The Road South

My brother and I woke up the next day eager to begin our adventure into the southernmost reaches of the South Island. Neither myself nor he had ever been down that way before and I was anxious to see this part of the country. On my previous trip to New Zealand, the bus tour had taken us into the central highlands of the country but not into the deepest south. It was primarily for the reason that I had never seen the far south before that I chose this itinerary for the trip. Our destination today was the port city of Dunedin on the South Island's southeastern coast. Dunedin is the largest city in the province of Otago (oh-TAH-goh) and is a major port of the country.

However anxious my brother and I were to get to Dunedin, we had to endure a fairly lengthy ride on the InterCity bus. New Zealand has a fairly extensive and inexpensive bus network the criss-crosses the country. The distances between the major cities are not far enough to make air travel very economical, though airfares aren't particularly expensive, and rail travel is quite costly and not very popular. The journey south took longer than would otherwise be necessary as the bus had to stop at several little towns to pick up and drop off people. As well, since the buses in New Zealand do not have toilets, there were occasional toilet breaks. I think InterCity Buses should institute an express service between the major centers which I think would be profitable in the long run.

Even though the bus ride was long, about 7 hours, it did go through fascinating country. Leaving Christchurch we passed through the towns of the flat and fertile Canterbury Plain where farms abound. About 3 hours later, our first break was in Timaru (tyh-mah-ROO), a port town at the southern end of the Canterbury Plain. I wandered the town a bit, seeing not much of terrible interest, before hopping back on the bus and continuing south. South of Timaru, the hillier country meets the sea and there were plenty more sheep paddocks than produce farms. The scenery was fantastic though as the clouds obscured the Alps to the northwest but the sun shone through illuminating the region around us. Finally, after many hours, we arrived in Dunedin not long after sunset.

The first thing my brother and I did was to try and find our hostel, he booked all of the accommodation, called Hogwartz. Despite the name, it was not Harry Potter-themed when we got there. Along the way, I snapped a picture of the very architecturally interesting Dunedin Railway Station. The hike to our hostel was quite trying as it was all uphill. Dunedin is built in a valley that slopes toward the sea. Central Dunedin, though,is not actually built by the sea but by Otago Harbour, a long inlet, although the southern portions of Dunedin do abut against the ocean. After a long hike up several steep hills, my brother and I found ourselves at Hogwartz.

Hogwartz is a very pleasant youth hostel run by a husband and wife team. It's located just off the road and was once the residence of the bishop. They owners bought it off the church and converted it into a youth hostel. The place was quiet, comfortable and not too far from the central part of the city. My brother and I dropped our gear in our room and went into town for some dinner. After sampling the fine dining at a local pub, we returned to our hostel ready to explore Dunedin the next day.

A Day in Christchurch

My first full day in New Zealand I decided to spend looking around Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. Often called the most English city in New Zealand due to its many gardens, Christchurch is actually a very pleasant place. The weather was sunny, though a little cooler than what I left in Canberra. Christchurch also has another British tradition which is "punting" on the Avon River, punting being the act of steering a boat using a long pole to touch the river's bottom and propel the boat along. This, I read, is traditionally the domain of university students.

Christchurch, I find is sort of a mix between Halifax and Calgary. Even with a population of only about 300 000, Christchurch is still the major port of the South Island. Like Halifax, goods from all over the world come to the port and local goods are shiped out. Chrischruch is also built upon the Canterbury Plain, a vast flat land created by millions of years of rivers carrying silt from the Southern Alps. The result is a broad fertile plain which is responsible for much of New Zealand's agricultural output. However, like Calgary, Christchurch is within spitting distance of the mountains and every so often, a warm wind comes off them. In Calgary, this type of dry warm wind in the winter is called a Chinook while Cantabrians (people from Canterbury) call it a Nor'wester.

The day was uneventful really and I spent it getting reacquainted with Christchruch. The last time I was here was in 2005 on a tour through the North and South Islands. I walked into the city centre and immediately made my way to Cathedral Sqaure, the beating heart of Christchurch. That day there was some kind of festival and there were all sorts of activities ranging from clothes on racks to a trampoline. I'm told that there is also a man who dresses up as a wizard who makes regular appearances but he didn't show up today. After Cathedral Square, I wandered over to the InterCity Bus office and bought the tickets that my brother and I would require for the next few days.

I met up with my brother later that day and we went for dinner at a restaurant called the Holy Grail. It is a converted movie theater which now has a massive television screen and it serves as the headquarters for supporters of the local rugby team, the Canterbury Crusaders. After dinner, my brother and I made our way back to his apartment for a good night's sleep as we would be leaving on our great southern adventure the next day.

Return to the Land of the Long White Cloud

These next few posts have been a while in coming, but I decided to let my brother complete his recollections of our trip to southern New Zealand before I commenced my own. I was actually quite surprised at the number of surprisingly similar photos we took. Although we did not spend the whole time together, it seems we did end up going to many of the same places, just at different times. I highly encourage you to visit his posts on our trip at: http://bloggingmiddleearth.blogspot.com/

I left Canberra on a bus bound for Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) International Airport on the morning of October 3rd. My flight was in the evening and it meant that I would arrive in Christchurch sometime around 22:15 local time. The bus trip was uneventful as was the wait for my flight, but that took longer than expected. My flight was delayed and it was nearly an hour behind schedule by the time we got off the ground. It was unfortunate that the flight was at night as it would mean that I would not see the great Southern Alps as I reached the South Island. It also turns out that New Zealand had just started daylight savings, one week before Australia, so it was 3 hours ahead of Sydney time, rather than the usual 2.

I arrived in New Zealand at around 23:00 local time and since I had no checked luggage, I went right to customs, thinking that I could make a speedy exit. Ironically, I was selected for a random search which meant a further delay; I think it's because I'm white. After a 15-20 minute inspection, the customs officer was finally satisfied that I wasn't carrying anything illegal and I was allowed to proceed. I caught a cab and finally arrived at my brother's residence around 00:00. My brother met me at the village office and led me to his apartment. I was happy to finally arrive at a place where I could rest up before the next day's adventures. I also met some of my brother's flatmates who were very friendly, in the best traditions of the New Zealand people.

The Early Heterochromic Edition

Tomorrow I set off for the forgotten lands of the South Seas, the islands of New Zealand. I wrote in a previous blog (http://downunderjournal.blogspot.com/) that I found many similarities between Canada and New Zealand, not the least of which was how little both are thought of. This is not for any reason of lack of resources or unimportance in the world stage, but that both are eclipsed by larger neighbours. New Zealand captured my imagination once, the last time I set foot there, and now I look forward to visiting the Land of the Long White Cloud again. This time, I will be taking a brief self-guided tour with my brother to 2 southern cities I didn't get a chance to visit last time Dunedin (duhn-EE-dyhn) and Invercargill (in-ver-CAHR-gill). Really, I'll visit these cities for no other reason than that I've never been there, and isn't really that the best reason to go anywhere? Aotearoa, I return to you.

