The Dark Sunshine

I am writing this piece as the first rays of the polar sun stream through the window of my room, signalling the end of the polar night. All of Antarctica including our station is delirious with joy. There is a new energy in the atmosphere. The last leg of our wintering has started. But this day is the darkest day of my life. Our dearest dog, Nuts passed away yesterday, 22 July 2008 at 4 PM. I was not with her physically when she breathed her last. But I was talking to my parents inquiring about her health when the end came. This piece is dedicated to the memory of our dearest Nuts (or Nathu as we used to fondly call her).

Dear Nuts,

You came like a spring in our lives, showering your love & warmth on us, adding a purpose to our dull, boring lives. I remember the first time I saw you - a tiny creature at the airport lugging along with mummy. Nice and cuddly. You fitted in the palm of my hand as we went home. A bundle of joy you turned out to be. Jumping all over the place, tearing our slippers, socks and clothes and whatever else you came across. The basketball that we brought for you lay in tatters soon. But that ball was the love of your life and you were our life.

The numerous 'haddis' you gulped and the way you drooled at the mention of 'bone' and 'chicken' will always be firmly etched in our memory.

I will miss the way you licked my face when I was in bed and the 'totli bhasha' we used with you, just as we would with a child. For us you were always a child. 'chhana (Pillow) dance', 'nahai- nahai karo', 'kana kao kana', 'dai khao', 'bhaunki bhaunki karo' and lots more words and phrases were added to our vocabulary. The way you used to do 'kheli-kheli' with me whenever you were in the mood. That was universally true whenever we were on grass. This 'kheli-kheli' privilege was exclusively reserved for me. Your sprints with whatever you could lay your hands on - chappal, kapra, ball - anything, were the stuff joy is made of. The sweet joy of coming home to a grand reception from you was unparalleled. Whenever I entered the house, I always found you waiting at the door, waiting to jump up and lick me. Your ears used to stand whenever you heard the sound of my bike. If you found the door open, you would sprint out to greet me. If I was still on the bike, you would not leave me till I took you for a ride around Jangpura, much to the delight of passers by.

Your cringing at the sight of food, nakhras with mummy, hiding under the bed or running away stealthily, rubbing your cute little nose on the floor till it bled ............and the lap-lap sound while you lapped up the milk was something we eagerly looked forward to. Your antics with papa when he used to drag you for your morning and post dinner walks, the way you used to hide under bed at the sound of the bells on your leash.. Papa will surely miss those and so will the rest of us.

Your jugalbandi with Nimbu (Nimbus - my mama's Labrador) was like a symphony, he was always trying to tease you and prod you into playing with him, licking you all over till you dripped with his saliva.

The most memorable were your travels with us. You lugged along wherever we went - be it to someone's home, aunts, nani, and anywhere dogs were not prohibited. Most of all, we will miss your daily visits to India Gate and Lodhi Garden. These will never be the same again without you. Your long, excited walks, running after dogs, lolling around in slush till mummy dragged you out, your stubborn refusal to walk if you were on leash, kids trying to play with you, calling you a cute li'l puppy... Ohhh!!!! Those lovely days will never ever come back again.

Your tiny frame, chocolate brown fur, your clipped and manicured feet, those long flappy ears, wet cute nose, mischievous eyes, nice & long moochhees, tiny teeth and the 2 light brown spots over your eyes....where will we get all these now? Probably in heaven when we meet you there. My world came crashing down when mom called up and told me "Nuts chali gayi".

Goodbye Nuts. You lived your life fully and enjoyed each moment. Thank you for all you have done for us. Have a good time in heaven. God needs you more than we do. We will all miss you forever. You are irreplaceable.

Lots and lots of love,
Papa, Mummy, Ajay & Abhijeet

Nuts

The First Snowfall Experience in Antarctica

It happened in July, during the peak winters. This is a rare phenomenon in these parts. Surprised? Well… it’s true. Inspite of all the cold and the numerous blizzards we have had, we experienced the first snowfall now. Let me explain this phenomenon.



Most of the precipitation in Schirmacher is only during the blizzards. That means ferocious winds, as in cyclones. The snow is constantly blowing all over the place. The snowfall is horizontal rather than vertical. It can be equated with a horizontal waterfall. Precipitation in calm, windless conditions is a rarity, seen only about 3-4 times in the whole year. A few snowflakes floating around are not accounted for.



Blowing snow causes the snow to deposit only on the leeward side of any obstruction in the path of the wind. The windward side is barren even after the heaviest of blizzards. The wind carries away all the snow. So till now we had not seen a uniform blanket of snow in Schirmacher oasis.

It happened on the 8th July 2008. It was a calm, windless, though cloudy, evening. I went outside to take some fresh air. Against the station lights, I saw a few flakes floating around. That was usual phenomenon. I did not pay much attention to it and returned inside. There was party that night. I was getting bored. So I went out again. The intensity of snow had increased tremendously. It could now be called a proper snowfall. The snowflakes were tiny and were floating against the light like wisps of cotton. Unlike the snow in India, they could be dusted off. I went in and raised the alarm. In moments, all the expedition members were outside, shouting and screaming at the top of their voices. They had to be herded inside to conclude the party and have their dinner so that the galley duty person could clean up the kitchen.

