Belfast Couple Make 60 Friends in 6 Months by Hosting 10-Stranger Dinners

2 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 22

Six dinners in, Vik Parashar and Nidhi Pal say opening their Belfast home to 10 strangers at a time has turned two isolated newcomers into hosts with 60 new friends.
After struggling for two years to build lasting connections after moving from India, they launched an Instagram page and used a questionnaire to curate guests they thought would mix well.
The sixth dinner came just days after anti-immigration protests and violent demonstrations in Northern Ireland, giving some guests—especially Indian students—a place they said felt safe and welcoming.
For the couple, the gatherings have shifted Belfast from a city where they knew nobody into one where they feel they belong, and they plan to keep hosting.