I did some calculating over the last few days to try and take stock of how far I actually was from home. The answer, according to Google Earth is 16 092.05 km from room to room. It's actually not as far as I thought. Still that's about 80% to the other side of the world. Far indeed, but modern technology keeps it close. There are times that I have to remind myself that I'm not in Canada but that doesn't mean I feel homesick, lost or overwhelmed. In all my travels, home has not been where the heart is, but where I am. Unless, that is, I keep taking my heart with me wherever I go.

16 092.05 km is still not so far that I cannot exercise my democratic right and civic duty. Unlike Australia though, Canada does not have compulsory voter registration and voting, but I thinks it's fun nonetheless. The last time I was in Australia, Paul Martin narrowly averted an election and I was dismayed that I didn't get a chance to vote abroad. Luckily, Stephen Harper is a more divisive figure and he received a dissolution of Parliament from Michaelle Jean. I applied to Elections Canada as soon as the special ballot forms were available and received a kit by courier. For those who have never voted by special ballot, you get a couple of envelopes and a ballot paper where you mark the name of the candidate for whom you wish to cast a vote. It is your responsibility to find out who the candidates in your riding are and your riding is determined by what address you gave as your permanent address in Canada; I'm in Ottawa-South. Anyway, I filled out what was required, went down to the Canadian High Commission, stepped into the Consular Section and handed my special ballot. I'm kind of thrilled to have voted abroad and no, I'm not going to say for whom. The ACT elections are coming up soon and I'll detail the differences between Canadian and Australian voting procedures at that time; some are quite remarkable.

I mentioned previously of the Floriade festival of Canberra; think Ottawa Tulipfest. This year, the theme is Australian movies so each of the floral displays are arranged as representations of famous Australian films. Some are world famous, like Crocodile Dundee and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and others are well-known only here like Muriel's Wedding and The Dish. I went down on a beautiful sunny day to the park and got some great shots. The whole festival lasts 3 weeks, with some movie nights thrown in and it was great to have seen it.

Although it's only October, not even summer, the mercury has been hitting the mid 20s in the last few days and it will be 27 tomorrow. However, it's supposed to cool down to about 17 in the next few days when I'm in New Zealand. Hopefully, it'll be pleasant enough for all the students staying in Canberra for the break. I have a feeling I'll be seeing 30 degree heat by November and that's not even a summer month. I'm going to have to find a way to survive. Maybe I should live underground.

And finally for us tonight, you may be wondering at the title of my post. After doing some looking on the internet, I found that I have central heterochromia, a condition whereby the part of the eye around my pupil is a different colour than that of the iris; "heterchromia" is from the Greek meaning "different colour". Over that last few years, I've been wondering about my eye colour because even though I had always been told they were blue and have always listed them as blue on documents, they didn't seem particularly blue. My dad has blue eyes and I've seen other people with blue eyes and mine didn't seem to match up. Whenever I looked closely, they seemed to be a mix of blue, green and gray, and not really much of any of them. After doing some searching, I found out that my eyes are actually gray and that one of the features of gray eyes is that they change colour between gray, blue and green depending on light being reflected from clothing, ambient light and a myriad other factors. I have a feeling that my eyes used to be much more blue but that at some point they changed and I didn't notice. It turns out that gray eyes are a genetic marker from Eastern Europe so I guess I am Slavic.

As for the heterochromia, towards the pupil, the colour of the iris changes to a yellow-brown. I had always assumed that this was the case with most people but it turns out that it is a genetic quirk. It doesn't affect my eyesight in any way and was a point of conversation among schoolyard friends when I was younger. Nevertheless, I wish I had deep blue eyes, something like cobalt blue or ultramarine. I guess I'm stuck with gray and it's kind of nice to have uncommon eyes, even if the colour is a little dull.

I'll leave you with some photos I took at Floriade. For the floral displays, see if you can guess the movie.

A Clean Break

The second intra-semester break of the year has finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. In order to match the university break with the regular school break, this break takes place 10 weeks into the 13 week semester. It's been a long time coming and everyone is very happy to finally have a rest. I'll be using my break productively, visiting my brother in Christchurch, New Zealand. We're planning on heading down to Dunedin and Invercargill, two cities I didn't get to the last time I was that way. I leave next Saturday, so I'll probably update my blog on Friday.

On Sunday, there was another instance of wild weather, with a particularly harsh rainstorm. The Bureau of Meteorology even called it a gale. The winds howled and the rain beat down with relentless force. I had a great time walking to university through the rain. For some reason, whenever it rains like that, I think of Canada's East Coast.

On Monday, the Ukrainian Scouts went to an indoor rock-climbing facility in Canberra, and I went with them. The last time I tried this was 8 years ago and it didn't turn out so well. Luckily, this time I had more success. I made it all the way to the ceiling and there are pictures to prove it, but none on my camera. You'll have to take it on faith.

I also had my first day officially working at ACTTAB when I was sent to the outlet in Civic Centre, an area called Garema (gah-REE-ma) Place. It's not a big outlet and not a busy one either. It services mostly civil servants so it only gets busy at lunch and after business hours. I actually had a fun time and I'm looking forward to more hours at the TAB. I think this is one of the most interesting jobs I've ever had, not to mention one of the most financially rewarding.

On Friday I went to the production of the Three Penny Opera that Fenner Hall put on, and it was fantastic. For those who don't know, the Three Penny Opera is an adaptation of the older Beggar's Opera and is based around the escapades of Macheath (Mac the Knife) a criminal who runs amok in London because he was in the army with Tiger Brown, the Commissioner of Police. The actors are all residents of Fenner Hall who volunteered exorbitant amounts of time in order to put on this production. In any event, it went off very well and was quite funny. Next year, I'm suggesting they put on the Mikado.

Today I had a doubly good time as I went bowling and watched part of the AFL Grand Final. Bowling was floor event organized by Lisa, our Senior Resident (the head of the floor). It was 10 pin, which felt unusual since I'm used to 5 pin but I did alright. The Grand Final was very intense as the underdog Hawthorn Hawks played the Geelong Cats, a team that lost only 1 game in the regular season. I didn't get to see then end as I had to work at Cafe Pronto, but I was told that the Hawks pulled through and won in the end. A lot of people were cheering for Hawthorn because Geelong had won it last year and now it was seen as someone else's turn. This idea of giving everyone a "fair go" is an Australian characteristic.

Finally, I'll leave you with photos of some early morning fog in Canberra. Apparently, Canberra is known for its for though I have seldom seen it. It comes in the morning and you have to get up pretty early to witness the wonderful mists that encompass the city in the early hours of the day.

A Very Rewarding Week

Spring has officially arrived in Australia and it is very apparent from the weather. Beautiful sunny blue skies and temperatures into the mid 20s. It's shorts and t-shirts for me but if this is the only the end of winter, I don't know how I'll survive the summer.

