My blog about doing uncomfortable things :) | Social skydiving | Forum

 I was really pleased with this interaction because I’m pretty sure I smiled when I asked the time, and when I said thanks. She also gave of a friendly vibe, like she was used to having people ask her the time.

For the way you describe it, it must be really frightening for you – and yet there you are fighting your fears. Respect.

Good thing you're learning Spanish, then. We Latin-Americans are quite used to social interaction even among strangers, after all. I'm not sure if that helps – but I figure at least part of social awkwardness comes from the fear of being bothersome, which will hardly come across a Latin-American mind .