A friend who has been helping me keep a lookout for sustainability related jobs forwarded the Antarctic Sabbatical
link to me. A special program organised by Airbnb and Ocean Conservancy. I have to say it both excites and scares me a little. I
mean what an opportunity this will be! It will certainly be a great
stepping stone into the industry I have so much interest in. But I am one of those who would rather die of heat than cold and the idea of working in such extreme conditions is daunting.
Well,
you will never know till you try right? So I gamely took up my friend's
challenge/recommendation and applied for it! I definitely meet all of
the basic requirements and I also needed to pen a less than 500 words
essay about why I want to be part of this program to investigate the
presence of microplastics on the most isolated continent on Earth.
I
spent quite some time crafting it so have decided to post it here
although I have also just received confirmation that I had not been
selected for the program. I am kinda glad for that. 🤣
~~~~~~~~
For an ordinary someone from a tiny country located close to the
equator, the South Pole in Antarctica feels as unattainable as space
travel. I am certainly not immune to the beauty of Antarctica –
magnificent glaciers, mysterious icebergs and that vastness of ice
and snow. But being familiar with its reputation as being extremely
remote and harsh, I have never considered the possibility of setting
foot on the continent, until now.
I have a wanderlust
which sees me travelling out of my little red dot at least twice a
year. Surprising to most of my peers, I have a preference for
roughing it out while trekking in Nepal and Bhutan – two
destinations on my bucket list – compared to luxurious vacations in
Europe. If I am selected for this expedition, Antarctica will become
the third place I never knew was on my bucket list until I was made
aware of this sabbatical. I love the outdoors and being surrounded by
nature. Having spent most of my life in sunny, warm and developed
Singapore where the closest I can get to nature is a rustic island
named Pulau Ubin, Antarctica will be a drastic but an exciting change
of environment for me to reconnect with nature. Perhaps that is
exactly what I need, a 360 degrees switch to experience nature in a
different and deeper way.
Besides riding
snowmobiles and seeing penguins in their natural habitats, what
excites me the most about the expedition is the opportunity to apply
my training in Science Communication and contribute to scientific
research that will make a positive difference for our planet. I am
that friend whom others refrain from using plastic when I am present.
I am often the odd one out rejecting plastics and bringing out my
personal reusable items at a social gathering. Some times my friends
ask me for opinions and insights relating to environmental issues. In
fact I would not have found out about this expedition if not for a
friend who knows just how concerned I am about the plastic problem
plaguing our planet right now. Being an avid diver, I have seen first
hand the negative impact humans have on our oceans. But one can only
do so many clean-up dives and I know I can contribute much much more.
This expedition feels right up my alley.
There had been times
when I felt one individual’s effort cannot make a difference to the
humongous crisis of plastic we face right now, but I now truly
believe every small action by any individual in the right direction
steer us closer towards the path to sustainability. I have always try
to lead by example; I hope this will be the most impactful example I
can show the world. Finally, this might be my only chance to see a
whale up close and personal!
