Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Two-level conversation

It's funny -- I'm in the office (air-conditioned, thank GOD) and listening to the two speakers-of-Russian in the large conference room.  They are having, as far as I know, (I don't speak Russian even a tiny bit), a conversation.  But it doesn't sound like a conversation, because both of them are speaking at once.  And not in any sort of loud, trying-to-top-the-other sort of voices -- both in totally conversational voices, as if both were talking on the phone to someone else, or to two other people who were just never responding.  But I have walked by twice, just to check, and they are talking to one another.  Not looking at one another, much, mostly looking at the documents they are discussing.  But both mouths moving ALL THE TIME.