In front of me, the man responsible for throwing me into the arms of Antarctica, the icy cold Antarctica (while that boy was in the arms of a fiery volcano). We were still ensconced in the comfortable armchairs in the piano bar, near the fireplace. I turned to Rear Admiral H. Nunes, or simply Admiral, and I asked if he was also on vacation.

     "I wish!" he answered. "I'm on a mission for the federal government. I'm the secretary of Secirm, the Secretariat for Marine Resources. Do you know Proantar?"

     "No."

     "Proantar: the Brazilian Antarctic Program. Your ignorance of the subject is proof of how Antarctic issues in Brazil are practically ignored. The media takes little interest."

     "That's a fact! So you're going to the frozen continent..."

     "Yes, tomorrow! I leave early for the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station. But I'm only there for a day and a night."

     "The Brazilian station? An acquaintance of mine, Jairo, told me about it. He's a geography teacher."

     "A teacher should know. Yes, it's our station!"

     The admiral then explained to me that there was a dispute, very common in the scientific field, between basic research and applied research. I tried to concentrate on the subject, although that couple so close to us always distracted my attention. Were they on their honeymoon?

     "Investigate the continent without having to develop new technologies... Or turning any study undertaken into technology: that is the question."

     As I listened to their tedious explanations, the couple, much to my disappointment, left the piano bar. They were sure to finish in the bedroom what they had started there.

     "The Minister of Science and Technology is one of those who defend applied research", the admiral had commented, while I diverted my thoughts to another of the worldly pleasures: having a good glass of wine. "He thinks that this alone will guarantee funds for Proantar from the private sector."

     "Who, I beg your pardon?"

     "The minister, Basílio!"

     "Oh, yes! As I understand it, then, neither the government nor the private sector are willing to put their hands in their pockets without any financial compensation. They don't want to study for study's sake. They want to invest, but to be guaranteed a profit on that investment."

     "You understood correctly. That's right! I thought I wasn't even paying attention..."

     "In my profession, I've learned to keep one eye on the fish and the other on the cat. But it was hard to concentrate with those two... Gosh!

     He agreed with a whistle. I suggested we have a glass of wine. Not only did the admiral go along with the idea, but he also made a point of choosing a good Chilean wine. He savored his drink like a true sommelier, explaining it to me:

     "Carménère is excellent, isn't it? Full-bodied, but with a light, smooth taste. It goes well with harder cheeses."

     "I agree. It's very good. Shall we order the cheese then?"

     He didn't mince his words and asked the waiter to accompany him. But he carried on with his monotonous business:

     "You don't know it, but ninety percent of the major expenses of this station are for logistical support from the Armed Forces."

     "All that?"

     "That's right! They don't even spend that much on research."

     And now a little more at ease, he got things off his chest:

     "Bah! I came up empty-handed! I was given the task of convincing scientists to accept applied research, but I failed. Since then, there has been this fight between the owners of the money and its recipients. The research guys are hard-nosed, they don't want to waste any time and they want basic research first. According to them, knowing the ecosystem is essential. Without this knowledge, they say, we could cause serious damage to the environment. But let's face it, are investors concerned about the environment?"

     I put the admiral against the wall:

     "And you, sir? Which side are you on, anyway?"

     He hesitated for a moment:

     "I'm divided, but without private initiative, nothing can be done, can it?"

     He tasted some more wine:

     "But, my dear Basílio, you like soccer? Which team do you cheer for? You're a smart guy, I hope you're not a Grêmio fan... But you're from São Paulo... Palmeiras, maybe?"

     The question was a clear attempt to get away from the boring subject. It must have been because a guy had passed us wearing a Barcelona shirt over his tracksuit. I answered proudly, almost beating my chest:

     "I'm with the majority, I'm a Corinthians! Oh, man! Palmeiras, no!"

     The admiral laughed and sneered at the same time:

     "Bah! And who says most of them are Corinthians? A lot of people cheer for Flamengo¹! As for me, I'm rooting for the champion of all things, the colorado²."

     I let out a whistle:

     "Internacional from Porto Alegre? I thought so! That'll be a good discussion! That infamous Brazilian championship of 2005..."

     "Sheer thievery!" said the admiral.

Փ

     In the morning, I got up around seven o'clock and went up to the top floor to have my coffee. To my surprise, the admiral was already eating his breakfast. He invited me to the same table as him:

     "Your wife and friends aren't coming?"

     "In reality, Jairo and Clara aren't friends, just fellow travelers. They're probably sleeping. My wife, however, is already on her way up."

     I remembered a fact:

     "Didn't you say you were going to Antarctica today?"

     He looked dismayed:

     "Yes, I'll be there shortly, at 8:30. The mission isn't the best, as you well know, given what we talked about yesterday... The impasses in research. I'll be back early tomorrow, fortunately."

     Just then his phone rang. He excused me and got up to take the call in a more private place. While I was gone, Regina came in and prepared her coffee, taking a seat next to me. H Nunes returned three minutes later. Having made the proper introductions, he, to my dismay, returned to the subject of the night before:

     "It was the President of the Republic, can you believe it? The government decided to issue a provisional measure prohibiting further research until the impasse between investors and researchers is resolved. The Ary Rongel, one of our ships, is anchored in the port of Rio de Janeiro. It hasn't sailed! It was going to bring most of the researchers from that summer here. The revolt is widespread! Today, several scientists are due to go to the Presidential Palace to meet with her. In short, chaos has ensued."

     "So you're not going to the Antarctic station anymore?"

     "I still have to go. But my orders have changed. I was just going to talk to the scientists, now I have to tell them about the stoppage and bring them back. My presence will be necessary to maintain order."

     I soon understood the delicate situation.

     "If the ship hasn't set sail, excuse my ignorance, how did these researchers who are already there get to the station?"

     "Simple, by plane. Most of the researchers, however, arrive at the station by ship, from where they sometimes don't even disembark, working on the boat itself, as the station can only hold twenty-four researchers, apart from the military. But some, for logistical reasons, go by plane. It's even how I'm going to get there in a little while."

     And the next words would seal my passport to the austral cold for good. Maktub:

     "By the way, wouldn't you like to come with me, Basílio"?
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¹"Grêmio, Palmerias, Corinthians and Flamengo": Brazilian football teams.

²"Internacional, football team from Porto Alegre" is known by the nickname "colorado".