Life amidst desolation

Antarctica is, as you might imagine, a rather barren place. So when one does encounter non-human lifeforms, it's very exciting!

The first wildlife has descended upon us in the form of the South Polar Skua. The pics below show both the skua itself and the reason they like to hang about the station. In the wild this nasty bird survives by stealing food, eggs, and chicks from other birds. On station it's equally vicious, and has been known to steal sandwiches right out of peoples mouths.



In a similar vein, I finally discovered the station's greenhouse. This little oasis is wonderfully humid, +86F, filled with greenery, and contains two of my most favoritest smells: fresh basil and tomato plant leaves. Bringing soil to the ice is not permitted, so the greenhouse is completely hydroponic. And no need for pest control!

Tight quarters amongst the tomatoes:

"Lay me down in a bed of lettuce" (A Wheel of Fortune "Before and After" clue?)


Another odd self-portrait:


Stop and smell the roses for me,
pepe

Thanksgiving

In Antarctica, Thanksgiving is celebrated on a Saturday. As far as I can tell, this is simply because of Saturday's proximity to Sunday, the weekly day off. Better to consolidate the merrymaking than risk it spilling into work time?

As it does for many Americans, my Thanksgiving began with a 5k Turkey Trot race.

Runners gather in front by the "Chapel of the Snows":

Outbound on the Turkey Trot--the race takes us out onto the sea ice and back:

Running back towards town, driven by the thirst for victory! (Or did I just want to get out of the wind and have some hot cocoa?)

A hearty dinner with good friends and good (okay, bad) wine:

The last bite of pumpkin pie. Truly a Thanksgiving to remember.

ASP Quiz Answers

What a treat to get so many entries for the quiz! I applaud everyone for their wonderfully logical logic. Unfortunately, reason will get one only so far in this strange place. Some things just don't make sense.

Our winners, both with five correct answers, are George (Norris?) and Holly. Congratulations! Here are the answers, with photographic evidence where appropriate:

(a) FALSE. Despite the overwhelming emphasis on safety, riding in pickup truck beds is permitted. The picture below illustrates this, as well as the extent to which some people will go for a dose of nicotine.



(b) FALSE. During working hours, wind chill is more than enough to discourage people from wearing revealing clothing. After hours, anything is fair game--though a reasonable maturity level and fear of HR tends to keep dress rather tame outside of party time. For an example of party time, see below (the legendary Halloween party).



(c) TRUE.


(Erebus, the southernmost active volcano)

(d) FALSE. A tricky question, this one. Dining is indeed cafeteria style, but dishes are done by a select few: DAs, or Dining Assistants. DAs--along with GAs (General Assitants like myself), shuttle drivers, and janitors--occupy the lowest caste of McMurdo society.



(e) TRUE. There are many types of vehicles here, but the most common are indeed vans and pickups for local travel. Note the WV plate in the pic below. Unlike ASP, vans and trucks are numbered, not named. Names are reserved for heavy equipment only--i.e. "Ivan" the Terra Bus.



(f) TRUE. As you all guessed, acronyms are a way of life nearly everywhere. But ASP and USAP bring acronymity to truly remarkable levels. ASP has the incredible one-letter-acronym (V, for volunteer). USAP, on the other hand, uses acronyms so extensively that often the meaning is lost entirely. Having met two Russian students from the ITASE project, I queried them as to the meaning of their acronym. After five minutes of unsuccessful brainstorming, they promised to Google it and get back to me.

(g) TRUE. Again, everyone nailed this one.

Be well,
pepe

Pop Quiz: ASP Edition

Once again, this quiz will be officiated in the style of Car Talk and the Sunday Puzzle: a winner will be randomly selected from all correct responses.

{Q} In what ways is Antarctica similar to the Appalachia Service Project (www.asphome.org)? Mark all that apply.

(a) Riding in the bed of a pickup truck is strictly forbidden.
(b) Workers must be constantly reminded not to wear tank tops and short shorts.
(c) The mountains are spectacular, but the weather can be dangerous and unpredictable.
(d) Meals are served cafeteria style, and people take turns doing the dishes.
(e) The most common vehicles are 10-passenger vans and pickup trucks, often with WV plates.
(f) Acronyms are used frequently in common parlance.
(g) When working outside, it is essential to stay well hydrated and wear sunscreen.

While you're pondering, check out some construction action you'll never see at ASP: (Hopefully. Maybe keep an eye on that group leader with demolition experience.)


(If the video doesn't work, try here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5770590347432803264&hl=en)

Good luck!
pepe

Not for the squeamish

Let's get both of the scatological updates out of the way in one go.

