Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from the South Pole.  I've now been here working for over seven weeks, and this past weekend we celebrated Christmas, South Pole style.  The weekend before Christmas, some of us helped our amazing baker cutout enough Christmas cookies for the entire station (that's about 140 people right now).  In case you were thinking that making cookies for your family was a lot, this was a lot of cookies (and I didn't even have to make the dough).  We also decorated gingerbread houses.  You can see mine with a very impressionist rendering of the SPT on the roof.

Me and my SPT gingerbread house (only tilting a little).

Christmas eve started out with caroling over the HF radio link to the other stations on continent.  Personally, I think South Pole was the best, since we were accompanied by an acoustic guitar.   All of the stations also exchange Christmas cards.  I took a picture of just a few of them.  If you look closely at the one from South Pole, you'll see some familiar people!

After spending the afternoon working out at the telescope, we came back to Christmas dinner.  Just like Thanksgiving, this is a really nice event with some really lovely food.   First there were appetizers (baked brie and bruschetta), then dinner with beef wellington and lobster.  Finally, desserts from around the world!  And of course, what would dinner be without a roaring fire to gather around?

After dinner, there was a live band that played a few songs (lot of talented people here) and big dance party in the gymnasium.

The big event on Christmas day itself is the  Race Around the World.  The course is two miles outside.  It started at the geographic pole went out to the SPT and IceCube experiments and then looped back around to the station and the pole.  Prizes are given to the fastest male and female runner, but also for the best costume.  This year's winner was dressed as Tigger. After the race it was into the station for Sunday brunch and then back to work at the telescope!