#and in one of the intersections of a bunch of fields of my expertise too

[tlbodine]

Trans Horror Authors

My January reading challenge is to read a book by a trans author. Luckily, there are many out there to choose from! Here are some who write in the horror genre, because that's my area of expertise. If you know of others, whether in horror or other genres, reply with your recommendations!

In no particular order...

Caitlin R. Kiernan

A genderfluid Irish-American paleontologist who also writes spectacular cosmic horror, what's not to love? They've been repping queerness since the 80s and have a robust library to choose from, so you're bound to find something you'll like!

Poppy Z. Brite

Billy Martin, whose work is published under the name Poppy Z. Brite, was a big name in the Gothic horror scene of the 1990s and continues to be a frequently-recommended author, although he doesn't publish as much horror these days.

Julya Oui

A Malaysian trans woman and prolific short story author. She has several collections out that you can browse, if short stories are your speed! Maybe start with Taiping Tales of Terror, which draws heavily on her native folklore and influences.

Rivers Solomon

A nonbinary, intersex Black author now living in the U.K., Solomon has three books out and they all look spectacular. Their books lean more toward sci-fi/fantasy, but their newest title Sorrowland looks to be pretty solidly Gothic as well.

Gretchen Felker-Martin

Trans woman, film critic, and unapologetically outspoken. Her best-known book is Manhunt, a post-apocalyptic horror tale that doesn't pull any punches. She's got another new release slated for 2024 to keep an eye on.

Hailey Piper

One of the most prolific authors I can name off the top of my head, Hailey also has several novellas out in the world + a few novels. If the intersection of queer fiction, body horror, and cosmic horror sounds like your thing, you can find something in her backlist. Also she's here on tumblr, go learn more at @haileypiperfights

Eve Harms

A bit of a new player on the field, but well worth checking out. Eve is a Jewish trans woman. Her debut novel, Transmuted, is a breathless body horror romp. She also makes a bunch of handmade zines, which I just think are neat :)

Natalie Ironside

One of Tumblr's very own better-known names, Natalie is queer, disabled, trans, hilarious, and author to at least three novels I can think of plus some other stuff too - go scope her out on @natalieironside for the details.

.....I know I'm missing a ton of people but these were the first ones that came to mind. I have to get back to writing, but I hope this inspires y'all to pick up a book you haven't read yet, and to add to my list down in the notes.

Happy reading, y'all :)

#book club #reading recs #bookblr #trans authors #lgbt horror #trans horror #book recommendations #reading #amreading #seriously y'all if you people read non-horror #please leave some trans author recs #there are people in my book club #who need non-horror ideas #for some reason #:P

[fractallogic]

WHOOF had an EMOTIONAL zoom with scone; not in a bad way, just in, you know. a way. because talking about the future and trying to plan for things and figure things out is always something that makes me very emotional because NO ONE EVER KNOWS (but anyway he contacted an immigration lawyer for a consult and we’re a step closer to figuring out which method of green card getting is both most efficient and least risky, and it sounds like we’ll be married on paper when (WHEN) he’s able to come in January and still have our wedding in July)

and it also all depends on whether I get a job in the US or not. because obviously if I’m not in the US, it doesn’t matter if he has a green card or not.

I’m having trouble with this interview prep because I just don’t know what to say about how I see myself in this position (doing experiments, I guess???) or fitting in with the project, because I just can’t find a lot about the project, except it sounds like maybe this can be another place I can pitch my idea about learning derivational morphology, so. fine. I guess that’s what we’ll do. (or like, evidential markers? are those derivational? negative concepts? THOSE are definitely derivational...)

so okay fine, maybe I’ll switch gears and see if I can get one job document done and then I’m calling it for the day. my brain is distraught and I was crying because I haven’t seen scone since January and I didn’t quite realize that it was October and I’m stressed out and he’s stressed out and we were talking about the possibility of him not being allowed back in the country while his application was processing and what that would mean and whether that was acceptable and you FUCKING VIRUS LET ME BE WITH HIM and FUCKING ACADEMIA (or anyone really) LET ME HAVE A JOB, PREFERABLY IN THE US

and anyway I’m trying not to think too much about what if I get one of these 2- or 3-year postdocs in Germany or Canada and how does HE get a job because HE’S not wanting to stay in SA any longer than absolutely necessary (and likely resigning after this academic year because he’s sick of it and wants to NOT be in SA, otherwise I would have already moved there to be with him and to take up the position that his coworkers/boss want me to take, because apparently there really aren’t enough women with PhDs in psycholinguistics with my skillset... so anyway)

also I spilled milky tea on my clean jeans. not what I wanted to do. the cherry on top of the anxiety sundae that is today. ugh.

