Talk to me tactics- The beginnings

So, how about an update on my job?

I have just completed my third week of work and though it hasn't worn off completely I am exiting the "I HAVE A JOB!" phase of employment and entering the more objective and sophisticated, "Yes, I have a job" stage.

I was told by everyone when I was hired that it was a lovely place to work, and the "Welcome Summer" sign and bouquet of flowers certainly attested to this. The people smiled a lot and were friendly when you talked to them, yet at this point I was content to go to and from my desk as quickly as possible with no wasted steps. My little cubicle was my safe haven and since I was being taught so many things all at once I did a lot of introspective thinking and employee manual reading.

After a few days I noticed that things were rather quiet in the office. This struck me as slightly strange because we have 23 people in our department and I would imagine some level of noise at all times (Noise other than the pop machine in the break room humming). "Maybe the people around me are quiet because they think I'm busy doing something," I thought to myself one day as I sat taping my pen and drinking my umpteenth cup of tea over my open employee manual.
"I miss Kristi." SHE would talk to me. This quiet work environment was going to take some getting used to.

During week two I had a revelation. They were quiet ALL the time. There were brief fits and starts of conversation but nothing that constituted even the beginnings of a dull roar. "Yeah," said the girl who used to have my job but is now working in a different part of the company, "They don't talk much." Oh. Sweet. Heavens. What was I going to do?

I had always considered my best work environment to be one absent of sound and distractions. But suddenly, sound was what I desperately need. I came home to the captain during week two, horribly despondent. "I don't have any friends! What am I going to do!?"
"Why don't you make some?" he said reasonably. "You never have problems making friends."
"I know, but you have to be able to talk to make friends. THEY DON'T TALK!"

I had a point. They didn't and don't talk. I suddenly saw the year stretching out before me like the Sahara desert and I, armed with a cap full of water, wanted to cry. I knew however, being the sensible person that I am, that if I cried I would dehydrate and die faster so I came up with a plan to keep me going. Talk-to-me-tactics. A little social experiment if you will to try and get conversation flowing whenever possible. I have already tried out 4 or so and they are working wonderfully. I will tell you about them in more depth in the days to follow.