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Christmas on ECHO 9
33 Plays3 months ago
Harvey and Anisha celebrate their first Christmas on board the ECHO 9 space station. Featuring Xmas traditions, cybernetic terriers and a special appearance from Kermit the Frog 🎄❄️🐸
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Transcript
Christmas Greetings from Space
00:00:18
Speaker
Not really. Hello and Merry Christmas. Thanks for joining us again. Up here in low Earth orbit is Harvey and my lovely co-pilot Anisha. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Anisha. This is going to be our first Christmas in space. How are you feeling about it?
00:00:37
Speaker
I feel excited. it There's gonna be quite a few differences. I'm a little bit homesick as well. I like the comforts of Christmas being cozy at home, but I think it's gonna be fun. you know You and I, here together.
Decorating a Space Christmas Tree
00:00:51
Speaker
It's a time for family and friends, isn't it? And yeah and you and I, we well, we're not family, we're barely friends. which We're just about friends. Yeah. No, I think we'll we'll make some adaptations up here to, you know, add some little Christmasy touches. You've had the tree up since November 1st. Oh yeah. I mean, I can't have Christmas without a Christmas tree. I need it to make the room feel cozy and nice and warm and Yeah, it just sets the tone. It keeps me in a good mood for the for the end of the year. But obviously, now we're in space. It's a little bit different. We've got a fake tree up here. What do you think of that half? Yeah, I always had a fake tree growing up, but the last few years, I've had a real one. um Last year, getting rid of our real one was a real pain. Because, I mean, needles fall off it at the best of times, right? But just picking it up and taking it outside,
00:01:48
Speaker
It was created so much mess. I can only imagine what that would do for our life support systems on board. yeah But I was thinking, um when you decorate a tree, you're pretty reliant on gravity. Oh, yes, that's the baubles. The baubles, the lights, I guess the lights would be OK. You can wrap them round. But yeah, all the decorations sort of just flailing around.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yes, we could have floating baubles on our Christmas tree. And we we do, yeah. Loads of them. Yes, we do. Yes, we do. What kind of baubles do we have on our tree half? Go and tell them. I think it would be good to have ah space themes. I'm thinking little satellites, little rockets.
00:02:36
Speaker
um Imagine you could have like the sun as the star at the top and then Mercury Venus. The ultimate star, yes. Yeah, exactly. I love this. And have that all the way down. Do you know, that's quite interesting because I'm not usually one for having a theme for Christmas
Baubles with Memories
00:02:55
Speaker
trees. I'm usually like, just stick it all on, you know, all these balls with no, no, no, no, no, I'm a, I'm a theme type of gal. You know, I can't have it too messy. I feel like every year I have a color theme. It's not, you know, like a,
00:03:10
Speaker
different you know movie three theme or uh I don't know cultural theme or whatever it is just colors but um yeah I like to pick a different color each year and then I do have a few a few ornaments that are the same every year that go on but I'm guessing your tree at home is made up of lots of memories then. Yeah, like baubles that mean something to me and my wife. We've got one that we bought when we were in Croatia, which is where we got married. And then my my Christmas tree at home you know with my parents, they've still got decorations that me and my brother like made when we were kids and stuff. Oh, that's very sweet. Yeah, especially when you're part of putting the tree up, which I'm not so much anymore with my parents.
00:03:56
Speaker
But ah it's nice to, you know, go and and see them. And you just get that sort of yearly little hit of nostalgia. You know, it's really nice. Yeah. Yeah. But your your tree, your tree is not like that. You're like memories out. If you don't fit into my color theme, you're out. it's it's I mean, it's very much like that. i took I mean, to be fair, this year I've gone orange and white, which sounds really weird. But but actually, I mean, this is at home, obviously, not on not on the space station. It's orange and white.
00:04:25
Speaker
um And I just love it. I think it really works against the green of the tree. But I do have a few baubles on there which have some meaning, you know, when I've been away for Christmas or something and I've bought a bauble. Like last year I went to Lapland, that was quite fun. So I've got a bauble from there on there. But the main one, there's one bauble on my tree. So I was proposed to on Christmas Day a few years ago. And yeah, it's a bauble that you can fit an engagement ring into. And it hangs on my tree every year.
00:04:55
Speaker
And um when when my husband proposed, he sort of snuck down the night before and put this new bauble, like a little silver bauble on the tree. And so I went, when I went downstairs Christmas morning, opened my presents and one of my presents had the question on it, you know, will you marry me? And I was like, what are you talking about? Well, you know, we're in my parents house, what are you doing? And then next thing I know, he's on one knee and he you know picks this bauble off of the Christmas tree and opens it. And there is, you know, there is my ring.
