Reorganisation · Level 3

He had only stopped to catch his breath. The air was cool and it was quite dark. The rock walls rose sharply for a hundred metres. When he heard the echoing curses of his pursuers as they entered the narrow rock-strewn ravine he figured they were now only ten minutes behind him. He knew there was little option so without hesitation he began to climb the jagged rock face, putting his army training into use.

As he reached the narrow ledge the militia's voices sounded below. Although he was about fifty metres above the ravine floor he held his breath. He looked up and winced. To go any further he'd need specialised climbing equipment. He froze. Then he relaxed as a voice called, "There's no way he could have got up here. Let's move on!"

Antarctica is a continent of which only 5% is not covered with a huge sheet of ice. In some places the ice is almost five kilometres thick. Antarctica holds many records including the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth. In 1983, at the Russian Antarctic research station, the temperature was measured at around -90°C.

Antarctica is the windiest place on Earth. Wind speeds have been measured at up to 320 kilometres per hour. It may be a surprise to know that it is also as dry as the Sahara Desert. It is often called a cold desert. In some parts of the ice-free 'Dry Valleys' there has been no rain for two million years. That's some record.

Described by another musician of his time as 'the greatest and the most divine genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) was one of the most gifted musicians who ever lived.

He was an extremely musically gifted child. His ear was so accurate and his memory for music so strong that he could detect a difference of an eighth of a tone and remember it the next day. He was composing musical pieces at the age of three.

During his relatively short life, he wrote scores of symphonies, operas and operettas, piano concertos, string quartets, violin sonatas and a quantity of other music. The ever-flowing rhythms in his mind induced him to incessantly tap his fob*, a table, the back of a chair, or anything that was handy.

He loved to play certain ball games. He did not play so much for the recreational aspect they offered. He likened the rolling motion of the ball to his own productive, restless mind. He would often stop in the middle of a game of bowls or billiards to make notes. Sometimes, as he played, he would hum a theme that would later be found in one of his works.

He was particularly fond of playing billiards alone, keeping his note-book handy. He wrote down only the merest outlines of ideas for his musical compositions. He did his actual composing 'in his head'.

There is no doubt that he spent some of his most productive hours alone at the billiard table.

*a chain attached to a watch for carrying in a waistcoat or waist pocket