The second batch of the new team arrived early morning on 22 Nov 2008. They are a mixed group of scientists and logistics personnel, of both the summer and the winter team. The station suddenly wore an overcrowded look. The loneliness of just a few days back is now a thing of the past. I don't remember when I last saw so many humans. It was a strange feeling. There was no place to sit when a welcome party was organised in the evening. I was feeling like a creature from another planet.
With this batch has arrived the next batch of much awaited fresh fruits and vegetables which were distributed among members of both the old and the new teams. The newly arrived team found it amusing when something as basic as onions were being distributed. Equal distribution and the size of onion one got was a major issue. Little did they know that we have not tasted an onion for the last 10 months. Apples again found no takers. The South African apples probably don't taste as good as the Indian ones. There was also garlic, ginger, lemons and coriander up for grabs.
The temperature being around -10ºC for most part of the day, the new arrivals were dressed in full polar gear, which we found strange. But we old timers were dressed as casually as we would in the Indian summers. After all its summer time and melting of the snows is in progress. It is hot by our standards. I am desperate to find out how I would take the Delhi winter when I return home.
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