A Day in the Life Of....

ANTARCTICA ON 21.11.2007

How do I spend my time in Antarctica?

This is my daily routine broadly.

I usually get up by 6 or 6:15 am (all timings in GMT)

Attend morning rituals. From today, I have joined a small group for pranayama classes (breathing exercises).

8 am : reach main station for breakfast. So far the breakfast has been like puri-bhaji, paratha-curd, Maggie, milk-wheat flakes, idli-sambhar, etc. Bread-butter, milk, juices, all brands of adds-on like bournvita, horlicks, maltova, complan etc are available all the time. Various kinds of namkeen also.

After breakfast, I just loiter around, talk to people, their work, their experiences etc. write my diary, postings etc. Read something. I now know all the members of our team (27th IAE) by their names, and also of many members of the 26th team. Creat opportunity for having 1-2 cups of tea/coffee before lunch.

Go to lunch at about 1 pm, and stay their by 2:30. come back to my cabin. It is a prefabricated living module with four bunker beds in 2 by 2. There is a small bathroom also with a sink but it is not functional. Quite well made, reasonably warm, well lighted, lots of electric points getting 24 hour uninterrupted power supply (unlike Delhi). So no problem in getting battries of my laptop, cameras etc daily charged.

Usually read my mails in the afternoon when it is downloaded into a desktop meant for summer team.

After resting, listening to some music, writing etc, I get out by 4.30 pm for tea and then I go for a walk.

Till 8 pm, I am in the recreational room, chatting, playing carom, watching some lousy movie for some time, some movies I have not heard of.

8 pm : dinner, and come bak to my room by 10 pm. Sleep and appetite are fine.