After dinner, I went out for a walk with Venkat Sir. A lot of snow had accumulated by then. We took a round of the station. It was an amazing experience- plodding through the snow with snowflakes drifting around on a windless night. It was something new to us. Snow was much more enjoyable without a blizzard. We went upto the workshop area and beyond it. It was a dark night, but the snow was reflecting whatever little light was available. So we could see our way even in the dark. The slopes all around were glistening in the dark. We returned to the station because it is not advisable to venture far from the station in the dark. We went on to the lake. It was also covered with a decent layer of snow. Usually, even after the severest blizzard, there is not even minimal snow deposition on the lake. This was the first time we saw the lake fully covered with snow. We returned to the station to find the others in high ‘spirits’ and frolicking around in the snow. They took off their shirts and were shouting and screaming in delight. They had their photographs taken lying in snow, bare back. The excitement continued well into the night.

The next day, I looked out of the window from my bed. I was greeted by the most heavenly sight. All around there was just one colour: white. Not even a part of a boulder could be seen. No landmarks could be seen. The lake was also covered by a pristine white layer. It was awesome. We decided to go on top of the glacier to take some snaps. So we dressed up in out polar best, picked up the ice axes and left. It was a pleasurable climb, with no boulders to hop across. It was a smooth walk. The crevasses were also filled up fully. No ice could be seen anywhere. It was all covered with snow. So there was no slipping. We reached the top and turned towards Schirmacher. What lay before our eyes was a sight fit for the gods. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but white. Even the Trishul hill was draped in white. Some of the most awesome pics of the expedition were taken in those few minutes. We may not get this opportunity again. Schirmacher was blending well with the ice shelf that lay beyond Schirmacher.

A few inches of snow created the most awesome sights that even copious amounts of precipitation during the most ferocious blizzards could not. This is the wonder of Antarctica.

The Bright Days Ahead

On the 29th June, the station was suddenly bustling with an energy that had been missing for a long time. It did not take me long to find out why. The time was 8 AM. As usual, I peered out of the window when I woke up. The day was already breaking. I felt that it was slightly early than it has been for the last one month. We usually expect day break around 8:30. I ignored it thinking that maybe I was mistaken. Then I got busy with the daily routine.

At around 10:30, which is the brightest time of the day, I noticed a stark difference in the view outside the window. It was brighter than it has been for a long time. The glow of the sun was also brighter. It appeared as if the sun would come out any moment now. The effort on its part to rise was much better than it has been. We felt like rushing out to take in the brightness. It appeared heavenly after so many days of a dull morning. Then someone pointed out another major difference. The glow of the sun had shifted slightly to the east from the north- the direction from where the sun would rise soon.

But for now, we know that the sunrise is still some way off. The first sunrise as per the meteorology definition is on 23rd July, though we will see a bit of sun a few days earlier. Will let you know when that happens. For now it is back to windy and snowy weather.

The Antarctica ….. oops!!!!! Puri Rath Yatra

This was a very different kind of an activity. Perhaps it was done for the first time in Antarctica. No one would have ever thought that this could be done this way.

Today, the 4th of July 2008 was the day of the Jagannath (Puri) rath yatra. There are two Oriya gentlemen in our expedition, Asit & Hembram, who were very enthusiastic about celebrating the day in the traditional style. But there was no ‘rath’ available and no ‘road’ on which to take it out.

There is a popular saying here “Antarctica ka doosra naam jugaad hai”. So a ‘rath’ was fashioned overnight. A wall mounted rack, which formed the palki, was pulled down and mounted on two wooden planks with the help of bamboos to complete the ‘rath’. Work went on all night. Raw materials were collected from the containers in the distant Kuber bhandar in the dead of the night. Krishnamoorthy & Gudade made the effort to go to the Kuber Bhandar in the dead of the night and the biting cold and located everything they needed with the help of torch light. Curtain cloth and plastic flowers were used to decorate the ‘palki’. Finally, the picture of lord Jagannath (luckily, it was available in the station Mandir), was placed inside the ‘palki’. The ‘rath’ was now ready for the ‘yatra’. Preparing of Prasad was done by the cook. Some concoctions of rice, milk and sugar were prepared. By 11AM, the preparations were complete, and we were ready to roll. This was the brightest hour of the day. The sun’s glow was at its best. The day was absolutely clear and windless, albeit cold at -22deg. This was a blessing from lord Jagannath, probably for his devotees.

We carried the ‘rath’, ‘palki’ et al on our shoulders and began walking to the lake. Most did not know which gods were to be invoked on the day. So someone shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Another one shouted ‘Hanumanji ki Jai’. I could not gather what the our Oriya comrades said. But the ‘rath yatra’ was on its way to the lake (why the lake was chosen, no one knew). The non- devotees like yours truly were ready with their cameras and could be seen running around and clicking this delightful spectacle. We passed over rocks and fresh snow and finally reached the Priyadarshani Lake.

The lake was very slippery due to the fresh snow after a recent blizzard. The first to step on it was ‘cameraman’ Gudade in his rush to capture the spectacle from front. Soon he could be seen sliding across the lake, his camera following him. Luckily, there were no damages to either Gudade or the camera. Before the ‘rath’ was taken on the lake, Asit performed a pooja by the lakeside after placing the ‘rath’ on the snow. This was followed by a photography session. The ‘yatra’ then resumed again and stepped on the lake. The ‘rath’ bearers were treading cautiously, narrowly escaping slipping on the ice. The ‘rath’ was then placed on the ice and pulled by the ropes (these were mountaineering ropes). People had a merry time pulling the ‘rath’ all over the lake. The event was finally over by 12 noon.

It is activities like these that keep our spirits high during the daunting polar nights.