Our Girl, Pasha

On Thursday, I travelled up for work to Newcastle. On my way, I visited Australia's newest tourist attraction, the Pasha Bulker. See below or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha_bulker for exactly who Pasha is!










The following information has been taken from www.wikipedia.com:

The MV Pasha Bulker is a 76,741 tonne deadweight Panamax bulk carrier operated by the Lauritzen Bulkers Shipping company and owned by Japanese Disponent Owners.[1] While waiting in the open ocean outside the harbour to load coal the Pasha Bulker ran aground during a major storm on June 8, 2007 on Nobbys Beach in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

Early on the morning of 8 June 2007, Newcastle Port Corporation radioed the 56 moored ships waiting off the coast to load coal to warn them to move out to sea to escape the approaching storm.[3] The Pasha Bulker along with 10 other ships did not heed the warning. As the storm hit the Pasha Bulker could not clear the coast and it became beached at 9:15am. The ship never called for tug boat assistance, ran aground with a fully operational engine room and still had both anchors stored in the hawsepipe leading some maritime experts to believe that proper precautions were not taken by the ship's captain.[4]

After the Pasha Bulker ran aground the 22 Filipino and Korean crew members aboard were successfully rescued by the Westpac Rescue helicopter service from the vessel, however it remains grounded about 30m from the shore at the popular Nobbys Beach.[5][6] The ship was empty of any cargo at the time, awaiting to load 58,000 tonnes of coal from Newcastle Port.[7] However, it does contain around 700 tonnes of fuel oil, 38 tonnes of diesel and 40 tonnes of lube oil, which if released could cause a major ecological disaster.

Wetting Myself Laughing

www.kinsellalaw.com/audio/voicemessage.wav was posted on http://www.inhouseblog.com/2005/01/benefits_of_bei.html, which is a inhouse lawyer blog which is freaking hilarious.

Be careful, the audio has a few "f" words, so kids, dont listen.

Adults, have a giggle at just how funny lawyers can be.

New Hair

Random Outburst of Negativity

I usually keep my whinges and complaints quiet on this blog. I figure there is enough negativity in the world and on the internet that I dont need to contribute.

However, tonight, if I dont find some kind of forum just to.... write... then I'll probably implode. Or atleast stew over everything and not get any sleep.

The issue is that I am tired. Sick and tired. Literally. As in, a couple of days ago, I had a tummy bug. Tonight, I feel a cold coming on. Last week I was in tears because of the pressure I've been carrying around and not releasing. Its 9pm and I am only just sitting down to dinner. Soon, I will crawl into bed and its back to square one tomorrow.

The problem is that even I am starting to get tired of hearing myself complain. Once upon a time, I'd get asked how I am going, and I'd smile and say "yeh, I'm doing okay" or, "super, I'm doing just fine". Thats because I dislike people who complain and complain and complain. I always try to be pretty chirpy around people because I figure people deserve to be nice to each other and I dont ever want to cause people any harm.

However, my "yeh, I'm doing okay's" have turned into responses of "you know what? I'm tired. I'm sick. I'm really under pressure right now. Things arent so great."

I'm getting sick of complaining, and I am trying to deal with the fact that everyone around me is also struggling. It is true that my co-workers are under just as much pressure. They are tired too. They are over it as much as I am. And when there is just as many over-worked, frustrated people around you, who is left to listen to you about how tough things are for you personally?

There is the added issue of what I do for a living - in law, your job is to take stressful situations away from people and to deal with them on their behalf. Your job is to resolve conflict. People expect lawyers to be able to deal with the garbage because its just what we "do". That is true to some extent, and while we can usually tough things out, there's a point where it gets us down. Right now, I'm fed up with just how nasty people can be, how people treat other people, the power struggles, the politics, the lies and all of the other habits that nasty people have.

I'm just sick. Sick and tired right now. But how is my sickness and tiredness any different to the next over-worked person and the next?

Old Australia

Australia is a baby when it comes to "history". While the Aboriginals have been in Australia for many centuries, Australia was technically only settled in 1788 (I say technically, because as always, there's two sides to the story - a legal debate I will one day enter into on this blog, but not tonight!). Built in 1803, Vaucluse House is one of the older buildings in Sydney, being the home of William Charles Wentworth, 'father' of the first Constitution for New South Wales. And if that doesnt really matter, it makes for great photos. On the weekend, there was an art exhibition from the local university in the remains of the stables...

Woof

Vaucluse, Sydney

Its only when I get out with my camera do I realise just how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful country. These photos were taken 5 - 10 mins from where I live now, and I believe that this area is one of the most scenic places in Sydney. It had just finished raining the night before and I (and the city's dogs) had a great time playing with the puddles!

Chilling.... Live

Yikes its cold at the moment. And the weather has been terrible here in New South Wales.... 6 people dead due to flooding, and our offices up in Newcastle are completely destroyed as a result. So much work to do to clean up...! Spirits are reasonably high though. I also managed to put some pictures up!

Beautiful Hahndorf, Adelaide

The little country town of Hahndorf was founded in the early 1800's when German Lutherans arrived after fleeing persecution in Germany. Hence, while its called Hahndorf, and why it looks so german. That said, it still has a lovely touch of Australian colonialism.

Familiar Territory

I write this at Sydney Airport, surrounded by excited travellers with boarding passes in hand. It reminds me of "those" days, when Kate was On The Go. Each airport signified a new adventure or the end of one, where one day I would be in Sweden and the next I would be Italy. Oh, I look on those days so fondly and I know that it wont be long before I cease this whole lawyer game and go back to travelling on a full time basis! Looking back at travelling, my days were a lot simpler, thats for sure. Its not the say that my days now are any less exciting (I do actually love what I do), I guess travelling was not as stressful, or complex!

Kate in On the Go for the next two days, travelling to one of Australia's most boring states, South Australia. Okay, that is a little unfair. I know that South Australia has a lot of famous places, including the Barossa Valley, the heartland of Australian Wine, and it has Adelaide, its capital city, the city of Churches. I'm taking my camera down and am hoping to get some time out to take some photos... of churches, I guess.

Thank you thank you thank you for everyone that has come and flocked back to this crazy little page. I knew my friends would never leave me! Lives move on, but good friends never do! (Annie doesnt count, cause she is my family and she'll never move on!).

A blog entry would not be a blog entry without a gush about my gorgeous little neice, Charlotte. Well, she is some little lady now. Not talking as yet, but as mum says, she's never met a family member of ours who couldnt talk - we all can talk underwater with marbles in our mouths! Charlotte knows every animal of the farmyard, knows each colour of the rainbow and can point to her eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hair, teeth, fingers, hands... you catch my drift!

Ahhhh... the smell of jet fuel enters my nostrils and I know I'm back On the Go!

Watch this space for Adelaide pics!

K

Woohoo! She Is Back!

Yes, I am back online and ready to write again.

The last four months have been a blur. I was living at home and feeling like I was out of the loop with society. I was living life 7am - 9pm and going to sleep in order just to wake up and do it again.

Not anymore.

The good news is that I decided that moving into the city was the only option. I now live in the heart of the city (well nearly) and feel like I have a few extra hours in my day which means.... its time to get back online and to start photographing again!!!

Please please everyone come back and see me, say hello and tell me that you are all still out there.... please? hello?

Coming Soon...

Photos from the gorgeous suburbs of Sydney....

And photos from Adelaide, the Garden State of Australia!

Stay Tuned!