Libraries

One of the lamer things I've probably done this calendar year, is participate in a tour of Luther College for my good friend's then girlfriend/now fiance last summer. When the highlight of the tour is showing her where we all used to sit in the library when writing our senior papers, you start to realize how less than scintillating it really was.

I'm sure other similarly lame things were pointed out - the practice room I spent hours in trying to figure out the mysteries of the low brass embouchure (kiss your hand? WTF?), where I took the LSAT, the parking lot turned bike rodeo facility, etc. Like all things though, it seems like it is the mundane, the repetitious, that becomes important. I always get the strangest flashbacks from England; they always involve me on a bus to the Notts city centre, or something similarly routine. However, when one spends three hours in a parking lot on a summer day teaching a 21 year old physics student how to ride a bike, I suppose that tends to be remembered.

The only reason this all comes to mind, is that I'm sitting in the Hamline law library, and quite like Preus in Decorah, sitting in a very particular spot. Two years ago at this time, I was very likely sitting in this same spot hyperventilating over a contracts exam. Now, the end is near. There's no more hyperventilation - I don't know what I would characterize it as. Certainly a tinge of apathy, but I'm generally not apathetic. More like, "come on, let's get done, but holy shit what happens now?"

You know, it will be fine, everything will be fine. As I sit in this godforsaken library for yet another hour though, I am positive that five years down the road, I'll slip into a daydream filled with dancing copies of casebooks, coffee, and bowtied professors...

It's really amazing that law students escape these three years with any friends.

Rainy Days

Rainy days always remind me of England. Waking up to all that rain, the dreariness, the general malaise... so refreshing. If only there was a cup of Yorkshire Gold, a plate of custard creams, and perhaps some Sigur Rós in the church hall basement...

Macau

Hello again from beautiful Hong Kong. We had our third round argument today against Tsinghua University from Beijing. Tsinghua had won a Chinese national pre-moot, the CIETAC Cup, and was essentially the national champion in this year's Vis problem. Unfortunately, they drew the HUSL Samurai Wolves in the third round...

Kidding and exaggeration aside, we argued very well today, undoubtedly the most complete argument so far. We improved in the areas we wanted to improve in, and generally stayed on the ball throughout. The Tsinghua team was difficult and well-prepared, but we were equally so. I would venture to guess that we prevailed, but that's just me.

Anyways, after facing off against the Russian team yesterday, myself and my fellow travelers took the jet ferry over to Macau. Similar to Hong Kong, Macau is also a Special Administrative Region of China, and was for nearly 500 years a Portuguese outpost. Still, Chinese, Portuguese, and English are official languages. Macau, aside from being a strange little Mediterranean enclave in the South China Sea, is also the Vegas of the East. Mega-casinos as far as the eye could see. However, there also were very quaint, thoughtful touches. My favourite was the Portuguese style cobblestone sidewalks, done in fanciful patterns.

We shunned said casinos, and ended up wandering about the back streets of a gritty residential neighborhood for most of the daylight hours. It was extremely reminiscent of Brazil from my perspective - people jetting by on a navy of mopeds, tiny trucks delivering propane and supplies, having one's life flash before one's eyes as the aforementioned zip past. It was real, and it was glorious. I had this amazing street waffle, with nutella, coconut milk, peanut stuff, and some sort of sweet condensed milk.

Anyways, we finally got dinner in a Portuguese restaurant, and it was probably the best food I've had so far on the trip. We ordered this stupendous Portuguese fried rice with pork and shrimp. However, the pinnacle came with the galinha à Africana - this fantastic chicken stewed with garlic, coconut milk, and chiles.

It was a short trip, but a worthwhile one. For those of you who haven't been on a high-speed catamaran, one would be amazed how fast you can move across water. I would go back in an instant.

Tomorrow, our last general round against Bond University of Australia. We will do our best, and then hope our scores are good enough to advance on Saturday. Here's hoping...

Round 1

Hello again from Hong Kong. Today, the Hamline cobras faced off against Hanyang University from Seoul, South Korea. Aside from a few easily remedied things, it was a fantastic first round. Nowhere to go but forward.

Tonight, we ate dinner at a two Michelin starred restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, and then proceeded to "invite" ourselves into an arbitrator cocktail hour on Hong Kong Island. After that, we took the tram up to the top of the peak overlooking Hong Kong, and walked around for a bit. Then, we caught a double decker bus down to the harbour, took the Star Ferry back to Kowloon, and then finally took a metro train back to our hotel. Long, yet successful day.

Tomorrow, we face the Mari State team from Russia. Once that is done around lunchtime, the plan is to catch a ferry over to Macau, which similar to Hong Kong, was a colony up until 1999, albeit a Portuguese one. Apparently there is good food, and other stuff to do.

For those folks (if any) from Hamline reading, you can rest assured that we are representing the school to the best of our abilities, and talking up both our Vis program and the DRI as much as we can. I think we're making plenty of really great contacts, and both of us feel very confident as we enter the second round tomorrow. So, wish us luck!

Hong Kong Dispatch

I'm here in Hong Kong, and life is good. It feels somewhat akin to New York or London - closer to those cities than to Beijing, at least when I was there. My only quibble thus far is the apparent local taste in super smooth bossa nova. I mean, I love the girl from ipanema too, but every time I walk into our hotel...

My teammate is off to fetch his wife at the airport, so I'm left to represent America/respect the moot at the moot alumni welcome reception. Tomorrow features an arbitration convention at a swanky downtown law firm, followed by the actual moot welcome thing at a swanky hotel in Kowloon. Tuesday, the mooting begins in earnest, where a world of hurt awaits four unsuspecting teams...

Internet is somewhat dodgy at our hotel and far overpriced, so this update is courtesy of a coffeehouse in central hk. So far, so good. This may or may not go on the "cities I could live in" list.

Okay, time to head out. Wish us luck!

Sent from my iPhone

Aaron Nyquist
Hamline University School of Law