How International The Women's Day Is?

Photo: Women's Center.

Is it really an International Women's Day as we all pronounce it? Or is it just another whim and fancy of the Russian people to get some extra days off work?

Is it a holiday? A global celebration? A simple calendar day?

How International the International Women's Day Is? Let's try and find it out.

Women's Day has started in the early 1900s and is now celebrated annually in all (?) around the world. It is marked on March 8 and is also known as International Working Women's Day or alternatively as the United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Piece.

All of the names given have their right to exist, for, originally, the IWD was a socialist event. Yet it somehow turned into a Day for The Praise of Women, well known as the Universal Day for Cards Sellers' Income Increase and Flower Stores' Best Day of the Year!

So it had eventually lost it's primarilly political flavour with the bitter (or sweet, I know not) taste of feminism and is now treated, at least in Russia, mostly as a MUST-GIVE-HER-A-PRESENT day.

Though, if you are in any way aknowledged about the origin of the Day you might well know it as a significent reminder of the woman's role in the society.

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How important it is for us to recognise and celebrate our heroes and She-roes

© Maya Angelou, African American Poet

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I am not about to dwell on the subject of the historical background of the 8th of March Day, for you can well read about the history of it here, there and probably somewhere here, where you can find the answer to What to do on the IWD question?

So, coming back to the question of Internationality of the Women's Day, I am to say it looks like truth. Having Googled for the IWD, I came across quite a number of sites representing mostly American, Canadian, Itallian or Indian women who really do know of the Day.

There's a rack of documentary videos proving the the fact as well. One of them I found rather amusing, for it is about How They Celebrate it in Russia. Quite fun watching the Russians in search for flowers here, especially when you're a Russian yourself.

Who'd have thought women really DO assemble and march the streets on the 8th of March to remind those who might have forgotten about the rights women deserve. No flowers, really. You can find out more at the official IWD site, where you can be inspired by women's art and stories and learn about the past and future activities on the Day. Rather interesting to know.

There are also loads of

1. Women's Day Jokes
2. Women's Day Quotes
3. Women's Day Cards and Presents (that better Google or Yandex yourself).

The most interesting IWD event I have learnt about wthin my wee research of the subject-in-question is the one about Giving Up Ladies' Old Bras - a weird must-read really! =))

So, this is what I have found out about the Women's Day.

Still, I do congratulate you gorgeous and grumpy ladies on being so gorgeous and so grumpy!

Have the best of the Day tomorrow, girls, and be beautiful, for you are!

Sencirely yours,

Wee Woman Teacher

PS How do YOU PERSONALLY celebrate the Women's Day?

Do you think it worth celebrating?

What are you up to this year?

What other interesting things can you share?

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Beware of "Mr Tickle" (Reading Contest)

Who is Mr Tickle that you should be aware of him?

You didn’t know there was such a thing as a Tickle, did you? Well, there is! Tickles are small and round and have arms that stretch and stretch and stretch. Extraordinary long arms!

© Roger Hargreaves

Mr Tickle is the one who gives you a fantastic opportunity to show off your English Language skills by reading a short story about his small and round personality. Yes, you heard it right! High time for you to boast of everything you have learnt in terms of English!

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All you need to do is simply TAKE PART in the

READING Competition

(among the 3nd course students ONLY!)

which is to be held from the 3rd till the 24th of March 2011!

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Don't miss your chance to boast of:

1. Your gorgeous phonetics
2. Brilliant intonation
3. Exceptionally emotional reading and adequacy of the pauses
4. Your fantastic tembre that must to be heard not only in class!

What do you need to do?

1. Follow the link on Audioboo and listen to the others from the WHOLE world who has already taken part in Voice Mapping (press any RED SPOT on the map)

2. Download the text "Mr Tickle"or Print it out to make it easier fot you to read (it's in pdf format) here!!

3. Train your reading at home, in the street, on the roof of your dad's garage, under the bed of your sneezing granmom, or simply try and check your reading to a puzzled pet of yours or in front of the mirror!

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By the way:

Talking to yourself is the only way of guaranteeing an intelligent conversation.. =)))))

© Euan MacInness

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4. RECORD your reading of the text up to the line within the time limit (for that you'll need a ..recorder, and..a timer, or clock. Simple, aye? ;)

REMEMBER:

• You only have 4 minutes for your read up to the line!!! (longer ones cannot be acepted)
• before starting to read Say your Name, City and Country(whrere the record was made), year of birth and whether you're a male or a female. I will explain to you a bit later why you need to do this!=)

E.g. Alona, Surgut Russia, 1986, female

5. Hand in the recorded MP3 files to the Member of the Jury. Hurry up to be in the list of the first people to hand it in!

REMEMBER:

• The Competition will last only till the 20th of March. The deadline time 17.00 (Surgut time)!

6. Easiest, yet most exciting part - try and just relax to live your normal life and look forward for th results!

What PRIZES will you get?

Winners will be praised and worshipped by the others! =)

And, of course, they will get:

1. The Certificate that would give them extra 10, or 9,5, or 9 points (fo the 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize)

2. The Possibility to Map their voices on Audioboo Map!(that's why you need to keep to the time and structure of the record)

3. Opportunity to see their winning names on the site of the University and make the parents be frighteningly proud! =)

Try and do your very best in it! But remember that you all are WINNERS! Except for those who are not, hehe;) Just kidding!

Good luck to You!!!

Dear Friends,

If you still have questions (whether some trifle or loads of sophisticated ones), feel free to ask me now in the Comments!

Your Wee Teacher

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Blog me now

Well, hello there, dear You!

Here is my Welcome Note to all the future Englocholics. I warmheartedly greet you, English-addicted people (hopefully students of group 842, to be precise!) as well as any other blog-readers who may simply find this blog a cure for the Languguage addiction!

"What on Earth am I doing here?" one may think, puzzled by the use of this blog.

To tell you the truth, I have not a slightest idea, exept for one that I have made my students folow the link and leave a wee "Here I am" in the comments (though YOU, my dear, STILL HAVEN"T!) ;).

I am sure to be just poking fun now, hoping that you understand the fairly flat humour of mine.

Anyway, I will try and do my best in making the use and fun out of this blog.

Hope to see your lovely faces posting some witty and clever wee comments on the subjects created further on here.

Forever yours,

the Wee Teacher

ps Ideas on the content of the blog are accepted here in the comments below. All you need is be rather imaginative and curious, trying to follow the needs of yours (and ours). Let's make it all together.

Blogging cun be much fun, especially when it contains a bit of a challenge, a bit of some help, and loads of creativity!

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