Parallel Monologue: Cars vs Barbecues

Crossed wires...

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Ford: The car had its safety check at the Chinese garage. Failed on five counts. Took it to the Indian garage and they said there was nothing wrong with it.

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Weber: Know what you mean. Random judgements. Got invited to a street party. Was asked if I could bring a barbecue grill but when my neighbor saw it she said, “Nah, it’s too weak to grill steak.” It cooks sausages OK but I know its got an ignition problem. Hard to start.

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Ford: Your car?

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Weber: No, the barbecue.

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Ford: Mine too. It doesn’t heat.

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Weber: Your barbecue?

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Ford: No, the car.

__________

Voice-over

Well, no major misunderstandings here. 

Two technologies: one moves, one cooks. Simple topics.

No wonder people have difficulty understanding each other when talking about fuzzy things like relationships or ideologies. Clarification checks avoid parallel monologues.

Mapping the above interaction of stories, questions, clarifications, and comments...

_______  conversational surface progression

- - - - - - -  assumptions generated from own story

Rule-governed and Freestyle Sports

At Hakuba…

Hiroko: Why go back country skiing instead of staying on the ski slopes?

Kenta: It’s like the difference between seeing lions in the wild and lions in the zoo.

Hiroko: But you have to walk up. Carrying skis. On the ski fields the lift takes you to the top.

Kenta: Aah, but the snow is different. Powder snow. Even champagne snow.

Hiroko: And the danger. What if you fall in a drift and suffocate? Like several recently?

Kenta: Don’t ski alone. Ski in a group. And ski down one at a time. If someone falls, you can dig them out.

_____________

Voice-over

Team sports follow rules.

Individual sports can be rule-governed or freestyle.

More parallels for back country skiing and ski slope skiing:

Snorkeling in a pool vs. snorkeling in the sea.

Lake sailing vs. ocean sailing.

A day cycle ride vs. a round the world cycle trek.

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