CRUSHING ON SHY GUY

Dear Jellybean,

I have a MAJOR crush on this guy in my Karate class. He's uber shy but I think he's adorable. I noticed that when he looks at me and I catch him, he instantly averts his eyes and when I look at him, it's the same exact thing... we have a holiday party coming up soon and I was wondering if you could help me... Thanks!
-Kayrate Chick

Dear Kayrate Chick,

Parties are awesome opportunities to get to know people better. This is especially true when they are organized around a theme, like a holiday, because it gives you something in common to talk about.

It's pretty easy to say to someone, "Merry Christmas". Even a shy guy will hopefully return the sentiment. Then you ask him questions about his holiday plans to get the conversation going. Try something like, "So what are you doing for the holidays?" or, "What are you hoping to get for Christmas this year?" The trick is to ask open-ended questions, not just something he can answer with a "yes" or a "no". And if Mr. Shy Guy just mumbles something, you can launch into a description of your own holiday plans, or Christmas wish-list, and hope he joins the conversation once you get it going.