Wednesday 30 July 2008
survival course part 1
So many things happened today.
This morning we went to the shooting range - on the way there we passed the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Anyways, I looked at the temperature this morning (8C) and so was only wearing jeans - but when we got there the temperature went down to 2C. I was freezing as there was lots of standing around and listening. The logistics guy from UNIS told us all about the dangers polar bears pose etc and how important it is to avoid them/only shoot if necessary (after all the polar bear is a protected species on the island). We got to fire several rounds a go - and at first I thought I had completely missed my target, but in fact I had some of the closest shots in the group!
Later on we went back to UNIS for lunch and then went into the logistics room to learn more about Zodiac boats, and how to handle them if needed. We then got dressed up in these drysuits, went into the boat and got chucked out into the Arctic Ocean (all this with our clothes underneath) - quite warm, but mine leaked through the sleeves.
The logistics room - pretty cool
Afterwards we met a group of German students who were keen on meeting people on Svalbard and so bought us loads of pizzas which we ate in the caffeteria - I took quite a few slices cos' I was so hungry and cos' food costs so much here.
I got home round 8, but then at 9 I went for a walk with Heidi up to that mine I was talking about. It was so spooky and quite massive. At time I was scared the wooden structure would fall on our heads but it was pretty solid. We then continued our way up the mountain to get some awesome views on Longyearbyen.
Tuesday 29 July 2008
daily life
I met a few more people from my course today. In total we are 15, but only 6 of us have made it to Svalbard since there has been severe fog at the airport. Quite weird really ... 6 people in an entire lecture room vs. 300 or so at Edinburgh. I really must not fall asleep.
I must admit, the UNIS building is pretty impressive. The exterior looks like a spaceship and the interior is decorated with wooden panels. I will try taking pictures tomorrow - it really does put the other universities to shame. Even the speakers in the lecture room are JBL and there are two massive 52inch monitors just outside of it (one of which is a Sony). Ok I know these are minor details that only I would notice ... but still.
Earlier on in the day I went to buy some milk at the supermarket, but obviously because of all the delayed flight there was none.
Other than that, we have a safety training course tomorrow which should be interesting: riffle shooting and stuff like that.
I really have itchy feet and can't wait to climb the surrounding mountains - they are literally at my doorstep, but I need to do the riffle training first before I can rent one out. Once I have a riffle then I will be able to explore a bit more. There is also an abandoned mine right next to us - might go visit it sometime soon...
As for the photo of the day: just another view of the Longyearbreen glacier from my barrack + that mine I was talking about. These were taken at exactly midnight today.
Oh and before I got, there is a total eclipse of the sun this coming Friday - so should be quite interesting :)
Sunday 27 July 2008
Longyearbyen and stuff
I still can't believe I'm actually on Svalbard. The last time I was here I was sleeping in a tent and melting snow to cook. Right now on the other hand I'm living in a student "barrack" which is fairly decent (at least in comparison to my first year at Edinburgh). There is unlimited hot water and heating included in the rent (or at least I hope) and the kitchen is quite homely. The internet is incredibly fast too.
I arrived late last night and didn't have much to eat. It looks like things are done very slowly here (I keep hearing the word "tradition") and so the (only) supermarket here opened from 3PM-6PM. Let's just say I was standing in front of the door waiting for it to open.
My flat is located 3km out of town, and so I had a walk down to see if anything exciting was going on. I even managed to reach the other end of town near the fjord shore : all that in 45 minutes! That basically sums up Longyearbyen.
I wish I could speak a little Norwegian, and feel slightly foolish with my Wikitravel Phrasebook. Even thought everybody speaks (very good) English (and my lectures will be in English too), I did struggle in the supermarket. The one things I was sure of was the milk: how difficult could it be. Surely the 3.8% something something meant full fat milk. I ended buying two liters of some milky "kultur" which looks like yogurt.
One thing I cannot get over is how expensive things are. My trip to the supermarket cost me £33 and I really didn't get much. What is quite handy however is that there are 4 outdoor shops around (one gives 20% off for students ... hmmm). Icebreakers tops are actually a few pounds cheaper here! (Svalbard is supposedly tax free).
I have managed to meet a few people who will be on my course, and have already been for a meal at Husset (food/bar). They all seem cool. I will officially meet the others tomorrow afternoon.
UNIS and Adventdalen
Saturday 26 July 2008
finally arrived !
Yay I have finally arrived. I am seriously too tired to type anything here, and so instead I will simply upload a few photos. It's nearly midnight here, and there is still complete daylight.
It feels so strange being here...
Friday 25 July 2008
1 day to go ...
I have no idea what the next year will throw at me, but I can't wait! I always find everything to be a learning experience, and might come back with a totally different perspective on things...hopefully though it will give me some time to think about what I want to do in the future as I currently do not have a clue.
