The wave of acronyms rolls past him, and while Siebren recognizes some of them, the others are unfamiliar - ones he does not know of, or ones that don't exist on his world at all.

"Do keep in mind that I am Dutch and have a slightly different linguistic frame of reference," he says wryly. "My sole foray into learning Mandarin was...difficult, to say the least, and I am fortunate Lucheng Interstellar was willing to waive the requirement for me."