I might be flying to Antarctica on New Year's Eve. It's an 11-hour trip with a band and drinks and food. You don't land; you fly to the ice, fly around for a few hours, and fly back to Melbourne.
I just found out about this possibility yesterday and I have to say, I'm a bit excited.
8 comments:
I don't want to throw cold water on this, but these things immediately came to my mind:
1) Going somewhere and not getting out of the plane/train/car/boat/whatever seems like a bit of a tease, doesn't it?
2) What if there's cloud cover? Then it's just like being on a plane anywhere else in the world, isn't it?
3) The biggest ongoing environmental story for years has been the increasing loss of ice in the polar regions from human pollution. Plane loads of tourists burning fuel so they can aimlessly fly around these areas for hours just seems to be rubbing it in nature's face a bit, doesn't it?*
*I mean, most people like chocolate, and most people like to tell themselves they're not hurting anything having a bit now and then. This seems a bit like going to West Africa and touring a cocoa plantation, carved out of the rainforest and worked by enslaved children (not an exaggeration), while gorging oneself on Cadbury dairy milk.
You're not concerned about any of these things? Sorry, didn't want to be a downer. Just couldn't help wondering.
When I found out that such flights existed, I was excited. I would LOVE to go there and back in a day and see it too. Have fun!
Alex, number 1, doesn't bother me. Number 2, well that would just be tough luck. Number 3, doesn't bother me, I don't have much conscience for that sort of thing, sorry. It's funny, the things I thought about were: 1) we won't be able to see anything at night cause it'll be dark (I'm an ignoramus) and 2) what if I just want to go to sleep and everyone's partying and being annoying. I guess I'm verging on nihilism. If I go it'll be free so it seems like an opportunity I'd be stupid to pass on.
Thanks Suze.
Yeah, if you like plane rides and none of the other stuff bothers you and it's free, you probably would be crazy to pass it up.
Have a good one and stay safe, and I'll no doubt be talking to you again in the new year.
Thanks Alex, yeah the what if it crashes thing crossed my mind. Oh well, will let you know. You have a good one too. I've been working like a maniac on the manuscript. I can't believe even after incorporating your feedback (much of) I still see stuff. I guess this is normal, I've heard of people having their things published and being too scared to look at because then they see things they want to change.
It sounds like brilliant fun Melba and I like your 1) 2) and 3) reasoning too! Have a good one, whatever you do.
I think that's natural. People have asked me why I don't hang any of my own pictures or use them as computer wallpaper, etc.
Truth is, when I look at my own work, all I see is mistakes and I constantly want to go and fix things until they're perfect. Which they never are, no matter how long I work on them. Frustrating and time consuming.
I don't know who said it, but I think there's a moderately famous quote along the lines of: "Most creative work is never really finished, merely abandoned."
Thanks Sarah, and Alex, that's not just a moderately famous quote I don't think. I remember a potential PhD supervisor saying to me: 'you are the right kind of obsessive type to do a PhD.'
I'm so glad I didn't waste my obsessive energy on academia and am funnelling it ALL into creative work.
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