#working hard to not self-sabotage this interview #everything will be fine if i move to berlin for two years for a job #i'll figure it all out and then come back to the US for a different job #and this would be a Very Good Job if i do get it #and in one of the intersections of a bunch of fields of my expertise too #i'm just extra super stressed out at the prospect of moving DURING A PANDEMIC #and just wanting to be able to spend several weeks with scone during his winter break #when this job is supposed to start jan 1 2021 #lol. well. i'll burn that bridge when i come to it #which will NOT be during this interview #so dw brain just chug along and do your brain thing #(not the anxiety thing. the linguistics thing. do that one.)

[infpisme]

Dear INFP, You’re Not A Mess. You’re A SCANNER, and That’s Awesome.

Do you feel like you’re drifting aimlessly in life, unable to commit your attention to just one thing, because that would mean missing out too many other exciting opportunities?

Do you think you’re great at starting projects but don’t have enough focus or perseverance to finish them?

Do you get easily excited about new things and just as easily bored once you have tried them?

I do, and my awareness of this trait doesn’t make my job search any easier. I feel like I need to try everything in order to choose, and the time is running out. Why am I so scatterbrained?

In this post about INFP career struggles, I wrote about my doubts with regard to choosing the right path.

The struggle is real.

What Is Wrong With Me?

I was blessed with parents who provided me with the perfect conditions for self-discovery and exploration. They didn’t sign me up for all those activities like today’s parents do – the initiative was entirely mine. So, by the end of elementary school, I tried tennis, acrobatic modern dance, karate, maths, speed reading, English, arts, journalism, horse riding, more arts, singing in a choir, sailing, and theatre. Not at once, of course.

Later on, I added to the list Spanish, Portuguese, photography, and climbing. I just felt I needed to try them all. Some didn’t last more than a few weeks, but many activities kept my attention longer.

I thought that growing up would make choosing easier.

It didn’t. I kept trying out different professions and jobs to find out what I could do for a living. As a result, I’ve become a Jack of all trades, master of none, with a rich and very inconsistent CV, and without the slightest idea about what career to pursue. By the age of 28, I have already had two major career shifts and tried several other unrelated jobs, only to find out that I don’t want to do those things anymore in my life.

I wish I could live 200 years, or had many lives, or be 20 people instead of one, or possess a time-changer, so I could try everything I want, from kitesurfing and basket weaving to design and upholstery.

My inner child rebels when my inner adult questions the sense of pursuing yet another project, and I can’t help feeling like a failure. At school, willingness to explore was a great advantage. But in adult life, it feels more of a liability.

What is my calling, then?

Over time, and having tried plenty of things, I found out that I want to be a farrier, permaculture farmer, seafarer, dressage rider, bee keeper, traveller, photographer, blogger, and T-shirt designer.

I don’t mean either – or.

I want to be all these things AT THE SAME TIME. Like a one-man band.

It’s ridiculous and incredibly frustrating. Soon, I will hit 30, and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized I wasn’t alone in this struggle. We are told that the best (and only?) way to succeed is by finding one’s passion and pursuing it till the end of one’s life; that only by specializing in a very narrow area we can actually achieve what is believed to be success. True as it may seem, I don’t think it applies to INFPs at all.

In her book Refuse To Choose, Barbara Sher calls this kind of people “scanners”. Others have called us Renaissance people, da Vinci personalities, generalists, polymaths, multipotentialities, jacks-of-all-trades, eclectics, dilettantes or flakes.

I prefer “scanners”.

Who is a “Scanner”?

Unlike the people who specialize in very narrow areas, scanners are individuals characterized by “intense curiosity about numerous, unrelated subjects”. They’re endlessly inquisitive explorers who don’t want to commit to just one area, giving up all the other interests.

Being a scanner does not equal having an attention deficit disorder, even though the two may co-exist. Scanners simply crave knowledge and want to understand how things and the world around them work.

