2-0-0

According to postings list on my blog, this is my 200th post.  It feels like a bit of an achievement and it's hard to believe that it's been so long since I came to Australia.  I've spent such a long time here that in many ways I consider myself Australian, although the Department of Immigration and Citizenship would disagree.  Still, even if I don't end up living in Australia permanently, I think Australia will always be alike a second home; perhaps sort of like a cottage, not where you live, but where you go to relax and have a fun time.  I wouldn't mind living here permanently, don't get me wrong, but bureaucracy is mighty fortress.

There have been a few interesting events in the last few days, my brother's birthday for one.  He's now 26 and almost in his late 20s.  He tells me he enjoyed the dinner mom, dad and he had so I guess it's another enjoyable birthday for him.

Yesterday was also the yearly Fenner Hall Valete Ball, a celebration of those who are graduating and/or moving out.  Since I was finishing my diploma this year I was entitled to attend and I received, like last year, a metal cup with Fenner Hall's crest engraved on it although it is smaller than last year's.  Interestingly, I was the first person called up.  The whole affair was quite formal and everyone was dressed in their best.  There were also awards to those who had made special contributions to Fenner Hall over the year.  I think everyone enjoyed it.

The big news out of Australia, though, is, of course, the grounding of the Flying Kangaroo, QANTAS.  The lockout has caused quite a stir and I can assure everyone that there is little else talked of in Australia.  The government's called in an arbitrator for mandatory talks between the parties so we'll see what comes out of that; I suspect probably a back to work order.  If this does go further, then the parties may have to resort to another great Australian innovation --- binding wage arbitration.  Apparently, the practice of having an arbiter decide wages during a dispute and having the decision enforceable at law was pioneered in Australia.  I think it's actually a very good idea, and it has been picked up the world over, so we'll see if it's played out in this little escapade.

Of course, Halloween is coming up too --- boo!  However, Halloween is really a Canadian/American thing and while there may be Halloween parties in Australia, no one goes trick-or-treating.  It's kind of a shame, really, as all those children miss out on free candy.  It also means that Australians have to put up with Christmas decorations in their stores from early October, so I think it's lose-lose all around.  If I could, I would import trick-or-treating into Australia and I think it would be a better country for it.

The next big thing is the Melbourne Cup, running on November 1st.  With its $6.2 million purse, this is the most lucrative horse race in Australia, possibly the world.  It stops the country and 80% of the population has a bet on the race. Some bets are small, only a dollar or two, but there are serious betters with far too much money on their hands who will lay out thousands of dollars.  As it is the premier race day of the year, all ACTTAB staff are working and I'll be close to home, the Hellenic Club in the city.  I've been told to brace for a long day as I start at 08:30 but it I'll pass the time by thinking about all the money I'll make.  And when I say the race stops the nation, I'm not really exaggerating.  When the race is run, everyone stops what they're doing and the day is a public holiday in the state of Victoria.  Most people take it as good fun but if you win, especially something like a trifecta, you are looking at a major return.

To all my Australian friends, good luck in the Cup and to all my Canadian friends, happy Halloween.

The Cup and Beyond

Over the last 6 weeks, the largest international event that New Zealand has ever hosted, possibly its largest even ever, was played out on the sports fields of some of New Zealand's finest cities.  The 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) saw 20 countries divided into 4 pools all hoping to hoist the Webb Ellis Cup.  The New Zealanders were particularly hopeful as the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team, was ranked the best in the world and had the possibility of capturing the championship since the first one in 1987.  Rugby is New Zealand's national sport and the Kiwis take great pride in their abilities.

I'm proud to say that Canada made a very good showing in the RWC this year.  Many Canadians wouldn't know, but Canada is the 2nd strongest rugby team in the Americas behind Argentina.  Canada was placed into Pool A which included Japan, Tonga, France and New Zealand --- a very tough draw.  The Canadians played very well, beating Tonga, tying Japan although losing to France and New Zealand, although those teams are some of the strongest in the world.  Although Canada did not advance to the playoffs, the Canucks hold the distinction of being the only team to score first against the All Blacks at the RWC.

