How to Excel at Small Talks

Imagine this. You’re walking in a mall alone, shopping. You meet a really old friend and go “HIII ITS BEEN SO LONG!” and she says “I KNOW RIGHT! HOW ARE YOU?” and you go “GOOD AND YOU?” and she says “GOOD TOO, THANKS!” and then ……………………….. *awkward*
Small talks are never easy. I am a proud victim of super awkward moments and have learnt to cope up with weird situations as such. Well, not completely, but much better than the dorky kid staring at her toes. Here are what you can do to save socially-awkward moments:
1. Ask them how have they been, and mean it! Ask where have they studied, where are they working, how are their relatives, and so on. Don’t ask overly personal questions such as “are you single?” unless you want to known as a creepy nosy-body all your life.
2. Talk about yourself. Share about your education, working life, pretty much similar as the above. Be considerate, don’t go on and on about yourself. You may sound like a self-centered person.
3. Find something in common to talk about. For example, if she happens to mention similar interest as you, dig deeper. You never know, you might find out a common interest to talk about ;)
4. If you are with company, introduce that person to your old friend. They might save you a teensy bit from the awkwardness 
5. Be genuine. You don’t have to give them a huge tight hug if you aren’t up for it. You don’t have to compliment her bag if you don’t like it.
6. Compliment them! Say something nice about the person’s weight loss, newly done hair, new family or anything you can find. Remember, be genuine!
7. Still awkward? Time to move on! Tell them it was a pleasure to have met them, exchange contact numbers and respectfully leave. Guess what? You still have your self-respect! ;)

Try them out and you will see how easy and pleasant it is to meet old acquaintances!