The Times, They Are A-Changin'

Come to think of it, I don't really know where this line or expression comes from, but it is apt. Today, daylight savings ended in Australia so we turned our clocks back by 1 hour. This means that Ottawa is 14 hours behind Canberra. I'll mention this week's activities, as well as some from previous weeks.

A few days ago, very strong winds blew through Canberra. While no damage was reported here, 130 km/h winds damaged property in Victoria. However, now that weather has turned a little sunnier and a little warmer, going a little over 20C.

I handed in my first assignment on Wednesday but it wasn't as legally taxing as you might expect. It was really a piece of comprehension and we were asked to summarize a case in 1 800 words or less. We won't get them back until the end of this month, but I think I did well. Now I just have to concentrate on my other assignments and exams.

Today, I had my first regular season game as a goal umpire and I very much enjoyed it. Though I made some technical errors, none were of the sort that would cause a blown call. It was mostly jut positioning and how to place the flags so they don't blow all over the place. If I may say so, I even made some pretty good calls. I have another one tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.

About a week ago, I did see something rather unfortunate. While I did not witness the actual accident itself, I did see a ute (think Honda Civic-pickup truck crossbreed) that had turned over and crashed into a tree. This was on my way to ANU right along Northbourne Avenue, one of the major arteries of Canberra. Somehow, the vehicle had jumped the center curb and had hit roof-first into a tree on the boulevard which separates Northbourne Avenue. Apparently, the guy driving had been racing (Aussie slang is hooning) when he lost control and flew off the road. I'm also told that he suffered only minor injuries. The car was a write-off and from the looks of the scene, the driver was lucky to escape with those injuries.

Another important event that happened recently was the discovery of the HMAS Sydney which had sunk in World War Two. The Sydney was an Australian vessel patrolling off the western coast when it caught up the Kormoran, a German warship disguised as a Dutch merchant vessel. The Sydney engaged and the Kormoran responded; it was an encounter that neither ship survived. The Sydney struck fatal blows to the Kormoran and she went down with the loss of about 80 crew, but the Kormoran had not missed her target. The sequence of events after the Kormoran sank is still unclear but it appears as though the Sydney's steering controls were damaged and she was unguidable. As well, the Kormoran had scored some direct hits and the last anyone saw of the Sydney, which were the survivors of the Kormoran, she was sailing away. At some point, over particularly deep waters, the Sydney exploded and sank with the loss of all her crew, over 650 sailors.

Recently, an underwater team has discovered the Sydney's final resting place, confirmed visually by bathyscape and there is some hope that some of the mysteries surrounding the Sydney's final hours will be solved. Of particular interest is the culpability and competence of her captain. Whatever results will come of this event, you can be sure that this ANZAC Day (April 25th), there will be special mention of the sailors of the Sydney.

In case you're wondering about photos, I do have some, though none from Canberra yet, and I will be posting them as soon as I can, but probably nor for at least another week.