On that note, I should mention that it looks like I'll be Down Under for the summer. I have 2 pretty good jobs going, ACTTAB and Cafe Pronto, and unless something drastic happens in Canada, I'll just stick around here. On the one hand, it would be nice to go home for the winter but on the other hand, it will be quite an experience to see an Australian summer. I just have to get used to thinking of December, January and February as summer months. Christmas, New Year's and my birthday in the summer will be interesting.

Over the week, there have been several events which I think are worthy of mention. I've taken to writing a list so that come post time, I shan't forget them. The first of these was a storm on Saturday night with fresh winds. I went to the roof of Fenner Hall and watched the lightning as it made its way across from the west. It was quite the show and I was greatly pleased since it has been some time since I've seen a proper thunderstorm.

Sunday I went to Grand Final Day being held at Manuka Oval. The Under-18s, Division 2 and Division 1 Grand Finals were being played that day. I stopped by for the last one as the Umpires' Association had struck a deal that we would get free food and drink and I took advantage of the offer. The game was exciting with scores close and in the last few minutes the score remained tied 69-69. In the dying seconds, a player from Sydney (it was Sydney v Belconnen) took a mark about 30 meters from goal and then the siren blew to end the game. However, in aussie rules, if you have taken a mark before the siren, you are entitled to take a shot. The player lined up and the ball sailed through for a 1-point behind, giving Sydney the win.

On Tuesday, the last training session for the umpires happened in Queanbeyan (KWEEN-byen), a small city in New South Wales just outside Canberra. It was the annual Fieldies-Goalies v Boundaries game and I managed to play for both teams. In the first quarter, I played with the Boundaries as they required a few players to even out the numbers. For the last 3 quarters, though, I played with the Fieldies-Goalies as other boundary umpires came to fill up their ranks. The Boundaries ended up winning by 7 points but a good time was had by all. Some people even mentioned that I played very well.

On Wednesday, I was supposed to have training at Canberra Racecourse for ACTTAB. Unfortunately, the powers that be had forgotten that there was a training session. To be fair, there were only 3 of us there and the week before it had only been myself and one other guy. After getting in touch with HQ, we were sent to various branches across the city and I went to the one in Dickson, a suburb about 15 minutes walk from Fenner Hall. It is perhaps the busiest TAB in the ACT and I learned quite a lot while working there. It gave me a sense of the pace at which things move on a busy day. In the end, I balanced my cash to the cent and walked away ready to take on anything.

On Friday, I went to the Racecourse again for training. The races were on and we had the opportunity to observe the real deal at work. It was kind of exciting and I had a bit of fun picking horses, without actually betting of course. In the first race, which was a maiden (none of the horses had ever raced before), I actually managed to pick the winner which would have paid 5.10 to 1. I then picked another horse in the next race but it cam dead last after a bad start. I guess that's why they call it "gambling". It's kind of fun to try and pick winners without the pressure of having money riding on it.

That night, I went to the end of year function for the Umpires' Association at the Canberra Club. There were many people there and the night consisted of awards and roasts, a free 3 course meal and free drinks. I managed to collect 3 awards that night though one of them was for officiating in a women's grand final. The others were "Least Outstanding Performance" and "Best First Year Goal Umpire". The first award isn't as bad as it may sound and refers to a single bonehead call or play made throughout the year. I was given the award for passing out The Record magazine at AFL games in Canberra and heckling the goal umpire. The presenters took a lot of poetic licence when describing what I'd done. I am pretty proud of winning the "Best First Year Goal Umpire" which means that I'm doing something right. I didn't win, unfortunately, the Bachelor of the Year award. I'll try again next year.

Yesterday, I also had a busy day officiating the last game of the season, an Under-12s Grand Final at Kingston Oval. It was actually quite exciting and with this, the season really does come to a close (I asked). I don't know what I'll do in the off-season, but I'll try to stay fit. After that I went to a BBQ at a friend's place in Duffy, a southwestern suburb. I arrived at 13:00 but had to leave a few hours later for Cafe Pronto to work, which turned into a disaster. The restaurant was so busy, orders piled up and I was overwhelmed. In the end, I was happy to leave and it's a day I care not to repeat. I returned to the BBQ later that night and finished off a very busy day.

Finally, I'll mention a few new things I've learned about Australia: "goog" means egg, Tic-Tac-Toe is called "naughts and crosses" and the football in aussie rules is called by one commentator (Rex Hunt) the "aerial conveyance". I'll never get used to this country.

A Little Escape

Everyone needs to escape for a little while, if even only mentally. People just weren't meant to sit in one place constantly; we are meant to move. The nomadic instinct, the push to explore, the drive to discover, is very powerful and has been a part of our history since the first of our ancestors realized they could walk and that there was a whole new world just beyond the horizon. In that vein, I felt the need to leave Canberra, if only for a few hours; more on that shortly.

Firstly, the last umpires' training session for the season happened on Tuesday, followed by a reception at the Canberra RSL afterwards. I think it's rather ironic that training finishes just as the days are getting longer and warmer. However, aussie rules is a winter sport and that is how it must be. The Canberra RSL, which is just beside Manuka Oval, hosted the umpires as we reflected on the events of the past year. We'll have another event this Friday to officially conclude the season, which I'm looking forward to. I hope to be mentioned in at least one or two stories.

I hear you asking, what is an RSL? RSL stands for Returned and Services League, which refers to former and current members of the armed forces. In this case, an RSL is something like a legion hall except more like a pub. Usually, there's good food, very reasonably priced. They are common in Australia and can be very large indeed.

I've continued my training at the TAB and it's very enjoyable. I can now tell you, more or less, what a quinella, trifecta, boxed trifecta, exacta and an all-up are, among others. They are all different types of bets and I'll be happy to explain them to anyone who asks. I also learned that the first computers in Australia were used at TABs; this truly is a country which knows its priorities. I will note one difference for the avid gamblers in North America and that is that there is no "show" bet. In Canada, you can back a horse to win (1st), place (1st or 2nd) or show (1st, 2nd or 3rd) but in Australia, there are only the win and place bets, but the place bet covers 1st to 3rd.

On Saturday, an important 3-week festival opened up in Canberra --- Floriade. This is essentially a celebration of spring with flowers everywhere. If this sounds familiar, I have a feeling that the idea was taken from Ottawa's Tulipfest, but I await confirmation. I haven't been down myself yet, but I hope to go. This is the 21st year that it has been put on, which is very important in Australia. Borrowing from the USA, Australians make a big deal of 21st birthdays even though that milestone is meaningless in Australia.

Now to my little escape. I went down to Sydney overnight with some friends and stayed in what seemed like a palatial estate near Coogee Beach. This house is roughly 140 years old and was one of the original homes in the area. I even went onto the roof and had a spectacular view of the ocean. That night, there was a party across the street that the police raided, for what reason, I can't say because it wasn't overly loud. However, it did provide some excitement. The next day, we went for a walk around the base of the cliffs near Coogee before lunch and the return home. Sydney was so warm, and spring hasn't even sprung yet; I'm talking about temperatures approaching 30C. I feel reinvigorated by that trip and I think it provided just the mental escape that I needed in order to better concentrate on my studies. Like I said, we all need a break every now and then.

