Entertainment at 90 South

It occurred to me that probably at no point in my entire life up until now have I stayed within a 5-mile radius of the same place for more than three months. Since I like to travel so much, you'd think that being still for this long would bother me, but I really cannot explain to you how busy things are here. There is really never a dull moment. First and foremost, we all work 10-hour days 6 days/week. Then there's sleep, and meals, and occasional showers (2 two-minute showers per week allowed) and laundry (one load per week allowed). That leaves maybe 4-5 hours/day of recreation time, which is crazy easy to fill...and then some, making it difficult to get enough sleep! With getting exercise, watching movies in the lounges here, card and cribbage games, guitar lessons, teaching yoga classes, making things in the craft room, reading, and trying desperately to snag a few minutes of internet time while a satellite that actually works is actually in range, we are BUSY down here.

Plus, there are the special events. Since I've been here, a galley staff friend has thrown a "mustache party" in one of the Jamesways in the backyard (if you can't grow a mustache, you had to make one to wear to the party or put one on at the door)... 

...and open mic talent show in they gym...

...a cribbage tournament, a MARATHON (I mean, for god's sake; and this was not a joke), a "race around the world" (you do a several km loop that encompasses the station and geographic pole, which means you've gone through all time zones during the race), and we're gearing up for this year's South Pole International Film Festival, wherein people make their own short film to submit for everyone to watch. Plus people are always organizing movie nights, sports nights, and anything else you can think of. So if you wondered what the heck we're doing down here in one of the most isolated places on Earth, I can tell you: we're just trying to find enough time to get our beauty rest!