With June just around the corner, in fact only a few minutes away as I write this, it means that winter is settling over the great southern land. However, from a Canadian perspective calling this season "winter" is nothing short of generous. Australian winters, even those in mountainous areas such as Canberra lack the sting of their Canadian equivalent. I imagine that now in Canada, as summer approaches the weather is turning sunnier, warmer and muggier.
To be fair to Australia, it does get snow occasionally. The Great Dividing Range, the mountain chain along the eastern coast rises to the heights of the Appalachians and does get frequent snow. There are places in the mountains, like Thredbo and Perisher Blue that serve as ski resorts. Sometimes it even snows on top in the summer, though that is rare. Canberra, which sits at an elevation of 571 meters above sea level, gets snow roughly once every 3 years but it rarely lasts the day. As of now, the weather is still sunny with daytime temperatures close to 20C, with today being a very warm day in the sun. Perhaps this winter will be milder than usual, but we'll see. The most fair statement about Australian weather is that it can be very bizarre. In 2006 in November, approaching the beginning of summer, a rapidly moving cold front powered its way along the east coast of the country. With it came very low temperatures and flurries, all the way to southern Queensland. This would be equivalent to a place like Miami receiving snow at the end of May.
The week in Canberra has been very quiet and I haven't really done much. My exams are in about 2 weeks time so I have begun to settle down and study. I think I've got a handle on things in the legal world. Today, I goal umpired 2 games the second of which was particularly exciting as it was decided by a single point. I've been going to training on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I think its begun to pay off. In addition to improving my technique, I think I've also been getting into much better shape. I have longer endurance and I think I've even lost some weight. As I don't have a bathroom scale it's hard to tell. I think the colder air at night is helping me. For the first few weeks I had to adjust to the higher altitude but now my body has adapted by producing more red blood cells to carry oxygen. The denser cold air has a higher percentage of oxygen in it than warmer air so when I draw breath, I'm actually oxygenating myself more efficiently. This translates into the endurance increase that I've noticed and the training regimen has no doubt helped as well.
Also today, our floor leader, Lisa, organized a special dinner for us, paid for out of the floor budget. It was Turkish food and very delicious. There was lamb, rice, spinach balls and other assorted items. We all had our fill and left quite sated. I also learned that some family friends from Ottawa are in town and I anxiously wait to meet them, I'll be calling them tomorrow to set up a time and place. Andre, a longtime friend and recent med school graduate is also in Australia, though in the Red Center at the moment. He'll be in Canberra in a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to hearing his stories of the emergency room. He once spent 3 weeks in a south-central Los Angeles hospital on an exchange and I really want to hear all about that.
With winter officially starting June 1, I thought I'd take this opportunity to mention some Aussie customs which are normal down here but are unusual to outsiders. First of all, you may have noticed that they count the seasons differently. In North America, seasons begin on an equinox or a solstice, but here it's always the first of a month: June (winter), September (spring), December (summer) and March (fall). If I'm not mistaken, Australians do not use the word "autumn" at all and simply use "fall". In Australia, ketchup is called "tomato (toh-MAH-to) sauce" though I'm told that ketchup down here refers to tomato sauce that has sugar added. Australians call "beets" "beet root" (though it's actually a tuber) and they put it on hamburgers. Sausages are called "snags", they're larger versions of breakfast sausages and you eat them by folding a normal piece of sliced bread. It's actually very efficient since you can get more snags in bread that way. The second storey of a building is called the "first floor" while the ground floor is simply called the "ground floor", which means that building floors are numbered G-1-2-3-etc.. A ute is a uniquely Australian vehicle. Short for "utility" imagine a cross between a Honda Civic and a pickup truck and you'll get the idea. I'll take a picture of one and post it sometime.
Now for some Aussie slang. A "bogan" (BOW-gun) is a person sort of akin to a "redneck" but not really. If you come to Australia, someone will be able to explain the physical and personality characteristics of a bogan. "Goon" is wine in a box and "hooning" is the practice of suping up cars, usually utes, then tearing down the streets at ridiculous speeds. You'll learn many more phrases and words if you come Down Under.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Passing Judgement
This week has been a little more exciting than previous weeks. I had a great time at trivia and I matched wits with some judges from around the country. One of those judges happened to appear before the High Court in some very important decisions. I also learned of an important difference between Australian and Canadian law.
On Sunday, there was a hall-wide trivia contest with each floor sending representatives. The top prize was $100.00 towards the winning floor's budget. I ended up representing my floor as everyone else left me out to dry like the proverbial towel that I am. I was not alone as two ladies, one from a different floor and the other from the Rex Hotel across the street, joined with me. The Rex Hotel serves as overflow accommodation for students who have been accepted into residence but there is no place to put them. It ended up being the 3 of us against many more much larger teams. Somehow, through knowledge and luck, we managed to pull off a victory! It was agreed that since I had started the game alone (they came a few minutes in) and we were all, effectively, representing floor South Six, the $100.00 prize would go entirely to my floor. Needless to say, I was pretty proud of myself for the next few days.
On Wednesday, I had a marvelous opportunity to interact with judges from across Australia. They were at ANU as part of a National Judicial College of Australia conference. There were only about 20 of them altogether, and a few law students thrown in for good measure. At one point, while discussing a fictional manslaughter case, the host (also a judge) pointed at me to give the first opinion as to the proper sentence. I was a little stunned as I realized that all ears, at than moment, were turned to me. I mentioned that this was only my first semester of my first year at law school and I hadn't done any sentencing courses (which I don't believe are taught). The judge smiled and said that that fact made me more qualified than most judges and I was half-way to the High Court. Everyone had a chuckle and I gave my opinion. After everyone had gone through their's, I noted that my sentence fell somewhere in the middle. I hope to one day do this for real, hopefully at the highest appellate levels.
One of the judges, from Queensland, I learned had been counsel for the state government on several important cases before the High Court. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, aboriginal land claims came to a head in 3 famous cases: Mabo 1, Mabo 2 and Wik. Mabo 1 decided that a particular Queensland law purporting to extinguish native land title rights was contrary to the Commonwealth's anti-racial discrimination legislation, making it unconstitutional. Mabo 2 further ruled that the legal principle which had given the Crown supposed sovereignty over all Australia, terra nullius, was a factual error. Terra nullius held that any lands not already settled at the time of colonization were wastelands open to all. Since aboriginal peoples had no concept of exclusive ownership, it was held, for a long time, that Australia was an empty land, legally speaking. Mabo 2 made it clear that terra nullius was patently false and the the common law recognizes the communal ownership concepts of the aboriginals. The Wik decision held that pastoral leases did not extinguish native title. I was very interested to hear what this judge had to say about those cases and I think my conversations with him gave me a unique insight into those famous cases.
That same night, I went upon invitation to the Solomkos, a Ukrainian family in the area. They had invited me to watch State of Origin with them, the sort of Superbowl of Rugby League. In this case New South Wales and Queensland square off in a best-of-three series held over six weeks; this was the first game. While there I met an interesting man named Wally, from Perth, a Scottish-Australian who's a bit of a Ukrainophile. He works for Air Services Australia (sort of like Navcan) but he used to be a pilot and a crash investigator. I always enjoy going to the Solomkos as they are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I've ever met.
Finally, in criminal procedure we've begun to learn about property offences, most notably theft. I was intrigued to learn that in Australia, to constitute theft, a personal must intend to permanently deprive the owner of that thing. I understand that this is the law in the UK as well. I looked through the Criminal Code of Canada and found that theft under s 322 clearly states that the intent necessary is merely to deprive be it temporarily or permanently (absolutely is the statutory language used). This would make certain things theft in Canada, but not in Australia. The differences between the systems never stop to amaze me.
All in all, I think this has been a very good and educational week.
On Sunday, there was a hall-wide trivia contest with each floor sending representatives. The top prize was $100.00 towards the winning floor's budget. I ended up representing my floor as everyone else left me out to dry like the proverbial towel that I am. I was not alone as two ladies, one from a different floor and the other from the Rex Hotel across the street, joined with me. The Rex Hotel serves as overflow accommodation for students who have been accepted into residence but there is no place to put them. It ended up being the 3 of us against many more much larger teams. Somehow, through knowledge and luck, we managed to pull off a victory! It was agreed that since I had started the game alone (they came a few minutes in) and we were all, effectively, representing floor South Six, the $100.00 prize would go entirely to my floor. Needless to say, I was pretty proud of myself for the next few days.
On Wednesday, I had a marvelous opportunity to interact with judges from across Australia. They were at ANU as part of a National Judicial College of Australia conference. There were only about 20 of them altogether, and a few law students thrown in for good measure. At one point, while discussing a fictional manslaughter case, the host (also a judge) pointed at me to give the first opinion as to the proper sentence. I was a little stunned as I realized that all ears, at than moment, were turned to me. I mentioned that this was only my first semester of my first year at law school and I hadn't done any sentencing courses (which I don't believe are taught). The judge smiled and said that that fact made me more qualified than most judges and I was half-way to the High Court. Everyone had a chuckle and I gave my opinion. After everyone had gone through their's, I noted that my sentence fell somewhere in the middle. I hope to one day do this for real, hopefully at the highest appellate levels.
One of the judges, from Queensland, I learned had been counsel for the state government on several important cases before the High Court. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, aboriginal land claims came to a head in 3 famous cases: Mabo 1, Mabo 2 and Wik. Mabo 1 decided that a particular Queensland law purporting to extinguish native land title rights was contrary to the Commonwealth's anti-racial discrimination legislation, making it unconstitutional. Mabo 2 further ruled that the legal principle which had given the Crown supposed sovereignty over all Australia, terra nullius, was a factual error. Terra nullius held that any lands not already settled at the time of colonization were wastelands open to all. Since aboriginal peoples had no concept of exclusive ownership, it was held, for a long time, that Australia was an empty land, legally speaking. Mabo 2 made it clear that terra nullius was patently false and the the common law recognizes the communal ownership concepts of the aboriginals. The Wik decision held that pastoral leases did not extinguish native title. I was very interested to hear what this judge had to say about those cases and I think my conversations with him gave me a unique insight into those famous cases.
