We have arrived at the Drake Passage. The crew placed barf bags along each bannister in case people get sick in the hallways or staircases. All of the lectures and programs are optional. I saw James Bray’s presentation about how he built an E-Base, but I left partway through because I was dizzy from the rocking of the ship. An E-Base is an education base that is powered by renewable energy. James converted a train car in Virginia into a classroom for underprivileged students. It is going live very soon! I also saw a presentation about penguins, but I laid down for most of the day. In the evening, the ship crew turns down the beds, which includes a mint-flavored chocolate in a green wrapper.
In the morning, Jason instructed everyone on where to meet before going through passport control to board the ship to Antarctica, the Sea Spirit. Then, Rob Swan reminded us that we are embarking on an expedition, not a vacation or cruise (not to be confused with the zodiac “cruises”). He also talked about leadership, and told the story about a man who skipped the expedition and flew home with a lady who had broken her leg during the glacier hike in Ushuaia. Then, Rob presented on the Antarctic Treaty, and the territorial claims countries had made beforehand. The Antarctic Treaty protects Antarctica from exploitation by countries, and maintains it as a reserve for “peace and science.” Next, Darrin talked about “Drake-proofing” our cabins on the ship, or making sure that everything in our cabins is secure while we travel through the infamous Drake Passage (it can have very rough waters because it’s where two oceans meet). To follow, Jumper gave a presentation about drowning, which featured several videos and a humorous demo. After the morning briefing, I went to downtown Ushuaia with Hannah Wells. We went to the tourist office to get our passports stamped with the Ushuaia stamp. Elke, my roommate in Ushuaia, was there getting a thick stack of postcards stamped. Hannah and I then walked around to look for the best deal on postcards - some shops charged more than others. For lunch, we went to a cafe and had empanadas. Then, we went back to the tourist office to get our postcards stamped (thank you for the idea, Elke!). We met the 2041 Team Leaders in front of the obelisk across from the tourist office, and took photos in front of the Argentine flag. We made it through Passport Control pretty quickly, since our passports were never checked. Everyone was really excited as we approached the ship! Rob Swan took photos with everyone and their flags in front of the ship before we boarded for the first time. I’m sharing a cabin with Kim Williams, on Deck 3. The ship is really nice, and I’m looking forward to spending the next 10 days aboard! After the morning program ended, we headed back to our rooms and changed for our hike on the glacier. We ate delicious empanadas for lunch! On the bus ride to the glacier, I sat next to Manon, a 14-year-old student from the Netherlands. We also walked next to each other for a good portion of the hike.
After the first ten minutes of the hike, the expedition leaders stopped everyone so that we could take off layers of clothing - everyone and assumed that it would be really cold, but we heated up really quickly after we started walking. In the middle of the hike, it started to hail. The team leaders said that we could start walking back down the glacier if we wanted to, but everyone continued walking up! When I reached the stopping point, it hailed for a few more minutes, and I quickly put my gloves on. When it stopped hailing, there was a beautiful rainbow over the Beagle Channel! On the way down the mountain, I talked to Ameera, a college student from Dubai. We discussed what our interests were, and what we planned to do after the expedition. Ameera is currently pursuing a computer science degree, and wants to incorporate her computer skills into her expedition project. Like me, she is planning to give presentations at schools when she returns home. We also compared our experiences in Dubai and San Francisco, which was really interesting because growing up, I have been surrounded by eco-friendly initiatives, while most people Ameera knows aren't very interested in the environment. We also brainstormed some possible projects that we could work on together on the ship and when we return home, and I'm really excited to start working with her! When I was walking down, my stomach started to hurt because I had drunk my water too quickly, but it didn't take too long to reach the bottom of the glacier. On the bus ride back, I sat next to Manon again, but we were too exhausted from the hike to have another conversation. At dinner, I had a really interesting conversation with Adel Al Tamimi. Adel works for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). I said that my impression of Dubai had been that it was like a bigger version of Las Vegas, but he quickly told me that it was extremely different. It has a completely different business model, and gambling is outlawed. According to Adel, Dubai is actually a very sustainable place, and has invested a lot in renewable energy. DEWA's goal is for 50% of Dubai's energy to be renewable by 2030. Today's program focused on inspiration, leadership, sustainability, and storytelling. In the morning, there were inspiring workshops and lectures from several experienced experts. I learned that this expedition is about energy, both literally and metaphorically, and that "big energy is leadership." Another really important aspect of the expedition in being on time - a man named Bronco Lane, who climbed Mount Everest and lost all his fingers, created a rule that he should arrive 5 minutes early to everything. Anne Kershaw, MBEAnne Kershaw, who founded 2041 with Robert Swan, talked about how she became interested in Antarctica. Her husband, Giles Kershaw, had worked with Rob leading expeditions, but died in a plane crash. Anne wanted to ensure that other travelers to Antarctica were safe. David HoneNext, David Hone, Climate Change Advisor for Shell and author of "Putting the Genie Back: 2º C Will Be Harder Than We Think," gave a wonderful presentation of climate change. Even if we completely convert to sustainable energy, the world's temperature will still rise more than 2º C. David described carbon dioxide emissions as a stock problem, which means that it accumulates in the atmosphere over time and doesn't go away. In other