00:05:24
Speaker
oh that's so sweet it was very sweet ah so does the bauble open like a like a ring box like a ring box yeah oh how lovely and you've got that you keep that and put that pride of place on the tree every year Oh yes, front front and centre, yeah, for sure. Exactly. But what's more important is the stuff that goes under the tree
A Space Gift: The Robo Dog
00:05:45
Speaker
half. Oh, presents! Yes, and I happen to have got you a little something. No. for yourself. Yes. No! It's our first Christmas in space.
00:05:57
Speaker
So yeah, I am i know you're you're missing home and I know when you're all and you're back on Earth, you're quite the little ah dog lover. You've got two little pooches at home. and um And I couldn't quite bring them up to the space station for for various health and safety reasons. But I thought I'd try and give you the the next best thing. So I've got you this little ah robo dog. A robot dog?
00:06:22
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, that's very sweet. Thank you. You're welcome. What shape is he? What sort of breed? A dog. A dog shape. A dog shape. I'm a dog person. But you can pick all the specs and you can pick if you want to add some fluff to him. And I've had the ground control team telling me how to program him. So you can do your usual dog activities with this one, except you don't need to clean up after him. So I've saved you that hassle.
00:06:55
Speaker
oh my god i love that if you want to you can even take him on a on a little space walk outside with you so all the bells and whistles are all right there oh that's so thoughtful he he sounds so good in terms of you can take him for a walk but you don't have to clean up after him i might see if i can replace my earth dogs
00:07:19
Speaker
what What are you going to call him? Well, he's a space dog. He's up in space. So something space themed. I'm thinking maybe Comet would be a good name. Ooh. That sounds nice. Yeah, I think Comet works because, well, it's space themed, but also I believe it's the name of one of Santa's reindeer. Oh yes, that's perfect. i'm I'm also thinking perhaps Comet could be an acronym like ECHO 9, the Extraterrestrial Communications Habitat and Orbiter. Comet could stand for, I'm gonna get a program to do this for me, hold on.
00:07:56
Speaker
the cybernetic operations and mobility enhanced terrier oh my god okay okay So we've got a ter ah Yorkshire Terrier, right? Oh, Yorkshire Terrier could be. That's where my my wife, Bels is from actually. And that Yorkshire is actually where I would be spending Christmas were I not up here in the and space with you this year. ah So so what do you what do you do when you're at home at Bels's parents, I'm guessing?
00:08:30
Speaker
Um, I'm from the Isle of Wight in the south of, of, uh, England and bells is from the north of England. Um, place called Hull in Yorkshire. And we alternate Christmases. It's very, very different Christmas, depending on where we are. The most striking difference being Christmas dinner. So tell me when, what time of day do you have Christmas dinner?
Christmas Dinner Traditions
00:08:54
Speaker
I have the big feast around two.
00:08:58
Speaker
between two and three, just depending on how long it takes to get the bird out of the oven. Yeah, I think that's normal. And in fact, if if we were at my parents, yeah, we would have our dinner at about two o'clock. But in Yorkshire, they don't have it until late evening, like nine o'clock in the evening, they aim for. Nine o'clock. Nine o'clock. Like, which for me is is after dinner time. I usually eat my dinner like seven, half, seven.
00:09:27
Speaker
Yeah, on a regular day. That's insane. I feel like by 9pm on Christmas Day, I've already passed out from my second food coma. having my big Imagine my big meal. You're in bed. Yeah, well, probably someone's rolled me into bed by then for sure. Yeah, I'm in bed probably in my new pyjama set.
00:09:46
Speaker
Yeah, Christmas pajamas. Yeah, exactly. yeah And I'm probably asleep. But no, you got to keep going all day at the at the in-laws. On the topic of dinner, then, what is your favorite thing on the plate? Oh, that's a good question.
00:10:05
Speaker
um
00:10:08
Speaker
I like Yorkshire puddings. I know, you know, not everyone has them, but I love that. Well, it's interesting you say Yorkshire puddings. We don't usually have those and when I'm with my mum and dad's, but of course being in Yorkshire this year, they will be featuring. um But I think my favourite is the roast potatoes. I love the roast potatoes. I love the parsnips as well. And um the Brussels sprouts, I'm quite keen on. and I'm getting hungry as you're talking now.
00:10:39
Speaker
But you've got to be clever with sprouts. A lot of people boil them. And I think you lose, you're basically taking all the flavor out of them, putting it in the water. If you you if you roast them with some oil, some garlic, some salt. There we go. Top top tips from half.