And now for the weather. It has warmed considerably in the last few days and temperatures are beginning to approach the mid 20s. By the time the equinox comes around, I expect temperatures around 25C. I don't know how I'll survive the summer but I guess I'll have to learn to manage. I do love this weather, though I am more comfortable in the cold, and I can't wait for the summer to get started.

And finally tonight, something about which I've been meaning to write for a while which relates to the differences in mentality between Canada and the US. There is a monument to the Australian people given by the US which stands at the Ministry of Defence. This is a stone column about 30 meters high at the end of a major road and topped with a stylized American eagle in stone. Canada's donation to Australia consists of a 10 meter high flagpole. I though to myself, how typically Canadian such a gift is --- unassuming, cheap and practical. Can there be any better kind of gift?

215

215 - That's the number of days I've been away from Canada; the longest such stretch ever. On Tuesday, with the advent of my 211th day, I officially broke my previous record. There's no way to tell how long this current record will hold. Depending on various factors, it may only last until November or it may be many years before I see Canada again. The only certainty is that this record will continue to grow.

This week has gotten rather hectic with work and school commitments both requiring my attention. On Wednesday evening, I had my first training session with ACTTAB, having been confirmed an employee for the coming months. I have 2 more weeks of training, though only 3 hours per day 3 days a week, and it fits my schedule. It seems like it'll be an interesting place to work, though I do have to brush up on the slang used by punters/tippers (gamblers). One difference from Canada is that in horse racing, there is no "show". When you bet in North America, you can bet that a horse to win (1st), place (1st or 2nd) or show (1st, 2nd or 3rd). Here, however, the show placing is encompassed by "place". I'm anxious to see how I'll do in the coming weeks.

The story of how I got the ACTTAB job is quite amusing. I applied online but didn't hear anything from them for 2 weeks. I then wrote them and they wrote back telling me that the paper I got in the interview explained that it would take 2 weeks to finalize appointments, which at the time, was only just coming up. I, quite surprised, responded that I had never received an interview. It turned out that my application had been lumped in with another person's, named Raman and, at first, ACTTAB hadn't realized that we were 2 separate people. I was granted an interview and as it concluded, I was told that I got the job. I hope I will do well.

To my astonishment, my goal umpiring season was not over last week. This week, today in fact, I umpired a Women's Representative Game at Manuka Oval. This is akin to an all-star game and it pitted members of the city's northern and southern clubs against each other. The South won quite convincingly. I don't think I'll be granted any more games to officiate as there are only a few left and I think they'll go to more experienced umpires.

In other footy news, the International Cup has just concluded in Melbourne where 16 national teams competed for top prize. Canada was among them and did very well this year, finishing 5th overall. This is 2 spots better than 2005 when they finished 7th. I have a feeling Canada will find itself on the podium before over-long. The championship was won by Papua New Guinea over New Zealand in a rematch of the 2005 International Cup Final. This time, the Mosquitoes (Papua New Guinea) avenged their loss and took home the championship.

I don't think I mentioned my previous contributions to Canberra footy by selling The Record at the 2 Sydney Swans games held at Manuka Oval this year. The Record is a the AFL's magazine and it is sold at games. They needed people to volunteer and help sell them at the games in Canberra, both of which I did. This granted me free admission and I was eager to do my part. I had a great time at the games and I look forward to doing this again next year. I even received congratulatory certificates thanking me for each of the games.

Working at Cafe Pronto has taken some interesting turns. Today, I had a small audience of 3 kids who watched me as I rolled pizza dough and I had an interesting discussion yesterday with a woman regarding grammar. One of our specials involved potatoes and the woman, after she had finished her meal said that I had misspelled potatoes because the "oes" ending was the American way of pluralizing. She insisted that in Australia, the correct spelling is "potato's". I was a little confused and told her that the "'s" ending is purely possessive and never a plural. She remained adamant and even I became unsure of my position. I went home and checked my Macquarie Dictionary (the Australian national dictionary) and it said that the correct spelling is: potatoes. Even on such a useless and trivial point, I feel glad to be vindicated.

Australia has had 2 important appointments recently: a new Governor-General (GG) and a new Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia (CJ). The new GG is Australia's first woman GG but with the unlikely first name of Quentin. She has been pretty prominent in Australian public life. The new CJ is Robert French and the first Western Australian nominated to the post. He was sworn in on September 1st at the High Court and the entire legal community is anxious to see how he takes to the job and how his verdicts will go.

On Friday, I went down to the Legislative Assembly building to be a student leader for a group of high school students who were taking part in a mock constitutional convention. This is held every year and schools around Canberra select students to attend. Here, they were divided into groups representing the states and territories and were tasked with discussing should Australia become a republic. There was a second question of what particular model should be followed: a directly elected President, or one who is elected by MPs and Senators. I was put in charge of the group representing Western Australia. I expected that support for a republic would be widespread among the groups but it turned out to be much more divided, almost along east-west lines. Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria supported a republic, while Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania opposed such a move. If presented at referendum, in order to pass, this constitutional amendment would need to get a majority nationally and a majority in a majority of states (4). If this were to be indicative of how Australia would vote, then Australia would remain as she is. I couldn't stay around for the thoughts on the particular model nor the referendum that the students would hold, but I am anxious to know the results. I know someone who was there so I'll ask them on Tuesday.

While at this "convention", I met a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who had grown up in Canberra. He told me that he remembered a time, just after World War 2, when Canberra's population was only 35 000; now it is 10 times that. He reminisced how his father thought that certain suburbs, which would now be thought of as central, were considered quite distant at the time. Even Lake Burley Griffin didn't exist as it wasn't filled until 1963. Until that time, it was just a river with a flood plain. Canberra continues to grow but in my discussions with the MLA, this growth is slowing though new suburbs are being developped in the near future.

I should perhaps mention how Canberra is laid out. The basic unit of any city is the suburb, though this term has a slightly different context in Australia. In Canada, suburb is a somewhat informal, but nonetheless official, designation of a neighbourhood. In Australia, though, the suburb is also the unit by which the post office assigns postal codes, so it is a very important division. In Australia, it is important to ask someone which suburb they live in since there may be many streets with the same name in many different suburbs; this is especially true in the larger cities. Canberra has a further division called a "division" or "town". Several suburbs are grouped together in a division, and they themselves are divided by unused land; they're pretty conspicuous. The main divisions of Canberra are: Central/Civic/City Centre, Gungahlin (guhn-GAH-lin), Belconnen (bel-KAWH-nen), Woden (WOHW-den)/Woden Valley, Weston/Weston Creek and Tuggeranong (TUH-gur-ah-NONG). All of these, except Weston Creek, have a Town Centre, sort of large shopping areas and the express buses between them are called "Intertown" buses.

