母(はは) hahaは wa忙(いそが)し() isogashiそう souに ni料(りょう)理(り) ryouriを oしていた shiteita。そ()の()間(かん) sonokan私(わたし) watashiは waテレビ terebiを o見(み)て()い()た() miteita。 My mother was busily cooking. Meanwhile, I was watching TV. Literal Mother [topic-は] busy-looking-[adverb-に] cooking was-doing. That while I [topic-は] TV [object-を] was-watching 忙しそうに = 'looking busy' — そう (appearance) + に (adverb). その間 = 'meanwhile/during that time.' Two parallel ていた clauses contrast the mother's activity with the speaker's. foodfamilycooking~ている (ongoing state)
母(はは) hahaは wa忙(いそが)し() isogashiそう souに ni料(りょう)理(り) ryouriを oしていた shiteita。そ()の()間(かん) sonokan私(わたし) watashiは waテレビ terebiを o見(み)て()い()た() miteita。 My mother was busily cooking. Meanwhile, I was watching TV. Literal Mother [topic-は] busy-looking-[adverb-に] cooking was-doing. That while I [topic-は] TV [object-を] was-watching 忙しそうに = 'looking busy' — そう (appearance) + に (adverb). その間 = 'meanwhile/during that time.' Two parallel ていた clauses contrast the mother's activity with the speaker's. foodfamilycooking~ている (ongoing state)