11 January 2008

Installing Wind turbine

11 January 2008

dear diary

Between dark brown mountains and complete ice. a couple of things are clear.
That man is far from home and that even technology is not strong enough to
make this place home, because the elements grow more hazardous than
technology does invent itself.

Be as it may, being here does not take me far from comfort, it makes me
completely humble to each movement I make. To each feeling of warmth and
each smile or good feeling you get from your fellow expeditioners.

The team here is one and actually can not be split by political and social
differences. We share the same bathrooms, showers, food space and
bedrooms. Even more, is that the condition groups you together
automatically, like a penguin colony in a storm. Because of this, my
afrikaans speaking has really improved and if I can say it now, that I
have never been in such diversity of people and age difference for a
while.

We have been blessed to take out the Well of Fire from container No.6, it
rose to the occasion with a crane, wonderfully controlled by Mario, to
where the workshop is. There, the Well of Fire is parked with the new
choppers, as soon as it's done being wired, then we move it outside to the
great white. Zama and Sazi have been heping a great deal, PWD(Public Works
Department of South Africa-Cape Town) also as always have put their
strength to the machine too. We installed the wind turbine yesterday but
did not put up the blades as it would coz a safety problem. The wiring is
stuck neatly to the corners and learning through this time is what I have
to do. it's been two days inside the workshop now and we should be out in
an extra two.

Other projects have also been going well, evolving and improving. Dom
burst a capacitor from his turbine. It spun too fast for normal
conditions, at least thats what we saw for that night. It must have given
up at the same time. He quickly made a new one with the help of Eric from
PWD.

Now PWD is some strong people in moral and behavior, they make sure
everything flows in a good manner from the deeps. They should have at
least three people from their team over wintering. You see these guys
built the base, which to me is the same as designing it.

I sit here in the earliest times of the morning that I have ever been
awake in, it is a bit cloudy, writing this with love from the great white
desert.
Had a bit of breakfast, which, I have also never done in ages.


I-TASC
Siphiwe Ngwenya

10 January 2008

dear diary
dated: some time before our sledge came out, it is the 10th now, we got
the sledge out 2 days ago
time worped now, but packed the days up, will send from the 7th onwards later


We have arrived finally at the base and I have to keep all calm, coz as
nice as it looks from the chopper, the first step I took, I slipped on.
Anywhere you can slip. Haven’t went out because I wanna see the place.
Only went out to help, still keeping my cool. Besides, the great lion
hasn’t arrived yet, it raws silently in container number 6 in SA Agulhas.
The are still people in there with it, the weather is not allowing them to
go anywhere.

The place is super bright, have to be in your shades all the time, coz my
eyes got fried hard in 20munites. I was trying to hard to walk on this
slippery floor and at the same time my eyes were steamed out by my breath
on the glasses. I took them out to see clearer coz I couldn’t risk falling
but something had to give. So… Super sensitive, super aware, and all for
yourself, then your brother. But on the contrary, we work a lot together
in bringing in the food and all the equipment to maintain the place. We
form a line of people from the container outside to the place where the
stuff is going to be stored. Then it moves. Hard exercising. Those days,
we don’t go to the gym, which by the way is much flyer than the one in the
ship. Zama can say something about that. We exercise together with zama
and mazizi, then we hit the sonar for a while. My body is being tested
everyday. The sonar yesterday didn’t work though. So we hit a movie (final
fantasy, advent children).

We also had kick ass time on new years eve, the sun was shining for the
whole day. Just a few clouds. Drank some hot wine that the German base
scheff Thomas had prepared. That got me running the whole way, also spoke
to my sun on the phone today. We talked loud in words normal people can’t
understand. He is in Ladysmith, South Africa, next to Natal. 2 years old
in April this year.

I was chosen for an extra initiation on the ice which I refused, I was to
be buried in the snow as if it was my birthday (that’s what they do, when
its your birthday). It wasn’t my birthday and I’m not excepting any
special treatment when it comes to that. Anyway, the name I have acquired
through that is wet panties………

Anyway still. One more extra ordinary event, I didn’t sleep at all for a
day, was chilling with Zama, Anton, Tango, felt like an extra new year.