One final note, it appear that next weekend I will be going to Sydney with the Solomko family, so my update will likely be later than usual.

Pleasant dreams.

A Season's End

I can smell the difference in the air --- Australia is changing. As the country begins to shed its winter coat, much like a sheep sheds its wool, evidence of renewed life herald's the arrival of spring. I see trees blossoming and the winds are no longer so cold. They carry with them warmth and the unmistakeable smell of spring. Even the sun seems hotter and brighter. Temperatures are climbing and Canberra is now in the 15C-20C daytime high range, though not quite at the upper end. Today was a particularly warm day reaching 17C. Spring officially starts on September 1st and its obvious that the winter winds have fled and the new ones have not the same sting.

In my previous post, I mentioned that this was a big year for Australian sports, but I failed to mention another milestone. 2008 is also the 100th birthday of one of Australia's cricketing legends, Sir Donald Bradman. This man is held in such high regard that the name "Bradman" is protected by the government to prevent businesses trying to confuse consumers with false associations of the name. Sir Don was perhaps the greatest cricketer of all time and he holds many records but the most impressive one was his 99.94 runs average in test cricket. He died a few years ago. His renown is such that the first question Nelson Mandela asked when he was released from prison was, "Is Donald Bradman still alive?"

In footy news, I felt honoured to be given the Women's Division 1 Grand Final (Championship) to goal umpire. This morning, I woke up and went down to Ainslie Oval eagerly. The game was won by the Eastlake Football Club; I, and I'm sure many others, call them the Ladies of the Lake. It wasn't a particularly close game but I felt privileged to be chosen as one of the goal umpires. It's a mark of recognition of umpiring ability. I stayed around for 2 other Grand Finals (Men's Divisions 4 and 3) and it was fortuitous that I did. In the 3rd quarter of the Div 3 game, Angie, one of the goal umpire's assigned, pulled her calf muscle and I had to quickly get dressed and fill in. There wasn't much action on my end but the game proved exciting as the winning team overcame a considerable points deficit to win their 3rd championship in a row. I don't expect to get any more finals games simply because there are only a few left and there are more experienced umpires available.

As the footy season draws to a close, there are several umpire functions to be held, the last of which will be a dinner. I plan to attend and I have been nominated (1 of 5) for a "Bachelor of the Year" award. I can't help but wonder what happens to the recipient of the award; perhaps a date with Big Edna, the Loneliest Hun.

I have also been offered a job at ACTTAB, the territory's gambling agency, barring the unforeseen. This would pay quite well, $23.75/hr and it would not involve any truly strenuous activity. Something that must be understood about Australian culture is that in addition to sports, gambling on them is also a national pastime. In fact, when the Melbourne Cup is run in early November, the whole country gets a day off. It's quite a contrast to Canada where betting is not particularly widespread. For example, Australia is very into horse and greyhound racing and horse racing gets several pages (usually a fold-out) in the local newspaper's sports section. In Canada, horseracing only gets a few columns. And in case you think greyhound racing is cruel, it helps if you just think of them as little horses. Australians will bet on anything and there are several government sanctioned agencies that allow them to do this. Essentially, a person will go to a TAB and place bets with employees. This is what I would be doing.

I found out today that one of my favourite comic strips, For Better or for Worse, has just ended its run, something like nearly 30 years. I've been following the adventures of the Patterson family since the early 1990s and while overseas. I enjoyed it for its interesting plots and its realism. Next to Calvin & Hobbes, it was perhaps the best comic strip out there and I'm very sorry to see it end.

And lastly, in a few days time another milestone will quietly pass. September 2nd will mark the day that I have been the longest away from Ottawa. September 2nd will mark 211 days away that city, just over 30 weeks. Looking back, it doesn't even seem that long.

The Sporting Nation

If I were to be asked to describe Australia in only one word, it would be "sports". While "Outback" would be a close contender, Australia's fascination with sports reaches back to even before the Outback was settled. Unknown to many, Australia is actually one of the world's great sporting nations. For evidence of this, one only has to look at its Olympic medal performance. Australia currently sits in the top 5 in total medals accumulated but at first glance appears to be eclipsed by nations like China and the US. However, consider then Australia's total population, about 20 million. When you consider the medals per capita, Australia is far and away the leader. I once read a statistic that when counted in this way, Australia is number 1 and roughly 3 times better than the number 2 nation, the US. And as if that weren't enough, Canada has a connection to this. Following the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Australians were so disappointed with their medal tally that they instituted the Australian Institute for Sport and poured huge sums of money into development. Australia hasn't looked back since.

2008 is a big year in Australian domestic sports as it is the 100th anniversary of the rugby league (NRL) and the 150th Anniversary of Aussie rules. When I saw the game in Gosford some months back, that was the 100th birthday. August 7th was the 150th birthday of Aussie rules and was designated as "Kick Around Australia Day" where people were supposed to go out and kick the football around or wear their team colours. I wore a Sydney Swans scarf to university that day. Aussie rules and rugby league are the 2 dominant sporting codes in the country and it is somehow fitting that they should be celebrated together.

The weeks at university are drifting by again at what seems to be an ever-increasing pace. Although nothing is due immediately, I am conscious that assignments are coming up and so I've been doing some research and thinking. An international law assignment looks particularly interesting.

Work at Cafe Pronto is just as the name suggests, at time very hectic. Friday was a particularly busy day with many orders, some quite complex. Luckily, I have 2 floormates who also work at the Cafe so we form a pretty good team. I've even picked up the Aussie tradition of a quick drink after work, though for me, a soft drink is a suitable replacement for alcohol.

Occupied

I have found myself more occupied than have in the past. I can report that I have been doubly lucky in the past week. I was selected to goal umpire 2 playoff matches in the Women's ACTAFL and I have found some part-time employment.

The first stroke of luck I was informed of last Tuesday at the umpires' training session at Manuka Oval. Being selected to do playoff games is something of an honour as it is an acknowledgement of good umpiring skills throughout the year. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and hope to get more playoff games in the coming weeks. It was this Saturday that the games were played, one after the other. The problem with women's sport is that it is not taken as seriously as men's sports so the quality of play is not of the highest caliber. Nevertheless, the games were interesting. The second game ended in a forfeit after one team, already short a few players, suffered injuries which put them below the minimum amount required. The last injury was fairly serious and the poor girl was knocked out. The play was clean and it just happened to have unfortunate consequences. Luckily for the losing team, the playoff scheme is such that they get a second chance next week. Hopefully, with many playoff rounds left to play, I'll be selected for a few more games.

As mentioned, I've managed to find some part-time employment at a Cafe Presto, a little restaurant not far from where I live. It may be cliched, but I'm making pizza, among a few other duties. I don't know why, but I feel content when making pizza. It's something about creating something with some skill, rather than putting a couple beef patties on a burger. Interestingly, I don't think that there's a single Italian among the staff. The chef is a rather quirky German named Gunder who's travelled the world and has a very interesting sense of humour. I found this job because one of my floormates works there and mentioned that they had lost quite a few staff. One day, I agreed to go down and fill in for his shift since he's been sick. I filled in and got a job. Wages are pretty good in Australia and I'm looking forward to making a little disposable income.

