My morning was me oscillating from phases of “oh, I know this” to “oh, I know nothing about this”, and oscillating between my bed and my table. The exam went alright. My roommate gifted me a new fountain pen, which I used in today’s paper. I forgot what new, untested pens can do to writing paces when introduced to the system during exams itself. I wrote significantly quicker because the pen was a lot lighter than the pen I was used to writing with. I remember this being the biggest argument to switch away from fountain pens: the fact that the weight slowed you down. Which was problematic because as a left-hander I was anyway at a much slower writing pace than others. So to write slower, on purpose, was not something in my best interest. I persisted. As a consequence, in University, while my handwriting in my notebook (when I choose to write), is decent, in exams, my script tends to descend into absolute chaos by the last page. I make sure it’s legible though. To the best I can. I feel like pharmacists and University professors have the best ability to decipher new scripts. They’re probably the only ones who understand how to read the “Wingdings” script on Microsoft Word.
Speaking of Microsoft Word, I’m not certain if everyone’s systems have downloaded the patches to Office generally. But there’s a new logotype that now adorns all of the Microsoft products, in addition to the way the Microsoft files save on your desktop. There are some things in computer technology which are iconic, and the Microsoft logos was definitely one of them. The switch is something I’m getting used to, and quite enjoying. I must say, though, that I’m glad they didn’t mess around with the colours that each Office product holds. Word is still Blue, Powerpoint is still red-orange, Excel is still a green that is distinctively associated only with Excel (and the colour of the walls in the master bedroom in our Dubai apartment, circa 2007).
In other news, I got to go out for dinner with some of the people I spent a lot of time with around August-September 2018 as we tackled the shackles of the administration in unison. That was fun. The food was good. We also met for the same event’s 2019 edition, with two of my batchmates on this year’s Core. The quick realization that occurred over there is that these posts are very ceremonial: you hold them to deal with the administration, solely, and to manage and micromanage. But there’s enough people, and sets of people in each batch seem to collectively share the responsibility of specific events together, post or no-post. 6 of us do this for the Debate on campus from my batch, which is always super one. One Last Time will be too.
(That’s right. Mentioning OLT inb4 everyone else.)
Oh, also. I found this amazing documentary that I would urge everyone to watch, about Ed Sheeran’s songwriting process & everything. Really, really enjoyable.
I liked it. Ended up downloading a copy on my laptop in case this gets blocked for copyright.
I spoke to my parents for a while today, and the nature of our conversation made my mother question whether or not I was actually in the middle of exams. I chuckled and responded with how normalized this entire process of writing exams has become for me. After writing maybe 93 papers so far in Law School, I’ve learnt the art of preparing for exams on short notice and writing decently enough (to the point of happiness). This doesn’t make me complacent, but it’s a skill that I’ve definitely picked up with the sheer number of papers this place makes you write.
Finally, a couple of things. We now have a new Director at our University, who will start term on July 1. I’m looking forward to that. And, I’m purchasing a MIDI keyboard! After maybe 7 years of wanting one. That’s something I’m super duper eager to use.
Tejas Rao 