I know exactly how you feel.
I recently went to a japanease steak house with my grandmother (Nana) One of these places where you have to sit at a table with random people you dont know, and there was one other man at the table with us. Nana just started asking him questions, he kept answering her with this uninterested attited until she finally found something in common with him, (a local family that they both know) and they talked about it for a good part of the dinner like old friends and the man eventually treated us all to a round of sake. I was thinking, "How does she DO that?!?!" After we left the resturant, Nana was just like, "See? You just have to be friendly with people."
I saw it with my own eyes, but I still cant bring myself to quiz people all friendly like. :roll: