Monday, December 04, 2006

Your Geography Lesson for Today

Just in case you did not know, there is a large, crescent-shaped island between Russia and the North Pole called Novaya Zemlya.

Its main claim to fame is that it has been the site of many nuclear bomb tests since the 50's. Its natural resources include zinc, copper, and lead, and the few indigenous people that live there generally subside on fishing and polar bear husbandry. Its terrain is either glacier or tundra, and many walruses, along with about 2700 people, live there.

And, thanks to the satellite feature on Google Maps, my oldest daughter is obsessed with it. She and The Man were playing around, looking at satellite views of the world, when she focused in, laser-like, on this frigid, barren, glacier-covered island.

Since then, we have learned EVERYTHING about Novaya Zemlya. In fact, OG has declared that she'd REALLY like to visit there sometime.

So - I figured, what the hell; let's be different! I did have all that money saved up for DisneyWorld, but now, I'm thinking: Novaya Zemlya! We'll fish! Go walrus-watching! Tundra-hiking!

Jesus, our children are so doomed to a life of nerdiness.

3 comments:

Karla said...

well..you aren't far from Norway, then, so you can come back for some overpriced curry and a quick visit to Bislett....

Lee said...

Polar bear husbandry?

Lee said...

And I think we've only established that OG is destined for nerdiness. YG, on the other hand, is clearly going to be a flirty little tramp.