Reflections

( This is the second part of the article by Shamala Marimuthu .) When we still 1000M away, the ice- breaker was unable to break the ice any more. Therefore, we were flown by a helicopter to the base. That was the most exciting moment. First time out of the country, by air-plane, ship and helicopter. What excitement!!! Antarctica is incredibly white, pure white. Casey station is located in the Windmill Islands, just outside the Antarctic Circle. It is the third Australian station to occupy a site on Vincennes Bay. We experienced the contrast of warm sunshine, snow squalls and fog whiteouts and up to 20 hours of daylight. Each and every day we admired the beauty of the scenery. Amazing scenery! Even though it was the summer season, the temperature was between 0 to -20oC. It was freezing cold. I can’t imagine anyone surviving here without the proper clothing with multiple layers. I was so surprised to see the station. The station was fully equipped with an accommodation dome, scienc...

I have been working with Shamala for 5 years now. I knew that she is a capable girl, hardworking, intelligent and with a sense of fun. I also knew that she was deeply caring for people less fortunate than herself because she organizes the charity work for our company. However I am ashamed to say that until a few months back I had no idea that she had participated in a research trip to the Antarctica. This was when she was a graduate student at the University of Malaya when she had the opportunity to visit and stay at the Icebound continent as part of a research group. It has been my dream to visit Antarctica. I remember hearing Sudipta Sengupta of the Jadavpur University speak about it in the early nineties just after she had returned from one of the first trips made to Maitree, the Indian research station by Indian scientists. I remember the projected slides of the penguin colonies, the drifts and the huts in which they had lived. I have not (yet) had the chance to visit Antarctica...