Darwin

I've been in Darwin just over a month now. Hardly feels like it. I still feel like a complete neophyte at work. I come home so brain tired everyday because everyday I'm learning new things. Today I was in the Federal Magistrates Court doing an appearance for my colleague (and lifesaver) Sue. She came into my office yesterday and said not to worry it was just a 'Return of Subpoena' and even though she'd never done one either they should be straightforward. Her supervising solicitor had told her the orders to ask for, which were theoretically commonplace.

Turns out they aren't common at all - at least not to the Federal Magistrate I got. Absolutely no dice, and I felt like an idiot for asking. Oh well, it's all part of learning.

One thing I notice is that none of the lawyers look particularly polished when they get up in front of the court. Oh, sure they know where to stand and how to address the judge (although a lot of them seem to get that wrong - apparently 'Good Morning Your Honour' is not appropriate unless the judge greets you first, but everyone says this). But they cough and splutter, and look through their papers , and pause and fumble for answers. Makes me feel a bit better about how much I don't know.

Perhaps the key is not to know everything but to know how to fake that you know everything.

Took my scooter in for its first service today. That was cool. I love zipping around on it. It's such a great feeling in the tropical heat. Darwin's traffic is great for scootering - not too heavy. And the scenery is beautiful when you're out amongst it. When you're on a bus you can't feel the air and smell the salt (or the stagnant mangroves!). I miss my push bike though. I hope the parents bring it up next week. Mum seems inordinately concerned about it, whenever I mention it she says 'You're not really going to ride in that heat are you?'

I'm loving living up here. Got an email back from Shelley today finally and I'm so glad to be out of Intrepid. It's such a pointless, unfair place to work. It makes me depressed just reading about it. I got so lost there, I was being smothered.

Watched the lawyers circling like courtiers at the court today. It's a ambivalent profession to be a part of. I'm new enough that I still feel removed from them all and can observe at will - an advocate ornithologist with my binoculars, reference guide, and sighting list.

Had a (not)client accuse me of 'not doing my best' for clients today. But to him, our best is getting them exactly what they want when they want it. Another client insisted on describing for me extremely intimate details of her partner's rape of her daughter when the girl was 5 years old. She said she needed to shock me so I'd care.

But it's not a question of us not trying. Clients don't have to prove themselves to us. It's that we can't fix everything. Or even most things. It's a knotty mess we're all in and we're lucky if we can cut a little toe free without tangling us all up further.