If you’re not sure if that applies to you, listen to Barbara Sher talk about scanners - https://youtu.be/o29KOV0jYRM

The INFP personality fits the scanner definition wonderfully. With Ne as our auxiliary function, INFPs see endless possibilities to everything. Ne is the driving force behind creativity, and the reason we crave novelty and get bored so easily (at least, until we find THE thing, I believe.). Ne is also the source of INFP’s childlike wonder of the world.

Having said that, it’s not a surprise that we are so unhappy when forced to fit in the world, where you either specialize in something or fail. As great imagie thinkers who don’t pay that much attention to details, INFPs are often criticized for being scatterbrained and unable to commit to just one narrow area.

But, what if our ability to be passionate about so many things was actually an asset?

Can Scanners Be Successful?

Good news! I’ve learned from Sher’s book that there is no obligation to specialize in anything – the preference of specialists over erudites it’s a relatively recent fashion, and in case of scanners, it goes completely against our nature. Let’s be honest: I were to dedicate my life to just one thing, I would probably get bored to death.

It is possible to achieve tremendous success as a scanner. The list of famous and undoubtedly successful scanners includes Steve Jobs (who revolutionized not only computing but also mobile phones, music industry and design), Leonardo da Vinci (artist and inventor, the original Renaissance Man) and Benjamin Franklin (writer, publisher, inventor, statesman among other things).

It is also possible to choose a career and projects in which your talent and love for learning is an asset, not a liability. I learned about careers aimed at researching and providing information, management tools one can use to organize unfinished projects and harness your creativity, and ways to avoid paralysis by analysis and reconcile making a living with pursuing your multiple passions. So there seems to be some hope, after all 😉

Though this be madness, yet there’s method in it, Shakespeare (an alleged INFP) would say.

Tips For Scanners

Here’s a bunch of advice I’ve drawn from the book Refuse to Choose.

Keep a notebook and always carry it with you, so whenever a brilliant idea comes to your mind, you can seize it and save it for later. One day, you may actually be ready to apply it in a meaningful way. You never know.

Organize your ideas. Write a whole list of things you’re interested in and projects you have in mind. You will probably realize that they’re not so many and are somehow related. Grouping them will help you recognize some pattern and decide which to prioritize.

Trust your intuition and do what you want to do. Let go of things that don’t make your eyes shine. I realized that for feeling intuitives, reason is not necessarily a good advisor. This life is the only chance you have to pursue your dreams, so don’t waste on what won’t give you fulfilment.

When you feel like you’re done with a project, move on. Even if you leave it (un)finished, it’s never a waste of time.

Consider finding a Good Enough Job. It may not be your dream job, but if it doesn’t make you suffer, the team is fun to work with, and you get a decent salary that pays for your passions – it may be THE solution.

Scanners, You Are Enough

Some of us don’t have just one true calling, and there is nothing wrong with it. In her TED talk, Emilie Wapnick, the author of  How To Be Everything, proves that being a scanner is not a disease or a disorder to be cured, but a unique and invaluable talent.

As a scanner aka multipotentialite, you have access to many points of intersection of different fields, which leads to innovation. You’ve been a beginner so many times that starting from scratch yet another time doesn’t frighten you. The skills you acquire in the process are often transferable between different fields of expertise, and that in a fast changing world makes you extremely adaptable. And the truth is, very few people stick to their initial career, nowadays.

Also, generalists like you make great team members for specialists because they provide the kind of insight the latter are not capable of. Working together, we may accomplish even greater things.

Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole is pointless. You are a creative soul. You can only make a difference in the world if you embrace your scanner personality and do something you’re absolutely passionate about (even if it doesn’t last a lifetime). Let your Ne explore the endless possibilities that this world has to offer, celebrate your talents, and share your enthusiasm and projects with the world… This is your life purpose!

Source - Marta, https://climbingthecliff.com/infp-scanner-superpower

#infp #infp personality #infp advice #infp things

[fitbeautysalonn1]

The Top 3 Secrets to Buying Apparel

One traveling to the back of your closet and you may finds at least one dreadful mold of an clothes purchase gone wrong. If it's your say to buy for your firm or organization, these tips will help to avoid the anguish of arrangement the offense choice. You happenings to give a very personal gift of importance to be worn and enjoyed for era to come. When your customers, prospective buyer or employees get to the back of their closet, you don't destitution your company's blouse hanging as a misfit, never to be worn.