That same night, I went upon invitation to the Solomkos, a Ukrainian family in the area. They had invited me to watch State of Origin with them, the sort of Superbowl of Rugby League. In this case New South Wales and Queensland square off in a best-of-three series held over six weeks; this was the first game. While there I met an interesting man named Wally, from Perth, a Scottish-Australian who's a bit of a Ukrainophile. He works for Air Services Australia (sort of like Navcan) but he used to be a pilot and a crash investigator. I always enjoy going to the Solomkos as they are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I've ever met.
Finally, in criminal procedure we've begun to learn about property offences, most notably theft. I was intrigued to learn that in Australia, to constitute theft, a personal must intend to permanently deprive the owner of that thing. I understand that this is the law in the UK as well. I looked through the Criminal Code of Canada and found that theft under s 322 clearly states that the intent necessary is merely to deprive be it temporarily or permanently (absolutely is the statutory language used). This would make certain things theft in Canada, but not in Australia. The differences between the systems never stop to amaze me.
All in all, I think this has been a very good and educational week.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
A Quiet Week
As most weeks in life, this one has been uneventful. Curiously, nothing of considerable interest tends to happen in my life; must be me. Well, I'm generally pretty quite and reserved so I don't have occasion to find exciting things. I like sitting at home and I don't go out to pubs much, though this is more for economic reasons rather than me being averse to the proposition.
In my Foundations of Australian Law tutorial, we were asked to bring in any statutes we wanted for discussion. Our focus now is statutory interpretation, which will be on the exam (it is the exam), and it did not matter what kind of statute or from where. I brought in the Code of Ur-Nammu, an ancient Sumerian legal code. Written around 2100 BCE, it is the oldest legal code still in existence, which may mean it is the oldest legislative act still in existence. Although older legal codes are mentioned in ancient texts, none have as yet been found to have survived the blasting sands of time.
On Friday, I went to an international law students gathering where I was approached to be the JD representative on the Law Students Society. I mentioned that I was amenable to the suggestion and I think I will take them up on the offer. While there will still have to be an election, if someone else chooses to run, I look forward to representing my fellow JDs if I get the chance.
Today, a cold front has moved in and the weather was pretty miserable. I goal umpired a game at the Australian Defence Force Academy and while the rain had stopped by game time, the wind was pretty biting. It's supposed to warm up by Monday and be sunny again, so that's something to look forward to.
This last week at Fenner Hall has been Multicultural Week, with many events like a showcase of cultures and an Australian country dance and barbecue. Sunday is trivia night which I eagerly anticipate. Hopefully, I can help my floor to victory.
In my Foundations of Australian Law tutorial, we were asked to bring in any statutes we wanted for discussion. Our focus now is statutory interpretation, which will be on the exam (it is the exam), and it did not matter what kind of statute or from where. I brought in the Code of Ur-Nammu, an ancient Sumerian legal code. Written around 2100 BCE, it is the oldest legal code still in existence, which may mean it is the oldest legislative act still in existence. Although older legal codes are mentioned in ancient texts, none have as yet been found to have survived the blasting sands of time.
On Friday, I went to an international law students gathering where I was approached to be the JD representative on the Law Students Society. I mentioned that I was amenable to the suggestion and I think I will take them up on the offer. While there will still have to be an election, if someone else chooses to run, I look forward to representing my fellow JDs if I get the chance.
Today, a cold front has moved in and the weather was pretty miserable. I goal umpired a game at the Australian Defence Force Academy and while the rain had stopped by game time, the wind was pretty biting. It's supposed to warm up by Monday and be sunny again, so that's something to look forward to.
This last week at Fenner Hall has been Multicultural Week, with many events like a showcase of cultures and an Australian country dance and barbecue. Sunday is trivia night which I eagerly anticipate. Hopefully, I can help my floor to victory.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Esperance sans peur (Hope Without Fear)
I took the title of this post from a quote which I heard in one of my tutorial sessions. I don't remember who said it, but I believe it was a judge. In this last week, I learned something which gave me hope that I just might have some talent with the law. There is now hope without fear.
Before I tell of my hopeful occurrence, I'll just summarize the rather mundane week I have had. With final exams about 1 month away, most everyone is anxious to do well and so study is the standing order. I wish I could say I had seen something interesting or been somewhere spectacular, but I have not. This week has been notable only for it's warm temperatures, roughly 20C, which makes everything very enjoyable.
That which gave me hope is a statement made by a law professor with regards to an argument I put forward in my torts exam. The actual details of the problem are somewhat technical, and uninteresting to anyone not studying law, but the most important fact was that it involved 2 wrestlers, one of whom was pinned to the mat so that her face was pressed against it. I argued that this was a particularly dangerous move because it prevented the player from withdrawing their consent to the match. This is important because in law, you consent to legal contact in sports but not to dangerous contact. The professor said that it was the most original argument put forward on that point of the exam. The professor's statement was circulated in a post-exam debrief to all students, so I feel that I can be justifiably proud of myself. This gives me the hope to carry on.
I've posted more photos on my blog below and I'll post photos from my Sydney trip sometime in the future. Until then, good night and good luck.
Before I tell of my hopeful occurrence, I'll just summarize the rather mundane week I have had. With final exams about 1 month away, most everyone is anxious to do well and so study is the standing order. I wish I could say I had seen something interesting or been somewhere spectacular, but I have not. This week has been notable only for it's warm temperatures, roughly 20C, which makes everything very enjoyable.
That which gave me hope is a statement made by a law professor with regards to an argument I put forward in my torts exam. The actual details of the problem are somewhat technical, and uninteresting to anyone not studying law, but the most important fact was that it involved 2 wrestlers, one of whom was pinned to the mat so that her face was pressed against it. I argued that this was a particularly dangerous move because it prevented the player from withdrawing their consent to the match. This is important because in law, you consent to legal contact in sports but not to dangerous contact. The professor said that it was the most original argument put forward on that point of the exam. The professor's statement was circulated in a post-exam debrief to all students, so I feel that I can be justifiably proud of myself. This gives me the hope to carry on.
I've posted more photos on my blog below and I'll post photos from my Sydney trip sometime in the future. Until then, good night and good luck.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Once More Unto the Breach
This being the first week back, the theme has been getting back into the routine. The last week has been fairly uneventful with the only thing of note being the return of the torts mid-semester exam. I received a grade of "Credit" which is defined as "work of good quality". This effectively means I am at the level, or perhaps slightly ahead, of where I would normally be expected to be.
Grades in Australian universities are divided into the following categories: High Distinction (HD), Distinction (D), Credit (C), Pass (P) and Fail (N). From what I'm told, it is extremely difficult to get HDs and Ds at law school. All any of us can do is our best and I did my best on the torts exam.
The exam itself was called "redeemable" which means that if I do better than a credit on my final exam, my marks wil be adjusted such that I will be given the higher mark. I'm also anxious to see how I did on my other assignments, or, as they are called down here, assessments.
Aside from the return to school, nothing of importance has occurred this week. I continue to umpire, although tonight I went to a pub with some of my floormates. With the return of assessments coming up, though, it will give me a good prima facia look at my legal studies; where I need to improve and where I'm excelling.
Grades in Australian universities are divided into the following categories: High Distinction (HD), Distinction (D), Credit (C), Pass (P) and Fail (N). From what I'm told, it is extremely difficult to get HDs and Ds at law school. All any of us can do is our best and I did my best on the torts exam.
The exam itself was called "redeemable" which means that if I do better than a credit on my final exam, my marks wil be adjusted such that I will be given the higher mark. I'm also anxious to see how I did on my other assignments, or, as they are called down here, assessments.
Aside from the return to school, nothing of importance has occurred this week. I continue to umpire, although tonight I went to a pub with some of my floormates. With the return of assessments coming up, though, it will give me a good prima facia look at my legal studies; where I need to improve and where I'm excelling.
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Break Ends
I must apologize for the somewhat tardy nature of this latest post. After I returned from Sydney, I had some work to take care of and I've only now managed to sit down and take in the events of the last week. It was mostly calm, but there were some surprises.
I arrived in Sydney the night of Saturday and I was picked up from the bus station at Central Station, by my hosts, Andrew Bilinsky, Sonia Mycak and Polia Bilinsky. Andrew and Sonia both work at the University of Sydney, Sonia as a professor of Canadian studies and Andrew works with her at the institute they set up for Canadian studies. Polia is their 5-year old daughter who started school the Monday after I arrived. She has so much energy but had no problems adapting to school life. Andrew and Sonia, whom I met in Canberra, are both intelligent, interesting and all-around great people.
On Sunday, I was privileged to go with the family to a rugby game in the town of Gosford, about 1 hour north of Sydney. Andrew had won the tickets in a raffle and when I called to see if it was alright for me to travel to Sydney, Sonia suggested that I come along. That day, the Sydney Roosters were playing the Newcastle Knights in a historic game. On that day, April 21st, 1908, the first game of the National Rugby League was played in Sydney. The original teams were the Roosters and the South Sydney Rabittohs, who also still play. Until the 1980s, the league was not professional and players were people who lived in the neighbourhood, hence the teams all had neighbourhood loyalties. Anyway, the Knights proved too much for the Roosters that day. After the game, we all spent a little more time in Gosford and then drove home.
On Monday I took a walk to Coogee Beach, the closest to their home, and began a walk along the coast. From Coogee I walked to the world-famous Bondi Beach, going through a cemetery, and finally to the King's Cross district. Although it might not sound like I did that much, I assure you that the distance I travelled that day was considerable.
The following day, Andrew drove me to the university to show it to me. The University of Sydney is close to the city center and it is the oldest tertiary in Australia being founded in 1850. It is one of the formeost institutions in Australia. I walked around the university before going to Chinatown for lunch. I then walked to the Sydney Fish Market, the largest such enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere. It was significantly smaller than I thought, especially when compareds to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. There are many seafood restaurants and shops at the Fish Market and it smells of the sea. I'm told the more impressive area is where fishers auction off their catch, but this is closed to the public.
Tuesday was very sedate and I spent the whole day indoors. Unfortunately, it rained virtually the entirety of my time in Sydney. I learned that Sydney actually receives more rain than London, it just happens to be in a very dry country. Also, I watched an Australian classic, Muriel's Wedding, a film which stereotypes early 1990s Australian society. It starred Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, two actresses who have since found considerable success in the US.