The playoffs were very exciting, especially in Australia.  I watched as the Wallabies narrowly defeated the reigning champs, the South Africa Springboks and then face New Zealand in the semi-finals.  Australia lost and had to contend itself with beating Wales to take the bronze medal.  New Zealand defeated its opponents with relative ease and advanced to the final as heavy favourite against the France Les Bleus.

The championship game was a titanic struggle between two great nations of the sport.  The All Blacks performed one of their hakas, the Kapo o Pango (the other one is the more famous Ka Mate) and the French walked up to stare them down.  The game was very close and neither team seemed to be kicking well.  New Zealand scored the first try but failed to convert although they managed a penalty goal giving them an 8-0 lead.  Les Bleus retaliated within minutes and scored a try on a brilliant series of plays that left the All Blacks stunned.  After the conversion the score became 8-7.  Despite both teams trying valiantly neither could get any more points on the board and in this exciting game that went to the wire, the All Blacks were able to cling to the win.  You can rest assured that all of New Zealand was celebrating that night and probably still is.

I decided that I should get into the spirit of the tournament and I decided to buy myself some official team jerseys.  To that end, I got jerseys for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  The last 3 I got from the official RWC website but the Canadian one was a bit trickier.  The Canadian jersey was unavailable at the online store because, apparently, they had sold out of them.  To me, this was incredible given that the exposure to rugby Canadians get is fairly minimal.  However, it is a very nice jersey with red, white and black elements and embossed maple leaves.  Perhaps it is that jersey's aesthetic quality that made it so popular.  In the end, I got the Canadian jersey shipped in from the UK and I got the last one in my size, so I felt very fortunate.

Despite the fun of the RWC, there is a serious side still to my life Down Under.  After the utter joy of having the privilege of writing the Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure exam in October, I am now studying for the Foundations of Canadian Law and the Canadian Constitutional Law exams in my continuing quest to be qualified to practice law in Canada, should the need arise, and giving myself a stress-related illness.  Those exams are in January and I'll be writing them again in Sydney.  I've given myself 10 weeks to study plus 2 weeks to review, which I think will be enough given the similarities between Canadian and Australian constitutional law and what I already know.  I'll write the Canadian Administrative Law exam in May and hopefully, that will be the end of it.  Assuming I pass everything, it means that I will be qualified to practice law, subject to other regulations and applications, in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (thanks to the handy Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement).

Earlier on there was also the annual ACTAFL Umpires' Association dinner.  This year, it was a bit more low key than usual but fun nonetheless.  There was some lawn bowling and a very good dinner afterwards.  It was good to recognize those who had made high achievements throughout the year and have some gentle, good-natured fun at everyone.

I am fairly rapidly coming to the conclusion of my graduate diploma which will mean that I shall soon be admitted as a lawyer in the ACT.  All I have to do is complete this placement at Legal Aid I'm doing at the moment.  Every Monday I go in, along with a few others, and over the course of 8 weeks we take part in different aspects of Legal Aid's work, like client interviews, domestic violence matters, civil tribunal matters and just about everything else too.  It's part of the practical component of the diploma and I am learning a great deal though it.  I had an excellent experience at the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions where I spent 2 weeks in September.  I feel I've been exposed to so much of the law and I think these experiences will stand me in good stead.

My placement finishes in November meaning I'll have completed all components of my diploma.  I should be admitted to practice in early December and graduating about a week later.  It's all been leading up to this.  I'm a little excited and scared by what's to come.  It's the uncertainty of the future that I do not like but maybe, with a bit of luck, there'll be some certainty soon.

The Long Way Back

In the last couple of months, my blog has changed from its initial format.  It migrated from a being a sort of weekly update to me providing narratives of the days of the various adventures I had in the last few months.  Unfortunately that took a little more time than I thought but I am now in a position to start writing weekly updates again.

In the months that have gone by since I last provided a weekly update, much has changed in my life.  I've almost completed my GDLP and I expect to be admitted to practice in December.  That means I'll be a fully-fledged lawyer.  That in itself is frightening enough, not to mention the prospect of having to move out of Fenner Hall, find somewhere to live and find a more permanent job.  I've applied to several jobs in Darwin, one place in Alice Springs but I do have a very good chance of getting a job with a company here in Canberra.  We'll have to see where I end up but it's the uncertainty that I hate.