Something you have to watch out for is not being to hasty with getting
your stuff done quickly, you need to be patient as ever, coz the weather
dictates the rules. So when it is your turn everybody will help you. I
started getting itchy hands from so much waiting. But we went yesterday to
look at the container and there, the firesledge stood. Staring at horizon
at the horizon (coz it was right next to the cliff and you could see right
to the bottom). The cliff itself looked ancient, it has never been touched
by snow, it seems, for thousands of years. Looks brown with a deep cold
glare, something could live there, like some super giant eagle with white
fur all around it. Thomas Harms suggested we do that no more as he thinks
whether or not we were given permission to go there, we should still take
ropes. I agree.

Yesterday we also tested the modems for the groundhog survivor and they
work, now we have to calibrate the ibox to send us the data every
15minutes like the laptop use to. The batteries being flat beyond charge
in the groundhog stopped the data logger as it needs more than 9amps to
run and the wind turbine could not even charge the batteries because they
probably froze beyond being able to charge. So we might need to insulate
the batteries before we put them back.

We also have to insulate the ibox, get a flat screen and usb keyboard,
because the ibox replaces the laptop.

Johan from Stellenbosch also finished putting up the main parts of his
wind turbine, it is 70m away from the groundhog, if it was any closer we
would have used it for powering the groundhog. The Dom would have had his
turbine data from South Africa because his data logger has no modem and
ours has.

There’s one solar panel on the groundhog that was cracked, only the top
glass though, because it still works, Zama tested it with his voltmeter.

The wind monitor was completely messed up, we have to get the one that is
in Alexandra township to install here. There’s a flight on its way here on
the 15th leaving from Cape Town, if the wind monitor, flat screen monitor
and usb keyboard are not packed in there, we will have a problem.

If we got extra radios like last year, small ones, I’ll get someone in
Cape Town to buy and send them because the radio station transmitter still
works but theres only about three radios in the base and we sort of need
one for each room type of thing. They only cost R20 each and we only need
20 of them. We will start broadcasting soon as we take down all the
interviews, if we had a Dictaphone it would be tight.

There’s also two film crews on board the expedition with us who are doing
documentaries and shows for television who want to also film what the
scientists are doing. We will be having them around while we work, so this
can go on television and everybody sees.

We just had lunch and awaiting our shipment, we are sitting at the physics
lab writing this with love from the sun. PEACE
--
I-TASC
Siphiwe Ngwenya

6 January 2008

I woke up on this day and I just wanted to know when are we unpacking
container number 6 as our project is in there and I can't wait any longer
for time is running out. I was told the same story again, lets wait for
the logistics to finish, once again I told myself be patient. So we asked
if we can take out some of the lose stuff as we can asseble and learn for
the time being, but whe we got to the container DEAT had other stuff in
front of the lose ones, so we could not take anything out of the
container, we had to be even more patient as everyone has got their
projects.
Pepsi gave us two cases of just-juice and we were very thankfull as now we
have something to take to the gym. After dinner we went hydro by the Hog,
to bless dem tings mon!
I do not know what happened but I find myself eating fish, yeah! I said
fish! I told myself back in the motherland this freedom has to stop!
We hit the gym, it was just the two of us, I was surprised that Siphiwe
had some grrr! inside him, he did not cry like a baby about tiredness and
pains he took it as a man and stood his ground for the first time
eversince we got on the ship. Unfortunatley the sauna was broken and did
not work this time so we ahd to do things manualy again. I mean when you
sauna you can shower and go for another round and shower again but little
water now we had to just shower without sweat.....
 
I-TASC
Siphiwe Ngwenya

26 December 2007

We had tobacco, cherry flavar in Kims cabin, what a breeze. Such nice flavar. Had a great night sleep and good breakfast, I mean lunch. Went to gym and worked on my chest, first time in the gym in my life. My chest is getting some pains from the swells that I'm generating. I will continue this process till we return. It's funny, besides being a long trip to a place that no one knows, it's a also like a retreat of self preservation and movement of thought. The silence and space around this currently stagnant ship overwhelms me on a deeper level than I imagined. Firstly, something I didn't say before is that I am dreaming more. Dreaming of my township as if it is in the future, many times. Maybe because I am drinking less, but I didn't drink that much either while I was back on earth. I think it's definitely that I have a lot of time to myself and also communicating with people who also have lots of time by themselves. This is a great combination.

