that not so small country I knew little about: Update written-Sept. 09

I am still keeping busy! I'm well into second semester right now and am actually approaching the last break of the year! I started off the semester getting into what I could, as per usual and wound up competing in a mooting competition and of coarse more diving!

The mooting competition went well! My partner and I finished second in the finals. It was a lot of work and I dreaded the commitment half way through, but looking back it was a valuable experience. We now know what to expect walking into our assessment moot and were able to meet many lawyers in the community who acted as judges. But overall, it was good to put a practical spin on everything we learn in class and because it was a moot based on criminal cases, it was of interest to me (as opposed to the other moot competition which was based in tort law...). I think I"ll do it again next year!

Diving has been great! I passed my advanced PADI coarse and have received a scholarship from Nu Sport, (which is the company who runs the sports programs/clubs at the uni), to pay for my remaining two safety courses! After which I will only have dive master to go!! Almost there!! I was really excited to win the scholarship, because these two courses are the most expensive ($500) and now that I don't have to pay for them, I may actually be able to save up for my dive master coarse for next year!

Also! Charlestown (another dive club I joined....) is running a photography coarse. There is a man who takes dive photos for National Geographic coming down to teach a coarse which is usually $500, but he has offered it to the staff for $100 (to cover the PADI fees) because he used to work with the owner, who I am always asking questions of (and organizing events/courses for uni members through). They have, in return, offered me to join the coarse! I am very excited for this!! After the coarse I will have the scuba photography certification and I will have been taught by a professional!

Uni has been going great. Many essays due this week (which I am presently procrastinating from writing....)....My exam today was on the Australian Constitution, which believe it or not was a very interesting text book. The class was boring as all hell, but I sat down and read the book this weekend and feel I did really well. I've taken a huge interest in the history of Australia after studying the Communist Party Dissolution Act and the proceeding High Court decision. It's interesting to see how American history affected even Australia.... But criminal law, is still of coarse my favorite subject. I'm presently looking into a coarse offered in Dublin for a month next year, which is focused on international criminal law and a program I may go on exchange to take at Edith Cowan in Western Australia. ECU has a research project involving wrongful convictions, which I would love to join, but I have just discovered it and haven't made any further inquires just yet. It does however look very interesting... My next update may involve another move!

Speaking of which, at the end of exams, I will be traveling with my cousin Sheri, who is coming for a visit! We are heading down the great ocean road for another amazing adventure!! After which I will be heading home for Christmas! I have yet to book my flight, but it looks like I will be home some time around the 13th-14th/maybe 15th of Dec!

I will of coarse try to visit everybody and look forward to hearing about all that I have missed!! Thank you, to those who have been sending me emails and updates, I love to hear how everyone is! I miss all of you! See you soon!

DIVING NSW

One thing I love about NSW are the vast amount of shore dives and other such great diving opportunities. I took the below pictures while diving off the coast of NSW in 2009.