Day 5: Entering the Arctic

Of human foibles and failures

The Arctic circle is much like the equator: a purely human boundary about which people make a considerable fuss, although it has little meaning in the real world. The equator is, of course, the globe's widest point, equidistant from the poles, delimiter of northern and southern hemispheres - but if you're actually there, and I've crossed it several times, then it actually makes no perceptible difference. Near the equator, it's always hot – it doesn't get hotter the closer you get. Daybreak and nightfall come with almost unseemly haste – twilight is a short period. There is no summer or winter here, only rainy or dry seasons, with a short, roughly one-month, intermediate season of dust-storms – at least in my part of Africa. Allegedly, the water swirling out of a plughole move in different directions according to your hemisphere, due to the Earth's Coriolis forces – but do you actually know which way the water normally spirals out of your sink? Clockwise or widdershins? I don't, I have to say.

There are differences, but they're subtle and for the most part you'd only notice them if you lived there or stayed there for a significant part of the year.

The world's real barriers are less arbitrary but more affective: they make more actual difference. The Convergence, for example. Most people don't know what or where that is – I didn't myself until a few years ago, when I was informed by an enlightened and well-read girlfriend. It's a boundary in the southern oceans, separating the cold circumpolar currents of the Antarctic sea from the warmer ones of the northern oceans – as almost everywhere is northern from there. It's a formidable nautical blockade that has sunk many ships and killed many sailors.

And yet, apart from explorers of the last continent and round-the-world yachtsmen, who has heard of it?

So, really, it was foolish of me to expect some magical instant transition when we crossed the Arctic circle. I had vague notions of polar bears, icebergs and frozen wastelands.

Needless to say, perhaps, there was none of this.
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A Poll, regarding birthday celebrations

My 37th is looming (8th November) but it's a busy time of year. The preceding weekend (5th - 7th) is Novacon in Walsall, the following one is P-Con II in Dublin. The Wednesday's my Mum's birthday and since she'll be in London at the time I shall go celebrate that with her. The Friday I am EDIT now definitely going to Paris for the day with some mates.

But some time in that week, I want to have a birthday drinkie. (I've been keeping off alcohol since I got back from Dublin last Tuesday and I plan to stay off it until Novacon, but that weekend, I am going to party!)

I did plan to go to the Beer Circus in Croydon, but it's very expensive and it's a bit inaccessible to non-Croydonian types. It's not even terribly convenient for me! However, it's a great little place, quiet and spacious, and deserves support - it's not in a busy area and I for one would like to see more specialist European-beer pubs in the world.

Another potential is my trusty local, the Sultan, near Colliers Wood & South Wimbledon. Very handy for me - I can walk home - not so good for almost everyone else.

Thirdly is a fine little hostelry that isn't nearly well-enough known, and midweek, which should be fairly quiet: The Dovetail in Jerusalem Passage, Clerkenwell. It's a Belgian beer specialist and its wares are excellent.

So, I'm throwing it open. Where do you think? If you can read this, you can vote, and if you can vote, you are welcome to come along. If you can't come or don't want to, then there's not much point in you voting. (If you do not have a Livejournal account, you can't vote. But sod it, if you're interested enough to read this, go create one - it's free, you need no invite, you don't need to update to just add a few people to your Friends list and it makes reading LJs *much* easier. Go on go on go on.)

And then again, it's my choice ultimately, so I might just ignore all of you and go wherever I feel like. So there.

And now, when.

My preference is Monday, as it's the actual day, but Monday nights are not generally hugely popular.

Tuesday is cardboardnewman's birthday drinks at the Croydon SF Meet in the Dog & Bull off Church St. - so that's out. I shall be there. Of course, you could all simply join me there!

Wednesday is my Mum's birthday, and since she'll be in London then, I'll join her to celebrate. She's exactly 30y (well, less 2 days) older than me. I shall probably also invite her to whatever day we pick! :¬)

[Poll #371572]

If you pick the Dog & Bull, that means it HAS to be Tuesday. On the other hand, I could do something else as well...

Oh, and in the unlikely event that anyone feels like getting me anything, the new Iain M Banks would go down a treat, and I do have an Amazon wishlist, but I have a challenge instead. My sock collection is looking increasingly threadbare. It is a little-known fact that I have a fondness for extremely lairy colourful socks. The snag is that I have very big feet: about a size 13. So, a cool cheap prezzy would be a pair of the most retina-searing socks that you can find that'll fit me! But I do not expect pressies from anyone in particular, so have no fear on that account; I shall not be keeping tally.

EDIT: OK, so we have 1 tendency towards the Dovetail on Monday and one towards the Beer Circus, maybe Thursday. Friday is now definitely out.

I'm thinking maybe both... :¬)