Above all the self introspection that carries on. A sad incident prevails in Bouvet. Our other expedition colleagues are suffering from heavy bad weather and are being intimidated by the forces. On behalf of the ITASC conglomerate, may peace and calmness be upon them until we return to pick them up. The conditions as said by the captain are not as cool as they have been in a couple of years. And for this to be my first trip is highly challenging.

I also opened an account at the ship's movie house, Fantastic four was our latest release from there, Rise of the Silver Surfer. Slept through it but the soundtrack is a bit appealing. And the rocky fella. I also dont know if I said this before but I got my hair plaited yesterday because it was definitely going to come out dreaded when I land back at home, so no way. New name for Firstborn is Goldylocks, proudly given that name by me, inspired by the other ship driver who has the same name

"THE ROCKSTAR".

We have also been having great times at the monkey deck looking over the horizon. Our laughter fills the space and the penguins feel to live in Agulhas.

We also solidified our script for the first episode of our animation. We hope you all enjoy it when it starts to move.

I can also say that there is tense energy in the ship with the combination of all that is happening in this environment. I'm sure to the ships main group leaders like the captain and and the DCO must be receiving a lot of strain from this. This is when I really see how important it is to be a leader, as this in many ways is worse than apartheid. As your enemy or rather challenge is vast outside you and can devour you slowly. The only thing you can do is keep everybody as calm as possible and that they don't think of the dangers as much as possible. This I think is the hardest task, making people feel safe in such an unsafe environment. It is I guess, a type of initiation for new leaders who are being groomed.

We are running very late and are now waiting for Christmas in the ship, this will be a white christmas in the ship. My first outside my continent.

PEACE.

24 December 2007

It's christmas eve and everybody is so excited and happy, even though I wished we were celebrating christmas in the base but the conditions this year could not allow us to be in the base by this time, so we have to celebratae anyways. During lunch there was an announcement saying that there will be a prayer service tomorrow at 10:00am on christmas. The captain also apologised for the delay even though it's beyond his control.

After lunch we went back to the cabin and finished off the movie we started yesterday called 'The Recruit' acting in it is Al Pacino and Colin Farrell, a CIA movie about spies, good movie I must say.

After the movie it was time for a short nap and rest, I must say I miss my baby and my woman, but I managed to make a phone call and wish them a good christmas. Even though the line was long I managed to squeeze in the kew, and this happened after dinner and the chefs made sure the food looks extremely good and tastes good. Dr Thomas Harms was trying to call Germany and he could not get through as the lines are very very busy. I had problems of getting through to South Africa myself. I ordered myself  2 x double Jack Daniels of which one and half hour later I'm still drinking it, slowly but surely I'm getting there.

It's 12:00am now and everyody in the bar is giving each other hugs and kisses and wishing each other a very good and a lovely christmas. I'm writing this diary write now as christmas has just started. I missed gym today as I'm in the christmas spirit.

I fell like I'm not going to have any sleep today and I feel so energetic, maybe it's the Jack Daniels taking over this homocypian, that is the only explaination I could think of.

Thomas Mulcaire and Amanda Rodrigues, I wish you guys a very happy christmas in Brazil and you must know we love you guys and take care of yourselves. we here in the cold and I'm thinking about you.

Amanda please take care of the big guy and he must take care of you and understand you as you wish to be understood, what I mean is love each other as the first moments you fell in love, love is forever new and does not grow old but bold. We also wish your families the same too, pass our love to them.

The party is calling me I must go and celebrate this moment with the people in the ship as we  have each other in the expedition. We will be in the base by tomorrow or the day after we are getting closer and closer to our destination and it feels as if we never got stuck. The ship is moving and smoothly and I'm sure we will make it on time to start our projects. Peace and love.

