Mawson station remembered service men and women from Australia and New Zealand on Anzac Day. The day started with a dawn service (dawn at Mawson at this time of the year is around 8:30am). After three days of blizzards, Anzac Day dawned with overcast skies but only light winds. The reading of Ataturk’s tribute was very powerful, as was the tribute by Charlie Howell to his grandfather, who was a member of the Light Horse. We all then went back to the mess for a gunfire breakfast and a session of Two-up in the chippies workshop. Lest we forget.
This week at Mawson: 1 May 2015
Anzac Day and a sporting approach to conflict resolution
Anzac Day
Recreation or conflict resolution?
The question is often asked, how do you solve the big issues down in Antarctica? Issues like: ‘should you mix dessert and soup spoons?'; ‘is it okay to use a four slice toaster to toast only two slices of bread?'; or ‘can you put full fat milk in the skim milk jugs?'. These issues may seem trivial to you out there in the real world, but down here these minor things have a way of snowballing to gargantuan proportions.
Since we at Mawson are experts on everything and everyone’s opinion is always the right one, there has to be a way to solve issues when opinions clash. Thankfully there is!
The ping pong table!
Strategically positioned where most clashes of opinion occur, the Mawson ping pong table is the battlefield where issues are now resolved. In singles or doubles matches combatants of all skill levels, fitness levels and coordination levels duke it out to bring peace and order to the station.
The table is no place for the weak of will! Matches have been so heated that people turn into animals!
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