Meanwhile in ... Russia, some World Cup 2018 observers are calling Nigeria 'the coolest team ever'

And in Svalbard, Norway, a chef-farmer is proving that it’s possible to eat local even in the Arctic.

|
Matthew Childs/Reuters
Nigeria team members

Russia, some World Cup 2018 observers are calling Nigeria “the coolest team ever.” Although other teams – including Belgium, Brazil, and Argentina – have also been praised for their fashion sense – Nigeria has drawn the most attention. The team’s green, white, and black chevron-patterned jerseys racked up 3 million preorders, according to the Nigeria Football Federation, and sold out within hours of their release on June 1. But it’s more than a question of clothing, say some. It’s all about “Naija,” says Bleacher Report: a patriotic wave sweeping Nigeria and “displaying the country’s influence in sports, music and fashion throughout the world.” 

Svalbard, Norway, a chef-farmer is proving that it’s possible to eat local even in the Arctic. Benjamin Vidar, a school chef and owner of food company Polar Permafrost, farms indoors to grow vegetables such as peas, cucumbers, and basil. He sells his produce – along with quail eggs – to local shops and hotels. “If we can do it here, it can be done anywhere,” he told France24, noting that he lives on an island where the sun rises only nine months a year and the temperature never goes above 55 degrees F.  

Bhutan, Ross Jennings touched down in country No. 82 in his quest to be the first person to play the bagpipe in every country in the world. Mr. Jennings, who is Irish-Scottish, plays folk music in his kilt, knee-high socks, and a white shirt. He told Bhutan website KuenselOnline that he got the idea for traveling the world with his bagpipes when he played in public once in Tunisia and an excited crowd cheered him on. He also gives talks in local schools. “The reactions are lovely. About 98 percent of the incidences are positive,” he said. Jennings has been pursuing his goal since 2014.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Meanwhile in ... Russia, some World Cup 2018 observers are calling Nigeria 'the coolest team ever'
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2018/0705/Meanwhile-in-Russia-some-World-Cup-2018-observers-are-calling-Nigeria-the-coolest-team-ever
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe