The way I see it. I meet new people every other week. And it varies among all of us. For the taxi driver, every passenger is someone new to meet. For the office-bound, a walk-in customer or the delivery boy.

Someone once told me the easiest way to meet someone new is to smile. What this person failed to elaborate was what you needed to do after smiling—talk. Always the hard part. A simple hello to begin with, followed by a random pick of topics to start a conversation with. And in most cases, we tend to end them with yet another question. A tedious cycle.

On Friday night, I was privileged to have been invited to Dinoza’s place for dinner with several others for a private home-cooked meal prepared by Aiko. I am no food connoisseur. The food was fantastic and it was not just because it was stacked together like what fancy restaurants do. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. And a glass of red wine to go with it. Over dinner, I met three new people worth mentioning mainly because I still remember their names till now. They are Aiko, Joshua and Krystal.

To me, remembering a person’s name after meeting them is a great deal. Of which I am afraid I don’t do too well. What was the name of the last acquaintance you met recently? Tell me.