My next-door neighbours always put their heads down (even when driving) and avoid all eye contact with both my flatmate and me. Being knowledgeable in psychology, I assumed they had a bad case of social anxiety. However, I recently heard that they are extremely friendly and sociable with our other neighbours. I assure you that both my flatmate and I are pillars of society, and so feel quite upset by their obvious dislike of us.
HAG, Dublin
It’s embarrassment. Flats have notoriously thin walls. If you and your flatmate affect a slight hardness of hearing, you will find that their attitude towards you changes completely.
Mr Overpopular
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My newish (five months) man and I have lots in common, and he makes me very happy, but he is an awful flirt. His ex-lovers keep turning up at our favourite haunts and he seems to love it. In my gut, I feel he may one day flirt himself into trouble, and I will have to disengage him from his testicles. Am I being too sensitive? Do I need a boot up the backside? Or should I blow a little fire and lay down some ground rules about the never-bloody-ending social interaction with his previous one-night stands?
MN, by e-mail
Gut feelings are nearly always right, and once a flirt, always a flirt, I’m afraid. So, how much do you like him?
No privacy
I have noticed on various home-improvement television programmes that many of the houses have no curtains, even in the bedrooms. Presumably, the occupants have adapted to staying asleep during the early hours of daylight and are happy to have their sexual relationships viewed by locals armed with binoculars. Is this a fashion trend? Should my wife and I be experimenting?
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PWS, Cossall
Removing drapery from the window makes the room lighter, airier and bigger when it is filmed. The curtains go back up when the film crew leaves. I couldn’t really say whether you and your wife ought to be experimenting. How satisfied are you with things at the moment?
Om shanti, shanti
I enjoy attending a yoga class. However, I am the only male and I find it embarrassing when we have to pair off. This usually involves sticking my smelly size 12 feet on some poor woman while engaged in a weird contortion. This experience is not conducive to inner calm for either of us. Please can you advise me on the correct etiquette in this situation? Should I leave the class, get a pedicure or feign injury at opportune moments?
GEOD, Dublin
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Your mind and body — and hers, come to that — should have transcended this world to a higher astral plane and floated free of such petty concerns and embarrassment. If not, the class isn’t working and you should take up salsa instead.
Send problems to: Mrs Mills, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST, or mrs.mills@sunday-times.co.uk. No correspondence can be entered into