[mac_truck]

I had dinner last night with a Russian who is very knowledgeable and who said that the entire game of Russia in the Mideast is the construction of these pipelines.

I'm curious...what language were you both using and how conversant are each of you in that language?

[nathanbedford]

We spoke in English (a language which still confounds me) because I have no Russian and he has no German. His English is rather good because he spends much time in Europe where the universal language of international business is English, even to the extent that Germans in the office often speak to each other in English but in German when they go after work to the beer garden.

He and his wife are here because they're son of 13 years is attending German Gymnasium and they are desperate to give the kid a Western European start in life.