Why should you buy apparel? Giving series to promote your company is by far the #1 direct marketing ability sort with annual sales estimated at $5.6 billion. Nearly 30% of all promotional purchases are apparel. Fashion, model and chamber along with your brand statue are a magical combination. Before you put your final plans into action, let's clear away the chaos and makes your answer easier. There are 3 field to consider: texture function, gender situation and quality. By focusing on these 3 areas, you can makes a better variety for what caress best for your project and budget. Next, I'll tell you some common goofs to avoid when buying apparel. Finally, you will see answers to some frequently-asked client questions.

THE TOP 3 SECRETS TO BUYING APPAREL

1. Performance Apparel and Performance Brands are turning costume buzz words.

What is your garment going to be doing? How will it be used? Begin with the fool in mind. Corporate clients and non-profit groups are now observing for formations and office as a key consideration.

100% Cotton is sharing the floodlight with dozens synthetic fabrics, such as attribute apparel. Performance stores has loads attributes: anti-wrinkle, anti-fade, anti-pill, anti-shrink, anti-stretch, antimicrobial and moisture-wicking, to name a few. This clothes can foundation hard utility and constant cleanup demands of activities like those of coffee waiter and succession workers. Many athletic and golf clothes lines utility antimicrobial construction to reduce microorganism growth caused by perspiration.

Keep in section that waterproof, water-resistant and water-repellant do not mean the same thing. Waterproof compress are seam-sealed, able to withstand a specific sovereign of water relevance and accordance the wearer dry. Water-resistant supplies is chemically treated to resist water. To be considered water-repellant, a chinchorro must resist uptake by passing experiment before and after washing and dry cleaning. You may be hearing closely a very popular attribute web called wetness wicking. This stores is made from synthetic materials designed to lottery humidity away from the body.

Be on the look out for different authority for the same realization features. Apparel God have branded their achievement products. Here are just 4 examples:

ClimaCool - Adidas technology that keeps breath fluidity around the garment to assistance regulate corpse temperature.

Cool FX - Izod technology that disperses dampness across the garment.

Dri-Fit: Nike water-wicking design to agreement the wearer dry

StretchFlex: Bella-Alo's stretch fabric.

2. Men's and Women's styles and sizes are very different. Many brands submissiveness nobleman styles to clothing both manhood and women.

Men's shirts are shaped heterosexual through the flights with the shoulders slightly sloping down from the collar and the cylinder sloping down at an angle. Basic gully payment involve the neck, shoulder and sleeves. Men's sleeves section are offered short or long sleeves down to the wrist. Men's shot cylinder shirts are worn longer on the arm, in some styles down to the elbow. Oversize shirts have the same cut yet larger in overall dimensions.

Women's shirts are tailored to better incantation a women's natural manifestation and to give more comfort. Tailoring at the blouse makes the waist lighter and more comfortable without extra loose weave bunching at the waist. Sleeves are typically shorter and incantation closer to the shoulder. Some women's shirts are available in a section sleeve, which is flattering for girlfriend because it displays the slimmest fraction of the pinchers while excretion the upper arm. Fitted at the waist, lots women's shirts will feature a slight flaring at the hips.

Another key difference in women's supplies is flaring to allow for the difference in bins sizes. Flaring flatters a woman's features, allowing for better occurrences and instinct without bunching of excess material. Along with the tailored contour, women's styles are cut shorter than men's shirts. Another notable unlikeness is that women's blouse buttons are found on the left side of the placket, while men's shirt buttons are on the right.

When pilfering your location for cutting apparel, be mindful of where on the mass the formatting will be displayed. Many experienced clients experiment to postponements away from box logos when bandage women.

3. Apparel custody is distinguished by 3 factors: particle type, makeups and dimensional stability.

Why do better importance clothing conclusion longer? On opinion is dimensional stability; the garment testament resist the turning to recoiling or distort after washing. Quality tools evidence maintain its intended payment to deterioration well over and over again.

Look inside the garment for quality. You will see double-needle hems on better garments, two rows of stitching sewn parallel to each other. Look at the shirt's neck and shoulders and you'll finds an inch of mesh sewn over the inside seams. Taped neck seams, taped shoulder conventions and simulacrum needle hems secure the seams, encouragement the garment maintain its word and give a more finished appearance.

