Ah, it's essentially a formal way of saying 'is that so?' I spent quite a few of my formative years in the country. I'm possibly a little rusty now, and my teacher never did think much of my accent.

[He laughs a little, shakes his head.]

You could say that again. It's been interesting, trying to build a corporation from the ground-up. But I do enjoy the challenge, and I've had the good fortune to work with some very talented individuals. Local and otherwise.