Friday, October 28, 2011

Exam Doom and Gloom plus Halloween Plans

I just had my first of my three exams today, which means I'm that much closer to going home. I have done quite a bit of studies; however I have still managed to spend time with friends as I enjoy my last days. As well, my computer cord broke...a third time!

After my computer cord first died, I ordered another one from China and while I waited for it, Emily leant me her computer. About 3 weeks after using it, the adapter started to make crackling noises and I could smell wire burning. So back to Emily's computer I went. Then part of her cord died, which had also been a Chinese import. Luckily that half on mine was still useable so we put the 2 cords together and that’s currently what I'm using on her computer. *Sigh* I'm just really lucky that all my notes can be found online and thus I don't actually need my own computer.

Besides the computer troubles, I've been planning for a Halloween Party. Most of my friends and housemates are internationals so no one (even the Australian's) does much for Halloween. However everyone seems keen to celebrate the day, especially as it also marks Emily's last exam. So I have been happily checking out all the best Halloween recipes, thinking and advising on costumes and deciding what we can do mark the exciting date. Coles and Woolworths have had Christmas goodies and decor out since the beginning of the month, but it was only 2 weeks ago that the first of any Halloween decorations could be found. Pumpkins, as in actual jack-o-lantern making pumpkins and not the winter squashes the Aussies are so fond of calling pumpkins are finally for sale. However at nearly $4/kg, and all of them quite large in size, I'm not sure I can afford one. I have 2 exams still to go, both on the 5th of November, but I’m really looking forward to this party as it’s also a chance to say goodbye to many of my new friends.

Today I met a Girl Guide Leader from Tasmania for a coffee and little chat. I was planning on giving her some crests from my area, where I help out back home but she suggested I give them to some girls at a meeting on Thursday. She also gave me a selection of badges from Tasmania she had at home. When I get them sewn onto my camp blanket back home, I’m sure I’ll have many jealous people admiring my Tasmanian Platypus crest!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

A Class on Geology

This semester I had one first year class in geology. I can't quite remember why I chose to take it, partially it looked interesting and partially as I was taking a related second year course I thought I might be required to take it.

Anyway most of the material seems to contain examples from Canada or America. Many times we have gone through powerpoints of rock types across Canada, talked about the Burgess Shale Fossils in the Rockies, or looked at a map showing the danger zones in BC, specifically in case of "The Big-One" (ie earthquake) happening near Vancouver. In many cases my friends in the class have asked me if I've been there, live near there or if the pictures remind me of home! Sometimes I do think of home, but I'm surprised by how strongly Canadian geology plays a role in education here. If anything I feel a stronger connection and deeper respect for my lovely country!

I think the leading factor that decides where the material comes from is due to the fact that the textbooks are often printed or written in the US or Canada. However we do tie in some Australian geology to the lessons, which makes the class more unique from if I'd taken it at home.

This past week, we had a trip down to lower Sandy Bay for the practical and I learned some new, and scary things about the place I was living.

To start with we were shown three small peaks across the river which actually were made by volcanoes during the Tertiary. The most recent still has a conical shape while the other two are much more rounded. Tasmania and the rest of Australia are not volcanic now but in the past they have been influenced by volcanic activity, probably due to passing over a hot spot at they shifted north.

Tasmania has also had it's share of land slips and slides, which people tend to forget. The iconic casino/hotel built in 1973, became Australia's first after a positive referendum was held in Tasmania. When the city's engineers were looking for a place to build it, they decided on the flat land found in lower Sandy Bay. The design was approved for 25 stories and work began. Unfortunately for them, they should have done a proper analysis of the land before. They had chosen to build the casino on a section of land that had been flattened when part of Mount Nelson crumbled and slid towards the Derwent river. The center of the casino was also to be built on top of a fault! All of this was common knowledge to the geology department at UTAS, who had done quite a bit of research on this area. But with construction already starting, some new designs to account for the unconsolidated rock beneath were needed and the casino was reduced to 17 stories with the games rooms set up around the tower.


The Casino is more than just a recognizable tower at night!

That's not the only time city engineers should have payed more attention to the geology. The lovely Tasman bridge also has a rocky, or should I say rockless past. When it was time to replace the floating bridge that connected the Eastern Shore with downtown Hobart, two options were thrown around. The idea of a suspension bridge would have been a wise one. On either side of the river (rifted open as Tasmania was pulled to stay behind with Antarctica or head north with the rest of Australia) there is excellent bedrock very old in age. This would have been great for the beams of support required by a suspension bridge. However it was decided that a beam bridge would be a better choice. Images of the river bottom in the chosen area were a bit confusing, but it was assumed that it was just sediment rich and rock was somewhere beneath. They started building on the Eastern shore and discovered that the rock beneath was actually not as old as thought. However it was still good bedrock and work continued. Close to the Western shore, they dropped the pylons expecting to hit rock...however they kept on going. They rock had ended and they had reached mud! This stopped construction for a while, but the engineers managed to design a branching end that would keep the western beams stable in the mud. Construction finished allowing the bridge to be opened. However, in the case of a nearby earthquake, all that unconsolidated mud may flow out, collapsing the bridge! Scary stuff!


Bridging more than just two sides!

Thus I've learnt quite a bit about local Tasmanian geology, which makes me wonder what hidden treasures (disasters) we might have waiting for us at home?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Singing in Tasmania

The last days are coming and I've already had my last class! How have these last 9 months passed so quickly?

I haven't been up to too many exciting things but I have had quite a bit of fun while finishing off the last of my assignments.

I attended the UTAS choir group's (TUMS) concert a couple weekends ago. My friend was singing so she asked a couple of us to come which we happily did. There was about 15 of the most regular members giving a performance and probably only 30 of us watching in a small hall in Battery Point near the city. They did sing some good songs and I was happy to recognize some songs such as Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and Seasons of Love from RENT. After the concert we explored a part of Battery Point I hadn't been in and enjoyed the warming weather.




The Choir (my friend has the yellow scarf)


Later during a school day (!) I had a sleepover with a friend living a good 45 minute walk from the university. It was fun to hangout and relax a bit. We made some yummy food for dinner and baked a carrot cake for desert, then sat down to watch two movies. Since one of the movies was Yogi Bear, I had to share the Yogi Bear Song, making a bit of a fool of myself! :) The next day we both had the same class so we left much earlier then I'm used to, taking some extra cake for lunch.

Emily and I also were taken by the urge to buy yummy food items online (from the site I bought from earlier) and thus received a parcel of goodies in the mail. Swedish cookies and crisp breads that aren't found in regular grocery stores are what drew in Emily, but we also ended up with marshmallows for hot cocoa, cheap cookies, packs of inexpensive gum, jams, canned fruit, and other not quite necessary items.

The weather here is finally improving to shorts weather...although I'm saying this on a day where I woke up to it pouring outside! Luckily for me my exams don't start until nearly a week after the first day so I can take it easy with the studying and enjoy the great outdoors!