The Royal Fireworks

This week marked the end of the of classes and the beginning of the examination period. No one really looks forward to them, except in the sense that you want them done with. However, afterwards, a 1 month break will be most appreciated. I'm thinking of heading down to Melbourne and Sydney to visit friends but there are no firm plans as of yet.

This upcoming Monday is a public holiday known as Queen's Birthday. Most Commonwealth countries have it, except Canada. Actually our celebration of the observance of the monarch's birthday is in disguise; we call it Victoria Day. It's also a very important holiday in the Australian Capital Territory. It is one of the only holidays where people are allowed to set off fireworks. The ACT is one of the few jurisdictions where fireworks are legal, though only on certain days. I think all of Canada retains this tradition and Victoria Day celebrations do include fireworks. I've already seen some people celebrating the holiday a little early by setting off fireworks in parks. Fireworks on Queen's Birthday is one of those things that makes Canberra unique and is an important aspect of Canberran culture. By the way, the Queen's actual birthday is April 21st.

The most interesting thing that has happened this last week was the end of classes for the first semester. Many of my teachers received applause at the end, although my torts professor git an especially jubilant ovation. I should mention that there is a different dynamic between lecturers and students than there is in Canada. In Australia things are much less formal. In Canada, the term "professor" is really a generic term meaning anyone who lectures at a university, other than a teaching assistant. In Australia, "professor" is used specifically for tenured professors; the term "lecturer" or "convenor" is the official title preferred. As well, students and lecturers tend to be on a first name basis with each other. I find this very refreshing and makes lecturers much more approachable. I imagine that this stems from Australia's general character. One further point, "proctors" are called "invigilators" down here, which makes them sound like some sort of machine.

I forgot to mention in my previous post about 2 interesting games I umpired over the weekend. In one, the ball sailed over the back fence, landed on the road directly under the wheels of a tractor-trailer. The ball immediately exploded with a very loud thud. This was a completely new ball, you understand, costing the sports club probably close to $100. The next game was very exciting as it was decided by a point. Since a shot for goal can get you up to six points, a difference of one point makes for a very thrilling few last minutes.

Also in my last post, I made an error with regards to Australian terminology. In Australia, "autumn" is used, not "fall", which I had reversed. I remembered that the last time I was Down Under I had used one of the terms and no one knew what I was talking about. In my quest to recollect, I chose the wrong option.

If Canberra has one redeeming feature, it's the weather. It's still pretty warm here and usually sunny. The mountains do their best to protect us from the rain that Sydney and Melbourne receive throughout the winter. I hope that this weather continues even as Canada swelters under another hot, humid summer season.