Maitri's 'first words' from Antarctica

Taken from MSN
A member of the 27th Indian Scientific Antarctica Expedition, 56-year-old Sudhir Khandelwal, has typed, so far, 39 posts and nearly 15,000 words, with another one and a half months of his stay to go.

A consultant psychiatrist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Khandelwal records fascinating vignettes of daily life at himalayanadventurer.blogspot.com. He writes about the effects of static electricity that result in 'powerful' handshakes, eccentric food habits, hikes on the ice shelf and the saga of a Skua bird family nesting near the station.

Khandelwal is in Antarctica for four summer months to conduct a study of short and long-term effects of extreme isolation and climatic conditions on the general and mental health on expedition members.

India's second research base in Antarctica, Maitri, is located on the rocky mountain area in the eastern part of the continent called Schirmacher Oasis, where the average annual temperature is minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Naturally, maintaining a blog is not an easy task from Maitri station, which has no direct access to the Internet. Electronic communication is limited to a single shared e-mail address, with the mails uploaded and downloaded once a day by connecting to the Amos server in the Netherlands.

So, almost every other day, Khandewal writes and mails his musings to his elder son, a computer professional in San Francisco who uploads and maintains the website.

"It's been a hobby to write my interesting experiences and travelogues to share with family and friends over email. When I was discussing with my son, Kushagra, how to reach the mailing list for sharing my experiences, he suggested the idea of starting a blog," Khandelwal told in an email interview.

With telephone calls being rather expensive, his family in India and the US find the blog the best way to ensure his well-being.

"I am usually looking at the clock when I am on the phone. His blog helps me visualise his stay in those conditions and keeps me assured of his welfare," said his wife Chitra Khandelwal, who lives in New Delhi.

Khandelwal's travel from India to Antarctica took about three days and four flights - from Goa to Mumbai, Mumbai to Johannesburg, then to Cape Town, and finally the last leg on a chartered Il-76 aircraft to a landing on the ice field at Novo air base, nine kilometres from Maitri on Nov 15, 2007.
"It looked like a huge white ocean with a tinge of blue here and there, then it looked like a white sand desert with patches of mirage appearing here and there," Khandelwal said.

As part of the summer team, Khandelwal lives in a pre-fabricated cabin with four bunker beds outside the main building. It is a rather comfortable stay with round-the-clock open pantry, a recreation room and a gymnasium.

Not surprisingly, one of the important members of the team is the station cook, Ram Das from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

"Everybody tries to keep him in good humour because their health and mood depend on him," Khandewal writes, tongue-in-cheek.

From fresh fruits and vegetables at the start of the residency period, the menu moves on to food items that are frozen, tinned or powdered.

"Current fads among many of the 26th (expedition) team members are Maggie noodles and eggs. They are now sick of eating frozen vegetables and daal (lentils) for the last many months," he said.

Therefore, when visitors from the neighbouring Novolazarevskaja Russian station came to Maitri for Christmas, they brought a much-appreciated gift - fresh vegetables.

The evening hours in Maitri are often the period to hone latent talent, with the station now boasting an in-house chorus, a trio of enthusiastic party dancers, Urdu poetry aficionados, wood artists, aspiring chefs and even an amateur hair stylist. The night usually wraps up with a movie from the well-stocked DVD library.

The avenues for entertainment, however, will become wide open once the under-construction Earth Station becomes functional in March, allowing 24-hour Internet access and even beaming Indian TV channels.

"I am persuading two members who will be wintering here (spending nearly 15 months) to also start writing a blog once they start enjoying full internet connectivity and web browsing," Khandelwal told IANS.

Meanwhile, with summer nights in Antarctica always aglow with dull sunlight, a full moon night evokes a nostalgic post.

"But the full moon won't shine as it would in Delhi. It will be there in the sky but with no moonlight at all. The bright full moon from the confines of the home makes all the troubles of living in Delhi worthwhile," he said.

India in Antartica

Maitri,Antarctica

Here's the weather report & forecast for Maitri Antartica base.
Weather During Past 24 Hours:
Partly cloudy sky
Present:
Average MSL Pressure(hPa): 1002.4
Average Air Temperature(°c): -02.0
Average Wind Speed (Kt): 04
Maximum Temperature(°c): +00.4
Minimum Temperature(°c): -02.9
Maximum Wind Speed (Kt): 10
24-hour Precipitation (mm): 0
Weather summary : Generally cloudy sky becoming overcast towards evening with light to moderate surface winds.
Forecast for next 24 Hour : Generally cloudy sky light to moderate surface winds. Possibility of light snow.