The 1st Born

23 December 2007

Lunch time feels like breakfast everyday, thats when the day starts for cabin 15, people always complain that we don't come out and when we come from our cabins to the bar you just see sunshine on the people's faces. Anyway there was a presentation given by Dr Ben Opperman from the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory on the Ionosphere which I always find it fascinating especially when he talks about the sun, sun storms, solar dust and how the earth protects itself from the these particles.
After that session back to the cabin and watched some animation, we had visitors as usual and they all needed something, music, writing of movies, pictures etc, it's always busy in the cabin.
There is only one thing that bothers Siphiwe and I, the smell that comes from the passage way. we recently had a problem with the sewage system, it over flooded our neighbours toilet and *5@@ was all over the toilet floor, almost went out the toilet door and inside the cabin. They managed to unblock the sewage and the toilet went down in time before demage was done to the cabin and property.
Dinner was splendid spiced fried potatoes, lasagne, lettuce salad, brussel sprouts, onion gravy and pumpkin, nice ne!
Went back to the cabin and hit the bar where we had a couple of drinks and played some darts. Huge laughter is always heard from the bar, thats when you know that people are getting drunk and starting to get more comfortable with each other. I went back to cabin 15 very active and on point but far from drunk.
Watched an animation series called "Full Metal Alchemist" one of the tightest animation in the world I must say.....zzzzzz 

1st

23 December 2007

Woke up exactly at about lunch time but I was so tired I had to postpone the lunch time and go there after 12:00pm cause it gets to packed at 11:30 am, everybody gets hungry at the same time.

My body feels realy thirsty as we were having drinks the previous day in the bar and I must say we had pretty strong stuff. And we went hydro on the deck with Pepsi and Kim, the four of us having a good laugh and talking about the future, we felt so philosophical as we were facing towards where the boat was heading 'the future rescuers. We laughing so hard we had to call it quits for the day and heard back inside the boat and relax and get some body heat.

1st

23 December 2007

I cant sleep well now every day. I sleep at two and awake at lunchtime. It's all very crazy. I write this to express a couple of days in one. Since there's no separation in night i don't know really, inside, when the appropriate time is for doing the new diary.

Time is one thing that does it, but externally. The day is also slipping, today is monday, tomorrow is Friday. When I get to lunch, I say good-morning, when I get to dinner, I always think it's lunchtime. I have a strange feeling that it is not going to stop. Basically I'm f???ed.

Hunger creeps in at the wrong time too. So the third officer Jo showed me the underground kitchens. That's a breeze. We attack at midnight and plates are full like the sea.

We went hydro on the deck with the couzins, Pepsi and Kim. And the penguins in the distance. He also had a packet of halls that made us breathe like the captains of the ice waters.

All the days went by and first is still trying to make me keep them in order, I just can't. I don't think I'm built like that. The card games we play and the times at the bar are all infused in one. Funny.

19 December 2007

I lied before, that was not the last night, the last night is today. So now it is truly official. Further more innitiation was today. Crazy, THATS ALL. NO MORE TALK ABOUT. OK maybe a little.

I was dunked 15 times inside antarctic water in a drum which when the ceremony began, was filled with ice. I gave up holding my breath, gave up I tell you. "If these guys kill me, I'll kill them"-(Type of thought I had, not exact, but type of thought).

Egg smashed on my afro, flour mixed in to the whole mixed. Then your head put through a toilet seat, which by that time, I was in oblivion, woken up by a concuction from hell. I'm staggering, Desmond pulls me up to the hot water hose, I refuse coz I don't know. I shiver while watching the others getting dunked. I shiver, shiver more. "Hey why dont you go to the hot water hose" some one says. Now that was like drinking warm horlicks on a wet winter morning.

Now you don't want to know what charge they gave me. HERE IT IS: pretending to be an artist while everyone that you are just a jigger-lo. (coz you see, they charge everyone before being dunked) HARSH

DAMN, SO MUCH FOR A LITTLE.

The bar was full today, Kim pulled out his cherry tabbaco bong in the smokers lounge and Dick the pilot blessed us with his wisdom for the most part of the evening. A triple southern comfort and dry lemon set the pace up real quick.

When everybody was tired at two o'clock in the morning, with the sun shining through my eyes, we explored the ship on high over the cold. Lotter had the lights, Kim brought the gifts and I, well I took my jacket from the room through the cabin window, First is still stuck inside the cabin.

The boat is getting stuck and moving all the time now.

Otherwise, throughout all the happenings, we are strengthening our collaborations for the fire sledge. Still on planning phase, because what we have to do now is do the wiring, insulate and organize the covering for it while it's parking in the snow.

Damon from the film company called: Voster brothers has also agreed to work together with us in helping to film our work the and a music video. I also am teaching him to use his software for editing and we will also help him in shooting when we are down there. They are really cool people.

We will begin with all the proper work when we land. Now, my mind continues on a buzz with this constant permanent day and no night thing.

Completely throws everything out, I mean just imagine. If your watch is on 12hr mode and not 24hr mode, you won't know if it's day on night or if whether it's breakfast or dinner. This all exists.

God created night and day, and day only for some parts of the world at a certain time.

I miss my son dearly, he starts talking now, he's calling people's names.

PEACE AND LUV

NGWENYA signing out for the day

19 December 2007

This was the longest sleep we have had so far all of us in the cabin, we woke up exactly at lunch time, it was like having breakfast so I did not enjoy it that much. We are already in the presence of the 24hour sunlight experience, people are starting to lose the track of time from their heads.
The inicition broke a lot of social tension amongst the people on board, people are talking and mingling now than before. Siphiwe at last is at ease and very comfortabel now as the iniciation is a thing of the past.
The lounge has become so popular, it's jam packed before the bar is opened for drinks at 8:00pm.
We have a lady friend called Jo who is the female captain in the SA. Agulhas. It's also her first time going down to SANAE, she too went throught the ceremony of getting dunked a couple of times in polar waters.
Had some time of reading after lunch and also planning who to sit and talk to about the help we will need down there and finilise things as we are getting closer to our destination. Watched some movies and composed a couple of instrumentals. 11:30 pm I hit the gym as to take out the days tension in my joints and muscles, after the muscle swelling operation I took a shower and it felt like a new morning....put on a movie and went to bed.
 
peace on earth!

18 December 2007

The day was very calm and all white outside, we were still cutting through snow. When waking up there was an announcement made through the intercom system stating that all new comers on board must be ready today for the 'Bears of King Neptune' who will pay them a visit sometime after dinner and that all charges will be made known to the iniciates. Siphiwe had a bit of concern about this ceremony but he was not going to forfiet he wanted to go through it and experience what it's like escpecially the water temperatures.
We went to the gym and after gym we had lunch, just before we finished lunch there was another announcment saying 'there will be a compulsory meeting for all, first all odd cabin numbers for 2:00pm, even cabin numbers for 4:00pm and there will be a church service at 8:00pm to 8:30pm and after the church service the new comers must stay behind in their cabins'. At two 2:00pm we had the meeting at the bar lounge which was about the Saftey plan at SANAE. After having dinner we waited in our cabins for the action to start happening and definitely we started hearing some screams down the passage way....I quickly took the camera and had some shot taken, finally they came to cabin 15 and I must say the "bears" had no mercy to my fellow brother. They gave him a bit of wrestling and a downward compression with the boots and the weapons, I just heard screams and shouts from the big guy. Apperantly one of the bears was pressing hard on his spine with an axe. They read him the tomorrow ceremony time and that he must be there and he must come early and not late. After that heavy toture they left for the next victim, the screams continued down the passage way......
 
We had a bit of chatting about the iniciation and some of the members of the bears came to our cabin and checked their prey and they was imidiate silence when they come in the cabin.
 
We stayed a few more hours watching movies and eventually went to sleep.
Tomorrow willbe the day I see the new comers getting dunked in ice cold waters.
 
more fire 

17 December 2007

I just dont know how to feel anymore, I guess it's not about knowing what you are going to feel or even feel now. It's about living and knowing that there is more than just what meets the eye all the time.

This environment has been going on, while we stay in our comfortable homes oblivious of the many realities that exist beyond us.

I saw a penguin today on an iceberg that was being split open by the SA Agulhas. I had to get used to the fact that my expectations I had to forget, so that I could experience fully. It was while we went through my last floor of the boat that I handn't ventured to with Pepsi and Firstborn. It was my first time on the top of the ship and sea's skin was cracking white. The great white desert over the still sea. Radiation burns that run after your skin and eyes, gotta stay covered. Lotter was up there too, he said he saw a whale come right through the ice to greet the ship, I say, at least. Wish I was there to see it.