I was also delighted to hear that Canada earned it's first Olympic medals today, among them a silver in rowing. Although Canada produces many champion rowers (think Silken Laumann for one), I think few realize just how long a tradition this is in Canada. Canada's first international championship was in rowing. In August of 1867, Canada being only a few weeks old, 4 fisherman/rowers from New Brunswick rowed in Paris against British and French teams. The Canadians wore pink caps and overalls that must have seemed absurd to the spectators. Believing in them, their home town had bet a large sum of money on the race. Undaunted, the 4 rowed and beat the competition. From then on, they were known as the "Paris Crew" and remained undefeated for the rest of their careers together.

The Paris Crew had one advantage over the competition in that they rowed with no coxswain and they were fishermen. With no coxswain, the boat was considerably lighter allowing them to be faster and more manoeuverable. It's good to see Canadian rowers carrying on this tradition of excellence.

Also, I added a few photographs of my Melbourne trip on my blog last week. Be sure you take a look.

So They Say

They say it might snow. An interesting concept for a country so associated with heat. Snow is one thing Canadians are very familiar and comfortable with, even if it does give us problems occasionally. Sometimes we even hope for a deep fresh coat to give us some time at home. I wonder how Australians cope with it? Do they see snow as winter's occasional gift, or as some terrible menace from the mountains? I may find out soon. So far, even though spring is only a few weeks away, August has produced the coldest weather this year.

I recently took a look at the calendar and realized that I'd spent more than half a year away from Canada's shores. So far, I've spent 187 days away from Ottawa though only 173 days actually in Australia. It doesn't feel like all that much time has passed and yet Ottawa seems something like a distant memory; a dream only half-remembered. It's as if I've always lived in Australia yet I know that I'm a newcomer. Maybe I'm slowly beginning to see Australia as my new home.

On Friday, I took in a spot of culture in the form of the ANU Law Review. This is a sort of variety stage show that the Law Students Society puts on every year with skits written by students and acted by them. Essentially it's a chance to satirize the university, the faculty, the University of Canberra and the politicians. The broad focus was on Kevin Rudd and his government, though the larger portion of the show was devoted to poking fun at the faculty. Barrack Obama was not spared and even he was the subject of some more than gentle ribbing. The whole affair was very entertaining and humourous. Perhaps, I'll write a skit for next year. I have two really "good" Heath Ledger jokes.

Friday night, the whole of Fenner Hall was mesmerized with the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. I went down to the ground floor where TVs were tuned to the event and there were free refreshments. I was generally impressed, as was everyone else, I think, with the performance. Let's hope the competition of the 29th Olympiad itself lives up to the expectations the opening ceremonies created. I remember thinking that it's amazing what you can do with unfettered power and the near-unlimited resources of the state.

A bit of bad news, though, as I found out that I didn't get the Public Affairs Section job at the Canadian High Commission. The brief e-mail didn't outline the reasons I didn't make the cut, but I have a feeling it was mainly because I am a full-time student. The interviewers hinted that they expected a full-time commitment to this program, which is something I could not give. But there is still hope. I have not heard anything yet about the second internship, the Canada Education Centre. Hopefully, I'll have more success with that one.

I have been following my brother's adventures in New Zealand with a great degree of interest. He has a very engaging writing style, as well as some great photographs on his blog, http://www.bloggingmiddleearth.blogspot.com/. I thought today just how appropriate it is that I'm in Australia and he in New Zealand. Australia is often thought of as New Zealand's bigger brother but New Zealand has great charm. I'm sometimes envious that my brother is in that country and I here. I've been there before and ever since, New Zealand, especially the South Island, has had a special place in my thoughts. I look forward to visiting my brother there and we're planning on travelling to parts of the South Island I haven't seen. I'm sure it'll be a great trip.

I must mention 2 things I forgot to in my previous post. The first is about the trivia game a few Sundays ago. Unfortunately, my floor came in 3rd so no prize for us. I hope there'll be other chances to test our knowledge.

The second item was the injury I caused to a player while goal umpiring 2 Saturdays ago. It was completely unintentional and depending on how you want to look at it, he ran into me, I ran into him or we both ran into each other. The way it unfolded was there was a kick towards goal but the ball fell short and hit the ground. I expected it to bounce fairly low towards the goal area without any possible obstruction from any player. However, the ball took an unusually high bounce and this necessitated a change of position on my part as it meant that players would be able to interfere with the ball before it crossed the goal line. It was while changing positions that the other player and I collided, both of us falling to the ground. Nevertheless, I managed to keep my eye on the ball and I was able to signal the correct score, a goal. I got up and dusted myself off but the player stayed down clutching his stomach. The best I can guess is that he impacted with my elbow and got a little winded. It wasn't too bad and he was up and on his feet in short order. It would seem we umpires are made of sterner stuff.

The Root of All Evils

It began sometime last Sunday, a nagging pain in one of my molars. At first I thought it might be a slight inflammation or infection and that it might pass in a few days. However, as the week progressed, the pain became more acute and throbbing. I finally decided to go see a dentist on Friday as the pain was beginning to interfere with my comfort. I couldn't get to sleep for more than a short period of time as the pain kept me up. The dentist, who was very kind, agreed to see me on short notice immediately. A few minutes and an x-ray later, we had the answer to my pain --- the pulp in the root of my tooth was infected. On whatever bright side there may be, at least it wasn't an abscess, which I first suspected. The dentist immediately put me on a full antibiotic regimen, complemented with occasional doses of Nurofen Plus. All that remains to be seen now is if a root canal will be necessary. I'm not looking forward to one if it is necessary. Whatever may happen, the regimen is working and the pain has all but disappeared.

I did have one bit of good fortune this week, other than seeing the dentist right away, and that was an interview at the Canadian High Commission. It is offering 2 internships, both of which I have applied for. The one I was interviewed for was the "Public Affairs Section" internship, which, as I understand it, is mostly PR. I think I went alright but the fact that I'm a student may work against me as it looks that they may require a full-time commitment. I have yet to hear about the second internship, the "Canada Education Centre". This one appears to involve informing Australian students wishing to study in Canada about various things, talking with academics and other educational institutions. I think that as a student who has studied in Canada, Australia and already been on an exchange, I have a unique perspective on the facets of this internship. We shall see what comes of it.

Tonight, I went to a pub for a little while just to soak in the atmosphere. That may not sound very exciting, but if you know me, it's a pretty rare occurrence. I hope that my tooth problems go away and that I'm hired for one of the internships. We all live in hope.

Winter Wonderland

In keeping with Canberra's quiescent nature, not much excitement has occurred in my life these last few days. Although I have been around the city, my life remains as uneventful as always. Of greatest significance is that with the first week of studies concluded, I now have a better idea of the workload of the courses. This semester I have Lawyers, Justice and Ethics, Australian Public Law, Legal Theory and International Law. I'm particularly looking forward to International Law since it is a field I am very interested in. As for Lawyers, Justice and Ethics, I got the obvious joke out of the way after the first class.

