With only 7 or so weeks to go to, all of us have officially entered, what has come to be known as, The Last Quarter (dramatic, kan?). For most of us, sentiments have changed; I know for a fact that my feelings for this place has altered significantly.

A month ago, if someone has asked me whether I'd like to get out of Antarctica then and there, I would have said yes without the slightest of hesitation. Everyone on station (bar a few individuals) were going through some serious bouts of Third Quarter Syndrome: symptoms include (but not limited to) lethargy, no motivation for work, moping, constant perusal of ASOS and other online shopping sites, grumpiness, conspicuous loss of tolerance towards snide remarks, constant perusal of travel-blogs, abject reminiscences of 'the real world', and a general overtone of whininess. I'm not saying that I was afflicted by all of the above, but I definitely ticked a few boxes. Some of the more experienced expeditioners rationalised that it was normal for us to feel this way; the Third Quarter is when you've already done so much time yet it feels as though the end-point is so far away. Do you understand what I'm trying to get at?

Anyway, seeing as we've entered the Last Quarter now, most people's mood has picked up (bar a few individuals who are still adamant about remaining whiny and grumpy). Take myself for example: a small part of me has done a back-flip and am hoping that time will slow down again (although I've wished for this a bajillion times and it's never come true, but a woman can have hope and faith, can't she??). As much as I want to get home and embark on my holidays and new adventures, I know that I'm really going to miss this place when I leave. After all, it has become my home for the past 10 months and a bit. I know I'm going to miss the people I've spent time with down here, the camaraderie that everyone has with each other, and the ease at finding someone to have a beer and a chat with. It's strange.

Like I've mentioned before, this whole experience feels like an extreme version of OBS. I used to be quite gutted each time an OB course ended, because I would miss the people and the laughter and the good times we shared. I don't think this will be any different.

[EDIT : Photos added to the post; meant to do it awhile ago but ahhhh, you know me...]

ok, so the weather has improved a little. after our mini-rant, the skies decided to co-operate, and the weather cleared just enough to allow for some off-station travel. not much has happened since we last said hello, but i'll just write it down in any case for future reminiscing.



we had a scotch-tasting night 2 saturdays ago - it was surprisingly a lot more enjoyable than i'd expected. i've never really been much of a scotch/whisky drinker, apart from the occasional glass with my dad or when i'm out slutting it up (HAHA ok no, i never slut up) in some KL club. even then, i wasn't pretending to be some high-brow whisky afficianado, sipping single malts straight (or, perhaps with a little bit of water); most of my scotch/whisky encounters have been of the Johnny Walker Black + Coke/sweetened green tea varieties, instant mood-uppers for when you want to get drunk. it also didn't help that i've come to associate the taste and smell of whisky/scotch with bad memories of hugging the porcelain bowl.



so, when i was strong-armed into saturday night's scotch tasting, i was, and rightly so, apprehensive. when the 12 different bottles of scotch were unveiled, i felt even more hopeless about my situation. but as the bottles did their rounds, and i sampled each type with tiny sips, it was actually not too bad. every bottle had its own flavour, distinct of each other, and it didn't burn its way down my throat with each sip. i guess i came away from that night with a new appreciation for scotch and have definitely found myself a few labels to sample with when i get home.



over last weekend, i also managed to do a short trip to Platcha hut. there were 4 of us on the trip: myself, a chef, an electrician and the lidar scientist. it was an easy guilt-free trip filled with bludgery and sitting around doing nothing except eating cheese and cold cuts, plus drinking mulled wine. i love trips like that where i'm not pressured into doing anything.


The interior of Platcha Hut, my favourite hut in the whole of the Vestfolds.

the wind crapped out around Platcha hut though, which was understandable and something we had already predicted on the way out. it was blowing snow at 20-30 knots, which made peeing in the tide-cracks on the sea-ice a bit tricky. i can say that that was the closest i had ever come to a full Antarctic experience (more about that in time to come). we saw two emperor penguins on the way back to station. for the first one, everyone got out of the hagg to take photographs of it, even though it was cold and snow was still blowing around at ~25 knots. when we came across the second penguin, everyone got jaded and said, 'yea alright, we've seen one already let's keep going' HAHA we're such assholes sometimes.


 Sastrugi, or snow drifts, all the way back to station.

and then YESTERDAY, another emperor penguin rocked up on station ya allah is this turning into like some sort of emperor penguin invasion now??? everyone walked down onto the sea ice and surrounded the poor thing - i think it got a bit traumatised because we formed a semi-circle around it, and it probably thought that it was toast and was about to be the Davis dinner.


One lone Emperor penguin between Tryne Fjord and Long Fjord. Life as an Emperor must be really lonely sometimes.

it's a great feeling when you can afford to start feeling blase about emperor penguins.

September is officially the lousiest month, weather-wise, so far. it has only been 7 days yet we've had 3 blizz days so far. everyday has been the same mix of dull lighting, overcast skies, grey clouds, semi-strong winds and snow (the only good part). i think all of us on station feel like we've been lied to. all us newbies (i.e., the first-time winterers) were told by the more 'experienced' winterers that September is supposedly the best month in the whole year. apparently, it is the norm to have clear blue skies, warm-ish temperatures, brilliant sunsets and the like. so far, we've not seen anything like that sort, although i was reassured today that it is only the first week of September and so, i should give it a chance. PAH! with only 11 weeks left in Antarctica, i want clear good days, and i want it NOW. ok la, i'm a reasonable person, tomorrow also can.