31 May,2011 08:46 AM IST | | Diana
Dear Diana,
I have been friends with a female colleague for a few months and we got on very well. However we have now moved apart and now work on opposite sides of town. She went on holiday and I sent one message to her on Facebook, a month ago, to which there has been no reply. On her return, I sent her another e mail- two weeks ago, again, silence, not even a message to say thanks or that she had a good holiday. I would like to know, what is the rationale behind the silent treatment ufffd is this the old 'if i ignore him enough he will go away' theory? If you were the lady and decided you no longer wanted to be friends, would this be the method you would use? As far as I am aware, I have given her no reason to no longer want to be friends, but if so, would like to rectify the issue. Picking up the phone and talking to her is not really an option, for fear of sounding desperate.
Dear Friend,
Dude, this comes off as someone who's cyberstalking. You really don't to come across as someone who does that. If she hasn't emailed or replied to your message on social networking websites, it could simply mean that she is offline and hasn't found the time to reply. If it bothers you this much, just pick up the phone and call her. She's on the opposite side of town, for crying out loud! If I was the recipient of your message and didn't think much of replying to a cursory message you left on my page or in my inbox, I'd answer when I saw fit. I refuse to think a guy would read anymore into it than he needs to. The only way you can know for sure if you need to rectify the issue is if you talk to her. You won't come off sounding desperate, if you aren't. You have to casually ask her how she's doing and what she has been up to. Don't mention the facebook message or the email. Let her bring it up.
Wife has banned me over bad breath
Dear Diana,
I never brush my teeth before going to sleep. My wife has warned me more than once that she'll cut all my sex privileges if the bad breath gets any worse. Well, it has. I called her bluff. She stuck by her word and now I don't know what to do!
Name withheld
Dear Friend,
Well, at least now you know you can trust your wife to deliver on her threats. Next time around, don't take her for granted. She wouldn't bring it up if it wasn't a problem. You have to understand that it is a bad habit. If she's practising tough love, it's just as well. So brush your teeth and visit a dentist if the problem of bad breath still persists.
How to ask him if he loves me?
Dear Diana,
I have no way of knowing if my best friend has feelings for me. He's always so helpful and is a gentleman. He sounds hurt when I mention how cute other guys are but he doesn't say much. He's shy and I'm trying to get him to open up and say what he has to. But I don't want to come off sounding like the one who wants this. I like him but I'd rather he express his feelings than bottle them inside until its too late. We're both 17 and it's never too late to say you love someone. But I can't wait forever. How do I get him to open up?
Name withheld
Dear Friend,
If you really do like this guy, it's best you let him express his feelings when he can. Pushing him to do so may just backfire. Try not to let this bother you. If he really has to tell you, he will, in his time. If not, well too bad for him. There's little you can do at the moment. You are conflicted with being a good friend and him being a possible love interest. Give it some time and see if he expresses his feelings. If the deadline passes, leave him be.
