Happy International Women's Day Ladies!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

We? Got a mouse in your pocket?

Considering that highly feminist and pro woman USA does not acknowledge this day says something. Paradoxically, Russia and the Ukraine, famously male oriented and chauvinistic countries celebrate it. Life is truly a puzzle.

We need to learn 'em proper! Alla is teaching English classes now, VV, aren't you thrilled that now a former Komsomol student officer is teaching English in America? I'm damn proud of her. here 18 months and now she is teachin Americans to speak English! You go GIRL! Anyway, I had her flowers delivered to her class today and she used it as a teaching moment to learn her class proper about womens day! I am sure that makes you happy, VV. I try to do my part.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If I make comments you don't like, I try to take ownership of them by using "I statements." That way I don't presume to speak for all men. Other than that, speak your mind...or heart.

And if this day represents an authentically important day for you...enjoy. If you're just playing it up for your wife, then I see you're a good American husband who knows how to play the game. Not noble, but practical.

"We" is plural and refers to more than one. I agree with Brad and therefore the use of "we" is not only proper, it is very generous and gracious of Brad. But he is that kinda guy. Look at the flowers he sends...dammit.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'll cite your copy/paste source for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day

Also, is Wikipedia now an approved RUB source? I ask because:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=3596148

Also, this from your Wikipedia citation:

Just curious, do you celebrate Christmas on December 25th? You do realize that Christmas used to be a pagan holiday, don't you? Same with Easter. Do you send your mother a card or call her on Mother's Day? You do realize that the "Mother's Day Proclomation," which was pretty much the first time Mother's Day was celebrated in the US, was actually a call to pacificsm, don't you? Or that patriotic celebration, "President's Day?" It's actually no longer a celebration of Washingtons birthday, was never a celebration of Lincoln's birthday, and in fact will never legislatively fall on Washington's birthday ever again.

The point about holidays is what you make of them, not their history. You want to ignore your wife on this day, go right ahead. But why rain on everybody else's parade?

In this house Christmas is Jan 7th but we celebrate New Years with gifts in the Ukraine/communist tradition. We save, minimum 50% on gifts that way, which makes it a damn capitalist way to celebrate a communist expediency of a holiday.

[Brad and Vika 129]

In this house Christmas is Jan 7th but we celebrate New Years with gifts in the Ukraine/communist tradition. We save, minimum 50% on gifts that way, which makes it a damn capitalist way to celebrate a communist expediency of a holiday.

Never thought of that, but the rest of my American relatives would never go for it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Oh by the way, I noticed the floral department at my local Safeway had some "International Women's Day" signs up. Not quite the big production that Valentine's gets, but it was kinda cool to see.

Oh, big deal. Our local Price Chopper grocery has the phrase "thank you" in many laguages all over the front wall, including Russian "Spaceeba" in Cyrillic! Nyah, nyah.

[AKguy 1]

Never thought of that, but the rest of my American relatives would never go for it.

Now he's got me thinking about it too! "I swear I'm not just trying to save a buck baby!"

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

We, in the USA, could go about celebrating all 180 countries holidays. Why not? We could probably have a holiday everyday! And the florists would all become rich...not to mention the candy companies. And I'm sure we could find at least one couple where a spouse immigrated from one of the 180 countries...so celebrate. In Ecuador, people throw water filled balloons down on each other and call it a holiday. If you marry a woman from Ecuador, start filling those balloons...and heaven help your unsuspecting neighbors.

Let's embrace everyone's holidays. Come on. Never mind the country is a dictatorship or repressive. Be a sport and celebrate! You'll make someone happy.

The heritage of IWD is socialism. If that resonates with you, celebrate! You want to honor what many of our fathers and grandfathers fought against, go ahead. Celebrate.

Hooray for communist, socialist and feminist extremism! Karl Marx rules.

Herll yeah! I am all for it. I barely work part time as it is now....more holidays is a good thing! I think I will take the day off tomorrow to celebrate. In fact, I will take tomorrow AND Wednesday off to make up for not taking today off. Then I will go in late on Thursday and leave early to make up for it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Never thought of that, but the rest of my American relatives would never go for it.

