Today was my first day at the WTO, and despite apparently forgetting to set my alarm and waking up to the sound of Mme V-F knocking on my door at 8:45, it was a pretty great day! I got ready in record time (no shower of course, but this is Europe...) and made it to work by about 9:05. While checking in with human resources, I met an Argentinian intern who just finished law school and related a story to me about a previous work experience of his in which several lawyers representing various interests in the EU spent a great deal of time arguing over what constitutes a banana. The discussion included a debate about the exact degree of curvature required for the fruit to qualify as a true banana. I'm not sure what the final consensus was, but the story reassured me that despite my many misfires at choosing the appropriate graduate program for me, not going to law school has probably been a wise choice.So far it seems that my job this summer is going to be an amazing experience. Although the
banner maker apparently didn't get the memo that I was starting today and left the "Welcome Ukraine" banner up instead, I still felt welcome. The people I am working with seem very nice and the location on the lake is amazing! I learned that people do in fact swim in the lake right there in front of the building, so I can go for swims on my lunch hour! Apart from my lifeguarding past, I can't think of another job where this would be possible.Today I spent quite a bit of time reading through case studies (one of which being the banana dispute, which I suppose is what started the banana conversation with the other intern) in preparation for the project that I will most likely be spending the majority of my time on, which is to prepare case studies of past agriculture negotiations. It sounds as though I will likely have the opportunity to sit in on some of the negotiation meetings and perhaps even a dispute settlement hearing, although nothing as exciting as bananas, I bet. In any event, I'm really excited about the job and plan to set 2 alarms for tomorrow.
3 comments:
Indeed, bananas play an important role in EU law. A leading antitrust case of 1978 had to define the differences and advantages between bananas and apples: "the banana has certain characteristics, appearance, taste, softness, seedlessness , easy handling, a constant level of production which enable it to satisfy the constant needs of an important section of the population consisting of the very young, the old and the sick." The easy handling is the favorite part for students of all ages.
"Although most of the imports were the same species—Cavendish bananas—those from
the Caribbean were generally more curved and smaller—often half the size of dollar bananas.
Caribbean bananas were the favored fruit of the average British shopper, who claimed their
diminutive size made them cheaper on a per banana basis, and easier to slip into a lunchbox. But
German consumers preferred dollar bananas, and most German grocers stocked only the larger,
more uniform fruit."
-Case study from Kennedy School of Government: C14-99-1534.0.
The Magritte not-a-dollar-banana is perfect, but perhaps we should post a picture of a true-ACP-banana to compare? That would clear everything up I'm sure. And don't expect to hear the end of the story any time soon if you go to a DSB banana hearing since the case has only been going on nearly 20 years. Elsewhere, your luggage tags were the most impressive I have ever seen, but I couldn't quite figure how to post that to this technobloggythingee. Lastly thank you for finally showing me what the Hotel President Wilson looks like, since I have heard about it for years in the cables. The Davidoff cigars (not cigarettes - you do know you already had Davidoff blogspam by Monday?) go with the cognac at the Hotel Wilson bar. And do your slides show the “new” Centre William Rappard skylights as glass panes hidden in those troglodyte ivy mounds? Ta. Uncle Ted, back at the ranch.
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