I've also written 1 of 4 exams to get a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada's National Committee for Accreditation (NCA).  Basically, once I pass those 4 exams it will mean that I have the same level of knowledge as a Canadian law school graduate.  The test I took was Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure and I wrote it at the College of Law in Sydney.  I had intended to write the Foundations of Canadian Law exam as well but due to a public holiday, they were unable to administer the exam and the NCA forbids writing exams on non-scheduled days.  I wrote that in early October so I don't expect to hear the results until about mid-December or early January.  I think I've done quite well, actually, but you never know with these things.  I've staggered the other 3 so that I'll write 2 in January and the final one in May.  With any luck, I'll have no trouble with them and if necessary, I'll be able to practice in Canada if I wanted to.

In August I took part in the International Cup for Australian rules football in Sydney.  This is a tournament where teams from several countries come together.  I officiated games of both the Canadian men's and women's teams.  The highlight, though, was officiating the curtain-raiser at ANZ Stadium, the venue for the 2000 Olympics.  This was a game between the USA and South Africa before a game of the Sydney Swans vs St. Kilda Saints.  I felt quite proud of my accomplishment and excited to be doing such an important game in front of quite a large number of people.  Afterwards, my umpire coach said he was impressed with how I handled myself.

In June and July I visited Canada on a sort of working holiday.  I worked for 4 weeks in a dad's friend's law firm as part of the practical legal training aspect of the GDLP.  I feel like I learned such a great deal during my time there.  I also had a great time visiting and catching up with people I know.  I even managed to get some soccer time with the Ukrainian team.

I guess that's about it in terms of my life in the last few months.  I expect to provide updates on a weekly basis as the year goes on.  It's been a long road getting back but I'm here now.

Another Great Journey -- One Last Day

The final morning of our trip was wonderfully sunny.  The sky was clear and blue and Akaroa took on a more inviting feel in the light.  As Isabella and I had only seen the town after dark we were pleasantly surprised by how quaint everything looked.  Although we had to leave for Christchurch fairly early, we took the time to take a stroll down the main street.  It wasn't very long, underlying the town's small population, but quite a pleasant little walk.  Having mostly packed the night before, Isabella and I made our way back to the hostel and drov towards Christchurch.

We wound our way up the mountain road that we had taken the evening before and were treated to some truly spectacular views.  Along the way, by a roadside coffeeshop, we pulled over and gazed at the valley before us.  We were up on one ridge and there was another set of mountains on the other side but between them, you could see an arm of the sea.  There were some sheep, lots of trees, but no houses.  You got the feeling that though close to civilization, the Banks Peninsula was still somewhat removed from it.  There is no denying, though, that the peninsula is one of New Zealand's most beautiful places.

After our quick stop, we continued on to Christchurch.  Akaroa is not that far away, only about 60 kilometers, but it takes some time to get there owing to the mountainous road and then you have to take some pretty busy suburban streets.  There was more traffic on them than usual because cars were still not allowed into the city center.  We drove cautiously around the Christchurch before getting to Main North Road.

Isabella would be continuing her excursions by bicycle in New Zealand and she needed to get north to Cheviot and then Kaikoura, and this was the principal route.  Bicycles are forbidden on the main highway north out of Christchurch for some 30 kilometers which necessitated Isabella taking the road.  We parked by a city park and loaded the bicycle.  Isabella was quite well prepared and in very short order was ready to proceed north.  We said our goodbyes and I watched as Isabella pedalled with all her strength towards Cheviot.

I turned the car around, filled it up and returned it to the rental agency.  Their van then drove me back to the airport where I boarded my plane and flew off.

I very much enjoyed this trip, both for the company and the fact that I saw places I never had or had not visited for quite some time.  It was good to get out of Canberra for a while and just relax, and I think everyone deserves a vacation every now and again.  I hope this is not the end of my great journeys and adventures and I look forward to many more in the future.  Who knows where my next adventure will be?