Thoughts: The second (unwritten) rule of trade, an attempted explanation with The Settlers of Catan8/31/2017 A couple of days back, I woke up to a line which got me thinking. That line in question: “Trade has nothing to do with diversity." Needless to say, this phrase probably came from a place of ignorance and / or hate. Regardless of the intentions of its origins, it got me thinking about the human condition in objective, or logical actions like trade, law, and any of their affiliates. Many a times, we make a good amount of decisions based on our logical sphere. What many of us don’t know or admit is that there will always be a level of bias. Actions cannot be 100% logical because they’re still made by humans. Human psychology has not reached a level of disregarding subconscious, bias, and emotion. So what is the importance of diversity in trade (or a facet of life which requires logical procedure and solutions)? However, I’m not brilliant at economics, so I’ll use an example I’m familiar with: The Settlers of Catan Brief summary of the game – Catan is based on a world where one particular kingdom / state does not have all the resources they need. To win the game, you need to develop your kingdom and survive each turn until someone gets 10 victory points. And because one didn’t have all the resources they needed, there were three ways of going about winning this game – hoarding & praying for something good to happen to you, conquest, or trade. The first option is too circumstantial. The second option takes up too many resources. Also, this doesn’t guarantee good resources (and there’s no option of doing so in Catan). So trade still makes the most sense. The Rules of Trade The first rule of trade is simple – You get what you need / want by trading something the other party doesn't have, for something you have and they want. The second (unwritten) rule of trade is this – people need to like you. At least on some fundamental level. You may present the most convincing argument and deal to the person you’d like / have no choice but to trade with. Given how globalized our world is now, you’d be one of a few (at least) choices. To paraphrase Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke in ‘The Imitation Game’, in a situation where you are just one of many choices, you “don’t have the luxury of being an arse”. Businesses are built on resources, but more importantly, they are built on relationships. Diversity in Trade There is justice in the world. There will come a point of time when you will need materials or necessities from the other side of the globe. Given how globalized and specialized the world is now, there are not a lot of options outside of import-export. The Silk Road proved that relationships, needs, and diversity were essential to long-standing trade. Current trade routes done without duress prove that. If anything, understanding needs, wants, and an authentic understanding of the cultures you’re trading with is essential to trade. Even within the same town, the person on the other side of the cash register will be different from you. And yes, that’s why contracts and trade agreements are drawn up. But let me bring this up again – have trade agreements signed under threat or duress ever lasted long or well? Example – You have a surplus of sheep and ore, but you need wheat because you need to develop your Settlement into a City. Now, you know that Player B has a surplus of wheat, but not as much ore or sheep as you. So basic economics, right? However, you have been cutting into their roads with yours, and on top of that, accused Player B of hoarding Development Cards because they are a “stereotype” you never bothered to learn about. What is stopping Player B only giving you your needed two wheat cards without draining you of everything? After all, you came to their lands, laid all your roads so theirs have nowhere to go, and then accused them of something without listening or understanding them properly? The Complexity of Circumstance and the Strength of Diversity Before I leave this discussion, here are some perspectives to think about as well. On top of diversity, circumstances cannot be ignored when decisions are made. This is personified by the dice in Catan – there’s always a 1 in 12 chance (basic odds) that a player can call a robber to the table. And that’s when the biggest question starts: “Do I place the robber on a person who has a resource I need? Or do I place the robber on a person who has been a crap person this entire game?" Sure. At the start of the game, everyone goes in going, “Yeah, no hard feelings, it’s business.” However, almost every game I’ve played gets increasingly intense when someone is close to winning. That’s when the alliances kick in, that’s when understanding and the strength of relationships show – who can you count on to pull you up from just the two victory points you started with?
So perhaps what I’m trying to say is this – diversity is essential in trade because it provides strength to both sides of the table, it gives you options, it makes you richer both in profits and in knowledge. And yes, it is very simplistic to use my above examples, but the truth of the matter still remains – diversity makes us all richer, but it cannot come or help you when it’s constantly stereotyped, and not respected in the first place. A sage once said, "When I was younger, I wanted friends who were smart. Now that I'm older, I want to be around people who are kind."