Although Canberra is in the throes of winter, it certainly does not feel it. Although temperature do go below 0 at night, there is generally no precipitation that can turn into snow and with the days lengthening it seems unlikely that any will fall in the city. However, snow is not completely removed from Canberra's environs. The other day, while looking at the western ranges, I did notice a light sprinkling of snow atop one of the mountains.

The first week of school in the 2nd semester is known as "Bush Week", presumably to celebrate Canberra's extensive parkland. There have been many activities both at Fenner Hall and at the university, some of which I have participated in. Bush Week ends tomorrow and I am looking forward to the trivia game scheduled. I am told that one of the Bush Week traditions is "No Lecture Friday", but it is not universally adhered to. On Friday, at 09:00, I had my regularly scheduled International Law lecture and though it involved concepts that I am already familiar with, it was still interesting. Luckily, my Friday lecture only lasts until next week after which I have Wednesdays and Fridays completely free.

One of the Bush Week activities I did participate in was the annual Staff vs. Students soccer game. I was the linesman for the first half and for half of the second half at which time I was put into the striker position. I came close to scoring twice but the first time the ball just sailed over the top corner and the second time the goalie stopped the ball. Nonetheless, the students came out on top taking the game 4-1. In case you're thinking that this is a typical result, I was told that the staff had won the previous 3 years. I look forward to playing again next year.

I did manage to make a bit of money on Tuesday by doing some stocktaking at a Bunnings warehouse in Belconnen. Bunnings is a home supplies store like Home Depot and every so often they require help in counting their stock. This particular warehouse is in a suburb northwest of Fenner called Belconnen so, after filling in the required paperwork, I took the bus up. It only took 3 hours and it involved me counting the number of specified items and then writing that number on a white sticker next to the price. It was sometimes tricky as people tend to move items around.

Today, there was a Chess Tournament in Fenner Hall, I just glanced in a few times but there were people of all ages there. I think it must be part of some tournament for the entire ACT.

Lastly for now, I am applying for internships at the Canadian High Commission and I would be very anxious to do either. There are 2 internships available one in the Public Affairs section and the other in the Canadian Education Centre. The public affairs internship appears to be akin to a customer service role where the intern responds to public enquiries as well as requests from the High Commission. The Canadian Education Centre internship is a little more specific and it involves the intern advising Australian students contemplating learning in Canada, work with academics and other related matters. If I were chosen, I think that either of these internships would be immense fun.

The Return

I wish I could report something of great interest, but I can't. This has been the week of anticipation as the last days of the inter-semester break wind to a close. In some ways, it would be easier if I was at school already but I am content to have these extra days. Tomorrow (Sunday), is the last day before classes start again and I can't help but wonder how this term will progress.

Although it seems so far away in 18 weeks that will no doubt fly by, my first year will be over. This takes account of 13 weeks of classes, 2 weeks of an intra-semester break and 3 weeks for exams. Admittedly, I may not have exams until the end of the 3-week period, but that only shortens the length of the 2nd semester. Also, sometime in August, a date which I have yet to determine, I will have spent more time away from Ottawa than on any previous occasion. My record, currently stands at 210 days from the last time I studied in Australia. I look forward to seeing the weather warm in the later weeks of the semester as Australia moves into its late spring. If I'm lucky, I may even get to spend the summer down here.

You may have noticed that I have added some photographs to previous posts. I have not yet sorted through my Melbourne photos to see which I should post, but stay tuned as they will come up eventually.

Pilgrimage

I've just returned from a glorious few days in Australia's other great metropolis, Melbourne. It turned out that my visit coincided with the arrival of several other Ukrainian-Canadians on their way to Sydney for World Youth Day. I had no idea anything was happening and the few days I was there were filled with excitement.

Before I recount my stay in Melbourne, I'd just like to point out that I have been joined in the southern hemisphere by my brother. He has arrived in Christchurch where he'll be studying for the next year how to be a teacher. According to his own blog, http://bloggingmiddleearth.blogspot.com/, he's planning on returning to Canada once his 12 month program is completed. My brother will be majoring history and music. I have no doubt that I'll be able to visit him at some point and in some ways, I envy his location. I think that the South Island is one of the most beautiful bits of land on Earth and I shall gladly visit it again when possible.

My own journey began with a walk to the airport last Sunday. The flight from Canberra to Melbourne is quite short, only about an hour and I passed the time looking out the window at the changing landscape. After arriving, I took the bus into town and wandered about until later that evening when I met up with Katia, and her mother Maria, the kind people with whom I was staying. I met Katia and Maria on my previous trip to Melbourne. Katia is the goddaughter of Nadia, the woman with whom I lodged last time. Nadia's mother, Tania, with whom she lives, is the daughter of my paternal grandmother's brother (I think). Whatever the case, Katia and Maria were kind enough to allow me to stay in their home while I was in Melbourne.

On Monday, Katia and Maria took me for a drive out to Geelong (jyh-LONG), Victoria's second largest city, about 127 kilometers southwest of Melbourne. It's home to the Geelong Cats AFL team and for a while, it was the only professional aussie rules team outside Melbourne. In Geelong, the three of us wandered around the quaint city and then it started to rain. The temperature wasn't itself cold that day, but the water took the heat right off any exposed skin, making for a chill. Katia showed me where the best ice cream in Victoria is sold and I was treated to a flavour that closely resembles Laura Secord's superkid. Afterwards, we went for a walk along the water front where I noticed the bollards, a feature of Geelong. These are wooden poles painted to look like things and they are strewn about the entirety of the waterfront.

On Tuesday evening, there was also a party at the Ukrainian House (cultural center) in the suburb of Essendon. It was here that I encountered the Ukrainian-Canadians, though none from Ottawa and I did not know any of them. I would meet them many more times through the week.
On Wednesday, I went into the city and decided to take a tour of the Victorian Parliament. This is where the Commonwealth government met until the Parliament House in Canberra was completed. It was originally built at a time when the gold rush had made Melbourne a wealthy city but as the city's fortunes waned, construction of the Parliament fell into abeyance. Even today it is unfinished as a dome and a southern wing have never been completed as planned; it is unlikely that they ever will be. Victoria, like most states in Australia has a bicameral legislature consisting of a Legislative Assembly (lower house) and a Legislative Council (upper house), both elected. We could only visit the Council since the Assembly was having sound tests but I managed to sneak a photo of it. The most exciting feature of the tour was that they let you sit in the chairs of the councillors as well as hold a replica mace. I have a photo of me sitting in the President's (Speaker's) chair holding the mace. I also learned that in 1891, the gold and silver mace of the day vanished and has never been seen since, most likely it has been melted down, but there is a standing $50 000 reward for it's return. I shall have to keep an eye out for it. This night, there was also a concert of Ukrainian culture at the Ukrainian House and it included a very colourful singer from Ukraine, Taras Kurchyk. He came on stage wearing a black suit with gold rhinestones.

