******************************************************** ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS ******************************************************** *************************** TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT *************************** __________ QUESTION: What kind of recreation is there for those who study and live in Antarctica? ANSWER from Jon E. Rinkenberger on January 8, 1995: There are many recreational activities and facilities here at McMurdo Station. Recreation is a key part of life here. It helps take your mind off of the fact that you are in one of the most isolated areas in the world. We enjoy sports, television, reading, social gatherings and several other types of entertainment. Sports are a very popular activity Most of the sport that we enjoy back in the United States are available here. We have a gymnasium where we play basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports. When we have good weather there are also several outdoor activities. Outdoor activities include biking, hiking, cross-country skiing and even softball. Television is of course also very popular. We receive television shows and movies from a satellite, which the Navy supplies. We also have a video library where we can rent movies just like back home. Many people enjoy reading to pass the time. There is a library here where we can go to read or check out books to read. It is a nice quiet place go get away for awhile. There are few places where people like to gather to talk or just meet friends. We have a couple of bars here where people go to meet and talk or just have a drink. The Coffee House is a good place to go play cards or write letters and of course drink coffee. Many people find this a good relaxing form of entertainment. There are many other forms of entertainment that we can do while here on the ice. From working in the Photo Lab to painting to model building, we have it. It is surprising that we have so much offered for this aspect of living, but it is a very key part. An important part of living here is keeping busy, and these types of entertainment help when we are not a work. I hope I have given you some sort of an ideal what we do for fun down here. __________ QUESTION: Does anyone in Antarctica have a guitar? If not, what do you do for fun when you are not working? ANSWER From Terry Trimingham on January 6, 1995 Oh yes, there are plenty of guitars in Antarctica. I remember when I was on my way here there were at least 7 people with guitars on my flight! Some people bring their own, and MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) has some you can rent. Many people bring their own instruments down to Antarctica, this year we even have someone who brought his own set of bagpipes! Each year the musicians here try to get together, and sometimes bands are formed, or small groups that just like to jam together. The day after New Years we had "Icestock" (does that sound like "Woodstock" or what?), a full day of music on an outdoor stage. There were all kinds of groups performing from rock and roll to acappella, a brass quintet, folk, and the bagpipes! Music isn't the only thing you can do here for fun. We have a gym, and there are sports leagues with volleyball, indoor soccer, and basketball. We also have a two-lane bowling alley (pins set manually), and leagues are formed there, too. There is an aerobics room, climbing wall, and a weight room if you like to work out, dances once in a while, clubs (for example, photography, fly-tying), and informal classes (I know a group of folks that get together weekly to study Russian). If you want you can rent a pair of cross-country skis and do that, and there are a number of places to walk or hike to. We also have a library where you can check out books and a HUGE video collection you can borrow from as well. MWR organizes community events as well. Movies are shown in the galley on Saturday nights, we had a fun-run and are looking forward to Scotts Hut Race in a couple of weeks (7 km fun run), there is a chili cook-off coming up this weekend, and an art show near the end of January (where people can show anything they have made in their spare time). If you like to volunteer there are opportunities to take readings in the greenhouse, type Marsgrams, DJ your own radio show on the local radio station, help organize parties for the holidays, help the cooks with the big holiday meals, and all kinds of other things. There is ALWAYS something going on hereÑno excuse to be bored! ************************ TV AND THE SUPERBOWL ************************ __________ QUESTION: How did you celebrate the Superbowl? Did you know the score before we did here in the U.S.? ANSWER from Terry Trimingham, Field Operation Communications Center, McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on February 5, 1995: To celebrate the Superbowl this year we set up a big television in the gym here in McMurdo and a large crowd gathered to watch it LIVE on TV. Since McMurdo is 21 hours ahead of the Pacific Coast, it was around noon on a Monday. Some people were lucky enough to get off work; most had to come home and see taped versions after work. Those who had to work did keep track of the score by listening to the radio or by being in touch with someone that had a TV handy. Since the transmission we had here was Live, I suspect