On Wednesday, I was invited to host, or at least produce, the weekly Ukrainian radio program that Sonia and Andrew run. The plan was to have me talk about Canadian-Ukrainian culture intersperesed with Ukrainian-Canadian music. However, after we left the house, we realized that none of us had taken the CDs I had prepared; Andrew and Sonia thought the other had taken the CDs. All we had was one CD I had in my hand. Quickly improvizing on the way to the station, we decided that the show would be more of an interview of me describing the differences I observed between Ukrainian life, and life in general, in Australia and Canada. We then played songs from the CD I brought at certain intervals. Actually, the show turned out very well, perhaps better than the original plan, and I look forward to once more being a part of the show.
I left Sydney Thursday night after thanking my gracious hosts profusely. I hope to go to Sydney again, as it is quite close.
The morning of Friday the 25th was a very important day on the Australian calendar, ANZAC Day. This is Australia's version of Remembrance Day when Australian's gather to remember those soldiers, sailors and air personnel of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the First World War, and all falen Australian soldiers since. I particualry made a point of going to the Dawn Service, which began at 05:30. This commemorates the time that the ANZAC assaulted the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One in an unsuccesful attempt, orchestrated by the British, to secure the Dardanelles. Much like Remembrance Day, people gather at the War Memorial, though it is much larger than the one in Ottawa and houses a museum. There are speeches, a minute of silence, bugling of Reveille and Last Post and people even place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. There was even reading of In Flanders Fields. The whole ceremony lasted only half an hour, but it was quite the experience nonetheless.
In a short while, school begins again and there are no further breaks until the end of semester. Although I do not celebrate the return to scholastic life, I am anxious to learn new things.
I arrived in Sydney the night of Saturday and I was picked up from the bus station at Central Station, by my hosts, Andrew Bilinsky, Sonia Mycak and Polia Bilinsky. Andrew and Sonia both work at the University of Sydney, Sonia as a professor of Canadian studies and Andrew works with her at the institute they set up for Canadian studies. Polia is their 5-year old daughter who started school the Monday after I arrived. She has so much energy but had no problems adapting to school life. Andrew and Sonia, whom I met in Canberra, are both intelligent, interesting and all-around great people.
On Sunday, I was privileged to go with the family to a rugby game in the town of Gosford, about 1 hour north of Sydney. Andrew had won the tickets in a raffle and when I called to see if it was alright for me to travel to Sydney, Sonia suggested that I come along. That day, the Sydney Roosters were playing the Newcastle Knights in a historic game. On that day, April 21st, 1908, the first game of the National Rugby League was played in Sydney. The original teams were the Roosters and the South Sydney Rabittohs, who also still play. Until the 1980s, the league was not professional and players were people who lived in the neighbourhood, hence the teams all had neighbourhood loyalties. Anyway, the Knights proved too much for the Roosters that day. After the game, we all spent a little more time in Gosford and then drove home.
On Monday I took a walk to Coogee Beach, the closest to their home, and began a walk along the coast. From Coogee I walked to the world-famous Bondi Beach, going through a cemetery, and finally to the King's Cross district. Although it might not sound like I did that much, I assure you that the distance I travelled that day was considerable.
The following day, Andrew drove me to the university to show it to me. The University of Sydney is close to the city center and it is the oldest tertiary in Australia being founded in 1850. It is one of the formeost institutions in Australia. I walked around the university before going to Chinatown for lunch. I then walked to the Sydney Fish Market, the largest such enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere. It was significantly smaller than I thought, especially when compareds to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. There are many seafood restaurants and shops at the Fish Market and it smells of the sea. I'm told the more impressive area is where fishers auction off their catch, but this is closed to the public.
Tuesday was very sedate and I spent the whole day indoors. Unfortunately, it rained virtually the entirety of my time in Sydney. I learned that Sydney actually receives more rain than London, it just happens to be in a very dry country. Also, I watched an Australian classic, Muriel's Wedding, a film which stereotypes early 1990s Australian society. It starred Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, two actresses who have since found considerable success in the US.
On Wednesday, I was invited to host, or at least produce, the weekly Ukrainian radio program that Sonia and Andrew run. The plan was to have me talk about Canadian-Ukrainian culture intersperesed with Ukrainian-Canadian music. However, after we left the house, we realized that none of us had taken the CDs I had prepared; Andrew and Sonia thought the other had taken the CDs. All we had was one CD I had in my hand. Quickly improvizing on the way to the station, we decided that the show would be more of an interview of me describing the differences I observed between Ukrainian life, and life in general, in Australia and Canada. We then played songs from the CD I brought at certain intervals. Actually, the show turned out very well, perhaps better than the original plan, and I look forward to once more being a part of the show.
I left Sydney Thursday night after thanking my gracious hosts profusely. I hope to go to Sydney again, as it is quite close.
The morning of Friday the 25th was a very important day on the Australian calendar, ANZAC Day. This is Australia's version of Remembrance Day when Australian's gather to remember those soldiers, sailors and air personnel of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the First World War, and all falen Australian soldiers since. I particualry made a point of going to the Dawn Service, which began at 05:30. This commemorates the time that the ANZAC assaulted the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One in an unsuccesful attempt, orchestrated by the British, to secure the Dardanelles. Much like Remembrance Day, people gather at the War Memorial, though it is much larger than the one in Ottawa and houses a museum. There are speeches, a minute of silence, bugling of Reveille and Last Post and people even place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. There was even reading of In Flanders Fields. The whole ceremony lasted only half an hour, but it was quite the experience nonetheless.
In a short while, school begins again and there are no further breaks until the end of semester. Although I do not celebrate the return to scholastic life, I am anxious to learn new things.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Sights of Canberra
With a great sense of relief, the mid-semester break arrived. Having completed all my assignments and one test, I looked forward to such much needed, and deserved, respite. The exam, on torts, was open book while the assignments were not particularly challenging. However, as these are my first assessments in law school, I am anxious to know how I did. However, with 2 weeks of uninterrupted vacation, I decided that I should take the opportunity to visit some of Canberra's more famous landmarks.
On Tuesday, I went to the High Court of Australia, the court of final appeal. Its role is much like that of the Supreme Court of Canada in that it is the final judge of the law and interprets each law and statute with regards to the Australian Constitution. The High Court consists of 7 judges, 1 of whom is the Chief Justice. Until 1988 the justices wore long wigs but have since then adopted the more Canadian/American approach of plain black robes and no wigs. One of the justices, Handley, was born in Canada, so there is hope for me yet. Interestingly, unlike Canada, the government cannot override the High Court's Constitutional ruling, a la section 33 (notwithstanding clause); there is no such clause in the Australian Constitution. In the building itself, there are 3 courtrooms: #1 for major constitutional and ceremonial matters (7 judges), #2 for most matters (5 judges) and #3 for procedural matters (1 judge).
The case I saw before the High Court involved a dispute between the government and a business with regards to the 10% GST which is levied on all goods and services. Essentially, the company was offerred a service as part of a contract it entered. The contract was then abrogated (rescission was the exact word) and the company is arguing that it does not owe any GST. The government is arguing the opposite. I heard most of the government's case and the very beginning of the company's case when there was a break for lunch. It was interesting to see how the court operated. The judges interrupted the lawyers several times to take them to task on their assertions. It's a very unique event to see and I hope to one day, maybe, be sitting on the bench of the High Court.
The next day I went to Parliament House, the center of Australian democracy. Unfortunately, Parliament is not in session so I'll have to wait a little while yet to go see question period. One thing that distinguishes this Parliament from Canada's is that it was built in 1988 so everything looks newer and more modern. There is plenty more natural light which, I think, makes the building more inviting. Australia's Parliament operates in much the same way as Canada's except that the lower house is called the House of Representatives and the upper chamber, the Senate, is an elected body. Like the US, the House represents the people while the Senate represents the states. I think that it is a very well designed edifice.
Almost at the spur of a moment, I decided to travel to Sydney to visit some people I'd met in Canberra. I thought I might be able to go to Melbourne but I couldn't get a cheap enough flight and other means of transportation take too long. In fact, I'm writing this post in Sydney. I'm only here for a few days but, with any luck, my next post will contain many happy adventures of Australia's great metropolis. 
On Tuesday, I went to the High Court of Australia, the court of final appeal. Its role is much like that of the Supreme Court of Canada in that it is the final judge of the law and interprets each law and statute with regards to the Australian Constitution. The High Court consists of 7 judges, 1 of whom is the Chief Justice. Until 1988 the justices wore long wigs but have since then adopted the more Canadian/American approach of plain black robes and no wigs. One of the justices, Handley, was born in Canada, so there is hope for me yet. Interestingly, unlike Canada, the government cannot override the High Court's Constitutional ruling, a la section 33 (notwithstanding clause); there is no such clause in the Australian Constitution. In the building itself, there are 3 courtrooms: #1 for major constitutional and ceremonial matters (7 judges), #2 for most matters (5 judges) and #3 for procedural matters (1 judge).
The case I saw before the High Court involved a dispute between the government and a business with regards to the 10% GST which is levied on all goods and services. Essentially, the company was offerred a service as part of a contract it entered. The contract was then abrogated (rescission was the exact word) and the company is arguing that it does not owe any GST. The government is arguing the opposite. I heard most of the government's case and the very beginning of the company's case when there was a break for lunch. It was interesting to see how the court operated. The judges interrupted the lawyers several times to take them to task on their assertions. It's a very unique event to see and I hope to one day, maybe, be sitting on the bench of the High Court.
The next day I went to Parliament House, the center of Australian democracy. Unfortunately, Parliament is not in session so I'll have to wait a little while yet to go see question period. One thing that distinguishes this Parliament from Canada's is that it was built in 1988 so everything looks newer and more modern. There is plenty more natural light which, I think, makes the building more inviting. Australia's Parliament operates in much the same way as Canada's except that the lower house is called the House of Representatives and the upper chamber, the Senate, is an elected body. Like the US, the House represents the people while the Senate represents the states. I think that it is a very well designed edifice.
