notes and images
It’s 2020. Why would you take film to Antarctica? No, it’s not because I am some superannuated 40-something wishing I was a hipster – despite what at least one friend definitely thought when he read that first question. I do love film, for many reasons, but the most modern digital cameras surpass it in most ways, at least for an Antarctica visit. So why do it?
“Good morning, everyone. Good morning!”
Her Canadian voice was my favourite wake-up call, piped into our room each morning usually pretty early. The gruff Russian guides never seemed to do this; this was probably to the benefit of all aboard. Everyone wants to avoid waking up on the wrong side of the bed, but in Soviet Russia, wrong side of bed wakes you. So, no Russians. Sometimes it was the up-beat young American guy and one time, the three guides named Sarah scared us all by doing a freaky trio. But the Canadian was my favourite, her tone always perfectly setting the scene for another great day.
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Some things defy easy explanation. My trip to Antarctica was at once overwhelming, frantic, fascinating, confusing and, it must also be said, in some ways strangely disappointing. I’d wanted to go for a long time, but felt no release when I got there; I was as prepared as I’d been for any journey, but came back with more questions than answers.
Sometimes, just like that, dreams come true. Usually, you have to work for them, and usually really hard, even if, like me, you start with an unfair head start from that rock-solid launching pad called white male western middle class privilege. But sometimes, things just happen. And so it is that I find myself the winner of a competition, along with three others from around the world. One is Malaysian, and he’ll be my room-mate on the adventure I was lucky enough to win. The other two are a mystery for now. It’s been arranged by a Japanese promoter, and we’ll have the opportunity to meet and interact with an American named Eric Larsen. He’s an explorer specializing in polar regions. One of those polar regions has been a dream destination for me for much of this century.
And now I’m going.
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