Diplomatický Reč

When I first came here, a friend told me of the diplomatic way of speaking so prevalent here -- and she was right.

Today, one of my contacts here said to me:

"NO Maria, we (you and I) don't have to talk this way!  It's like a foreign language!  We will speak openly!"

I don't think she knew how refreshing it was to me to hear.  It gets tiring after a while, speaking like a diplomat all the time as a cultural norm.