the States and McMurdo both heard the score at the same time! __________ QUESTION: Do you have any arcades there? ANSWER from Chris Hanson on February 10, 1995 No, we don't have any arcades here. We've got cards and board-type games in the coffee house, though. And we have some fast PC computers that can play some pretty good games. In fact, every Sunday some folks come up to Building 133 and play Doom (a computer game, most of you have probably heard of it) against each other on our high-speed network. ****************** COSTUME PARTIES ****************** __________ QUESTION: I saw Katy's letter from the South Pole regarding a New Year's party. [Katy wrote, ". . . of the 140 people here, about half of us dressed up in togas or other goofy costumes for dinner."] I was surprised that those who live and work there would even have sufficient resources to dress up in togas for a pagan feast. ANSWER from Katy McNitt on January 31, 1995 Actually, the South Pole is more like a small community than a sparse camp: planes have been coming here for thirty years, and each one leaves something behind. We have (almost) all the comforts of home, from washing machines to Oreo cookies, VCRs, stereos, microwave ovens, and e-mail! We have forklifts and exercise equipment, couches and telephones, and even a sauna! We also have one of the most impressive recycling programs there is Since space on the planes is limited, we try to re-use as many materials as possible. Which means you can always find neat stuff for making costumes! And when we do throw things away, they are carefully separated into several different bins, which are shipped back to the United States for recycling. It seems like there's a lot of "stuff" here, but only until one of my scientific instruments breaks and we don't have the parts we need to fix it. The station is "closed" for eight months of the yearÑno planes in or outÑso that's when I begin to wish there was a Radio Shack nearby! ************ ICE HOCKEY ************ __________ QUESTION: Do you play ice hockey in Antarctic? ANSWER: From Chris Hanson on February 8, 1995 Wow, what a cool idea. We've never played ice hockey down here. That'd be a great summer sport. We could clear out a patch out on the sea ice (McMurdo sound freezes over to a depth of 6-12 feet every winter) and go at it. At least until the icebreaker chews through our rink. Of course, our employer probably wouldn't let us do anything like that. They frown on us doing anything that we might injure ourselves at. For example, we're not allowed to go downhill skiing while we're here. I suppose we could just go gently, but hockey isn't hockey without a little checking. ********************************** HIKING AND CLIMBING EQUIPMENT ********************************** __________ QUESTION: What is some of the equipment you bring to Antarctica to use when you walk outdoors and climb mountains? ANSWER from Ann Stevens on January 13, 1995 Most of the equipment that you need to bring to Antarctica is provided for you in New Zealand by the Antarctic program. This includes bunny boots (big white or blue boots that keep your feet very warm), wind pants, wool socks, long underwear, mittens or gloves, parka, neck gator, and hats. When walking outdoors during the summer months (October - February), usually a pair of hiking boots and wind pants with your parka, mittens and a hat are enough to keep you warm. When actually climbing mountains, other tools are needed. These include crampons, metal "teeth" that strap on to your boots, and ice axes. The crampons help a person climb up the ice or snow and the ice axe is used to check for crevasses or to help someone stop from sliding if they were to fall down. ] Ropes may also be used to keep everyone together. *********** SWIMMING *********** __________ QUESTION: Are there any places in Antarctica where people may go swimming without wearing special equipment or gear to protect against the cold? On January 13, 1995 Dr. Michael Castellini answered: Believe it or not, people do go swimming in the near-freezing sea water in the Antarctic! However, it is usually for just a few seconds, just long enough to jump in, scream and then get out. They also have a rope tied on them in case they get in trouble. This is usually done through a hole drilled through the sea ice into the water. Personally, I have never had the courage to try this, but I know folks who have done this and actually lived! *********** SNOWMEN *********** __________ QUESTION: Have you made any snowmen yet? ANSWER from Elizabeth Felton on January 6, 1995 No, we haven't made any snowmen yet. There are two types of snow: one I call "snowball snow" because it is wet and sticks together very well to make snowmen or snowballs, then there is the dry snow that you can't pack very well. So, the snow here is like thatÑyou can't pack it very well to make snowmen. That would be a lot of fun to do, though. The snow here is beautiful! When the sun shines on it at just the right angle the snow sparkles like a field of diamonds. At the South Pole, the snow extends out forever in every direction. It is just like looking out at an ocean, except it is all white! Hopefully you'll be able to see snow someday. It is absolutely beautiful to watch it fall. If it is "snowball snow," you can have a snow ball fight with your friends, make snowmen, and make snow angels!