Antarctica is one of the strangest places I've ever been. After a week here I'm finally getting use to 24hr daylight, single digit temperatures, and about 900 other people who like myself wanted to come to the coldest place in the world.
  I work in the carpentry shop and have spent most of the past week repairing and calibrating woodworking equipment. My main job will be remodeling the dorm rooms in building 155. There are about 40 carpenters and painters here this year as there are many projects going on. The people I work with are from all walks of life and have many different backgrounds. Basically it's a whole bunch of freaks living in what is somewhere between  a college party town and a remote mining camp which could be located on the ice planet of Hoth from Empire Strikes Back.
  Everybody works six 9hr days and in their free time can go to science lectures, the library, the coffee house (BYOB) the gym, the weight room, rent skis or musical instruments from the rec center, go hiking, watch movies in one of the many dorm lounges, go to band practice, or hang out at either of the bars.
  Last week I attended happy camper school, which is a survival course for anyone who will be working in the field. We learned how to combat hypothermia, set up VHF radios, learn what it's like to be in a whiteout by walking around with a bucket on my head, and build and sleep in an ice shelter. Yes, I got paid to build a snow fort and sleep in it.

                         Here are some pictures of McMurdo station and happy camper school.

                                                 Arriving on a C17 on the ice runway

                                      My dorm building 166 also known as Hotel California

Mt Eribus the world's southernmost active volcano

                                                            Me on the Ross ice shelf

                                                                   The carp shop

                                                 My Ice shelter at happy camper school

                                                          View from the carp shop