00:10:55
Speaker
Yeah, king christmas dinner I love yeah ah did a recipe for a curry last time and now we're doing Christmas dinner. I feel like I'm on Saturday night kitchen. Is it Saturday night? Saturday morning kitchen? Saturday saturday morning kitchen. sunday yeah morning yeah What I thought is, you don't like cooking, but you're very creative. You've mentioned going to the observatory and doing some some painting, watercolours, some art while you're up in space.
00:11:24
Speaker
And I thought, you know, I think you're the sort of person who could really start to love cooking. and So I'm starting you off, I'm starting you off easy. I thought, how about a space-based mulled wine kit?
00:11:43
Speaker
Oh, that sounds perfect. Yeah. ah know I know you like a ah glass of mulled wine. Yes, I do. You can get creative in terms of what spices and flavours you put in there. um you know I'm not not making you do follow a recipe for a ah curry or something complex. I thought just something where you can add some ingredients and enjoy um a little drink.
00:12:09
Speaker
Oh, that sounds great. That's perfect, half. Thank you very much. That's a very, I guess I will make us both a glass then. Oh, yes, please. That would be lovely. So it's essentially just in a in little bag. You pour in your wine and then um I've got ah you a whole spice rack of things to add, some cinnamon, some bay leaves, some cloves, star anise, you know, and you just go wild. Oh, I'm so excited to try this now.
00:12:38
Speaker
What other Christmas traditions do you have?
Favorite Christmas Movies
00:12:42
Speaker
Christmas traditions. I normally just go to my parents' house and we have a big meal and I eat too much and then we sit there and watch which Christmas movies. That's what we do. Movies. Okay. What's your favourite?
00:12:58
Speaker
That's tricky. I mean, there's a few really good ones. I love Elf. I'm sure you know that one. It's a classic, yeah. And I love Home Alone 1 and 2. Those two are definitely my my my ultimate favourites, actually, I think. ah yes So between any of those three films, i'm I'm sorted for Christmas Day, as long as I get to pick the film, because if the remote's in my dad's hands or something else, then we'll be watching whatever he wants. so And what would that be? Would that be like an old war movie or something?
00:13:28
Speaker
I mean it'll probably be the news. The news on all day. Eat too much and then a Christmas movie. That sounds perfect. What's your favourite Christmas movie? Easy Peasy, The Muppet's Christmas Carol. Oh, that's a good one. I haven't seen that in a long time.
00:13:50
Speaker
It's worth a rewatch actually. It's so good. and um I'm a big big fan of the Muppets in general actually. I really wish that they would make a ah comeback and they would do more like traditional stories in Muppets style. you know We had the Muppets Christmas Carol, then the Muppets Treasure Island. I want some more of that.
00:14:10
Speaker
you know crime and punishment with Kermit the Who's your favourite Muppet? Kermit. And in fact, I am quite the Kermit at home. I always do Kermit the Frog impression. To the point where my wife is like, please, no, no more Kermit. I mean, yeah, I mean, have you've said it now.
00:14:37
Speaker
So I've got to do it. You've got to do it. We've got fans to please, OK? OK. OK. Hey, everybody. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everybody from from up here on our beautiful space station Echo 9. That was so good. If I closed my eyes, that's actually what I could imagine Kermit the Frog in front of me.
00:15:04
Speaker
You're too kind. What have you done? That's insane. Oh no, no, no. Today's sign off is definitely happening from Kermit. We've decided. From Kermit? Okay, all right. Yes, not us, it's Kermit. I think we all have a good, good Christmas up here. If we, maybe we'll have to squeeze two movies in. Elf into the Muppets, Christmas Carol. Okay, yeah, let's do that. Eat our rehydrated Christmas dinner.
00:15:34
Speaker
Mm, sounds great. now I'm going to do i'm goingnna do whatever I can to make it... Yeah, tasty. But let's be realistic, it's it's not going to be that good. But you know, just gives you appreciation for when we are down on earth with family and friends over Christmas, sitting around a table, tucking into a big delicious dinner, spending time in good company.
Reflecting on Christmas in Space
00:16:01
Speaker
That's what Christmas is all about, isn't it?
00:16:03
Speaker
And this year we're fortunate to have Yumi and our new little friend Comet on board. So the three of us will be enjoying a lovely Christmas. We sure will. We sure will. Well, I think that's probably all we've got time for today. Wishing absolutely everybody a Merry Christmas. Hold on, hold on. You didn't think you could get away with that, did you? You want Kermit? I want Kermit.
00:16:33
Speaker
Don't even try that. Well, it's quite straining on the throat, I have to say. Well, everybody, Merry Christmas. And to everybody down there on that big blue marble, stay tuned.