Concordia Base Log
By: Adrianos Golemis, ESA research MD
Time: L+345 (October 2014)
Temperature: -45 ˚C
Week: 50
Sunlight:
Continuous (dusk around midnight)
Morale: So-so
Morale: So-so
Log Entry #18 – Share
Alex McCandless (also known as “Supertramp”) had reportedly written that happiness is only real when shared. And sharing is important for other feelings, ideas and visions too. Ain’t that right?
Ϡ Supertramp (this time, the group!), “Bloody Well Right”:
These days our DC10 expedition has almost completed
365(.25) days in the white desert. Amazing to realize this – it’s another thing
to expect it and another thing to reach the milestone. At some periods time
seems to have passed so quickly. In part, because of this sharing of
impressions (incoming and outgoing) with the rest of the world. Sharing the
great moments among our crew and with our loved ones far away or discussing the hard
times with friends inside and outside the Station.
In my opinion, one year in isolation can weaken some
relations but strengthen others. It’s nearly a triage – which of them can
survive in extremis? Distance and inaccessibility are not always show-stoppers.
At least not when there is an end to them, the expectation of light at the other side of a year-long
tunnel.
Picture #75
(left): Concordia phone booth – like Harry Potter’s “cupboard under the
stairs”.
Picture #76
(right): The e-mail/computer room, a hub of personal communication with the outside, a
bridge to the world.
Thanks to technology you can partially make up for not
being there with your friends, family or partner. It’s true that we’ve missed a
few weddings, births, funerals – not to mention birthdays and name day
celebrations (which are as important as birthdays in Greece). But hopefully
sharing our own unique experiences from Concordia acts as a counterbalance to that.
Can you keep your friendships alive from Concordia?
Sure, if you actively keep in touch every now and then. Naturally, it depends
on the other person too. But I am content that my bond with 2-3 close friends
was actually reinforced during my stay in isolation. The same goes for my
family.
Can you maintain a relationship with your partner from
Antarctica? Sure, if you try a bit. And if it’s a mutual decision. In this
case, living in separate worlds plays a more significant role. You must
restrain yourself to telephone calls and occasional Skype videoconferences. No
touch or common experiences for a year. Even calling can be difficult due to
the rather inconvenient 6- or 7-hour time difference with Europe. But pairs have
survived before in similar or worse conditions (for example, in times of war).
In the end it is a matter of dedication and determination. To keep the core of
a relationship alive, to give and receive the
fundamental things in life, as Billie sang.
Ϡ Billie Holiday, “As time goes by”:
{Edit: A
couple of weeks after this text was written I received a package sent by my girlfriend,
Judith, one year ago. It was a collection of cards, letters and gifts from many
of my friends who following her suggestion devised this surprise for me, to keep me company over the
forthcoming winter. This marvelous little package was stuck in another coastal
Antarctic Station for approximately one year and only reached me at the end of
the winterover. However, it still made me smile countless times and feel an
inner warmth as I read messages and opened presents from France, Malaysia, USA,
Greece, Italy, El Salvador, Ireland, Spain, Serbia, Russia, the UK, Canada,
Australia, China, Finland, Germany, Brazil and other places. It was almost like
a time capsule – thoughts, wishes and gifts prepared in November 2013 and opened
one year later. I am greatly thankful to Jud and my family for this idea and to everyone that took part. Astronauts use the same trick while in long space missions – they take up with them artifacts and letters prepared by those
close to them and open them one at a time for as long as the mission lasts. And
speaking of astronauts…}
A few weeks ago we had the great pleasure to enjoy a
live connection with… space. ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst held a
videoconference with us at Concordia, with the kind support of NASA and ESA.
For many of us and particularly me it was a unique experience and a little
dream come true. We discussed a lot of subjects about life in space and life in
Antarctica or in isolation in general. Alex had done his own share of living in
Antarctica before being selected as an astronaut. Coincidentally, I had met him
during his training for this mission (entitled “Blue Dot”) in Star City, near
Moscow, Russia. That was on an educational trip with the International Space
University and at that moment, naturally, I didn’t expect to talk with him
during his stay in space. Then again, I didn’t expect to spend the next year at
Concordia!
Picture #77
(over): Call to space from Concordia’s Living room – Alex’s face on the screen is not visible but judging from the position of his arms you can tell he's floating in 0g!
Picture #78
(under): With Alex and NASA’s Reid Wiseman in Star City
about 2 years ago.
Alex’s sharing his experiences with us proved again to
be something special. We also managed to send him some photos of our Station
and the Auroras above it, hoping to kindle some nice memories on his side, making his day a bit exceptional too. Sharing experiences is generally of
paramount importance for the space sector – it motivates young people
to become active and pursue scientific careers and it explains the
importance of ongoing space research and technology development in an era
that this is not entirely clear to the public. Few people think for example that
it is space technology which gave birth to the hospital MRI scans or that
without satellites the GPS on their phone could never function. Even fewer
consider that every euro invested in space has a reported return of 1.4 or
remember that astronauts undertake a variety of medical experiments in zero
gravity to find solutions for pathologies on the Earth. A bit like
what we do at Concordia. And we need
to share all these facts at a greater scale.
Outreach is vital – and often underestimated. This
summer I was very happy to participate in a Greek “space art” competition for children and teenagers in Greece. If you‘re interested in the works, you
can have a look at the link below. Some of them are truly captivating.
Space art competition 2014: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121845993@N02/
If you like science, space, art, whatever you are
passionate about actually, share it! The effect of your ideas and feelings
is multiplied when you share. And with them, share a smile. Sometimes there’s
nothing more important than that, as you learn in a winterover.
This
blog entry is heartily dedicated to all of you. All of you who follow this
adventure and with whom I am happy to share a few unique moments of our life on the ice. Thank
you – and looking forward to hearing back from you. ҉
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