Chairs and sofas (and mattresses!) have been set up in the gym, all for the sake of movie-watching comfort. It’s unclear how they vied for best seats. But some padding or support is imperative when you’re going to hunker down for three movies in a row—or rather, three versions of the same movie. Yes, we’re talking about The Thing, the traditional entertainment springboard to ring in the beginning of the winter season at the South Pole. The staff who remain for the long winter hold this marathon viewing each year after all the summer personnel have left for the season. This year, it would have happened last week except for travel delays that kept some people at the Pole longer than planned. They did eventually make their way out, and there’s a photo below of the nice contrail left in the sky by that last flight. Fewer people around doesn’t necessarily mean less fun, and there are plenty of fun activities (see bottom image) that don’t really require many people anyway.