Another dull and dry day.

Just another Dry & Dull day passing by.
Humidity below 50%.
Max day temperature around 29 degrees.
Mild cold winds around.
And
Night is going to be long and dry, and morning will be cold.

Mild Christmas morning

Happy Christmas!! to all our readers and supporters!
Slightly cold morning 23.1°C (6:30am) with heavy DEW around.
Today we'll have a slightly high humidity.
After yesterday morning's MILD shower and drizzles there was nothing there in Afternoon.
Here is a CLEAR looking VISIBLE satellite shot of INDIA this morning.

Drizzle morning..!!

Chennai:
After a mild night and morning.
We had a Drizzle at around 8:30 AM.
And more LOW cloud formations can be seen from North-east.
There's no GFS forecast for this. And even the latest satellite pic shows NOTHING.
This is just a slight rejunuvation of moisture in the almost dead North-easter.
Moisture around this time of year is very rare.
Forecast: we might have more drizzles or mild showers before NOON today(24-Dec-08).

Going by latest satellite pic...

We can see more activity just above the Equator around the 5th parallel. Previous week this area was cleared out.
Take a look at the latest MJO forecast also...

This suggests no wet period till 7th of JAN-2009
Normally we'll not have RAINS for next 2 months are so. DRY and COLD..!

2 swirls over "Australia"

Unusual scene. You can see 2 swirls that is 2 tropical depressions or cyclone over North-west Australia.

"98A" and "97A" - vanished!!

"98A" and "97A" - vanished or vanishing.
Latest satellite image shows that both the systems have almost vanished..!!

Chennai:
Today morning Chennai was lot colder than previous 15 days.
Low was 22.9°C (6:24am).
Now (3:26pm) temperature is reducing fast.
Very low humidity 49%, that means a DRY & cold night ahead.

All Time record for this month
High: 32.8 C (5.12.1909)
Low: 13.9 C (11.12.1895)
Daily Rain: 261.6 mm (10.12.1901)
Total Rain: 699.3 mm (1946)

Rainy days and your child!!

Taken from http://mymadrascurry.blogspot.com
My son doesn’t take well to rainy days. Most children below the age of five, find the monsoon season extremely boring. Parents pose restrictions on kicking in puddles and getting wet. However, playing indoors need not boil down to watching TV.
Here are a few games to play with your child and his/her friends when the rain plays spoil sport.

1. Puppet show - Take a big cardboard box and make a dupatta curtain in the centre. Open out the flaps in order to put puppets through the back and use front flaps as windows. The child’s dolls, toys like cars, spoons, etc. can be used and a story can be spun with imagination.

2. Hide the loot – Give your child ten items and tell them to hide one item in a bag. Guess the item hidden by asking your child to describe what he/she hid.

3. Photo fun – Make a photo collage of your child’s favorite pictures from your recent vacation on a chart paper and add comment stickers or emoticons in appropriate places. Hang in your child’s room when complete. Photo collages make great décor ideas too!!

4. Colour splash – Paint a picture using old toothbrushes, bottle caps, sponge, waste wool, fingers, hands, toes and just about anything other than paint brushes. Make sure you do this on the floor and don’t get any paint onto a costly outfit or a carpet.
5. Junk art – Use material from all over the house. Cotton, old magazine pictures, buttons, sand, old shoe lace, wrapping paper and just about anything. Make a Christmas scene or a meadow and watch your child’s imagination flitter like a butterfly!!

6. Dress up – Give the age old game of robber and police a twist by dressing up yourself and your son to fit the roles. Dressing up like a character in a story is a good way of getting the child to understand the story completely. The parent can be the narrator and the child can play the central character.

7. Shadow play – For those of you who are not scared of the dark and have brave children, its time to light a candle and put on the musical night lights. Spin a story with shadow figures. The crow looking for water to drink is a beautiful tale to spin around one’s fingers.

8. Cook with mommy – This is a game that can be messy. Children love helping their grown-ups in their grown-up things. Explain that cutting and cooking on the stove/oven are grown up things to do. However the child can help wash the vegetables, add certain ingredients, beat an egg and a whole load of other things that can be fun.

