Day 100: Can we adjust the daylight saving daylight please...

Day 100 (15 Mar) And here we are, day 100 of this exercise, and they said it wouldn't last. Daylight saving (which Queensland doesn't have) always provokes debate. I do like the idea of extended light at the end of the day. As I pointed out to a colleague many years ago when we had a trial, I was teaching late and it was nice to walk back to my car in the light, instead of a darkened car park. It was a safety issue. The other end of the day, where the light can be appearing at 4.30am-ish can also be an issue for those who don't particularly like that. 

6.12am, really

Waking up interstate always reminds me of why I prefer early morning light. At 6.12am Melbourne time, as you can see, it is still quite dark (and yes, the view from the hotel room is, well, bleak). It is one aspect I can't get used to in the daylight saving debate. Ideally, I'd like my light early starts and light late finishes...shouldn't be too hard to organise surely. 

Fans are fans.

Breakfast at these meetings inevitably becomes a discussion about yesterday's meeting and what's on the table for today. The hotel we stay at has undergone a bit of a revamp so that is naturally part of the discussion as well. 

As I mentioned yesterday, Melbourne is alive with crowds jostling for places at the Grand Prix, including this bloke standing ahead of us at the taxi rank. He was just waiting for his photo to be taken, really.  

The second day of the meeting got underway with a key purpose to discuss and organise a two-day conference coming up in July. It's about making plans for themes, discussions, workshops and other sessions that we might find useful. It is, as always, robust yet respectful discussion. It finished reasonably well on time too, which meant some extended time at the airport (again) but not that I mind. I had time to catch up with the latest news coming out of Brisbane: a lecturer at a Brisbane university (which should remain nameless but is the one for the 'real world') asked students to craft a campaign for the LNP candidate challenging the incumbent member for Griffith, Kevin Rudd. Somewhat controversial, given that the candidate came to speak to the students. The justification that it is an 'advertising' class and not a politics class did not really cut it. Too partisan for my liking and a little naive on the part of the lecturer, and the candidate too, frankly. I hope it doesn't result in further restrictions on academic activity. 

On the plane again. We were supposed to be climbing to our cruising altitude at 6.12pm (Melbourne time) but we were running late, blame being placed on Brisbane Airport because of traffic restrictions and the single runway...sounds like a plot to pressure the opening of a second parallel runway to me. So, in fact, two opportunities for 6.12pm shots today, one Melbourne time, awaiting the 'cabin crew, prepare the cabin for take-off' routine, and again, Brisbane time (since I hadn't changed my watch since yesterday) eating the chicken tikka...ah, the delights of air travel...that's the same meal I had last time I flew on an evening flight. Tra-la.

6.12pm, Melbourne time

6.12pm, Brisbane time

Home again, with a further delay in the air, but home, eventually. 

And what do the last fifty days tell us about one's habits...? Next post.