Thursday, I caught up with an acquaintance who has been living in Melbourne for the last 5 years, Rylee. She's a teacher in the city and her boyfriend is a musician with the band Jet, the ones who sang Are You Gonna be My Girl? Although he is not an official member of the troupe, he has a contract to play with them if they request. Otherwise, he does all sorts of things, like landscaping, and according to Rylee, there's just about nothing he can't do. I met up with Rylee at Flinders Street Station, the main hub, and she suggested that we go to a little Chinese restaurant in an alley, which turned out to be fantastic. Rylee explained that these alley clubs and restaurants are a feature of Melbourne. We had some delicious pork and beef dumplings and whenever I get back to Melbourne, I shall be sure to try other alleys. After that, Rylee and I took a trip to a video game exhibit at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). This showcased video games throughout the decades and it was real trip down memory lane with many of them. Many gamers are now parents in their 30s and this exhibit was as much for them as for the children. Later that evening, I went with Katia and Maria to a cabaret night at the Ukrainian House which featured Taras Kurchyk as well as anyone else who wanted to perform something. I didn't, but had a great time anyway.

On the last day, I just explored the neighbourhood of Broadmeadows, where Katia and Maria live. After that, just before my flight, we managed to squeeze in a visit to Tania and Nadia, who were so hospitable to me back in 2005. It's unfortunate that I didn't have a chance to spend more time with them but the activities of the week were numerous and somehow time did not allow it. I left Friday night very satisfied with the fantastic trip I'd had, punctuated by fantastic hospitality.

After I returned to Canberra, I learned that some snow had fallen int he south of the city, but had since melted, although there might be some visible on the Brindabillas. I haven't seen any yet but I shall be happy to accept any snow that does come this way.

A Winter Sojourn

I don't know where the phrase "a winter sojourn" comes from but it rings a bell. Whatever it's origin, it's quite true in my case as I'm flying off to Australia's other great city, Melbourne. I'll be spending some days there with family and friends. I look forward to seeing Melbourne again, a city I last visited 3 years ago at about this time.

Melburnians are not pleased with the way their city has been eclipsed by Sydney, which they consider to be about as cultured as Jerry Springer and nowhere near as entertaining. Ever since the founding of these cities, there has always been a rivalry between them. Until the 1950s, Melbourne was actually the more important and larger of the two. Until Canberra was officially made the capital in the early 1920s, Melbourne was the seat of the Commonwealth government. Canberra was chosen, like Ottawa, because it was in between Melbourne and Sydney, although it is considerably closer to Sydney. During a 19th Century gold rush, Melbourne was quite possibly the richest city in the world and in 1956, Melbourne became the first city south of the equator to host the Olympic Games.

After this, Sydney began to compete more aggressively and has now surpassed its rival. Most major corporations have their headquarters in Sydney, it is more populous and the usual first port of call for international travellers. Although Melbourne is not overlooked, when people think of Australia, they immediately think of Sydney. To rub salt in the wound, Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and, coincidentally, 2000 is also Sydney's postal code.

Melbourne's great attraction is its cosmopolitanism and its cultural life. Melbourne is either the 2nd or 3rd largest Greek city in the world after Athens and Salonika (population statistics differ) and many more ethnicities are thrown into the mix. Plast (Ukrainian Scouts) Australia has its headquarters in Melbourne. There are the Melbourne Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup, a horse race which the entire country watches and gets a day off for in November. Melbourne, with its trams and architecture, is distinctly more European than other Australian cities.

This week's big occasion was Canada's 141st birthday on Tuesday. I tried to find some way to celebrate but the weather wasn't great and the Canadian High Commission wasn't holding any functions. I just contented myself with wearing a Canada Day t-shirt and getting something to eat at the local pub. American Independence Day also passed without any fanfare, though I did wish an American colleague of mine a happy July 4th.

To pass the idle hours while I await the start of the 2nd semester, I've taken to watching movies on my laptop, in addition to other mundane activities. A floormate lent me his external hard drive and just before he left, I copied several movies onto my own drive. It's provided me with enough entertainment to help pass the days away.

As Time Goes By

One of the pitfalls of publishing a blog at the end of every week, or as near as one can get, is that, sometimes, events of the past week are forgotten. As someone pointed out in a comment, I forgot to mention the end of semester party that was hosted by Kate and Matt, 2 other JDs. It was great way to release some tension following a few intense weeks of studying and exams. Similarly, yesterday I attended the housewarming hosted by another JD, Sam, and his sister. There were many people there, not only JDs, and we had pie and cake.

I've found myself staying around Fenner Hall during this vacation time. I had expected there to be more people around making for a livelier atmosphere, but as so many people have gone home for the break, it's actually pretty quiet. It's not entirely unpleasant to have some stress-free weeks with few people around. I've managed to finalize some travel plans of my own, though and next week I'll be in Melbourne visiting some family and friends. The last time I was in that city was nearly 3 years ago and I'm anxious to see everyone again.

One upcoming event that I am looking forward to is Canada Day this Tuesday. While it won't be celebrated in Australia in general, I'm told there is a Canadian pub somewhere in Civic which I shall try to find. Obviously, here Canada Day is a winter-time event and I'm looking forward to what sort of activities are planned.

In any event, I've got some plans for the break, more movies on my hard drive than you could shake a wombat at and goal umpiring for the next little while. I think I'm OK to enjoy this respite.

Free at Last, Free at Last

With the coming of astronomical winter last Saturday, I was finally freed from the torment of this semester in its entirety; I had my final exam, contracts. Although this was the exam I was most concerned about, it turned out not to be too difficult. I think our professor pitied us and set an exam which was relatively simple. None of the juicier topics like the parol evidence rule, promissory estoppel or unconscionability made it onto the exam. The questions tested us on our knowledge of contract formulation and award of damages. This was perhaps just as well since the exam was at 08:30. I'd had trouble falling asleep the night before but fortunately, that didn't seem to have any effect.

With this new found freedom, I can finally relax and plan some travels. I am hoping to go down to Melbourne to visit some family and friends. I would also like to travel to Sydney for the same purpose. I have exactly 1 month (classes start again July 21), to make the rounds of the closest capital cities.

After a week of studying for contracts, I had a bit of a treat today. I volunteered to help sell programs at an aussie rules game, allowing me to get in for free. Although Canberra does not have a professional AFL team, they do travel here sometimes. Today I watched the Sydney Swans play the Melbourne Demons, with Sydney coming out on top, though it was pretty close for a while. I was kind of exciting to watch the footy again, and maybe one day I'll be able to umpire the professional games.

Well, the shortest day of the year has come and gone and we now enter the coldest period of the year. It has gotten a bit chillier but not much. I'm told winter in Canberra can be very pretty, but we shall see. It certainly won't be anything like Ottawa's winters.