Eun Jae-min took out a basket of beans.
White beans and yellow soybeans are usually used to grow bean sprouts. Bean sprouts can also be grown with black beans, but they are not used because they are not aesthetically pleasing.
I plan to grow bean sprouts using yellow soybeans.
He asked me, handed me a yellow bean.
“Do bean sprouts really grow here?”
“If everything goes according to plan, there will be no problems. Sooner or later, you will be able to cook bean sprouts.”
“It’s different because I’m a professional. I am also looking forward to the salad container.”
Eun Jaemin’s eyes twinkled.
“Can I use a plastic can?”
“Write whatever you want.”
I picked up a plastic bucket from the kitchen.
A bucket for soaking beans in water.
Soaking beans in water for 3 to 4 hours promotes germination.
Soybeans were soaked in water and went to the power plant.
In the power generation building, a generator and a water purification facility were operated together.
I asked the engineer who manages the power plant.
“I’m thinking of putting a bean sprouts planter next to the generator, is that ok?”
“How big is it?”
“Fridge only.”
“If it’s that size, no problem.”
“By the way, are you growing bean sprouts instead of salads?”
“It takes a while for the salad container to arrive. I’m going to try it out before that.”
There are two reasons for placing a bean sprouts planter next to the generator.
Since the bean sprout grower cannot control the temperature of the water, the idea was to use the heat generated when the generator is running.
It seemed to set the appropriate water temperature for bean sprouts to grow. There is even a purification facility next to it, so it was advantageous for discharging the water used for growing bean sprouts.
The engineer in charge of the purification facility also asked for cooperation.
* * *
The next day, along with Jang-Woo Lee, a bean sprout planter was installed next to the generator.
The power and hose are connected to the bean sprout grower. There were two hoses. A hose to receive water for cultivation and a hose to send to a purification facility.
The work continued until evening.
Finally, the soaked soybeans were placed in the grower.
“Are we just waiting for the sprouts to grow?”
Lee Jang-woo asked with a smile.
That was then. I felt popular.
We turned our heads at the same time.
Captain Kim Do-gi was looking at me.
“Is this the bean sprout growing machine?”
He looked at the bean sprout growing machine with curious eyes.
“Can I open it once?”
“Sure.”
Captain Do-gi Kim opened the refrigerator door that had become a bean sprout growing machine.
“It’s warm inside.”
“It is designed to maintain a constant temperature.”
“Is there a hose inside?”
“It’s a device that can be sprayed repeatedly. There is no wastage of water by drawing back the fresh water.”
“Then, if you just add beans, it will become bean sprouts, right?”
“Sometimes the water needs to be changed.”
“great!”
Captain Do-gi Kim has an admiring face.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the bean sprout growing machine.
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One of the crew came to Kim Do-gi.
“Captain, there is a farewell party soon.”
“I will be there soon. Go first.”
Kim Do-gi got up from his seat and said.
He turned his gaze to me.
“There is a farewell party today. Deok-myeong and Jang-woo must also attend.”
The crew members who were guarding the base in Antarctica before we arrived are leaving tomorrow.
It’s a farewell party to let them go.
While me and Jang-Woo Lee were making bean sprouts growers, the other crew members completed the handover work.
It had been a few days since I arrived at the Antarctic base, and I had a strange feeling that it was a farewell party.
All the crew gathered in the auditorium.
Captain Dogi Kim picked up the microphone.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Captain Chan-il Kang and the crew for their hard work at the base in Antarctica. The crew who came with me will take your place. We have prepared a small place for the departing crew.”
Kim Do-gi finished greetings. Applause from the crew followed.
Chef Eun Jae-min carefully prepared food for the departing colleagues.
The main dish was Eonyang Bulgogi. I also saw the tuna sashimi I ate on the first day.
At the Antarctic base, tuna sashimi was not left out.
Because it is a food that can be eaten just by defrosting it.
“The bulgogi tastes great.”
Lee Jang-woo did not stop using his chopsticks. As he said, the bulgogi tasted good.
Everyone didn’t even touch the tuna sashimi. The sweet bulgogi captivated everyone’s taste buds.
“But today, I don’t drink.”
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One of the crew said with a sad expression on his face.
“I prepared something better than alcohol, so please look forward to it.”
Deputy Commander Doh Sang-hyun said.
There was a reason why there was no alcohol. It was for the safety of the departing crew.
This is to prepare for accidents while traveling.
I haven’t heard of any other events.
I was wondering what you prepared.
After eating, the crew began to move busily.
From a small basketball hoop to a ping-pong table, exercise equipment was installed.
Commander Doh Sang-hyun said to the crew.
“Today, we are going to host the Antarctic Olympics.”
Existing crew members smiled at the word Antarctic Olympics.
Because it happened when they first came here.
The Antarctic Olympics was a tradition of goodwill.
It was too small to be called the Olympics.
The four sports were table tennis, basketball, jegi kick, and tuho.
“You must apply for one event unconditionally.”
Deputy Commander Doh Sang-hyun said.
You could participate in all events, not just one.
“Are you playing basketball with such a small basketball court?”
Lee Jang-woo looked at the small basketball hoop and tilted his head. Turns out it wasn’t real basketball.
It is a mini-game where you put the ball into the goal.
For the most part, it was a simple game to play.
Sports that are at risk of injury were not played.
Still, it had a decent assortment of items.
That’s table tennis
“What are you going to apply for?”
“Of course table tennis.”
“I knew it would. See you in the finals.”
Jangwoo Lee and I applied for table tennis.
