And now for a segmented entry.

I don�t know whether this story has made the international news, but there was a young Australian man, Van Nguyen, on drug-smuggling charges in Singapore. He was on death row, waiting to be hanged. The Australian Government, Opposition, lawyers, former Prime Ministers, church leaders and other people of influence all tried to get Singapore to drop the death penalty, as time trickled away. The case couldn�t be taken to the International Court of Justice, though the lawyers tried at least ten different ways to get the case heard there.

Last Friday, at Changi, he was hanged.

This situation has befallen plenty of other people, I know, but the media really jumped on his story. I felt physically ill as the time of his execution drew nearer. Through the media we were told of it all. His mother�s inconsolable grief. The hope slipping away as weeks passed. The identical twin brother feeling lost. The strict Singaporean rule of a total ban on physical contact with the prisoner � his mother would not be allowed to hug her son one last time. In the end the Singaporean government suffered a bout of magnanimity and decided that the prisoner�s mother would be allowed to hold her son�s hand the day before the execution, but nothing else.

I know that drug smuggling � especially a drug like heroin � is a serious crime. Of course he knew what the consequences could be. He made a terrible mistake. But I just do not believe in the death penalty at all. This young man�s entire family and network of friends has been punished for his crime, and now they have to live with the knowledge that their friend, brother, son, spent his final moments being led from a prison to the gallows, and lost his life hanging by his neck from a rope.

I don�t really have anything useful to say on the matter. I just wanted to point out that I strongly believe that the death penalty is wrong, and that this should never have happened.

I read a joke the other day that made me laugh because it was so squeaky-clean (it was from an FHM joke book that somebody had left behind in Jindabyne, so you can imagine the calibre of most of the other jokes in it).

Q. How do you make a bear cross?

A. Just nail two bears together.

*cough*

The weekend was really nice. I generally don�t like using phrases like �really nice� because they are not especially helpful or even interesting, but there you have it. My vocabulary appears to be shrinking, and my increasing use of words such as �like� and �thing� and �stuff� is somewhat alarming.

Anyway, I had a long, detailed account all written up, but I realised that not only will potential readers of this diary not care, but nor will I in a few years when I come back and read this. So here�s a summary.

Saturday:

Saw Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire. Was good but left bits of the book out. Understandable, as book is approx. size of a brick.

I liked the Harry Potter books. Portrayed high school v. well, esp. the whole formal/dance thing.

Went out shopping � me for xmas prezzies, D. for a computer game because he is secretly a dork. I am openly a dork & was therefore unashamedly thrilled to stumble across Special Edition of Toy Story 2 for $19.95. Absolutely love the Toy Story movies; think I may have a crush on Woody (is that unhealthy?).

Register queue absurdly long. Kept D. waiting for � hour as result. D. annoyed w/me for keeping him waiting; I annoyed at D. for blaming me for a situation that I couldn�t help.

Decline into depression and absurd paranoia about life and relationship with D. Eventually sorted out (after D. heard me sniffling out on the balcony). Discovered that the dullness of routine is muchly to blame.

Felt much better.

Ordered pizza, drank beer & watched some Red Dwarf together. Then I put on Toy Story 2 & watched it w/same rapt expression adopted by two-year-olds when the Wiggles come on the TV in their big red car.

Sunday:

Finally took advantage of proximity to beach. Were frolicking in water by 7:15AM. Felt like holiday & I loved it. Water bloody cold, but fortunately sun bloody hot. Grinned stupidly whole time, even walking home.

More xmas shopping; no incidents.

Caught train to city to catch up w/school friend, T. Was in Sydney by 11AM. Spent most of day in The Rocks, looking at the market stalls, checking out art galleries, having lunch, eating mango sorbet in the hot sun & talking about this and that. T. & many others from our grade currently feeling somewhat depressed (must be the quarter-life crisis that they all talk about). Not sure where life going or what to do with rest of life; afraid of dullness of routine and offices. Perversely enough, was comforting to know I�m not the only one.

Didn�t get back to Cronulla until almost 7PM � sat on beach for little while before walking home to watch special features on my new Toy Story DVD.

Monday onwards

Have been waking up at 5:40AM to get up & leave home by 6AM. Gives us time to stroll to beach & go for quick swim before coming home & getting ready for work.

Used to have trouble getting up at 6:30 or 7AM, but seem to be doing fine with the pre-6AM starts. Weird. Think it�s because I now have something to look forward to (ie beach) rather than just usual bustle to get ready for long drive to office w/grey walls. Feel much more awake too. Going for walk before work makes big difference.

How was that for a summary?

Okay, I�m going to get online and post this. I�m hoping to have some time this evening to log on and leave a few notes, as I have been a bit antisocial on Diaryland of late.

Oh, here�s something I learned recently about the beach. I don�t know about anywhere else in the world, but here in Australia they teach us from a young age to be careful of rips. A rip is a current that pulls you away from the shore, and is always portrayed as a very scary thing that we should all try to avoid. We were always taught that the best thing to do if you ever get caught in a rip is to swim diagonally across it � never try to struggle against it because you will never win, in fact you�ll probably tire yourself out and drown. Well, the other day I learned that a rip will not pull you all the way out to sea as was always implied; it will only take you to just behind the breakers. The waves are what cause the rip in the first place. Turns out that surfers use rips to take them to the waves further out, and lifesavers use them as well. So if you ever get caught in a rip, don�t struggle against it. Just let it pull you out, and then you can ride the waves back in.

No need to thank me; I�m just fulfilling my civic duty as a good citizen :)

Currently listening to: Various mellow funky tunes by Slide Five, Galactic and Greyboy, all of which hold memories of snow in the alps. Right now, the best of summer is scorching outside, and the best of winter is swimming in my head. Doesn�t get much better than this.