Small talk and the weather

I can always talk about the weather. It seems to be a great, non-threatening ice-breaker the world over.

Today is rainy and cold, even though it is spring. The sun seems to be wanting to peep through though. Luckily it is Saturday so I can do whatever I want, including staying indoors all day.

Anyway, I don't consider myself much of a people-person, so I thought I would write down some ideas for conversation starters and small talk, apart from the obvious, such as "What do you do for a living?" My very popular brother has a real knack for it, he can be seen chatting with strangers and having a laugh within minutes of introductions, I think because he finds people fascinating and genuinely wants to get to the bottom of how people "tick".

Q: What are you growing in your garden this season? (One of my favourites because I genuinely want to know, but I've been told that not many people have gardens, so I suspect this question may be greeted with a blank stare or horrified look.)

Q: What do you like most about your work? (I love hearing about where people find enjoyment particularly in something they spend a lot of time doing).

Q: What would your life look like in a perfect world? (I like this question - it's exciting!)

Q: How did you end up living in this place? (This is another great question to get one racking their brains, to consider how they got here, or which part of the story they want to share.)

Any others? What do super people-people ask when they meet people?