FIRST, the answers to the pop quiz:
(A) Incorrect: as Yucaipartay pointed out, fuel "must be marked according to MSDS requirements."
(B) Incorrect: Ryan and Ray are correct that the frozen water all around is clean enough to drink. But that's mostly in the form of snow (not ice), and you'll want to melt it first so it's refreshing and doesn't sap your heat.
(C) Incorrect: penguin feces definitely do not belong in Nalgene bottles.
(D) CORRECTAMUNDO! Two Rehmeyers, Barb and dave, got this right. Barb is correct that human waste is collected, processed, and shipped back to the states (more on that below.) But out in the field, it is permissible to--as Ryan and Ray put it--"pee on the ice like the penguins do." So where does the P bottle come in? At night time, when you really really really don't want to go outside to answer nature's call. But you DO want a nice warm bottle to join you inside your sleeping bag. (Just make sure the cap is on darned tight!)
(E) Incorrect: who ever heard of Italians misplacing wine?

Since I already have a mailing ready to be sent out to dave, the grand prize (which is still a mystery even to me) shall go to Barb Rehmeyer. Any requests, Barb?

A final note: unlike the penguins, humans try to concentrate their impact on the environment into one location. Thus, there is not just a "P bottle", but a "P flag."

SECOND, many have asked for clarification on what I'm actually doing here in Antarctica. That's a bit of a big topic, but it involves a lot of odd and undesirable jobs. Yesterday's was moving a couple hundred metal tank lids at the waste treatment plant. We came to refer to them lovingly as "$h!t shields."

All dressed up and nowhere to go. Except the sewage treatment facility:

Yes mother, I have all my hepatitis immunizations.

Any young ones out there? If so, they may now uncover their ears and eyes, as we shall return to the regularly scheduled PG-rated blogging.

Ann Curry in Antarctica!

NBC has touched down in McMurdo as part of their "Pole to Pole" coverage. While I don't normally advocate watching television, and the chance that I'll be on TV is slim to none, it might be interesting to see some live footage from my 'hood. (You'll also see Matt Lauer in Greenland and Al Roker somewhere tropical.)

Here's the schedule:
-Monday, Nov 5: Today Show, 5:00-9:15 am eastern time
-Tuesday, Nov 6: Today Show, 5:00-9:15 am eastern time
-Tuesday, Nov 6: Nightly News, 6:15-7:00 pm eastern time

All this talk of television is weirding me out. Here's a shot to put things back in perspective: a cross erected on Hut Point (which derives its name from the hut mentioned earlier). Hut Point is the tip of the Hut Point Peninsula (which derives its name from the point that derives its name from the hut.) Anyway, it honors George Vince, an explorer with Scott who died in 1902, and whose body was never found.


Don't forget to set your clocks and check your fire alarms! (Jude especially!)
pepe

The Paradox and the Penguin

The Paradox.
The more interesting things happen, the more I want to share on the blog--but the less time I have to spend on the computer! Yes, I'm way behind on documenting all the fascinating developments of the past week. But I pledge to share all the good stuff in time.

The Penguin.
Rejoice: I have seen my first Antarctic penguin! The experience was a bit different than anticipated, because this penguin was neither cute nor cuddly. Nay, it was a 100-year-old carcass of mummified blubber.

(The penguin is in the middle--on the left is a mummified seal)

It seems the early explorers had a taste for penguin and seal in addition to biscuits and dog food. (Or more likely, they turned their furry friends into heating oil.) These leftovers are preserved for time immemorial in Scott's Discovery Hut. It was built in 1901 while Scott, his men, and their ship Discovery were stuck in the ice all winter. The men preferred to live aboard the stranded ship, but used the hut for storage and theatrical productions. The hut was later used by Shackleton, and Scott returned on his successful but fatal Pole attempt.

Discovery Hut in relation to McMurdo and Obs Hill (on the right):

Supplies and clothing left in the hut:

"CAPT SCOTT'S ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1910"


Toasting to the early explorers,
pepe

Pop Quiz

Test your Antarctica knowledge! One winner will be picked at random from all correct entries, and will receive a super-special souvenir. (post your answer to the "comments")

You're camping on the Ross Ice Shelf, and you come across a Nalgene bottle marked with a large letter "P". What should you do?

A) Pour it into a snowmobile--this is an emergency dose of PETROL.
B) Drink up--this water has been PURIFIED.
C) Return it to the nearest scientist--this is a sample of PENGUIN POO.
D) Don rubber gloves--this is a bottle of PEE (urine).
E) Toast to the Italian Antarctic Program--they've misplaced yet another expedition-ready bottle of PINOT NOIR.