nextjen

I bought a second class open return ticket from Vienna to Prague. We got on the train in Vienna, found a little parlour and enjoyed our trip thoroughly.

On the way back we were told that the whole train was reserved and that we had to pay 9 € for a seat. (Apparently the 99 € we paid for the return ticket was only for the ticket itself, although we didn't have to pay for a seat on the way TO Prague.)

We paid the man, and were told that we would have to give up our seats if someone who had reserved them came along, which they did. We moved and then we moved again, until finally we spent the last two hours standing in the dining car.

So if we paid 50 € for one way passage and 9 € for a seat but we were not allowed to sit down - what the heck was the 9 € for?

The car doesn't start and when we try to start it it makes a "clicking" noise.

The message center reports "gripreg" and "versnelp." Can you help translate these?

Both shoes have heels, so wearing socks with them is not an option, but I can wear hose or trouser socks, perhaps.

As for shoe sprays sometimes I wonder if these only make the smells worse.

How can I keep my shoes smelling sweet forever?

We have had a cute gecko in our house this week, and he comes and goes as he pleases - he is very fast whenever we opened the door. Yesterday we realized that there are at least three different geckos - ha, ha! We were silly to think it was the same guy the whole time.

My husband and I really like them; he used to have an anole for a pet, and since cockroaches and ants are such huge pests here (we live in the Middle East) we are only happy to have these little guys eat them. They are very tiny, probably babies, since they are half the size of the ones we see outside (those are pretty small, too, compared to the ones on the internet).

BUT, we are going away for the summer next week, and I am wondering, if these geckos are in my house and they breed will we come to a gremlin-like situation in August? Should I shoo them outside (assuming I can find and catch them)?

A coworker wants Outlook 2007 but doesn't want to upgrade his entire Office Suite to 2007.

I tried to convince him to upgrade but he thinks 2007 is ugly. Will we experience any problems if I do this?

If I do it, I would uninstall Office 2003.

I must be stupid! The straps come off on the front and on the back. It looks like a normal bra - I think this is it:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000OYWN...

What do I do with the straps to get it to convert into a halter?

We live in the desert and have recently been hearing a noise in the kitchen. I tried to convince my husband that it was only the fridge or the water cooler, but the noise it's coming from that corner of the kitchen.

I thought it sounded like a bottle cap sliding across the floor. I ruled out a mouse, but my husband wondered do geckos make noises? We have had a gecko in the house before. They are common where we live (in the Middle East). Might we have one that is somehow making this noise?

(It's not a hissing noise, more of a kind of metallic noise, as above, like something being dragged across a marble floor.)

I have been on the Pill for 11 years. I used to use the same brand when I lived in Canada, but I have been out of the country for two-and-a-half years and started a new brand then. I have been using that same brand the whole time, but recently my period went from four days (or so) to five days (last month) and now I am on Day 6 and it's still going!

Also, this is a little gross, but I often see some mucus after my period is over for a few days. That's new, too.

Is it normal for things to just change sometimes? I am 29.

The gynecologists on this side of the world are really judgmental towards women who do not want to get pregnant for selfish reasons, as I discovered when I went for my vaginal exam last fall, and I don't really feel comfortable talking to them.

My husband bought two kinds of floss and I have one upstairs and one downstairs so I use both regularly.

The one upstairs is really thick (I think it's Oral B) and it doesn't hurt as much as the one downstairs (Boots brand) which is regular floss and sometimes makes my gums hurt if I am not careful.

I wonder if the thick one does the same job as the thin one? Is there anything else I should know about floss, to get the most out of my daily routine?

I am going to Thailand and don't want my arms to appear flabby in all the photos this time. If I start today, will I actually achieve some level of toning? Also, what's the best way to do this? 1 kilo weights with many reps, or heavier weights with fewer reps?

Can anyone suggest a waterproof mascara that makes your eyelashes look amazing and full?

I use Benefit Bad Gal black mascara which is amazing in makes my eyelashes look so full and plump, but it's not even a little bit waterproof. I need something really fierce that will take me to the beach next month.

Please don't say Cover Girl, Avon or Mary Kay (just because I live in the Middle East and while MOST brands are available here, those are not).

Also, I am going to be swimming so it has to be really waterproof!

I love this music. Can you tell me the name of the sub-genre and recommend any CDs or downloads with this type of music?

Here is the link to the Al Jazeera English Weather animation featuring the music I am referring to:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tjk-eX2zQ7g