9. Song and dance – Teach your child simple dance steps to his/her favorite song/rhyme. Dress him/her up like a pop/rock star and have your own Indian Idol show at home!!
10. Puzzle when it drizzles – Buy a puzzle for your child and hide it from them till the monsoon arrives. On a dull, dreary “can’t do anything else” day give them this surprise gift and watch them lose track of time.

Here’s wishing all you mom’s a happy fun filled Monsoon!!

Winter woes

"Winter woes" from http://mymadrascurry.blogspot.com
Winter means many things – the season of Christmas, hot chocolate, warm woollies, snowmen and dry skin. If winter mostly defines the last one for you, here are a few tips that could change your skin making it as soft as snow.

1. Winter dryness is found in people of all ages. The common sites for dryness are upper arms, thighs and lower legs but face, neck and hands also show signs of dryness. Knowing your skin type is the first thing to do before one starts a skin care regimen.
2. The 3 major skin types are – dry, oily and combination skin. It is rare to find anyone with a normal skin type. Different parts of the body could come under these categories. For ex: It’s normal to have an oily nose, normal skin type on cheeks and very dry hands.
3. A daily skin care routine should be as follows – Cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Using a product appropriate to your skin type is important. Some natural products can be used to combat dry skin effectively. Yogurt can be used as a skin cleanser, acting as a natural moisturizer. In order to remove dead cells a mild scrub like oatmeal can be used as it heals and soothes dry skin. Honey when applied to the skin, is healing and moisturizing.
4. Moisturizing often is important as itching is the main problem faced by people during winter. If hands and feet are prone to dryness it’s a good idea to invest in moisture rich hand cream or a foot cream. Moisturizing after a bath or after washing is very important, as the skin dries when water evaporates from the surface leaving it drier than it was.
5. Most of us find smiling difficult during the winter as chapped lips cause a lot of pain. Using a lip balm or beeswax is a good idea.
6. The most important thing to do during the winter months is to drink plenty of water. Feeling thirsty is not an indication of the body’s requirements of water. Drinking at least 2 litres a day helps combat most winter woes.
7. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin A helps repair damaged skin.
8. Some home remedies can also be used for removing winter dryness. Mix one teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of milk. Apply this mixture on skin for 15 minutes and wash it away with warm water. Mix equal parts of olive, mustard and sesame oil and use it as a body massage.
9. A good winter face pack can be made straight out of your kitchen. Combine an egg yolk with a tablespoon of yogurt and a tablespoon of honey. Add a 1/2 tsp. of almond oil. Apply to and let it dry. Wash off gently with warm water.
10. Remember that some of the simple daily routines can also remove moisture from the skin. For example, bathing with a harsh soap, long steamy showers may give you relaxation for your sore muscles, but hot water eliminates your skin’s natural oils more quickly. So, altering these daily routines with dry skin care instructions can definitely retain the skin’s moisture.
11. Dandruff is another common embarrassment of winter. There are 2 kinds of dandruff: The Dry Scalp Type: The scales are fine, thin, white or grayish and dry. The hair is dry and often lacks lustre. Itching maybe mild to moderate. This is the more common type of dandruff and is more prevalent during winters.
The Oily Scalp Type: The scalp is generally oily. And this malady may occur in well defined and confined patches or diffusely all over the scalp. Later the condition may extend to the eye brows, eye lids, beard, external region, groins, etc. Patients suffering from oily dandruff gradually develop thinning and later loss of hair.
Whatever kind it be it should be treated as soon as one spots the symptoms.

Being more vigilant in caring for and nurturing your skin in the winter months helps pay off for skin that's summer-ready when the seasons change. Enjoy the glow of good skin this winter!!

Potential "97A" and "98A"

Can you believe that 2 tropical disturbance in Arabian sea and that too in December??
"97A"
-------
This system is there in south-western Arabian sea for almost 2 weeks now. It's actually a remnant of "07B". This system is almost died out.
This prolonged system has given rise to another disturbance.
"98A"
-------
Now this "98A" is very close to Kerala.
Going by latest satellite image...

We can see a core and some circulation around it.
And latest TPW also suggests more moisture in that Area.

We should wait for another 24 hrs to see if any threatening formations are there.
There's no predicted movement yet, Might move in a west-north-west direction and dissipate before reaching any LAND.
Chennai:
Today morning it's cloudy and mild.
If "98A" becomes into a tropical depression then North-east monsoon might trigger again for us and get some showers.