherries, dongs! wow the memories haha. The list goes on... Its sad really but at least we know theres a global effort to save such things.

On the topic of seeds: maternity leave in Norway is 10 months, 100% pay. And you can come back to your same job after. Just some info i picked up in conversation....