Almost at the spur of a moment, I decided to travel to Sydney to visit some people I'd met in Canberra. I thought I might be able to go to Melbourne but I couldn't get a cheap enough flight and other means of transportation take too long. In fact, I'm writing this post in Sydney. I'm only here for a few days but, with any luck, my next post will contain many happy adventures of Australia's great metropolis.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Them's the Breaks
After several weeks of study, all of us at ANU now have the good fortune of two weeks of well deserved holidays. Having completed all the required assignments and tests, I'm ready to relax for the next little while, recuperating and readying myself for the 2nd half of the semester. ANU offers 2 two-week mid-semester breaks throughout the year, not to mention a break between semesters 1 and 2. I'll see if I can somehow manage to travel to either Sydney or Melbourne cheaply.
Although it is autumn here, the weather has taken a decidedly more agreeable tone. Temperatures over the last few days have been above 20C and I'm enjoying the constant sunshine. I must prepare myself for winter's onset as Canberra can get quite chilly I'm told. Canberra is at an elevation of roughly 450 meters, but it also sits on the continental side of the Great Dividing Range. This prevents the moderating effects of the ocean that enables Sydney to stay warm year round. However, it also means that Canberra receives warm dry wind from Australia's interior fairly often. While snow is very rare, I'm told that frost is the more common manifestation of winter.
Aside from the weather, only scholastic issues have taken up my time. A short time ago I had to hand in a Contracts assignment that consisted of a summary of a case. Some time later, I had to sit the Torts (civil wrongs) exam, which was open book. I also had to hand in an assignment for another class based on torts and a take home exam based on criminal procedure. All in all, I think I did well in all subjects. I shall have to wait till the end of the month to find out.
On a side note, proctors (exam supervisors) are called "invigilators". I think it's a much more forceful and colourful word. It sounds like a machine of some kind.
Although it is autumn here, the weather has taken a decidedly more agreeable tone. Temperatures over the last few days have been above 20C and I'm enjoying the constant sunshine. I must prepare myself for winter's onset as Canberra can get quite chilly I'm told. Canberra is at an elevation of roughly 450 meters, but it also sits on the continental side of the Great Dividing Range. This prevents the moderating effects of the ocean that enables Sydney to stay warm year round. However, it also means that Canberra receives warm dry wind from Australia's interior fairly often. While snow is very rare, I'm told that frost is the more common manifestation of winter.
Aside from the weather, only scholastic issues have taken up my time. A short time ago I had to hand in a Contracts assignment that consisted of a summary of a case. Some time later, I had to sit the Torts (civil wrongs) exam, which was open book. I also had to hand in an assignment for another class based on torts and a take home exam based on criminal procedure. All in all, I think I did well in all subjects. I shall have to wait till the end of the month to find out.
On a side note, proctors (exam supervisors) are called "invigilators". I think it's a much more forceful and colourful word. It sounds like a machine of some kind.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Times, They Are A-Changin'
Come to think of it, I don't really know where this line or expression comes from, but it is apt. Today, daylight savings ended in Australia so we turned our clocks back by 1 hour. This means that Ottawa is 14 hours behind Canberra. I'll mention this week's activities, as well as some from previous weeks.
A few days ago, very strong winds blew through Canberra. While no damage was reported here, 130 km/h winds damaged property in Victoria. However, now that weather has turned a little sunnier and a little warmer, going a little over 20C.
I handed in my first assignment on Wednesday but it wasn't as legally taxing as you might expect. It was really a piece of comprehension and we were asked to summarize a case in 1 800 words or less. We won't get them back until the end of this month, but I think I did well. Now I just have to concentrate on my other assignments and exams.
Today, I had my first regular season game as a goal umpire and I very much enjoyed it. Though I made some technical errors, none were of the sort that would cause a blown call. It was mostly jut positioning and how to place the flags so they don't blow all over the place. If I may say so, I even made some pretty good calls. I have another one tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.
About a week ago, I did see something rather unfortunate. While I did not witness the actual accident itself, I did see a ute (think Honda Civic-pickup truck crossbreed) that had turned over and crashed into a tree. This was on my way to ANU right along Northbourne Avenue, one of the major arteries of Canberra. Somehow, the vehicle had jumped the center curb and had hit roof-first into a tree on the boulevard which separates Northbourne Avenue. Apparently, the guy driving had been racing (Aussie slang is hooning) when he lost control and flew off the road. I'm also told that he suffered only minor injuries. The car was a write-off and from the looks of the scene, the driver was lucky to escape with those injuries.
Another important event that happened recently was the discovery of the HMAS Sydney which had sunk in World War Two. The Sydney was an Australian vessel patrolling off the western coast when it caught up the Kormoran, a German warship disguised as a Dutch merchant vessel. The Sydney engaged and the Kormoran responded; it was an encounter that neither ship survived. The Sydney struck fatal blows to the Kormoran and she went down with the loss of about 80 crew, but the Kormoran had not missed her target. The sequence of events after the Kormoran sank is still unclear but it appears as though the Sydney's steering controls were damaged and she was unguidable. As well, the Kormoran had scored some direct hits and the last anyone saw of the Sydney, which were the survivors of the Kormoran, she was sailing away. At some point, over particularly deep waters, the Sydney exploded and sank with the loss of all her crew, over 650 sailors.
Recently, an underwater team has discovered the Sydney's final resting place, confirmed visually by bathyscape and there is some hope that some of the mysteries surrounding the Sydney's final hours will be solved. Of particular interest is the culpability and competence of her captain. Whatever results will come of this event, you can be sure that this ANZAC Day (April 25th), there will be special mention of the sailors of the Sydney.
In case you're wondering about photos, I do have some, though none from Canberra yet, and I will be posting them as soon as I can, but probably nor for at least another week.
A few days ago, very strong winds blew through Canberra. While no damage was reported here, 130 km/h winds damaged property in Victoria. However, now that weather has turned a little sunnier and a little warmer, going a little over 20C.
I handed in my first assignment on Wednesday but it wasn't as legally taxing as you might expect. It was really a piece of comprehension and we were asked to summarize a case in 1 800 words or less. We won't get them back until the end of this month, but I think I did well. Now I just have to concentrate on my other assignments and exams.
Today, I had my first regular season game as a goal umpire and I very much enjoyed it. Though I made some technical errors, none were of the sort that would cause a blown call. It was mostly jut positioning and how to place the flags so they don't blow all over the place. If I may say so, I even made some pretty good calls. I have another one tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.
About a week ago, I did see something rather unfortunate. While I did not witness the actual accident itself, I did see a ute (think Honda Civic-pickup truck crossbreed) that had turned over and crashed into a tree. This was on my way to ANU right along Northbourne Avenue, one of the major arteries of Canberra. Somehow, the vehicle had jumped the center curb and had hit roof-first into a tree on the boulevard which separates Northbourne Avenue. Apparently, the guy driving had been racing (Aussie slang is hooning) when he lost control and flew off the road. I'm also told that he suffered only minor injuries. The car was a write-off and from the looks of the scene, the driver was lucky to escape with those injuries.
Another important event that happened recently was the discovery of the HMAS Sydney which had sunk in World War Two. The Sydney was an Australian vessel patrolling off the western coast when it caught up the Kormoran, a German warship disguised as a Dutch merchant vessel. The Sydney engaged and the Kormoran responded; it was an encounter that neither ship survived. The Sydney struck fatal blows to the Kormoran and she went down with the loss of about 80 crew, but the Kormoran had not missed her target. The sequence of events after the Kormoran sank is still unclear but it appears as though the Sydney's steering controls were damaged and she was unguidable. As well, the Kormoran had scored some direct hits and the last anyone saw of the Sydney, which were the survivors of the Kormoran, she was sailing away. At some point, over particularly deep waters, the Sydney exploded and sank with the loss of all her crew, over 650 sailors.
Recently, an underwater team has discovered the Sydney's final resting place, confirmed visually by bathyscape and there is some hope that some of the mysteries surrounding the Sydney's final hours will be solved. Of particular interest is the culpability and competence of her captain. Whatever results will come of this event, you can be sure that this ANZAC Day (April 25th), there will be special mention of the sailors of the Sydney.
In case you're wondering about photos, I do have some, though none from Canberra yet, and I will be posting them as soon as I can, but probably nor for at least another week.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Week of Saturday
This week seems to have been fairly uneventful except fro Saturday which had a number of occurrences. As well, the weather is changing and it's very obvious that autumn is upon us, with winter soon to follow. My studies proceed apace and I think I'm getting the hang of the law, at least the basic concepts. Contracts is the least interesting of my courses not because of the lecturer, but there appears to be little consistency in the enforcement of contracts. Even if a contract is valid on its face it can still be negated in equity, which is a whole other league of law.
Anyway, there has been a marked change in the weather of late with temperatures dipping to levels with which Canadians are accustomed. Little more than a week ago, daytime highs were just over 30C but now are just under 20C. At night, the temperature drops by about 15 degrees making for chilly mornings. Canberra does receive snow but only on the rarest occasions. During winter frost is much more common. Actually, it snowed the other day in Victoria's high country. It's a little strange to equate Australia and snow but it does happen.
Easter Monday was also a welcome break in the scholastic routine. Although there will be a 2-week holiday later in April, it's still nice to get a few days off. Nonetheless, I spent most of it studying and reading. I'm actually I'm finding some of the case extracts quite interesting, although some of them are a little too long and the judicial reasoning is sometimes opaque. I even find myself questioning the decisions at times, which I'm told is a good skill to develop at law school. I believe that knowing the law is only part of law school and it is the creative (often very creative) application of the law which is more important.
An interesting darkening occurred today with the advent of Earth Hour. For 60 minutes (20:00-21:00) Australians were encouraged to turn off their lights to call attention to the issue of global warming and climate change. The Parliament extinguished all its lights, except for the one which lights the flag atop the flagpole. I also think that it serves to remind us just how important electricity is in the developed world. It is so ubiquitous that we take it for granted and do not realize its importance until it's gone. I am reminded of the 2003 North American blackout which left 50 million people in the dark --- the largest blackout in history. Government, business and society in general in northeastern North America shut down for nearly a week.
I witnessed a Fenner Hall tradition today with the annual wedding of 2 first year students. The wedding is, of course, not legally binding, and meant to be all in good fun. 2 first year students were selected at random and they then had a wedding ceremony followed by a reception. According to tradition, the couple stays "married" for a week and the "divorces". I can't wait to see if something happens for that event. I can say, though, that it was very amusing and in the fun-loving spirit of the Hall.
