Have a chat on the Conversation Chair at Mall of the Emirates

An empathy-building project by the social-innovation company The [Sameness] Project, the Conversation Chair proves that, sometimes, it's easier to talk to strangers. Give it a go at the Lululemon store at Mall of the Emirates.

American law student Zein Jallád, 19, left, and Italian event manager Christin Zanon, 32, swap stories in The Conversation Chair, by The [Sameness] Project. Alex Atack for The National

"I am most passionate about reading, but I regret not having as much time to do so as an adult. That I take my iPhone to the loo every morning instead of a book ." The words pop out of my mouth before my brain has the time to filter or rearrange my thoughts into a more appropriate thing to tell a complete stranger.
"I have a library full of books I have not read," she offers in return. "And I keep putting it off for more 'pressing' needs. It breaks my heart." We smile at each other, our eyes full of understanding. The Conversation Chair has done its job.
An event put together by The [Sameness] Project, The Conversation Chair is meant to give pause to the rush and crush of daily life by having a chat with someone you've never met.
Break your routine by breaking your silence. Learn about another and, through your dialogue, learn something about yourself in return.
Given that this is the 20th time the Chair has been brought out in less than two years, it's obviously a popular and much-needed social experiment. Set up at traffic shelters and parks, art nights at DIFC and the Sikka fair, and currently at the Lululemon store in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, The Conversation Chair has an added purpose this time.
"This is the first time we've put up the event during Ramadan, which is a time of compassion and empathy, and finding a connection with others. And that's what we are all about - that feeling of sameness with another person," says Lina Nahhas, the Palestinian-Canadian founder of The [Sameness] Project.
The chair in question is a thing of beauty. The dual-seater design is put together so the two speakers face each other diagonally - close enough to warrant a private conversation, not so close as to be in each other's space.
"I bought the chair from a young graduate student at the Index 2004 Design exhibition in Dubai, and it was in my living room for years," says Nahhas. A number of cue questions hang between the two participants, conversation-starters such as: "What are you most passionate about?"; "What's your biggest regret?"; "If you had one superpower, what would it be?" and so on.
A UAE-based social-innovation company, The [Sameness] Project was founded in 2011 and since then, Nahhas and her team have been approached by individuals and companies to help promote concord and communication. From Water for Workers, Restart the Art and We've Got Your Back for Dubai's taxi drivers and labour community, to sharing a meal in Know Thy Neighbour, the company is well-known for putting together creative community-involvement projects.
"Our projects are always empathy-based, and we try to arrange set-ups that are transportable across borders - figuratively and literally," says Nahhas.
In fact, The Conversation Chair may soon be taken outside the UAE, as the company has been approached by the Tate gallery, a firm in Berlin and even for a refugee camp in Greece. As my new friend and I reach the end of our talk - one in which we arrive at the conclusion that children who observe their parents reading are more likely to take it up as well - we decide to exchange numbers to share favourite books, perhaps start a book club.
I walked away from the store with a warm glow in my stomach. There are so many conversations to be had, so many strangers to comfort and be comforted by, so many lives to learn about. The Conversation Chair is a powerful and positive experience - for is there anything more cathartic than a meaningful dialogue?
. The Conversation Chair is on display until Monday, June 20, at the Lululemon store, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. From 8pm to midnight. Visit www.thesamenessproject.com
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