Yesterday morning, in an exploratory meeting with someone per Advisor Who's recommendation, I was reminded once again of how painful and awkward meeting strangers can be, or maybe just how painful and awkward words that come out of my mouth can be. I've been around the professor-meeting-networking circuit for awhile now, and usually, they're all too happy to talk about themselves that conversation takes care of itself. Yesterday, since I was going to someone with a research proposal with a good word from Advisor, I thought it would all flow naturally. Instead, it was a lot of hemming and hawing and silent gaps. Then there was the matter of the ringing phone. As I was talking, my supposedly silent phone started buzzing. They ought to make silent modes quieter. I tried ignoring it and playing through, but then this happened:
Collaborator: Is that your phone or mine? I think it's yours.
Moi: Uh, yeah, sorry... (reach down to end call while still talking about research)
Collaborator: Mine buzzes, too. But I think it's yours.
Moi: Yeah, it's OK. (think: why can't we just drop this?)
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