Dr Harms had a tight presentation on solar thermal technology and new inventions in solar power around the world. He is is a true veteran brederen, reminds me much of Pierre from HMO. Guys like him are gems of the planetary orbs in the universe. Left my candle flaming and kindled to study engineering and architecture when a good opportunity arises.

We also discovered Pepsi is not your average photographer, he did the first publicity pics for the next Natives from the Sun album. And he is tight.

The initiation thing is buzzing like a fly around me, if I had Spar close by, The Doom section would be finished. At least theres more people who are even much older than me. Papa Desmond for instance, he has been working for his department for thirty years and it is his first trip down to the ice, he was also honored with a 10G gold watch and a certificate, he then took his wife out for a surprise dinner in Cape. Who wouldn't want to go through initiation after such a good relief from your country. After chilling with him we were high from his inspiration, and now awaiting these bears who are far from home.

The bar was definatly another story, I guess it was the first night that we saw full day without night, yeh .....thats why. I was wondering. I also just couldn't sleep, so hunger crept in like a thief in the night. I had to sleep that out.

Now I lay in bed writing this to you after a good bowl of cereal and a spring onion omelet.

Oh and a toilet that just gave up flushing...

PEACE IN ANTARCTICA

THE GREAT WHITE

15 December 2007

Woke and & hit the gym for a while, working on my legs,my goal is to have bigger legs as sometimes, yeah right! never wear shorts. So this season I'm growing me some legs.

Focal point was just a little sweat but it worked for me.

Took a shower did some reading and a bit of writing  had a meeting with a guy called Damon James Foster from the Institution called Foster Brother Film Productions.

Damon has qiute some experience behing the camera as he and his brother have shot a lot of documenteries.

We had some seriuos talk about our project and his project, we love what he does and what he is going to do and he is excited about working with us and also helping us in any way needed in terms of camera work.

 At round about 2:00pm we had a compulsory saftey meeting which was addressed by The Environmental Officer naemd Takalani Musiwane (Safety and Cleanliness around SANAE) and Dr Ross Hofmeyr (Health and Saftey - Cold injuries). After that we had some dinner and after dinner everybody had some time to hit the bar as it is a Friday. I went for a walk to the upper bar and chill with some of the DPW guys for a while. When going downstairs we had a game of cards with Dominic Stander and Dale Wilson who is from the Department of Oceanography University of Cape Town. During the game Kim' face appeard on the other side of the window I just heard "we are hitting the ice pack", evreybody stood up and went outside, finally something exciting for the first timers I think they had enough of the boat, we still have more or less a week to go.

After witnessing and documenting that I went back to the cabin and thought about the happenings of the day and how suddenly there is life in the eyes of the people. Watched a couple of movies and went to sleep.

I have enclose the pictures Bouvet (Norway) a very misty and a dream like Island and a piture of the loose icepack.

13 December 2007

We landed on Bouvet today. quite far from home. It was behind the mist. I had to stand for 5 minutes before i could make out the mountain and large iceberg next to it. I remember telling first that "I see a lot of birds we might be close to land".

This was at the time we were standing still and I thought the ship was still moving.

The chopper dropped off six guys on the island, we will pick them up when we get back from antarctica.

I think they are studying penguin colonies or something.

They also were checking clothes to see if we picked up anything from South Africa that might invade where we are going.

We also thought that only when we reach antarctica we will give the history of our co-ordinates for the sea trip. As we haven't given any before. So every one, you will get them when we get there.

Life on the ship is getting long, we sleep late wake up late. Movies. It's now been a week and a half...in the ship. Sometimes I wish the work is done already but that doesn't mean I want to give up. I just see that the work is done already.

My mind is already on what we do with the sledge when we come back.

Every house in the world must benefit from this. Alexandra, townships in Kenya, Japan.

Yesterday Pepsi also reminded me and Firstborn of this. That everybody who is on this ship is doing this for their country, not for their respective companies. Coz it is nearly like going to space.

It is a hard and complex state of mind. Coz when I get back home everybody will know what's up.

PEACE!!!!!