ECCENTRIC AND UNUSUAL

Research keeps me occupied. It feeds my curiosity. In its grasp, I am lost to time.

Tonight’s exploration led me to the far reaches of the Scandanavian countries. And the world. Where the sun disappears for the winter months, allowing for the beautiful display of the aurora borealis. Where it is so cold that even the dead bodies, buried in the old cemeteries, do not decompose.

I found an interesting and strange settlement with several odd facts. Something I shared with my son during dinnertime. A place where cats are not allowed. Where polar bears and snowmobiles outnumber humans. Where you are required to carry a gun if you leave the immediate area, lest you be devoured by the polar bears. Where it is customary to remove your shoes upon entering hotels and other establishments.

I told him about the seed vault. A large building which stores many seeds known to mankind, to be used for rebuilding the world’s food supply in case of an apocalypse. He then mentioned something about Oreo having one. I thought he was joking, but when I later looked online, it was no joke and is located a short distance from the seed vault.

I discovered even more bizarre facts. The most bizarre being that it is illegal to die there. Nor are women allowed to birth children in that town. As for drinking, the area rations alcohol for the locals via a monthly card.

I am not quite sure how I stumbled upon this remote area of the world. A place where silence is deafening and darkness prevails. Where nature is left in its wild form.

As uninviting as this might sound to most people, its strangeness draws me in further. The eccentric and unusual part of our planet, unexplored by most of its population.