Lastly for this week, I also officiated my first aussie rules game this season. It was quite some ways away so I had to get a lift from one of the other officials. I was even given a proper fluorescent brown-orange shirt and baseball cap as part of the uniform, which go with black pants, dark socks and dark shoes. The game itself was reasonably good and gave me a few challenges to my officiating skills. I think I came out alright, though. I'm looking forward to many more of these opportunities.
Anyway, there has been a marked change in the weather of late with temperatures dipping to levels with which Canadians are accustomed. Little more than a week ago, daytime highs were just over 30C but now are just under 20C. At night, the temperature drops by about 15 degrees making for chilly mornings. Canberra does receive snow but only on the rarest occasions. During winter frost is much more common. Actually, it snowed the other day in Victoria's high country. It's a little strange to equate Australia and snow but it does happen.
Easter Monday was also a welcome break in the scholastic routine. Although there will be a 2-week holiday later in April, it's still nice to get a few days off. Nonetheless, I spent most of it studying and reading. I'm actually I'm finding some of the case extracts quite interesting, although some of them are a little too long and the judicial reasoning is sometimes opaque. I even find myself questioning the decisions at times, which I'm told is a good skill to develop at law school. I believe that knowing the law is only part of law school and it is the creative (often very creative) application of the law which is more important.
An interesting darkening occurred today with the advent of Earth Hour. For 60 minutes (20:00-21:00) Australians were encouraged to turn off their lights to call attention to the issue of global warming and climate change. The Parliament extinguished all its lights, except for the one which lights the flag atop the flagpole. I also think that it serves to remind us just how important electricity is in the developed world. It is so ubiquitous that we take it for granted and do not realize its importance until it's gone. I am reminded of the 2003 North American blackout which left 50 million people in the dark --- the largest blackout in history. Government, business and society in general in northeastern North America shut down for nearly a week.
I witnessed a Fenner Hall tradition today with the annual wedding of 2 first year students. The wedding is, of course, not legally binding, and meant to be all in good fun. 2 first year students were selected at random and they then had a wedding ceremony followed by a reception. According to tradition, the couple stays "married" for a week and the "divorces". I can't wait to see if something happens for that event. I can say, though, that it was very amusing and in the fun-loving spirit of the Hall.
Lastly for this week, I also officiated my first aussie rules game this season. It was quite some ways away so I had to get a lift from one of the other officials. I was even given a proper fluorescent brown-orange shirt and baseball cap as part of the uniform, which go with black pants, dark socks and dark shoes. The game itself was reasonably good and gave me a few challenges to my officiating skills. I think I came out alright, though. I'm looking forward to many more of these opportunities.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
My World this Week
I knew I should have started taking notes on the important events of the last week and now I'm having difficulty remembering just what to write about. I think from now on I will keep a quick reference guide to events.
After the weekend, I had a Plast meeting at the Ukrainian community center. I was asked to run the "novatstvo" (noh-VAHTS-tvo), 6-12 year old boys and girls, meeting as the regular counsellor had to travel to Sydney on business. I took over and told the kids the differences between Plast in Australia and Plast in Canada. The biggest difference is the level of Ukrainian used, with Canada using much more. Ukrainians in Australia have become more assimilated into Australian culture than Canadian-Ukrainians and fewer of them know Ukrainian very well. Most of my meeting was conducted in English. This phenomenon is partly due to the relative sizes of the Ukrainian communities in each country, Australian with 50 000 and Canada with 1 500 000. It can also be attributed to settlement patterns where in Canada Ukrainians played a large part in the development of the West, in Australia there was no such geographic settlement. More locally, Canberra is a very small community and I had only 5 novaks under my care. The older scouts, "yunatstvo" (yu-NAHTS-tvo), number only another half-dozen.
On Tuesday, I had more goal umpire training and I've been given my first game to officiate, which will be Saturday the 28th. I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to get paid for doing something I enjoy.
The next interesting thing that week was my trip to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. This is what would probably be the equivalent of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, that is to say, criminal matters and the like. In Australia, Supreme Courts are the highest judicial bodies in the particular state or territory, with the Full Court of the Supreme Court being the highest appellate body in same. The highest court in Australia is the High Court of Australia. Anyway, I went with a classmate, Nabilah, and it was our task for a class to sit in on a proceeding and report on it. We arrived in the afternoon and most things were already concluded. However, we managed to get in to a bail application for a young man who was up on some serious charges, possession of a prohibited weapon (knuckle-duster), harbouring a fugitive and 2 others. It was very interesting to see the way the judge handled the matter. The young man was remanded into custody pending a confirmation of his place in a Wollongong drug rehabilitation center.
The long weekend has been a welcome change to the usual routine. With 2 4-day weeks in a row, this has allowed for some breathing room and a bit of time to mentally distance oneself from the rigours of law school. I've spent some time resting but some time reading as well. Still, a few days off never hurt anyone.
Happy Easter.
After the weekend, I had a Plast meeting at the Ukrainian community center. I was asked to run the "novatstvo" (noh-VAHTS-tvo), 6-12 year old boys and girls, meeting as the regular counsellor had to travel to Sydney on business. I took over and told the kids the differences between Plast in Australia and Plast in Canada. The biggest difference is the level of Ukrainian used, with Canada using much more. Ukrainians in Australia have become more assimilated into Australian culture than Canadian-Ukrainians and fewer of them know Ukrainian very well. Most of my meeting was conducted in English. This phenomenon is partly due to the relative sizes of the Ukrainian communities in each country, Australian with 50 000 and Canada with 1 500 000. It can also be attributed to settlement patterns where in Canada Ukrainians played a large part in the development of the West, in Australia there was no such geographic settlement. More locally, Canberra is a very small community and I had only 5 novaks under my care. The older scouts, "yunatstvo" (yu-NAHTS-tvo), number only another half-dozen.
On Tuesday, I had more goal umpire training and I've been given my first game to officiate, which will be Saturday the 28th. I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to get paid for doing something I enjoy.
The next interesting thing that week was my trip to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. This is what would probably be the equivalent of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, that is to say, criminal matters and the like. In Australia, Supreme Courts are the highest judicial bodies in the particular state or territory, with the Full Court of the Supreme Court being the highest appellate body in same. The highest court in Australia is the High Court of Australia. Anyway, I went with a classmate, Nabilah, and it was our task for a class to sit in on a proceeding and report on it. We arrived in the afternoon and most things were already concluded. However, we managed to get in to a bail application for a young man who was up on some serious charges, possession of a prohibited weapon (knuckle-duster), harbouring a fugitive and 2 others. It was very interesting to see the way the judge handled the matter. The young man was remanded into custody pending a confirmation of his place in a Wollongong drug rehabilitation center.
The long weekend has been a welcome change to the usual routine. With 2 4-day weeks in a row, this has allowed for some breathing room and a bit of time to mentally distance oneself from the rigours of law school. I've spent some time resting but some time reading as well. Still, a few days off never hurt anyone.
Happy Easter.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Story So Far
It will not be easy to summarize the events of a whole month in just one post but I will try. Inadvertently, some events may be omitted and for that I apologize. However, from now on, I shall be making regular weekly updates to my blog.
The morning of the 18th heralded my departure from Sydney and my arrival in Canberra. Alex drove me to the train station where I caught the train. He offered to pay the difference between the economy and first class seats (which was $10), if I paid the student economy fare (which was $30). I accepted so I got to ride to Canberra first class. Al it really meant was a slightly larger seat that reclined further and I was a little closer to the food. I don't think I'll go first class again. Nonetheless, I am grateful to Alex that he allowed me to stay with him for those few nights; his generosity is boundless.
I arrived in Canberra just past noon on the 18th, was picked up at the station and was driven to my residence. This is a university residence off campus named Fenner Hall. I was greeted by other residents of the floor and was immediately made to feel welcome. I settled ion as best I could for the first day.
Canberra is a city a lot like Ottawa. As the capital, the largest employer is the federal government and many people here are civil servants. Like Ottawa, it was chosen to settle a rivalry between 2 larger cities, Sydney and Melbourne, who were both vying to be the capital of the new Australian Commonwealth. I have described Canberra, based on its reputation, as Ottawa 1/3rd the size and 1/10th the fun. Unlike Ottawa, Canberra does not seem to have yet grown out of its shell. That being said, fireworks are legal here and can be set off by anyone on the Queen's Birthday holiday. Canberra is administered separately as the main component of the Australian Capital Territory.
One of my first tasks was to get my student card and signed up for courses at university. I went to the campus of the Australian National University (ANU) and had to wait in line to register for courses. For some reason, ANU, like most universities does not do first-year registration online. It took hours but I finally got my courses and student card. The whole thing was a convoluted process involving waiting in several lines and moving between buildings.
I should say now why I'm in Australia and studying law. A while back I came to the tragic realization that the law was one of the only things I was actually good at. I applied to various Canadian schools but none accepted me. I then applied to Australian law schools, at my mother's suggestion, and was accepted to all of them. I chose ANU because it is consistently ranked the best school in Australia, and by extension the southern hemisphere, and it is in the middle of the price range. Taking all that into account, I made my choice.
After my scholastic duties, I became involved in Plast in Canberra, and the Ukrainian community in general, which is small. I have been invited to several events and homes, including barbeques, sailing and birthday parties and the legendary Ukrainian hospitality is affirmed. Having Ukrainian visitors to Canberra, particularly from outside the country is quite rare so I am something of an oddity. However, I could not feel more welcomed.
I have also become involved in residence life and assisted in Fenner Hall's victory in the Interhall Trivia Competition. As the name suggests, this was a tournament involving all of the residences of the university. Actually we tied for 1st with archrivals John's but they said we could keep the trophy. As it happened, I took custody of it and it is sitting on my shelf although it is not meant to be there much longer. It will soon be put in the trophy case. Fenner also just won the Interhall Chess Tournament and our cricket teams are in good positions this year. I also attended the Commencement Dinner.
I have also been training as a goal umpire for aussie rules football. I will shortly be umpiring games in the various junior leagues in and around the city. It will provide a little extra money and keep me fit at the same time.
