AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is Dr Anjani Ganase and I’m a director of SpeSeas, an NGO dedicated to making positive changes to the way the ocean is used.

I'm born and raised in Santa Cruz. Until I was 13 or 14, we lived on a seven-acre farm. Me and my brother trudging through the bush with a spear, spying on the farm animals. We were kicked out of the house in the morning and just had to go climb trees, pick cocoa… and not tell the parents if you did anything dangerous or stupid.

I grew up in a small family: my brother Orion, my parents, Ranjie and Pat, and my grandfather Cecil Wong Chong, (who) helped take care of us.

But then I enjoyed these periods of intense amounts of family, the summer and Christmas influx of cousins upon cousins.

They spoke French with Dad, but we only spoke English. We didn’t have much conversation, but still got along.

After ten years living abroad, I was at home when my dad was diagnosed with cancer.

I was grateful to (share) the last year of his life.

But it’s still very tough without him. My dad was always the energy in the room. He soaked up (everyone into his orbit). He was always very loud.

[caption id="attachment_929344" align="alignnone" width="811"] Dr Anjani Ganase says climate change is biggest issue affecting Tobago's coral reefs. - Mark Lyndersay[/caption]

So now we crack the odd joke to break the silence.

It was only when Dad passed I realised Mom was just as crazy and mischievous as he was! It was almost like she had this person, in him, who could express that part of her.

I learned from both my parents. I learned what not to do from Dad. And I learned

exactly what to do from Mom.

Eventually, maybe, if it happens, I want a family.

I’m not planning or pining for it. I pine more for a purpose. I think I have a family of sorts already, not a conventional family.

I generally have people around me I care about but my dogs are as much responsibility as I would give myself (now) in terms of (taking care of) something.

I wasn’t raised in any faith and don’t have faith in religion.

I have faith in dogs. They’re reliable.

I’m in a relationship with Nicholas Marfan – a dog trainer. I think we share a love for dogs.

My dog Nala, like in the Chronicles of Narnia, is a two-year old shepherd.

Sox the giant Akita is more Mom’s dog.

Dad was (dismissive of) religion, Mom was open.

I explored religion and got confirmed in high school. Because I was a teenager and everybody else went to church and I didn’t have a church.

Some of the teaching was useful and logical but it was not for me.

My dad hated them, so his funeral could not be “a funeral”!

First, it could not be in a church, ‘cause he always said he would burn up if he entered a church.

So we found a nice place in San Antonio, near the horse farm. And “the funeral” was more like, “If you have a nice story about Ranjie, stand up.” There was a

lot of laughs. Which is how he would have wanted it.

Since I could remember, I used to go to the movies once a week. Until covid hit. Even a crap