Q. We have some neighbours who we don’t mind at all – they are perfectly nice, just not part of our friendship group. We have heard they are heading to Majorca, to the same town where we have a holiday home, and will be there at the same time as us. We are now dreading running into this couple out there as it will be difficult not to invite them to our house. It seems very unfriendly but we don’t want to see them in Majorca any more than we do in England. Help!
– P.T., Dorset
A. Initiate preemptive contact with the neighbours. Convey you have heard they are going to Majorca and you would strongly recommend that they pay a visit to X or a little-known church or spectacular viewpoint. Before they have a chance to suggest you should all meet up, add that, sadly, you probably won’t run into them while they are out there as you are going to use your home on the island as a much-needed retreat.
Q. Whenever I go anywhere on holiday for personal reasons, certain people think that it’s acceptable to ask ‘Did you go economy or business class?’, which is another way of asking how much money you have. How can you tell them to back off and stop being so nosy?
– H.R., London SW7
A. Affect surprise as you counter their question with: ‘Oh! Why do you ask?’ Then stay silent while they struggle to answer. Paradoxically, you can strike an impressive pose by actually boasting that you are flying economy for a precise reason.
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