Law school so far has not been terribly onerous, though there are many cases to read. My dad says that the most important thing to consider when studying is what is the issue being decided, though I think most important is whether the judge was sober when making their decision. I think my dad is correct nonetheless. Although I'm a little anxious with assignments starting to be distributed, I will be putting every effort in to excel and make the most of this opportunity. I may even find that being a soulless, evil lawyer (as if there were any other kind) is not so bad.
Please stay tuned for photos and more adventures. 
The morning of the 18th heralded my departure from Sydney and my arrival in Canberra. Alex drove me to the train station where I caught the train. He offered to pay the difference between the economy and first class seats (which was $10), if I paid the student economy fare (which was $30). I accepted so I got to ride to Canberra first class. Al it really meant was a slightly larger seat that reclined further and I was a little closer to the food. I don't think I'll go first class again. Nonetheless, I am grateful to Alex that he allowed me to stay with him for those few nights; his generosity is boundless.
I arrived in Canberra just past noon on the 18th, was picked up at the station and was driven to my residence. This is a university residence off campus named Fenner Hall. I was greeted by other residents of the floor and was immediately made to feel welcome. I settled ion as best I could for the first day.
Canberra is a city a lot like Ottawa. As the capital, the largest employer is the federal government and many people here are civil servants. Like Ottawa, it was chosen to settle a rivalry between 2 larger cities, Sydney and Melbourne, who were both vying to be the capital of the new Australian Commonwealth. I have described Canberra, based on its reputation, as Ottawa 1/3rd the size and 1/10th the fun. Unlike Ottawa, Canberra does not seem to have yet grown out of its shell. That being said, fireworks are legal here and can be set off by anyone on the Queen's Birthday holiday. Canberra is administered separately as the main component of the Australian Capital Territory.
One of my first tasks was to get my student card and signed up for courses at university. I went to the campus of the Australian National University (ANU) and had to wait in line to register for courses. For some reason, ANU, like most universities does not do first-year registration online. It took hours but I finally got my courses and student card. The whole thing was a convoluted process involving waiting in several lines and moving between buildings.
I should say now why I'm in Australia and studying law. A while back I came to the tragic realization that the law was one of the only things I was actually good at. I applied to various Canadian schools but none accepted me. I then applied to Australian law schools, at my mother's suggestion, and was accepted to all of them. I chose ANU because it is consistently ranked the best school in Australia, and by extension the southern hemisphere, and it is in the middle of the price range. Taking all that into account, I made my choice.
After my scholastic duties, I became involved in Plast in Canberra, and the Ukrainian community in general, which is small. I have been invited to several events and homes, including barbeques, sailing and birthday parties and the legendary Ukrainian hospitality is affirmed. Having Ukrainian visitors to Canberra, particularly from outside the country is quite rare so I am something of an oddity. However, I could not feel more welcomed.
I have also become involved in residence life and assisted in Fenner Hall's victory in the Interhall Trivia Competition. As the name suggests, this was a tournament involving all of the residences of the university. Actually we tied for 1st with archrivals John's but they said we could keep the trophy. As it happened, I took custody of it and it is sitting on my shelf although it is not meant to be there much longer. It will soon be put in the trophy case. Fenner also just won the Interhall Chess Tournament and our cricket teams are in good positions this year. I also attended the Commencement Dinner.
I have also been training as a goal umpire for aussie rules football. I will shortly be umpiring games in the various junior leagues in and around the city. It will provide a little extra money and keep me fit at the same time.
Law school so far has not been terribly onerous, though there are many cases to read. My dad says that the most important thing to consider when studying is what is the issue being decided, though I think most important is whether the judge was sober when making their decision. I think my dad is correct nonetheless. Although I'm a little anxious with assignments starting to be distributed, I will be putting every effort in to excel and make the most of this opportunity. I may even find that being a soulless, evil lawyer (as if there were any other kind) is not so bad.
Please stay tuned for photos and more adventures.
Sydney and Newcastle
As usual, I lost an entire day flying from San Francisco to Australia. Because I left late the night of the 11th, by the time I arrived in Syndey it was early morning the 13th. The flight over the Pacific was quite calm, though I seem to recall some turbulence. However, I was better able to entertain myself this time around. All QANTAS flights now have movies on demand in economy so I made full use of that facility. For the comfort of the passengers on this 14-hour flight, eye covers and blankets were provided. I managed to get some sleep on flight which helped me combat jet lag.
After the usual pro forma motions through customs, I emerged into the terminal of Sydney's Kingsford-Smith International Airport. I had returned. One thing I find particularly enjoyable about Australian culture is the more lax attitude in the country. A case in point was that going through customs there were two sets of lines, one for Australian/New Zealand citizens and permanent residents and another for everyone else. In North America I find that you must line up in the proper queue but in Australia, the guy in charge said, "Ignore the signs.", so everyone lined up wherever they chose.
As it turned out, I had arrived in Australia on a very special occasion. The new government, headed by Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labor (note the spelling) Party, was apologizing to Aborigine Australians for their maltreatment at the hands of previous governments. Much like the Canadian experience with residential schools, Aborigines were separated from their families and placed in schools or homes where many faced abuse; this practice continued until the beginning of the 1970s. Previous governments had refused to apologize, particularly the Liberal (read conservative) government of the previous Prime Minister, John Howard. He claimed that it was improper for contemporary administrations to be held responsible for the acts of previous administrations and that it might open the government to large civil claims. Neverthless, following an election promise, Kevin Rudd gave the apology in the Australian House of Representatives. February 13th, 2008 will forever be known as "Sorry Day". I hope that it was the first day of a new Australia, one finally able to come to grips with the demons in its past. Cosmopolitan Australia and Aborigine Australia may now be able to move on.
After leaving the airport, I got in touch with Alex, a friend of mine from my previous stay in the country. He and his father had agreed to let me stay at his place for a few nights while I travelled around the area. I spent my first night in a hotel by the airport but the subsequent night I spent at Alex's house. I met up with some of his friends, one named Helen I also remembered, aand we went to see the movie Jumper, which was so-so. I only stayed one night as I left for Newcastle the next day. I had an evening train so I managed to meet a few more of Alex's friends during the afternoon of the 15th.
The evening of the 15th was the beginning of my adventure to Newcastle, a city about 160 km north of Sydney. There live the Motyka family, friends of my family and I had stayed with them previously. I met with Oleksander on the train from Sydney and we rode it together all the way up. Unfortunately, the weekend I was going up work was being done on the track between Sydney and Newcastle which delayed the train. It took about a half-hour longer than ususal for it to arrive. When I arrived at the Motyka home, I was immediately made welcome; I always enjoy going up to Newcastle.
Already arrived was Platon (plah-TOHN), a guy from Winnipeg now studying medicine at the University of Queensland. Although like me he is in Plast (Ukrainian scouts), neither recalls ever having met the other though only 2 years separate us, with him being older. That is somewhat unusual given that the Plast community is fairly tightly knit. A friend of mine from Ottawa, Roma, arrived much later as she had to take a train from Wollongong, a city about 70 km to the south of Sydney. She is studying interior design at the University of Wollongong. I found it interesting that 3 Canadians, studying 3 different subjects at 3 different universities, should meet up in yet another city. Nonethless, we got to talking about out programs and Canada and soon we were all at ease with each other.
The4 next morning, Olenka Motyka treated us to a fabulous tour of the Hunter Valley. The Hunter river to the north of Newcastle is renowned for its wines with some prominent labels such as Rosemount, Pelham Estates and other having their vineyards there. Olenka, who has completed her legal studies, drove us to the Tyrrell Wines vineyard where we took a tour of their facilities. Viticulture is actually a very complex process, to the point that the wood selected to make the barrels must be of a specific type. After the tour, we had lunch on the lawn of the Blue Lizard Brewery. We then drove around some more visiting a liqueur shop, a chocolate shop, the Smelly Cheese Store, and a few more vineyards. Roma was particularly exciting about seeing the Rosemount Estates building but it turned out to be very anticlimactic. The house on the property is n ot much bigger than a normal house while we were expecting something more grandiose. We suggested that Roma buy it, rebuild it and rename it Romount Estates. We drove back to Newcastle through the stunning countryside.
That evening at dinner, various running jokes emerged. Somehow, Platon, Danylo (Oleksander and Olenka's brother) and Oleksander started quoting Queen Elizabeth I from Black Adder to the point that, "Who is Queen?" (in a high voice) became a running gag. Another one which emerged was a line from Robot Chicken, "What a twist!" However, the funniest thing Platon, who's a great guy, said was, while parodying himself, "My name is Platon. I talk like this and I'm unusually dark-skinned for a Ukrainian." I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't just what he said but the way he said it.
The following day Olenka took us ona tour of Newcastle. We drove around the city which is experiencing a revitalization. There are many new hotels and apartments going up. We walked along the boardwalk, visited a public bath and a cathedral. We even saw the spot where a large ocean vessel became beached after a particualry harsh storm. It has since been removed but has become part of Newcastle lore. However, Olenka was particularly interested in showing us what used to be the Governor' private Gardens and a pool hewn from the living rock. You walk down to the pool via a pathway while a short distance away, the surf pounds. It is a truly spectacular sight.
We returned home to have an early dinner as Roma and I had to make our way back to Sydney that night. I will always be thankful to the Motykas for the hospitality they have shown me. Roma and I boarded a bus as the train service between Sydney and Newcastle had stopped for track work that weekend. After arriving at the Central train station, Roma boarded a train to Wollongong while I boarded one back to Alex's house.
I hope to visit Newcastle again during my stay in Australia and hopefully the opportunity is not too distant in the future. 
After the usual pro forma motions through customs, I emerged into the terminal of Sydney's Kingsford-Smith International Airport. I had returned. One thing I find particularly enjoyable about Australian culture is the more lax attitude in the country. A case in point was that going through customs there were two sets of lines, one for Australian/New Zealand citizens and permanent residents and another for everyone else. In North America I find that you must line up in the proper queue but in Australia, the guy in charge said, "Ignore the signs.", so everyone lined up wherever they chose.
