Contrasts

We get a lot of these big cruise liners during the summer, and the city gets flooded with tour buses and white shoed, white teethed guests with too much money and too little sense. Today it was the Pacific Pearl, visiting for a day. Wandering through town at lunchtime, I heard German, French, Australian, American, Japanese, and several other unidentifiable accents. I'm not sure where they've come from this time, might be New Zealand somewhere, or Sydney perhaps. As for where they're going next? Not sure about that either - the shipping reports are in the newspaper in the other room...

We also get a range of ships - the Aurora Australis lives here when not bashing it's way to Antarctica, we have various industrial stuff going on further up the river, navy ships occasionally pop by, and then there's other randoms, like two of the Sea Shepherd fleet. These are the ships that harass the whaling boats, trying to stop the unnecessary slaughter of whales for 'scientific purposes'. They recently forced the Japanese to cancel their campaign for this year, and came into Hobart to celebrate.

Wandering around at lunchtime, I hoped to get a shot of one or the other, and was surprised to find the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin sitting alongside the Pacific Pearl. Seemed like such an innocuous combination - terrific wealth and indulgence right next to conservation and sacrifice.



I spent today in the courts, gathering information for my required court reports. Disgracefully, it was the first time in 5 years of law school that I've been into the courts. Dad disgustedly equated this to a final year medical student having never been in a hospital. I was ashamed, and now wonder why I never went before! It wasn't nearly as scary or boring as I was expecting! It even made me wonder if perhaps I could go into law as a profession. That's another hurdle, for another day, but let's just say it's something I have to decide this year, and it's something I've always assumed I'd never do.

Why am I spending 6 years doing a law degree and incurring an enormous debt if I have no intention of practising, you might ask. Good question. My alternative was just history and German, which isn't renowned for opening career doors, whereas a law degree on top makes me just a little shinier for future employers. That's the theory at least... I was going to quit after first year. Apparently it's appealed more than I anticipated. But today in court I saw it's doesn't have to be nearly as intimidating as I always assumed, and while I'd have to work very hard to be court-worthy, it's probably do-able. But we'll just see what happens by the end of the year. All I hope is that some day I manage to escape uni. Might not happen...