Apparel pressure (light, media or heavy weight) is not the best index of a garment's quality. Lightweight is approx 4 oz. per intersection lot of fabric; media pressure is about 5 oz. and heavyweight is approx 6 oz. Weight will also vary among fabrics. For example, the often-seen white t-shirt of dozens famous brands is available in both a 5 oz. and a 6 oz. weight. While the lighter garment is more economical, a white tee blouse is somewhat transparent and revealing. On the other hand, the ultra popular Under Armour brand features t-shirt styles that are super thin and utility very illumination confidence merit fabrics.

When selecting apparel, look for "no curl" collars on your golf shirt; choose "anti pill" fleece on your hooded pullover. If you choose a belongings fabric, type sure your trimming facilities will not conciliation the compress realization properties.

TOP 4 GOOFS TO AVOID WHEN BUYING APPAREL

1. Champagne tastes on a beer budget

Don't expect too much. If you buy the lowest spoil garment, don't expect it to endure heavy disintegration and frequent washings.

2. Unisex dressing for manhood and women

If you indigence the garb to be worn, enjoyed and seen rather than stuffed into the back of a drawer, revenue extra distribution to consider the measure and job for your purchase. Take a careful seeming at the cut, tailoring and sizes for both manhood and women. Not all tee shirts are cut the same; you will see notable distinction among various adult brands. You may necessities styles to include sizes up to 5XL and longer cylinder clause for those who are tall.

3. Equating net burden with quality

Take odds of our expertise. Ask for a specimen to compare fabrics. Look inside for makeup and fabrication. Popular t-shirt and sweatshirt brands surrender a variety of confidence and weave blends.

4. Wanting to be new and different

Keep the wearer and your program topic pinnacle of mind. Let the garment be practical, made well, designed to lottery the wearer and appropriate for the season or use. Look for lighting choices to type the common garment new and unique. Consider packaging, accomplishments and portion to type your program extraordinary and more memorable.

FAQ's - FREQUENTLY ASKED AND ANSWERED

1. What igniting office evidence currency best for my garment?

First, determine whether the outfits is creature used as an agent or a promotion.

An ensemble advert focuses on the emblem igniting on the product. An supplies promotion is marketing a output or service. It may be used as a customer present or a tradeshow uniform.

An purpose focuses on the garment brand; it is a gift or reward for some achievement. Clients choose shaft brands for factor programs because the perceived trust is high and encourages positive action. It is the garment, more than the logo, which is attracting attention.

Decoration techniques include embroidery, applique, screen printing, digital printing, laser etching or multimedia (rhinestone, nail heads, or crystal transfer). The makes of garment and the web will usually dictate how it is best decorated. For example, very thin disposition clothes cannot be sewn so screen printing with special inks must be used.

Embroidery is recommended for cause programs and branded apparel. The recent orb is to use color-on-color, tonal threads and a more discrete placement of the logo. This subtle embellishment creates a high perceived value. Use monogramming to personalize an executive gift.

2. Should I buy branded or non-branded apparel?

If stretching your budget is the primary consideration, save bed with non-branded apparel. Private label fortification brands are typically charge less, have open distribution, are designed to be decorated and are produced to accommodate your buying habits.

Branded clothes typically costs more because of the brand equity, and allocation is sometimes restricted. There may also be function indigence to purchase and many brands have execution limitations. We suggest that, whenever you promote your brand or company, align your brand with brands that resonation your diameter commitment.

3. What do you destitution to know roughly eco-friendly apparel?

This newer ability kind is in high demand. Just like at the supermarket, expect higher payment points for supplies labeled organic and natural. Many brands and private loop mills are betrayal eco-conscious styles. Buying eco-friendly stores promotes your firm as creature environmentally responsible.

For more info [ https://fitbeautysalon.com/product-category/apparel/ ] visit our site.

[brandsmagazinepakistan-blog]

Brands Magazine

http://monthlybrands.com.pk/malala-apple-launch-partnership-get-100000-girls-school-apple-launch-partnership-get-100000-girls-school/

Malala and Apple launch partnership to get 100,000 girls into school Apple launch partnership to get 100,000 girls into school

We have yet another reason to be proud of Malala Yousafzai.

According to a report published by The Independent, the world’s most famous CEO and perhaps the most famous – and definitely youngest – Nobel Peace Prize winner could be found on Saturday morning taking tea with a family in downtown Beirut.

