I had not the energy to post yesterday when I normally would have. This week, especially the last few days have been very hectic and trying, though also punctuated with certain amounts of contentment. Such is the life of a university student.
The week began with a great calm. Classes had ended the previous Friday and we entered a short period called "stuvac", short for "study vacation". This would be very similar to the week or so in Canada between the end of classes and the start of the exam period. I spent those precious few days studying for the upcoming exams and didn't leave Fenner Hall much. When the first salvo of exams did arrive, they did so with ferocity.
I, and all the other JD students, had the misfortune of having 3 exams in a row: Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The first one was an exam on the foundations of Australian law, dealing with statutory interpretation, which isn't as hard as it sounds. Thursday saw the criminal law exam which was a little harder. I answered questions regarding manslaughter and property offences (theft and obtaining by deception) which were very involved. Finally, yesterday, we had the torts exam which was fairly difficult. Everyone else thinks as I, so I'm not alone. I would be more worried if I had found the exams very simple as it would probably mean that I had missed some critical issues. With these exams over, I can breath a sigh of relief until next Saturday, when I have my contracts exam. That one takes place at 08:30 and none of us are looking forward to it.
I did have some happy scholastic news. I received a Distinction grade on a paper I did regarding judicial legislation and the Mabo decision. This was a famous aboriginal land rights decision where the High Court decided that the common law recognized native land title with its concept of communal ownership. I think that good grade lifted my spirits a bit.
Yesterday, I also had some time with an old friend from Ottawa. His sister is studying at the University of Wollongong and he and his parents are down visiting Australia. Andre has just completed his medical degree at McMaster in Hamilton and will shortly commence residency at a hospital in Montreal. He came down to Canberra for a night before the whole family flies off to the Whitsundays (a tropical island group) for some holidays.
We met up and had dinner at Hog's Breath, a steak and ribs restaurant in the city center. Andre, or Dr. Dre as I now call him, is also an amateur pilot and I suggested that he join the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) after his residency is completed. In order to service remote communities, the RFDS was established so doctors could fly into the towns regularly and render services that would otherwise be inaccessable. I told Andre that he could combine his two great passions and he was amenable to the idea. Later, we were picked up by another of Andre's friends who lives in Canberra and we drove Andre around the city for a little while. We went to the top of Mount Ainslie, had ice cream at Canberra Centre (a shopping mall), looked at embassies, drove to Parliament and took a drive through Fyshwick, a famous (or infamous) Canberra suburb. Andre also remarked that Canberra reminded him of Ottawa.
Today I also managed a quick excursion outside the city. I went with the local Plast (Ukrainian scouts) group to Molonglo Gorge. The small troop was having their annual Svyato Yuriya (St. George's Day) activities today which included a short hike through the gorge. St. George is the patron saint of scouts and the day honouring him is supposed to be an important day on the Plast calendar. In Ottawa, we used to have big Svyato Yuriya activities, but that has sort of dropped by the wayside in recent times. After a quick beginning, about 12 of us, instructors and scouts, hiked through Molonglo Gorge, which is a narrow opening carved out by the small Molonglo river which flows through Canberra. Apparently, it is an important paleontological site with many fossils. There was even an old train which ran on tracks above the gorge at one point. The hike lasted only about 40 minutes before we returned for some food. I barbequed some sausages on a typical aussie barbie that looks like a hot plate. All-in-all, a very fun afternoon out.
Finally, I also officially received my Masters degree a few days ago. After completing the requirements in January, I had to wait until now to officially receive my Masters since there is no ceremony in February. It's good to have things all signed and official. Now, all that's left is to finish off this term and get a well deserved rest.
The week began with a great calm. Classes had ended the previous Friday and we entered a short period called "stuvac", short for "study vacation". This would be very similar to the week or so in Canada between the end of classes and the start of the exam period. I spent those precious few days studying for the upcoming exams and didn't leave Fenner Hall much. When the first salvo of exams did arrive, they did so with ferocity.
I, and all the other JD students, had the misfortune of having 3 exams in a row: Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The first one was an exam on the foundations of Australian law, dealing with statutory interpretation, which isn't as hard as it sounds. Thursday saw the criminal law exam which was a little harder. I answered questions regarding manslaughter and property offences (theft and obtaining by deception) which were very involved. Finally, yesterday, we had the torts exam which was fairly difficult. Everyone else thinks as I, so I'm not alone. I would be more worried if I had found the exams very simple as it would probably mean that I had missed some critical issues. With these exams over, I can breath a sigh of relief until next Saturday, when I have my contracts exam. That one takes place at 08:30 and none of us are looking forward to it.
I did have some happy scholastic news. I received a Distinction grade on a paper I did regarding judicial legislation and the Mabo decision. This was a famous aboriginal land rights decision where the High Court decided that the common law recognized native land title with its concept of communal ownership. I think that good grade lifted my spirits a bit.
Yesterday, I also had some time with an old friend from Ottawa. His sister is studying at the University of Wollongong and he and his parents are down visiting Australia. Andre has just completed his medical degree at McMaster in Hamilton and will shortly commence residency at a hospital in Montreal. He came down to Canberra for a night before the whole family flies off to the Whitsundays (a tropical island group) for some holidays.
We met up and had dinner at Hog's Breath, a steak and ribs restaurant in the city center. Andre, or Dr. Dre as I now call him, is also an amateur pilot and I suggested that he join the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) after his residency is completed. In order to service remote communities, the RFDS was established so doctors could fly into the towns regularly and render services that would otherwise be inaccessable. I told Andre that he could combine his two great passions and he was amenable to the idea. Later, we were picked up by another of Andre's friends who lives in Canberra and we drove Andre around the city for a little while. We went to the top of Mount Ainslie, had ice cream at Canberra Centre (a shopping mall), looked at embassies, drove to Parliament and took a drive through Fyshwick, a famous (or infamous) Canberra suburb. Andre also remarked that Canberra reminded him of Ottawa.
Today I also managed a quick excursion outside the city. I went with the local Plast (Ukrainian scouts) group to Molonglo Gorge. The small troop was having their annual Svyato Yuriya (St. George's Day) activities today which included a short hike through the gorge. St. George is the patron saint of scouts and the day honouring him is supposed to be an important day on the Plast calendar. In Ottawa, we used to have big Svyato Yuriya activities, but that has sort of dropped by the wayside in recent times. After a quick beginning, about 12 of us, instructors and scouts, hiked through Molonglo Gorge, which is a narrow opening carved out by the small Molonglo river which flows through Canberra. Apparently, it is an important paleontological site with many fossils. There was even an old train which ran on tracks above the gorge at one point. The hike lasted only about 40 minutes before we returned for some food. I barbequed some sausages on a typical aussie barbie that looks like a hot plate. All-in-all, a very fun afternoon out.
Finally, I also officially received my Masters degree a few days ago. After completing the requirements in January, I had to wait until now to officially receive my Masters since there is no ceremony in February. It's good to have things all signed and official. Now, all that's left is to finish off this term and get a well deserved rest.
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