Thursday, April 29, 2010

QWERTY

The dichotomous distinction between Annex I and Non-Annex I countries is inefficient for climate change negotiations and doesn't solve the purpose going forward, but unfortunately a path dependence on the status quo has made most people take it as a given, so said Professor Robert Stavins today in class.

He then described his hope that future climate change negotiations would vastly improve over the "QWERTY keyboard" of international climate negotiations.

As you might have guessed, nobody understood what he meant.

So he explained the history of the QWERTY keyboard, which he says if you think about, doesn't really make sense because if you wanted to type really effectively you should group the most used letters, the vowels, together. The early prototype typewriter actually attempted this. But the problem was, ("and I hope you understand what I am talking about or have at least seen a typewriter in a museum" he said), typewriters have keys that go up and down when you jab a button and it hits the ink ribbon that gets pressed on your paper, and these keys jam all the time, especially if you're typing quickly. So to solve the jam, they invented the QWERTY keyboard to separate the vowel keys and to actually slow down typists! And the only reason it's still being used in todays keyboards is because a status quo path dependence on the QWERTY had already been ingrained in everyone.

This was thrilling information in and of itself, which I think will last longer than my knowledge on climate change. I can just see myself at future dinner tables, passionately arguing that the inefficient size of wedding parties in Jakarta suffers from the QWERTY keyboard syndrome. The explanation that would follow will be so obscure and complex and geeky that people will (a) be dazzled by my faux intelligence and gaze at me in rapt admiration, or, (b) change the subject.

Yeah okay, scenario (b) is more likely.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

On style and success.

I'm not the most fashionable girl in the world, but I am definitely itching to provide style tips to some girls at my office. This does not make me a superficial person; I think it was Chanel who said, a woman can be unfashionable but she must have style.

I learned it the hard way. When I was in high school my friends would laugh at my bright-green socks, which I had since I was 10. When I was in university my male friends would shake their heads at my baggy rapper jeans. "We love you just the way you are, but you need to be optimized", they said. The first time I had a creambath for my hair, they noticed. And dearest Mom never lets me out of the house without quality control. Of course this depends on every individual's milieu, and since I was in law school people generally liked a bit of conservatism.

And so it applies to lawyers. Of course, brain matters most and beauty comes from within, but style is an obtainable skill so there's no reason why not. It needs to make you presentable, allow a good visual first impression, but not stand out like an attention seeker. It's really just science.

Your front buttons shouldn't look like they are about to burst.
Your hair doesn't need to be greasy.
Your blouse shouldn't be made of napkin-like fabric.
Your shoes/bag shouldn't look like they are trying too hard to be leather.
Etc.

Really. If I were Partner, I would take them out for a girly shopping session and buy them stuff. (I must mention this when I present my pitch for partnership).



PS: Inspired to post this suddenly because my classmates are generally stylish, even the geeky ones. Wondering whether Style equals Success or whether Success gives you Style. Hmm.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Being ignored gives me a headache. Like the way an overdose of wasabi shoots up my nose and hits that spot between my eyes. And then it goes away and I forget the next time around.

He is never going to reply to my emails. I just never learn.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The Plan.

Mom : Any new stories?
Me : Not much. Just studying.
Mom : How are your friends here in Jakarta?
Me : Well, I heard that H, G, P, and V are pregnant... and A, K, and B are getting married this year, C and D got engaged.
Mom : And your ex?
Me : He seems fine... Busy, happy. What news from your end?
Mom : Well, your cousin B is getting married in May, cousin P is getting married in July, and your Aunt L is expecting two grandchildren this year because both her daughter-in-laws are pregnant at the moment.
Me : Wow. Everybody's .... breeding.
Mom: None of my children even have a girlfriend or boyfriend.
Me : Haha. Yes. Sorry bout that.
Mom : I want to stand beside the bride & groom while my hair is still plentiful.
Me : Of course.
Mom: Where did I go wrong??
Me : Umm...
Mom: When you get home, we have to downplay your education. It might scare off men.
Me : Brilliant. Sounds like a plan.