Transcontinental call from Cairo to Cairo

I spoke to Steve on the phone today. He is in Cairo, Egypt, not to be confused with Cairo (pronounced like the syrup), the hamlet in which I am presently residing. It was one of our first telephone conversations using an international calling card to the Middle East, otherwise known as the bain of my existence. The conversation went something like this:

Him: mumble, mumble, mmm, hmmmm?
Me: What?
Him: MUMBLE, MUMBLE, mmmmmmm, hmmmmmm?
Me: WHAT? I can't hear you. Are you talking into the phone mic? You have to talk into the mic!
Him: What. Else. Is. Going. On. Anything?
Me: Oh. Nothing, really.

It was mostly a series of exchanges like this one. Excellent.