As it turned out, I had arrived in Australia on a very special occasion. The new government, headed by Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labor (note the spelling) Party, was apologizing to Aborigine Australians for their maltreatment at the hands of previous governments. Much like the Canadian experience with residential schools, Aborigines were separated from their families and placed in schools or homes where many faced abuse; this practice continued until the beginning of the 1970s. Previous governments had refused to apologize, particularly the Liberal (read conservative) government of the previous Prime Minister, John Howard. He claimed that it was improper for contemporary administrations to be held responsible for the acts of previous administrations and that it might open the government to large civil claims. Neverthless, following an election promise, Kevin Rudd gave the apology in the Australian House of Representatives. February 13th, 2008 will forever be known as "Sorry Day". I hope that it was the first day of a new Australia, one finally able to come to grips with the demons in its past. Cosmopolitan Australia and Aborigine Australia may now be able to move on.
After leaving the airport, I got in touch with Alex, a friend of mine from my previous stay in the country. He and his father had agreed to let me stay at his place for a few nights while I travelled around the area. I spent my first night in a hotel by the airport but the subsequent night I spent at Alex's house. I met up with some of his friends, one named Helen I also remembered, aand we went to see the movie Jumper, which was so-so. I only stayed one night as I left for Newcastle the next day. I had an evening train so I managed to meet a few more of Alex's friends during the afternoon of the 15th.
The evening of the 15th was the beginning of my adventure to Newcastle, a city about 160 km north of Sydney. There live the Motyka family, friends of my family and I had stayed with them previously. I met with Oleksander on the train from Sydney and we rode it together all the way up. Unfortunately, the weekend I was going up work was being done on the track between Sydney and Newcastle which delayed the train. It took about a half-hour longer than ususal for it to arrive. When I arrived at the Motyka home, I was immediately made welcome; I always enjoy going up to Newcastle.
Already arrived was Platon (plah-TOHN), a guy from Winnipeg now studying medicine at the University of Queensland. Although like me he is in Plast (Ukrainian scouts), neither recalls ever having met the other though only 2 years separate us, with him being older. That is somewhat unusual given that the Plast community is fairly tightly knit. A friend of mine from Ottawa, Roma, arrived much later as she had to take a train from Wollongong, a city about 70 km to the south of Sydney. She is studying interior design at the University of Wollongong. I found it interesting that 3 Canadians, studying 3 different subjects at 3 different universities, should meet up in yet another city. Nonethless, we got to talking about out programs and Canada and soon we were all at ease with each other.
The4 next morning, Olenka Motyka treated us to a fabulous tour of the Hunter Valley. The Hunter river to the north of Newcastle is renowned for its wines with some prominent labels such as Rosemount, Pelham Estates and other having their vineyards there. Olenka, who has completed her legal studies, drove us to the Tyrrell Wines vineyard where we took a tour of their facilities. Viticulture is actually a very complex process, to the point that the wood selected to make the barrels must be of a specific type. After the tour, we had lunch on the lawn of the Blue Lizard Brewery. We then drove around some more visiting a liqueur shop, a chocolate shop, the Smelly Cheese Store, and a few more vineyards. Roma was particularly exciting about seeing the Rosemount Estates building but it turned out to be very anticlimactic. The house on the property is n ot much bigger than a normal house while we were expecting something more grandiose. We suggested that Roma buy it, rebuild it and rename it Romount Estates. We drove back to Newcastle through the stunning countryside.
That evening at dinner, various running jokes emerged. Somehow, Platon, Danylo (Oleksander and Olenka's brother) and Oleksander started quoting Queen Elizabeth I from Black Adder to the point that, "Who is Queen?" (in a high voice) became a running gag. Another one which emerged was a line from Robot Chicken, "What a twist!" However, the funniest thing Platon, who's a great guy, said was, while parodying himself, "My name is Platon. I talk like this and I'm unusually dark-skinned for a Ukrainian." I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't just what he said but the way he said it.
The following day Olenka took us ona tour of Newcastle. We drove around the city which is experiencing a revitalization. There are many new hotels and apartments going up. We walked along the boardwalk, visited a public bath and a cathedral. We even saw the spot where a large ocean vessel became beached after a particualry harsh storm. It has since been removed but has become part of Newcastle lore. However, Olenka was particularly interested in showing us what used to be the Governor' private Gardens and a pool hewn from the living rock. You walk down to the pool via a pathway while a short distance away, the surf pounds. It is a truly spectacular sight.
We returned home to have an early dinner as Roma and I had to make our way back to Sydney that night. I will always be thankful to the Motykas for the hospitality they have shown me. Roma and I boarded a bus as the train service between Sydney and Newcastle had stopped for track work that weekend. After arriving at the Central train station, Roma boarded a train to Wollongong while I boarded one back to Alex's house.
I hope to visit Newcastle again during my stay in Australia and hopefully the opportunity is not too distant in the future.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A New World Order
I didn't have much time this day to explore the city but I managed to get in some sights that may not be as well visited but are important none the less. I returned to the Transamerica Pyramid and took some more photos of it. It really is one of the most interesting buildings in the world. The joke going around is that whoever has the office at the very top must have a pointy head.
I went to visit City Hall, which had been closed the day before. I spent quite a bit of time exploring the building, though the Mayor's Office and the Council Room were closed. The entire structure is built in a grandiose neo-classical style. It was built following the great earthquake of 1906 which levelled most of the city. The city rebuilt itself into one of the finest in the world and its emblem is the phoenix rising from its ashes, just as the city did. In 1989, during the Battle of the Bay, the World Series between the Oakland As and the San Francisco Giants, there was another powerful earthquake which occurred right in the middle of the game as Jose Canseco was stealing second base. It only last 15 seconds but it did cause considerable damage, though thanks to stricter building codes it was not as extensive as the 1906 quake.
Following my self-guided tour of City Hall, I travelled across the street to the Veterans Memorial Building which houses the Herbst Theatre (notice the British spelling). It was in this room that the UN Charter was signed and the post-war world took its shape. In many ways, we are still living with the consequences of the event, most notably, a belief in a system of international laws. Unfortunately the theater was closed so I was unable to see the actual ceremonial place though a quilt given to the theater on the 50th anniversary of the UN I saw hanging in the lobby. The building, along with the Opera House, was built in honour of American World War 2 veterans and the Memorial Building still houses veterans' associations.
With this, my adventure in the City by the Bay drew to a close. I explored much of San Francisco but I still have much to explore. As I left the city on the BART to the airport, I passed through a region of fog. I worried that my flight would be delayed but it cleared long before I reached the airport. While this adventure drew to a close, more lay ahead across the Pacific in the Land Down Under. Although I had a measure of trepidation, I was excited to once more glimpse Australia. I hope that my adventures here are many and exciting.
I went to visit City Hall, which had been closed the day before. I spent quite a bit of time exploring the building, though the Mayor's Office and the Council Room were closed. The entire structure is built in a grandiose neo-classical style. It was built following the great earthquake of 1906 which levelled most of the city. The city rebuilt itself into one of the finest in the world and its emblem is the phoenix rising from its ashes, just as the city did. In 1989, during the Battle of the Bay, the World Series between the Oakland As and the San Francisco Giants, there was another powerful earthquake which occurred right in the middle of the game as Jose Canseco was stealing second base. It only last 15 seconds but it did cause considerable damage, though thanks to stricter building codes it was not as extensive as the 1906 quake.
Following my self-guided tour of City Hall, I travelled across the street to the Veterans Memorial Building which houses the Herbst Theatre (notice the British spelling). It was in this room that the UN Charter was signed and the post-war world took its shape. In many ways, we are still living with the consequences of the event, most notably, a belief in a system of international laws. Unfortunately the theater was closed so I was unable to see the actual ceremonial place though a quilt given to the theater on the 50th anniversary of the UN I saw hanging in the lobby. The building, along with the Opera House, was built in honour of American World War 2 veterans and the Memorial Building still houses veterans' associations.
With this, my adventure in the City by the Bay drew to a close. I explored much of San Francisco but I still have much to explore. As I left the city on the BART to the airport, I passed through a region of fog. I worried that my flight would be delayed but it cleared long before I reached the airport. While this adventure drew to a close, more lay ahead across the Pacific in the Land Down Under. Although I had a measure of trepidation, I was excited to once more glimpse Australia. I hope that my adventures here are many and exciting.
The City Life
This day I ventured up another of San Francisco's famous buildings, Coit Tower. Named after a woman who spent some time as a volunteer firefighter in the city, Coit Tower sits atop a prominent hill in the city. From its summit, you have unrestricted views of all of San Francisco. Although I did not spend a great deal of time at the top, I did get some great shots of the city. The tower, constructed in the 1920s with an art deco motif, has a mural inside which goes around every wall. On it are depicted scenes of everyday life in San Francisco.
After coming down from Coit Tower, I spent some more time wandering the city, eventually making it to Chinatown. San Francisco has the largest Chinese population outside China and the largest Chinatown. It was filled with many traditional Chinese decorations. I had arrived in San Francisco on Chinese New Year and many people were still celebrating it.
I also made my way to the City Hall area and UN Plaza. The United Nations was born in San Francisco following an international conference there in 1945. To commemorate this, there is a plaza which leads to City Hall. San Francisco can truly be called the place where the modern world was born. Just behind City Hall is the San Francisco Opera House where the opening reception for the San Francisco Conference was held.
Towards the end of the day, I dropped in on the Drake Hotel, a very opulent establishment known for its porters who dress as Beefeaters. I then went to Pier 39 for dinner. This is a famous, now inoperative pier, which has been converted into a pedestrian mall with shops and restaurants. It is own of the main tourist areas in San Francisco and as such was still bustling with people when I arrived around 20:00. After dinner, I returned to my hotel room thinking of how to spend my last day in San Francisco. 
After coming down from Coit Tower, I spent some more time wandering the city, eventually making it to Chinatown. San Francisco has the largest Chinese population outside China and the largest Chinatown. It was filled with many traditional Chinese decorations. I had arrived in San Francisco on Chinese New Year and many people were still celebrating it.
I also made my way to the City Hall area and UN Plaza. The United Nations was born in San Francisco following an international conference there in 1945. To commemorate this, there is a plaza which leads to City Hall. San Francisco can truly be called the place where the modern world was born. Just behind City Hall is the San Francisco Opera House where the opening reception for the San Francisco Conference was held.
