What has worked well for me is to ask questions about non-controversial topics that most people are interested in. A great one is food. I've often told people i

What has worked well for me is to ask questions about non-controversial topics that most people are interested in. A great one is food. I've often told people in other countries (or even here in the US) that I would like to visit their area sometime, and what are some local foods I should try? This has started some pretty interesting conversations, because who doesn't like food and talking about it? And it shows that I'm interested in their local culture.