I have such a huge family we stopped intermural gift giving years ago. Our two grown sons are best served by sending money or "Lowe's" gift cards. Our two younger sons never celebrated Christmas much anyway, it is not such a big holiday in Ukraine, New Years is what it is all about. We send out the cards, of course, or go to my family's party (usually a couple weeks before Christmas) but that is all we do for the "US Christmas" Otherwise we clean up on the post Christmas sales!

[mox 298]

Nice photo Brad!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hmmm. almost 11pm and it is pretty quiet on the RUB board. Must be all the RUB wives getting their Women's Day "package" from their husbands (except VV, he doesn't give his wife anything) Waiting for Alla to get home from her class....go ahead...start without me guys.

[Martyshk 137]

Eh....I'm around....what else I got to do....it's either this or doing work...to which I say F that....

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Eh....I'm around....what else I got to do....it's either this or doing work...to which I say F that....

Yeah, the RUB members who haven't completed the journey and the ones who's wives have classes late and then go to get their hair cut.

Alla has a Russian woman that cuts her hair for her at her house. She works at a salon during the day, sidelines at home at night, mostly for Russian women clients. Her name is "Anya". I call her "Anya 1" Then there is "Anya 2" Anya 1 is 40-ish and very attractive, divorced. Anya 2 is 27-ish, tall, blonde, OMG beautiful! Anya 2's husband is 57. Anya 2's husband used to be Anya 1's husband! hehehehehe. Was it I that said "nothing happens in Vermont?" Maybe I should say "If anything happens here, it stays here, but everyone knows about it!" For most of her "numbered" friends, the number applied depends on which Anya, Olga, Svetlana, etc., I met first...um, in this case it is...you can guess. LOL Alla's best friend in Ukraine is also named Alla. (imagine that, and with so many Russian women's names to choose from) I call them "Alla squared" when they get together.

Alla, always the diplomat, is friends with both of them.

[Cixelsyd 1]

Hooray for communist, socialist and feminist extremism! Karl Marx rules.

Wow. I feel so embarrassed for you VV. I guess nobody told you; Russia is no longer a communist country. Man, sorry you had to find out this way. I'm surprised you didn't know this. I thought everyone knew. Well, I guess someone has to be the last person.

Just a small FYI about what some people's grandfathers have fought for. I vaguely remember reading something about life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Basically that means freedom from having other people try to force us on how we should live our lives. And well, last I checked not one person here has told you to celebrate IWD, yet you have repeatedly tried to undermine our freedom to enjoy part of another culture. (Just a small history lesson: America was formed by multiple cultures). So while we don't care if you celebrate this holiday, you would like nothing better than to force everyone not to celebrate this or any other holiday you deem not American enough.

So if I do some quick math, looks to me like there's only one non American among us. And that would be you.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Nice photo Brad!

Thanks. Vika doesn't like it. She says it is a bad picture because you can't see all the flowers. Not really the point, but since it was IWD I chose not to disagree, and just took more pics instead.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Yeah, the RUB members who haven't completed the journey and the ones who's wives have classes late and then go to get their hair cut.

Alla has a Russian woman that cuts her hair for her at her house. She works at a salon during the day, sidelines at home at night, mostly for Russian women clients. Her name is "Anya". I call her "Anya 1" Then there is "Anya 2" Anya 1 is 40-ish and very attractive, divorced. Anya 2 is 27-ish, tall, blonde, OMG beautiful! Anya 2's husband is 57. Anya 2's husband used to be Anya 1's husband! hehehehehe. Was it I that said "nothing happens in Vermont?" Maybe I should say "If anything happens here, it stays here, but everyone knows about it!" For most of her "numbered" friends, the number applied depends on which Anya, Olga, Svetlana, etc., I met first...um, in this case it is...you can guess. LOL Alla's best friend in Ukraine is also named Alla. (imagine that, and with so many Russian women's names to choose from) I call them "Alla squared" when they get together.

Alla, always the diplomat, is friends with both of them.

I guess my question would be what does Anya 1 think of Anya 2, and do you have to hear about it? We try to stay out of the Russian Community and the gossip circuit, but it would be pretty hard for these two to do that Last night at dinner we ran into the owner of the closest of our two Russian stores. He was there with his ex-wife (no shi1t) and daughter. Of course he wished Vika a happy IWD. After they left, Vika turns and says "#######, now every Russian in the city will know we can afford to eat here".

Edited March 9, 2010 by Brad and Vika