FEATURE: NZ man's year-long challenge shows why it pays just to ask

HAMILTON, New Zealand - Feeling disconnected from the outside world while working from home full-time, New Zealander Herman Jagpal set out to rebuild the human connection he felt was missing from his life by challenging himself to "365 days of rejection" in 2025.

Approaching strangers with requests that might normally receive a "no" every day of the year, like asking to play football in someone's backyard or to cook his own steak at a restaurant, he posted his efforts online.