Chinese exchange student here, spent 2 months in Austin last summer and I still think about this.
In China you don’t really chat with strangers unless you have to. In America some guy at HEB will tell you his entire divorce story while you’re picking avocados.
First time it happened I thought he wanted something. Nope, he just wanted to talk about his dog named Turbo.
By week 3 I loved it. Cashier at Whataburger remembered my order, Uber driver gave me life advice and a mint.
It feels fake at first then you realize it’s just low stakes friendliness to kill time. Beats staring at your phone in silent misery.
Is this a Texas thing or is the whole US like this?