Social media and all the apps are supposed to make connecting with people easier than it was in the past. But what do you do when you have the time and the opportunity to become acquainted with a stranger spontaneously IRL?

Johan Xia shares his insights on overcoming awkwardness, the things that draw him to new people, and the experience of navigating social encounters in different cultural and linguistic contexts. He also reveals how he gets OUT of lackluster conversations tactfully.