Adulthood has recently become the following: work, rest, repeat. But what if it could be more than that?
Making new friends as an adult is hard, and adulthood could use more time out of the autopilot of the 9-5.
So, in March 2026, founders Emily Oi and her husband, Parth Reddy started Nosmalltalk KL to give your 5-9 life a little more: curated (fun) gatherings with a touch of curiosity and introspection, where you leave knowing some new people.
According to Reddy, he felt that adult friendships were often surface level, which led him to build Nosmalltalk KL “to create the kind of connections I’d actually want to show up for.”
Oi agrees: “I’ve always believed the best friendships start with real conversations. Nosmalltalk KL is about making that happen, on purpose.”
Their events are familiar ones with a twist. Monthly flagship gatherings where you’re matched with strangers by personality. Hikes, walks and pickleball with curated conversation prompts. Reflection sessions with games and dance, goal-setting hangouts, and craft and cooking workshops, many of them run by hosts from their own community.
Interested readers can choose between the Circles, small communities built around a specific niche, such as cooking or pickleball, or the Flagships of sixty strangers matched into groups by personality type, then guided through hours of real conversation. The location varies, but the friendships made are priceless.
Their most recent circle is on “Nutrition Unplugged”, where audience members unpack myths and fears surrounding food and taking care of their health.
Another activity is “Walk with Strangers”, a casual social walk where you’ll meet new people while getting your steps in. Everyone will be paired with a stranger and given a conversation prompt to break the ice. Along the way, you’ll switch partners, so you get the chance to meet and talk to different people.
The community may even explore a Walk With Strangers: Speed Dating Edition in the future. For now, Walk With Strangers is open to participants aged 18 and above.
Like most activities, they’re mostly Klang Valley based for now, but are looking to expand. Interested readers can can register their interest through the community’s website or follow its Instagram and Threads accounts at @nosmalltalk_community