Towards the end of the day, I dropped in on the Drake Hotel, a very opulent establishment known for its porters who dress as Beefeaters. I then went to Pier 39 for dinner. This is a famous, now inoperative pier, which has been converted into a pedestrian mall with shops and restaurants. It is own of the main tourist areas in San Francisco and as such was still bustling with people when I arrived around 20:00. After dinner, I returned to my hotel room thinking of how to spend my last day in San Francisco.
Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair
Although I didn't wear flowers in my hair as the song suggested, I did visit on this day the most famous of San Francisco's neighbourhoods, Haight-Ashbury. San Francisco was the at the founding city of the hippie movement and on the corners of Haight (HATE) and Ashbury Sts. was where it all started. Ever since, the area has been a bastion of progressive thinking and counter-culture. Even though there's a Ben & Jerry's on the corner, the area has retained its hippie roots. Everyone who goes to San Francisco must visit the area both for its colour and its history.
Following my excursion through Haight-Ashbury, which amounted to a stroll down Ashbury St., I entered Golden Gate Park; a vast area of green space in the west end of the city stretching to the Pacific. I wandered through the large recreational area which included lakes, musea, gardens, a racecourse and many pathways. I searched in vain for the place which served as the landing site for the Klingon Bird of Prey in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It is entirely possible that the grounds have changed in the intervening years, but if it's there I couldn't find it.
I feel as though I must have done more that day but I can't remember. I do remember that Golden Gate Park took up a great deal of time but it was a pleasureable experience. I must have gone to sleep that night contemplating the next day's adventures. One thing I will always remember was an exchange between a street car operator and a man while riding on a street car along the Embarcadero towards Fisherman's Wharf. The man, obviously a tourist, boarded with his family and even though the sign on the street car clearly said "Fisherman's Wharf", the man asked the driver, "Do you go to Fisherman's Wharf?", to which the driver replied, "No. We just have that sign to fool people." Everyone had a good chuckle. 
Following my excursion through Haight-Ashbury, which amounted to a stroll down Ashbury St., I entered Golden Gate Park; a vast area of green space in the west end of the city stretching to the Pacific. I wandered through the large recreational area which included lakes, musea, gardens, a racecourse and many pathways. I searched in vain for the place which served as the landing site for the Klingon Bird of Prey in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It is entirely possible that the grounds have changed in the intervening years, but if it's there I couldn't find it.
I feel as though I must have done more that day but I can't remember. I do remember that Golden Gate Park took up a great deal of time but it was a pleasureable experience. I must have gone to sleep that night contemplating the next day's adventures. One thing I will always remember was an exchange between a street car operator and a man while riding on a street car along the Embarcadero towards Fisherman's Wharf. The man, obviously a tourist, boarded with his family and even though the sign on the street car clearly said "Fisherman's Wharf", the man asked the driver, "Do you go to Fisherman's Wharf?", to which the driver replied, "No. We just have that sign to fool people." Everyone had a good chuckle.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The City of Fog
One must never forget that above all else, San Francisco is still a maritime city, subject to the power and the whim of the ocean. San Francisco sits at the crossroads of major air masses and often finds itself encased in their result, fog. While not the foggiest city in the world, that honour goes to St. John's, NL, the fog has become something of an iconic image of that city by the sea. It was to the site of fog that I awoke this morning.
Despite the reputation of fog, the bizarre aspect of it is that it stays primarily close to the water and does not venture inland very far. I was no more than 2 kilometers from the water's edge at my hotel but not a trace of fog could be seen there. Once I travelled towards the docks, I saw much more. The fog enveloped buildings, filtering the light.
This day was spent walking and getting around San Francisco so I could get a feel of my surroundings. I first stopped by the turnaround to see the famous cable car. Although it is one of the iconic symbols of San Francisco, it may surprise you to know that there are only 3 lines of cable car. The system, which uses a cable underneath the road to pull the vehicle along, was developed in San Francisco to deal with the steep streets. The city is built on a series of steep hills which descend very rapidly towards the bay. The cable car system was almost discontinued after World War 2 but survived. I bought a 3-day transit pass which allowed me unlimited travel on municipal transit lines.
I rode the cable car up some steep hills and disembarked. Riding outside the cable car is an experience everyone who goes to San Francisco should have. After I got off, I took the time to walk down to the waterfront to witness the fog. Along the way, I snapped some pictures of the tallest building in the city, the Transamerica Pyramid.
The Pyramid was built in the early 1970s by the Transamerica corporation, too quite considerable opposition. Many worried that it would ruin the skyline and drive property values down but like the cable car, it has since become a symbol of San Francisco. I found the tower veiled in fog and it made for an excellent photograph.
I then proceeded to the water's edge and found myself staring at a very opaque fog bank. It seemed to be a solid mass upon the water though behind me the city basked in the warm sun's glow. Throughout my stay in San Francisco I endured only sunny skied and temperature of 20C, with not a trace of the sometimes frosty weather which can blow in from the cold Pacific Current. Along the wharves were fishing vessels, old museum ships and various other things that one expects to find in a working port. This was the famous Fisherman's Wharf which has many restaurants and other establishments dedicated to seafood.
Along the water's edge, I heard a fog horn in the distance. Although I could not see where it was originating from, I guessed that it was the Golden Gate Bridge, another venture on my list that day. I entered the northern portions of the Golden Gate Recreational Area and managed to snap photos of the iconic bridge as it poked through the fog.
Making my way through the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, a sort of large park and conservation area all in one, I managed to walk to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of San Francisco, this bridge spans the Golden Gate, a trip of water between San Francisco and neighbouring Marin County. It was built in the 1930s as a make-work project during the Great Depression though the idea for a bridge at that point was several decades old. The bridge is actually painted international orange despite its name. There is also enough cable in the bridge to stretch around the world more than 3 times.
I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge both ways, which offered several spectacular views of San Francisco. There are even suicide hot line telephones on the bridge to discourage people from jumping off it. Having walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, I made my way by bus back to the city.
From the Golden Gate Bridge it's very easy to see Alcatraz Prison, once the home of the most notorious criminals in the US. Named for the Spanish world for pelican, the island was a prison from the time of the American Civil War until 1963 when it was closed because of exorbitant costs. It is now a famous tourist attraction though I did not get a chance to visit it this trip. Once is amazed how close the prison appears to be to other landmasses, especially when one considers that no one has ever escaped the island, except Sean Connery. The distance do not seem to be too great for a decent swimmer to traverse. However, the water is quite cold and the currents very powerful making any swimming or rowing attempt very dangerous. No trace of the 3 men who staged a highly planned escape of the island was ever found.
One of my final daylight stops was Lombard Street, known for 1 section of it that winds at 90-degree angles down a steep hill. Cars are only allowed to go down the street but people do live there and park their cars in garages that face the street.
This night I had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant, a must for any visitor or denizen of San Francisco. 
Despite the reputation of fog, the bizarre aspect of it is that it stays primarily close to the water and does not venture inland very far. I was no more than 2 kilometers from the water's edge at my hotel but not a trace of fog could be seen there. Once I travelled towards the docks, I saw much more. The fog enveloped buildings, filtering the light.
This day was spent walking and getting around San Francisco so I could get a feel of my surroundings. I first stopped by the turnaround to see the famous cable car. Although it is one of the iconic symbols of San Francisco, it may surprise you to know that there are only 3 lines of cable car. The system, which uses a cable underneath the road to pull the vehicle along, was developed in San Francisco to deal with the steep streets. The city is built on a series of steep hills which descend very rapidly towards the bay. The cable car system was almost discontinued after World War 2 but survived. I bought a 3-day transit pass which allowed me unlimited travel on municipal transit lines.
I rode the cable car up some steep hills and disembarked. Riding outside the cable car is an experience everyone who goes to San Francisco should have. After I got off, I took the time to walk down to the waterfront to witness the fog. Along the way, I snapped some pictures of the tallest building in the city, the Transamerica Pyramid.
The Pyramid was built in the early 1970s by the Transamerica corporation, too quite considerable opposition. Many worried that it would ruin the skyline and drive property values down but like the cable car, it has since become a symbol of San Francisco. I found the tower veiled in fog and it made for an excellent photograph.
I then proceeded to the water's edge and found myself staring at a very opaque fog bank. It seemed to be a solid mass upon the water though behind me the city basked in the warm sun's glow. Throughout my stay in San Francisco I endured only sunny skied and temperature of 20C, with not a trace of the sometimes frosty weather which can blow in from the cold Pacific Current. Along the wharves were fishing vessels, old museum ships and various other things that one expects to find in a working port. This was the famous Fisherman's Wharf which has many restaurants and other establishments dedicated to seafood.
Along the water's edge, I heard a fog horn in the distance. Although I could not see where it was originating from, I guessed that it was the Golden Gate Bridge, another venture on my list that day. I entered the northern portions of the Golden Gate Recreational Area and managed to snap photos of the iconic bridge as it poked through the fog.
Making my way through the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, a sort of large park and conservation area all in one, I managed to walk to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of San Francisco, this bridge spans the Golden Gate, a trip of water between San Francisco and neighbouring Marin County. It was built in the 1930s as a make-work project during the Great Depression though the idea for a bridge at that point was several decades old. The bridge is actually painted international orange despite its name. There is also enough cable in the bridge to stretch around the world more than 3 times.
I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge both ways, which offered several spectacular views of San Francisco. There are even suicide hot line telephones on the bridge to discourage people from jumping off it. Having walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, I made my way by bus back to the city.
From the Golden Gate Bridge it's very easy to see Alcatraz Prison, once the home of the most notorious criminals in the US. Named for the Spanish world for pelican, the island was a prison from the time of the American Civil War until 1963 when it was closed because of exorbitant costs. It is now a famous tourist attraction though I did not get a chance to visit it this trip. Once is amazed how close the prison appears to be to other landmasses, especially when one considers that no one has ever escaped the island, except Sean Connery. The distance do not seem to be too great for a decent swimmer to traverse. However, the water is quite cold and the currents very powerful making any swimming or rowing attempt very dangerous. No trace of the 3 men who staged a highly planned escape of the island was ever found.
One of my final daylight stops was Lombard Street, known for 1 section of it that winds at 90-degree angles down a steep hill. Cars are only allowed to go down the street but people do live there and park their cars in garages that face the street.
This night I had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant, a must for any visitor or denizen of San Francisco.
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