0 Comments
Two weekends, one festival market, and a major cough after, I’ve managed to muster up some energy to get this post down. LOL. At the beginning of this month, the Rolling Ronins, together with AK, took our first trip as a group to Jakarta, Indonesia, to attend PopCon Asia 2017. It was meant to be a quick trip – only there for the event and then back home again. Despite that, we still had quite a few story-worthy moments to share. HEART ATTACK PASTRY I think Indonesian food, I think Bakar (barbecue), Mie Bakso, IndoMie, and Martabak. While we got our fair share of Indonesian noodles and rice, the one that blew our minds (and possibly arteries) was the Martabak. We can only get proper, Indonesian-style Martabak at J Town, in Emerald Point (At least, that’s the only place I know), and they’re almost always sold out by the time we reach. From what we know, Martabak is a pancake cooked on a high-sided griddle before it’s filled with decadent fillings (usually cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, or a combination of the three). After it’s cooked, it’s slathered with butter, cut into portions, and then served. When we had our first Martabak in Indonesia, we were introduced to Martabak Asin a.k.a. the Savoury Martabak. I believe Jerry’s words were, “Can we just skip PopCon and just keep eating?” While sweet Martabak continues to dominate the menus, savoury Martabak was a revelation – meats and herbs fill the pancake while it’s wrapped in a thin layer of pastry, fried in a generous amount of oil, and then topped with sauce and cheese. So keep your hand wipes within reach and your stomach empty. Martabak is life. We went to two places: Martabak Gokil – BELLAGIO MALL | Kav. E4, Jl. Mega Kuningan Barat No. 3, RT. 5/ RW. 2, Kuningan Tim., Kecamatan Setiabudi, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, 15810, Indonesia Martabak San Fransisco – Jalan Burangang No. 42, Pujasera San Francisco, Burangang, Lengkong, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40111, Indonesia Note that Martabak San Fransisco is a delivery / takeout-only establishment, so be prepared. Savoury Martabak is also prioritized for their delivery customers and usually run out if you try to order it via takeout instead. THE FALAFEL INCIDENT As you can gather, most of our travel stories revolve around food. This one was a sliver of humour during a rather late dinner. After lunch on our second day, a friend of Anna’s recommended Halal Guys. Knowing their reputation as a New York Street Food establishment, we were game. Unfortunately, some of us had to split from the group so dinner at Halal Guys only had myself, the Tiger, Ben, Alfonsus, and AK. I ordered a Chicken Platter while the guys mostly ordered platters with hummus. Ben got a Falafel sandwich, while AK had an extra order of Falafel. And the Falafel came freshly fried. AND IT WAS GOOD. AK was kind enough to share one (of his two) falafel with the rest of us. That started Alf going through the best possible permutations of what to order back home for supper. Unfortunately, he took so long deliberating that by the time he got up to order more falafel to take home of the day, they were out. Cue the dramatic widening of AK’s eyes as his gaze darted from the final piece of falafel on the table and back to Alf. Spoiler alert: AK ended up splitting that falafel with the rest of us again because he hungry-ordered his meal. (He had a mixed rice platter with an added side of hummus and flat bread on top of the falafel) If anyone in Singapore wants to bring Halal Guys to the country – I will gladly support you. And by support, I mean go to your outlet and eat all your Falafel. The Halal Guys are at SENAYAN CITY, Jalan Asia Afrika Lot. 19, Gelora, Tanah Abang, Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, 12190, Indonesia. POPCON ASIA 2017 And of course, the event we were gunning for. This was our first time in PopCon, and first time in Jakarta for some of us as well. Needless to say, it was quite an experience. Firstly, our booths had a backing board – similar to those at STGCC, but very different from the booths we were used to in Comic Fiesta and CAFKL. Secondly, LINE WebToons has a huge following in Indonesia, where readers can access and read indie comics for free. Many browses ended in, “Are you on WebToons?” Plus, the long line outside the LINE WebToon booth spoke for itself. Regardless, we had quite a fun time – especially since our booths were right next to the stage. It got loud during programmes, but that also meant that our area was bustling. At the same time, it made us easier to spot – many thanks to Stephani & Royce, Wina (Veleries), Azisa, and many other people (the guys from GnB) for coming down to support us! As well as a special shout-out to ToysREvil for signal boosting our booth on his blog. Snippet: Here’s Jerry representing us during one of their Doodle Battles on Saturday!
To find out more about PopCon Asia, click here. So that was our trip to Jakarta! In between the food and the malls, we will probably be seeing this city again. Until next time! |
ThoughtsWhat I think when I think about daily incidents. Archives
December 2018
Categories |