More Questions and Answers...

Below are some answers to more questions sent to us by Scott Carpenter Middle School...but they are basically the same as other questions others have asked us.

1) What do you do for entertainment?

There is a Recreation Department here with 3 or 4 people that organize all sorts of different events. There are movie nights, sports leagues (soccer, volleyball, basketball, rugby, dodgeball, bowling, darts and maybe more), bike and running races (even a marathon), parties and dances, frisbee golf and trips to nearby places. Basically there is a lot to do outside of work. Most people spend their free time relaxing with friends at the coffee house, in one of the bars or in one of the lounges. There are also 4 hikes that have flagged routes marked. Two hikes are about an hour long, another two and half hours long, and the longest hike is five hours long. There is also a pretty good library here so we spend a lot of time reading great books!

2) How do you get the internet?

We are connected to the world via satellite. We get all of our phone, internet, and even TV and radio from the satellite. It is kind of weird when the satellite antennas go down for maintanence because there is no connection to anywhere, anyway. We have only been cut off from the rest of the world once for half a day, but it was kind of scary.

3) How would a camera or cell phone work there?

No cell phones work down here because there are no cell towers. Cameras and any other electronics work great down here with the only issue being the cold. If it is a cold day outside, the batteries will die more quickly so you need to keep the batteries close to your body to keep them functioning. Sometimes it is so cold outside that you only have time to take a couple of pictures before your camera battery dies.

4) Are there any classes there?

Yes. Five different classes are offered for college credit. They are all related to Antarctic History and Science. There are some classes in trades like home plumbing and hydroponic classes. In addition, there are some exercise classes and art classes. To name a few, you can learn yoga, karate, tai chi, knitting, belly-dancing, aerobics, tap dancing, ceramics, and jewelry making.

5) How many doctors do you have there?

There are about 3 doctors, a dentist, and a physical therapist. They gave us flu shots a couple of weeks ago and our dentist is also an oral surgeon. While we are on the ice any doctor or dentist visit is free, but even if it is free we still don't want to have to go! If there is something seriously wrong with you they can usually get you to New Zealand within 48 hours or less.