Friday, February 04, 2011

In need of an ice-breaker

The traditional 'family photo' from today's EU summit...



Is it just us, or does it seem as if the couple at the end, Ashton and Berlusconi, don't quite know what to talk about...?

(Which could have something to do with the fact that one is your typical monolingual Brit and the other doesn't speak a word of English. Though, in truth, we suspect that's not the only reason)

4 comments:

  1. Michael St George6/2/11 1:00 pm

    Caroline isn't fluent in Italian. She had possibly been attempting to engage Sgr Berlusconi in discussions about the level of governmental corruption in Italy. Not knowing the Italian word for bribery by financial inducement of a public official, she may well have used the phrase "bunga bunga".

    Unfortunately, Sgr Berlusconi may have in turn interpreted her use of the phrase as proposing something else entirely - and possibly responded rather enthusiastically.

    Sorting out the misunderstanding may have resulted in the ensuing froideur.

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  2. Michael St George6/2/11 2:33 pm

    Sorry, Cathy, not Caroline. Beg pardon.

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  3. In our European Education Centre (Europe-House Marienberg) we have specialized in international ice-breaking activities, teaching European basics and speech animation. http://thinkeurope21.blogspot.com/
    Now, I would be glad to do some ice-breaking with Silvio and Catherine. She could use some advice on how to break some ice. Anything in that direction would come in handy, when she starts her diplomatic servicing in Egypt.

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  4. Michael StG...LOL!

    They are clearly in the middle of a wild, crazy, affair: better for both to appear indifferent to each other in public.

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