My best friend has this habit of talking to strangers. Wherever we go, he will strike up a conversation with the first person to cross our path, no matter how reluctant they may be to engage with us. It vexes my mind. Having grown up with my parents' constant reminders that all strangers are rapists and murderers, I tend to hang out on the fringes of these exchanges, hoping that my smile doesn't come across as a grimace.' (Publication abstract)