After more than a month in Kristineberg this is quite a normal start into breakfast conversation. The general reaction divides our breakfast table into two groups: morning grinch (key features: eyes focused on a cup of coffee, not immediately responding when being talked to, clearly not awake yet) and early bird (key features: very chatty, looking excitedly around for eye contact with new victims to launch into lively scientific as well as philosophic discussions, clearly completely awake). Have to admit, that I am belonging to the first group, which is the reason I don´t dare to use my newly learned expression “Tack för frukosten, smakkade skitbra!”, as I am very likely to mumble the end of the sentence (namely the “-bra”) and involuntarily insult the cook…..
“If I was a seal….”
But back to our breakfast table: While now the early birds launch into a full discussion about how life would be if we all were seals, the only respond of the grinches is: “Someone more coffee?” A simply question, waiting for a simple answer (“Yes, please. /No, please.”). Yet, far too tempting for the early birds, who will respond in some kind of: “Yes, please my dear, with 1/7 milk and 1/3 spoonful of sugar and (…)”.
However, at the latest when leaving with the sampling boats at 8:45h, everyone is finally awake. But before being ready to leave there are few more tasks to be fulfilled:
First: find your boat driver.
One month ago, a driver not being seen at breakfast might have created a small panic (“Where is my driver?!”); but after one month living and working together 24/7 we know the habits of each other, so the driver of your choice might just have skipped his smörgås in favour of 10 minutes more sleep, waiting for you at the boathouse.
Second: find your boat. And test the engine.
In the past days, low temperatures and sea ice have created diverse morning surprises in regard to the motivation of battery and engine. But with help from the station (especially Ursula and Bernet) so far all problems could be solved in a quick and sometimes quite creative way. For example, after an engine breakdown Oscar II now has a very special way of getting started, involving a certain piece of plastic being placed in a certain spot in the engine.
Third: struggling into the survival suits.
A sportive action creating sounds like: “ufff”, “affff”, “uuummmpf”, “Where is my CAP???!!”
And then finally an armada in orange wobbles down the landing, gets into their boats and heads off North for another sampling. Wonder what a seal would think about all of this – let´s discuss it at tomorrow´s breakfast.
By Dana Hellemann