The reason for the dash to Lebanon by Apple supremo Tim Cook and Malala Yousafzai was the announcement of a groundbreaking tie-up between the tech giant and the women’s rights campaigner that will see funding and resources offered to Malala to help deliver her fund’s goal of getting 100,000 girls into education in places including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Turkey and Nigeria. The 100,000 figure is an initial goal; they won’t be stopping at that.

To launch the partnership, Malala and Mr Cook made a flying visit to Lebanon, one of the target countries, where The Independent met them for an in-depth discussion. The conversation covered the need for free education, the gender gap in the UK and US – and if Mr Cook’s job will one day be filled by a woman.

Mr Cook is not your typical CEO. Dressed quietly but immaculately in pale blue shirt, storm blue crew neck and grey chinos, he eschews the clichés of leadership – his is a gentle, collegial approach. Malala, meanwhile, has a still but palpable energy, tailored by a sharp intellect and sense of purpose. The two are utterly at ease together, deferring to each other like old friends.

I begin by asking them where the initiative sprang from.

Mr Cook explains: “I met Malala in Oxford in October last year [she is reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University]. I reached out to Malala just to meet her.

“We began to talk and it became so clear that she had such a bold vision. It really lined up with the boldness of Apple and that the core of it is an overriding belief in equality and that education is the great equaliser. And that has always been at the root of our company and my personal beliefs. And so it started, the fire was lit there. I instantly wanted to throw in on the vision that Malala had.”

Malala continues with her side of the story: “I was really happy that Tim was at Oxford, and excited to meet him. We asked each other questions and we had a conversation about girls’ education and how technology can help us in getting more girls into schools and giving them the education that they want. I really wanted us to work together because Apple has expertise: they are expert in tech, they have resources and they have amazing and incredible people.

“Then the question was, how can we use that? The Malala Fund is trying to reach out to girls, how can we bring these two together to reach more girls, as many as we can, to empower them through quality education. And that was my dream. So, things started happening and I just can’t believe it has been a few months and now we are here in Lebanon and announcing our partnership for the coming years.”

It’s all come about pretty rapidly – four months and counting. “I think it shows the intersection of the values there. And if you intersect there you can do a lot of things very quickly. Then it just becomes a matter of the hows and not the whats,” Mr Cook says.

Of course, problems aren’t always solved or eased significantly just by throwing money at them. I wonder what else Apple can bring to the party besides cash, and what Malala wants from the company.

Mr Cook mentions the company’s founder, Steve Jobs, as he explains: “We have expertise in education. You know we’ve been serving the ‘ed’ market for 40 years; for the length of time of the company. It was a key focus of Steve’s from the start and so we’ve built an expertise of what our products can do in a teaching environment and how they can fuel student achievement.

“We’ve done that in many different settings from very underprivileged schools to the polar opposite. And we have touched a significant number of people with our coding initiative, using our retail stores working with many different groups that are touching girls’ organisations and students in general, but very focused on girls as well.

“And so we bring all of that. Of course, we have an expertise in scaling and we have lots of people in different countries across the world. So, it seemed like the most important thing to me is always values and the vision. And those are the same and then when I thought through this, it seemed like we could bring a lot in support of Malala’s vision.”

Malala takes up the theme. “You mentioned vision. The vision is clear. That is the education of 130 million girls who are out of school. My dream is to see every girl getting quality education and for that I’m hoping that through partnership with Apple we’ll be able to expand our work and we want to double our Gulmakai champions, who are the local advocates who are supporting the students, from six to 11 countries.

“I want to teach 100,000 girls and I want to involve girls and make sure that they can get quality education. Also, as you said, Tim, Apple has expertise in education, expertise in tech and we want to see how we can use that to help the Malala Fund.

“Many of the champions who are supporting them are using technology and finding new ways to make it easier for girls to have access to education whether it’s e-learning or getting STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] skills. So, I’m just really hopeful that we can reach as many young girls and as many young advocates as possible.”

This is all admirable, but one of the problems for the education of women in the Arab world, for instance, goes beyond school. Universities can remain male bastions, women can find it hard to get work in the private sector. Will this initiative have a halo effect there?

Malala explains that’s not the immediate emphasis. “There has been a focus on education, but only on primary education. And there are many countries and leaders who are supporting university level education as well through scholarships. But there’s a huge gap in secondary education. So, allowing girls to have primary education is important, but if the secondary education is missing, girls don’t have access to university level education.

