The 14th Annual Women's Soiree

Pirate week at McMurdo ended with a bang, the 14th Annual Women's Soiree.

The Annual Women's Soiree is a melody of talented acts one after another performed only by women ranging in belly dancing, ukulele jamming, clever poetry, singing, and dance numbers including one involving a hula hoop. The theme this year was Bollywood which made some of the dance numbers pretty interesting. I am at awe, and inspired of the talent that surrounds me.

The overall reason for putting this together is to raise money by raffling off prizes donated by the people of McMurdo Station and from the small businesses of Christchurch to benefit a local charity in New Zealand. New Zealand provides the US Antarctic program with many resources and this is how we say thanks.

This year's charity is Cholmondeley, a residential facility in Canterbury that cares for children aged 3 - 12 who come from homes and families that are unable to care for them due to various reasons. Having just celebrated Thanksgiving and now getting ready for Christmas the timing couldn't be better.

We all have something to give, a random smile from across a room can brighten just about anyone's day, or, um..... creep you out. So all of you with creepy smiles maybe instead you are a good listener??