7/3/2012
(Day Seven)
I was super active yesterday. I felt like sleeping for hours and hours in the ice, but feeling warm and dry. Unfortunately few days left before we end our journey to the Antarctic.
It is 0 degrees today, chill, little windy and cloudy. The sky looks part of the land, pure white, hazy and there is no line to separate their borders. Looking around the surrounding fantastic white is just like having a very wonderful dream.
After breakfast, we drove towards the land to have another hike. Mentally, I was ready and excited. However, my body was slow on responding and a bit tired. When we landed and as we got used to, the penguins were there living as if we never exist.
The hill was rocky in the bottom and on the way up it was covered with snow, until we found ourselves surrounded by snow from all directions. I look down and see a majestic and a spectacular view. The sea is in the middle, the icebergs and glaciers from the left and the right side of the picture. The dark and black shadows were still in the sea surface, only few ice fragments were moving quietly gently around. It is amazing how the weather changes fast in here. It was cloudy and suddenly the sun appeared. It was little warm, but the wind was still fighting to get us cold.
And suddenly we hear a sound of iceberg crack. From the top, we could see how icebergs are cutting into smaller fragments that soon will split and swim in the sea till they become smaller pieces and melt. The sound is enormous like a bomb. The first time I heard it, we were in the ship. I thought we hit an iceberg and will sink like the Titanic.
Then, it was the International Women’s Day photo. Women are 70% of the expedition participants this year. We came from around 22 countries to represent our nations in the Antarctic. I’m glad to be part of this as the first Omani woman with the first Saudi woman and the 14 girls from UAE. It was so cold standing the deck5 to take a good picture and the wind waving our flags away. Yet, we enjoyed it and proud of it.
When we were back to the ship we had very fruitful and informative discussions about sustainability and climate change. Then Robert gave us his continues speech of the Leadership on the Edge. He passed many inspiring messages to us and these are some of them:
- - Inspire people to leave one place alone.
- - Leadership is about small things all together to make big things.
- - Little things do count when dealing with people.
- - Don’t give up with people who won’t listen, just get better.
- - Keep your team engaged. Don’t run your team just for the best people, involve everyone.
- - If you like something, do something about it.
- - Think carefully, and then do it.
- - If you don’t ask, you won’t get.
The last session was about the alumni and suggestions to keep connected with each other and the other alumnus of the past years as well.
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