Today was an all-day meeting with staff here to talk about our research programme.  I know, not  very exciting,  but the  idea is  to take some of the best lessons from product development in the business world, and apply them so we can generate the best possible ideas to benefit farmers. Problem is not everyone agrees all the time, and so there was quite  a bit of let's say lively debate. On the weekend I had  a discussion with some other foreigners who were advising me that local  folks here will feel obliged to agree with a foreigner while inside they feel humiliated. This is not the case with us. Sometimes I almost wish we had that problem. Such discussions like the one we had today require the ability to listen, and respect others viewpoints, while also being  able to express one's own perhaps differing viewpoint with care. Not an easy thing at all in a language which is not one's own.