Today was women's day, proudly described by our wizened russian teacher as 'the day when women get a day off, they can go for a walk while their husbands clean the dishes' (from the meal that their wives have cooked). We got a day off, missing a three hour class with said old lady in the process, not too shabby. Apparently, according to Irish radio (thanks Rory!), the police here who stopped women for minor traffic offences today gave them flowers instead of fines. All I had to do was steal a car and I could commit some minor traffic offences...

You couldn't swing a cat on the metro without hitting a tacky bunch of flowers being cradled by a smug girl but the holiday reeks of insincerity here. In a country where almost 40 women A DAY die at the hands of their partner and there are no laws against domestic abuse (a husband is perfectly entitled to beat and rape his wife, she is his property after all) it seems ever so slightly hypocritical to buy the missus a bunch of carnations and continue on with the beating as normal. Sorry, end of feminist rant...

I think we have a few holiday free weeks now, boo!