Mia: You might try this conversational method to get some dialogue going. "Hi. I am Mia and I am from ___________. I don't know anyone here. Perhaps you could tell me a little about yourself?" Or... in a restaurant with others. You might say something like: "I don't know anything about the food here. Can you tell me a little about it?" Or...in a store: "I don't know anything about these products. Can you tell me a little about them?" Other subjects to ask about: Music, Clothing, Weather, and so on and so forth for light subjects.

How's it going? How's life? How's things? What have you been up to lately?

You can say , How has it been or How are you doing ..