Table tennis was also the flower of the Antarctic Olympics.
This is because the table tennis tournament is held after all sports have been completed.
“Then we will start the game.”
Finally, the world’s most bizarre Olympics has begun.
A wasted foot came out of the Jegi kick, and the tuho stick flew to the wrong place.
When the crew saw it, they laughed and laughed. He didn’t seem to care about ranking.
Everyone was laughing and chatting, soothing the hardships of the polar regions.
Finally, the table tennis tournament to decorate the finale of the Antarctic Olympics was held.
His eyes were different from when he was playing Jegi-chagi and Tuho.
When the tournament started, the crew held hands and watched the match.
In table tennis, the basic rule is five sets, but the Antarctic Olympics was a one-shot game.
As the fierce match continued, my turn came.
I met Captain Kim Do-gi as my first opponent.
Table tennis racquets are divided into penholder grips and shake hand grips according to the grip method.
The penholder grip uses only the cross-section of the racquet. It is very easy to use the wrist when attacking, but it has the disadvantage of slow switching between forehand and backhand.
The shake hand grip can be used on both sides of the table tennis racket, so you can respond quickly, but the difficulty is high because you have to support the racket with three fingers.
I used a penholder grip. Dogi Kim is a shake hand grip.
It was like the finale from the start.
Captain Dogi Kim handled the ball freely. My feet had no time to rest.
If he hadn’t honed his stepping skills, he might have lost.
I won by one point.
Captain Kim Do-gi smiled and asked for a handshake. Some of the crew looked surprised.
It was then that I caught my eye on the list hanging on the wall. The first prize winners of the Antarctic Olympics were written there.
Captain Dogi Kim had a history of winning first place five times in the Antarctic Olympic table tennis tournament.
The table tennis tournament continued.
The last opponent was Lee Jang-woo.
As he predicted, he won the final.
Jang-Woo Lee raised the ball and said.
“It was a real final.”
“You must be nervous. It’s a one-shot match.”
Jangwoo Lee also has the same penholder grip as me. It’s a creative showdown. A tight battle ensued.
The crew held their breath and watched the game.
The ball that was flying over the ping-pong table stopped.
“Huh, our representative is also terrible at table tennis.”
Lee Jang-woo said while panting. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.
“This is the number one product.”
Deputy Commander Doh Sang-hyun handed over the goods.
“It looked exactly like someone else.”
Lee Jang-woo said with a playful expression.
The first prize is a cute penguin doll.
“There is also a second prize.”
Lee Jang-woo received the doll with a surprised face.
There were no second prizes in other stocks.
A seal doll came into his arms.
The doll’s expression looked similar to that of Lee Jang-woo.
“That doll looked exactly like someone else.”
Lee Jang-woo chuckled at my words and laughed.
That’s how the Antarctic Olympics ended.
* * *
The next day, the existing crew left the base.
It’s a sad farewell moment.
There was also good news.
Salad containers are coming soon.
Guest from base in Chile
The crew who had been guarding the Antarctic base for a year have left.
It was for a short time, but I felt sorry that I had a relationship with them.
I didn’t say anything, but the other crew members seemed to be similar to me.
Captain Kim Do-gi seemed familiar with this situation. It was like someone who had experienced Antarctica for a long time.
He also knew how to appease the crew at a moment like this.
At the end of the day, he posted a notice to the former crew.
“From today, we are going to take turns making video calls. I hope you will discuss the time with the deputy commander.”
The expression of the crew members brightened at the word video call. The Internet was also installed at the Korean base in Antarctica.
Video calls were not free just because the Internet was installed.
Video calls could not be made during work hours. Because of the time difference, there were many cases where I couldn’t contact them even if I wanted to.
The clock in Antarctica is the opposite of that in Korea. When Antarctica is noon, it is midnight in Korea.
Captain Kim Do-gi allowed video calls during work hours. This was done with a deadline set for a week.
Captain Dogi Kim gave priority to me and Jangwoo Lee.
That’s because the salad container will arrive in two days.
He wanted to finish the video call and focus on work.
I sent an email to Han Gi-tak. My parents didn’t know how to make a video call.
Han Ki-tak replied that he would prepare everything. He also said he would tell the news to Lee Jang-woo’s father.
The next evening, I sat in front of the computer with Lee Jang-woo.
I was surprised when I first saw the screen. What you see on the screen is not indoors, but outdoors. It was also a familiar sight.
It is the farm of Jirisan farmers.
“Are you surprised? I set up a computer in front of the ranch. There are so many people who want to see you.”
Han Ki-tak said with a smile. The scenery of the ranch was visible behind the screen. Even the scenery was nice.
The parents I wanted to see the most appeared.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
My mother looked at me and asked
“It’s very dry. Are you eating well?”
“Yes, I am eating well.”
“Isn’t it cold?”
“it’s okay. The base is well heated.”
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
My father, who was just watching, said abruptly.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Take good care of yourself.”
“Yes, I will take good care of my health.”
After talking with my parents, I handed the microphone to Jang-woo Lee.
Lee Dong-chun appeared on the screen.
“Jang Woo-ya, the first is safety and the second is safety. Then what about the third?”
“My father is also… … .”
“I can tell what you are thinking just by looking at your face. But tell me.”
“It’s safe.”
“Yes, it is safe. For engineers like us, safety comes first. Always be safe.”
“Yes, my father too.”
I was going to end the video call with Lee Dong-chun.
Then Han Ki-tak appeared again.
“Are you sure you don’t want it to end like this? hang on.”
“I can’t talk for a long time.”