words, even if we emit less carbon tomorrow than we did today, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere will still increase. Another interesting fact is that greater energy efficiency has lead to more energy consumption - for example, since LED lights are so efficient, they are now being used to light the outsides of buildings. David's solution to the current climate change problem is implementing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions and using carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS is when emitted carbon is captured from the atmosphere or a power plant and injected back into the ground. After David's presentation, the team members had a discussion. Robert Swan, OBERob Swan gave a really inspiring talk, starting with his childhood and ending with his more recent endeavors. On his first expedition, the captain of his ship accidentally crashed the ship into the London harbor, as well as the London Bridge, with lots of spectators and media present. However, Rob quickly made a comeback, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, that was a demonstration of our ice-breaking capabilities." He also talked about how he cleaned up tons of waste (literally) in Antarctica, but soon shifted his role from garbage-collector to renewable energy champion. He also talked about how important it is to be relevant, hence his "Think global, act local" campaign. An important piece of advice he gave was, "Don't always support things that are popular; support things that are right." He also described himself as a good survivor, saying that survivors deal with the problem before it hits them, not after. His ending quote was, "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." Matthais MalessaMatthias, who used to work for Adidas, talked about leadership, storytelling, and the "impossible." He advised us to make the impossible irrelevant, because many things are possible even if we initially think they aren't. He also emphasized that leadership is by choice, not by admission, and that it starts with you. Leaders' power comes from their life stories and experiences, and their ability to communicate them to others. Instead of telling stories as a "hero" or "victim," leaders should tell stories from the point of view of someone who's stepped forward. Then, each team did an interesting exercise called the "elevator speech." Each person and 90 seconds to tell their story about their background and why they were on the expedition. Kyle O'DonoghueExpedition Videographer Kyle presented on the importance of stories, and making sure that our voices are heard over all of the other noise. He recommended that everyone take one special photo each day and write in their Antarctica Log Books or diaries.
Yesterday, I flew with Kim, Aidan, and Randi from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. At the airport, we met another participant, Arwa. Arwa is from the UAE, and runs an adventure company along with her husband, which leads nature hikes and expeditions in the UAE and other countries. When we arrived at the hotel in Ushuaia, we met some of the IAE guides and coordinators, and were given black fleece jackets and beanies with the 2041 and IAE logos. We also got ziplock bags with name tags, luggage tags, and room assignments for Ushuaia and the ship for Antarctica. In Ushuaia, I'm staying with a Belgian lady named Elke - she's really nice, and we've had some interesting conversations about sustainability! Kim, Aidan, Randi, James Bray, and I went shopping in the town. Aidan and I went into some souvenir shops while the adults did their own shopping. Aidan tried on a funny penguin hat and posed next to a cardboard cut-out cartoon character from a local TV show! In the evening, I splashed around with Aidan in the hotel's pool, and we took funny photos with his waterproof camera. In the pool, I also met some IAE members from India. Today, I woke up early to have breakfast before a very long and exciting day, and ate at a table with two men from Toronto. After breakfast, everyone was assigned to a team of 10 people that would hike together on the glacier in Ushuaia and stay together during the expedition. The group I was assigned to had most, if not all, of the teenagers, and a few adults. I woke up early this morning to go to the Sacramento International Airport, where I met Kim Williams Schouten and Aidan Fong. Kim is a teacher at the Leonardo da Vinci School in Sacramento, and this is her second expedition with 2041. Her student Aidan is the youngest member of the expedition -- he's only twelve years old! KCRA News came to the airport and interviewed me and Aidan before we left for our flight. Kim, Aidan, and I flew through LA and Miami before reaching Buenos Aires, which has really hot weather (I only packed long-sleeved shirts). Buenos Aires is a really nice city, and I wish I knew more Spanish. Later in the day, we met another "expeditioner," Randi Caplan. We went out to dinner with her to an authentic Argentinian restaurant called La Brigada and had a really great time. Tomorrow morning, we leave for Ushuaia, where the expedition begins! I can't wait to meet the rest of the participants! Also, check out the photos that I posted on the Follow the Flag page and 2041's blog. I'm currently packing for the expedition, which is only one day away. 2041 recommended gear from Patagonia, which has sustainable and reliable products, not to mention great customer service. Since I needed lots of layers for the cold weather, Patagonia suggested buying a 3-in-1 jacket instead of separate jackets. They also helped me order products online that weren't available in the store. This weekend, I went to Sports Basement to get the rest of my gear. The staff in all the departments were very knowledgeable, helping me make the right choices for everything from water bottles to waterproof pants. However, even with all the assistance, I spent almost 5 hours in Sports Basement! Luckily, I had a day off from school. Thanks again to Patagonia and Sports Basement (and my Mom's closet)! It was hard to fit all of my stuff into my suitcase, and I had to switch suitcases twice! My Aunt and Mom helped me pack, so I'm ready to go. I'm excited to meet Kim Williams and Aidan Fong tomorrow morning -- I'm traveling with them to Argentina. I can't wait for the trip to start! |
Xenia RangaswamiI am currently a senior at San Francisco University High School. Categories |