“But, yes, once you give them quality 12 years of education, you allow them to explore ways in which they want to work. You allow them to explore what they’re passionate about and what dreams they have and what they want to do in life.”

I wonder if this is an example of the varying social responsibilities of governments and companies. Is this something a government couldn’t manage?

Mr Cook again: “I think it’s one of those things that will have the best results if government joins us. It needs all of us rowing in the same direction. I don’t see it as a substitute because we’re not going to build all the schools that are needed and so forth. So, government is essential in this. You know, Malala has been a tireless advocate with many different state leaders on the subject. I think what I’m feeling more every day is there’s clearly some things in life that only government can do.

“There’s some things that only private companies can do. There are some things perhaps that only non-government organisations can do. But the bigger issues in the world, it really takes everybody. I would say this is one of the big issues in the world.”

Malala adds: “The local advocates we are supporting, the Gulmakai Network of educators, are campaigning, for instance, in Nigeria to make sure the government declares 12 years of education compulsory for all children rather than nine years. They’re doing work locally in their community teaching to as many girls as possible. But then they are also talking to their local and national leaders.”

Gender equality in countries like the UK and US involves a series of different issues, such as the pay gap, gender imbalances and so on. What is Apple doing about that? Mr Cook explains that Apple is working on making coding, for example, more available in schools at every level.

“I see it as a key responsibility for all companies and not only in their hiring practices and employment practices and so forth. But if there are fewer women graduating in the majors that you generally recruit in, like computer science and so forth, I see it as a responsibility of companies to figure out how to change that.

“You can’t just focus on the end, and say, ‘Oh, we can’t because there’s not enough women in the key majors.’ That’s really a cop-out. I personally feel, and Apple feels, a responsibility much higher than that.

“For coding, we’ve focused on this all the way back to early school, first, second, third grade and upwards. And in community colleges because we know that adults need to be retrained. Malala’s vision is very tied to this because there are so many girls in the world that are never making it through primary. I see this as part of our effort of changing the fundamental dynamics in the education system.

“There are different issues in the US and the UK than the ones we’re talking about today. But maybe at the root there are a lot of things that are similar. At the root what it comes back to is: is everyone treated with dignity and respect, is everyone really treated as an equal and does everyone have access to quality education so that they can be the best that they can be in whatever field? Too many times in society the answer to those questions are a bunch of nos. So it feels great to be a part of this. A really bold and ambitious vision.”

This was a flying visit but they took tea with a family in Tarik al Jadida, Beirut. The Trawi family has three teenage girls, Muslim Sunnites, who go to school in Ashrafieh, a part of Beirut some distance from their modest home. It’s a Christian school and they go there because it’s considered the best school.

Mr Cook and Malala ask the girls what they want to be (an actress, one replies) and their favourite sports (swimming is popular). And they ask if a woman could ever be CEO of Apple. Mr Cook is quick to say, yes, and points out that female senior executives at Apple include Lisa Jackson, vice-president of environment, policy and social initiatives, who previously ran the Environment Protection Agency for President Obama.

Tea is followed by a round-table discussion at the Lebanese Alternative Learning centre in central Beirut, an NGO established by Nagi Ghorra and Nayla Fahed in 2013, offering educational resources. This includes a neat little box containing a basic computer and wi-fi hotspot. It has the learning content on a memory card and can share it with up to 30 tablets or computers at a time. It can be powered by a rechargeable battery, so in areas where no wi-fi or no electricity can be relied on, classes can still take place.

A dozen girls sit in the main room of the centre awaiting the mystery guests. When they learn Malala is among them, the atmosphere is electric, some bursting into tears in their excitement. When Malala arrives, one girl sobs in disbelief again, prompting a hug and encouraging words from the Nobel prize winner.

As the session continues, they find their voices, in one case even breaking into song, enchanting the group and Mr Cook, who is clearly touched. One girl talks of her desire for Lebanon to be the best it can, another, originally from Syria, describes her hopes for her home country to find peace.

At the end, the girls ask for photographs. I’ve seen Mr Cook in this situation before, mobbed by adoring fans. But today, it’s Malala they want for their selfies. Mr Cook, for once, stands on his own, beaming, content to bask in her reflected glory.