Tuesday 9 March 2010

Women's Day and special post surprises

Yesterday was International Women's Day. It always takes me by surprise here, for us Brits don't really celebrate it. The Bosnians however, they go to town. It is huge here. You couldn't move yesterday for men carrying flowers and trinkets off to see their mother, wife, sister to say thank you, you are appreciated. Every single person I met yesterday wished me luck and gave me a big kiss, occasionally a little alarming but all very genuine. It seems that the popularity of Woman's Day is not limited to Bosnia either, the fascinating Paradise Lost in Translation blogging from Albania wrote about it yesterday in her post Women's Day which is well worth a read.

Needless to say Woman's Day didn't have that much of an impact in our house. The boys gave me some chocolate that nursery had given them to give to me, and promptly ate it themselves when I wasn't looking. Dave muttered something about manufactured holidays. Ah well. I didn't care, because my very first Secret Post Club parcel had arrived, from that irrepressible Rosie Scribble. It had all sorts in it, things to pamper myself with (very exciting), things to keep the boys occupied whilst I did so (very exciting) and a post card of my home town to remind us what we are missing. It's very beautiful, my home town, and as yesterday was grey, miserable, pollution filled and generally vile in Tuzla it was a real treat to be reminded of what we are going back to. So a huge thank you to Rosie for lightening up my day and not making me feel so left out as everyone else received their Women's Day gifts.

For those who don't know about it the Secret Post Club was started by Heather at Notes From Lapland. Anyone can join. These are the rules:

  • You will be matched to both a sender and a receiver each month.
  • On the 1st of the month I'll send you an email with the details of the person to whom you need to send something.
  • You won't know who is posting you a parcel until it arrives - please don't spoil the surprise by telling the recipient or dropping hints and clues before it gets there.
I love this idea. Surprise parcels? For me? With handwritten addresses and everything? Sign me up. You can join to if you want, click here for more information.

I have enjoyed making my parcels too. Last month Battling On was the surprisingly early recipient of a Bosnian parcel, the post taking only 3 days to get from Tuzla to the UK which is a new record. She wrote about it here.

This month I've been hunting around Tuzla and came across a very interesting centre which uses art as a way to help people deal with the trauma they suffered during the war. Sadly I could only buy some very small pieces of art that they've done as it was the only things that would fit into an envelope but they do amazing decorations on windows and bottles, large canvasses and the artists who participate find their work very helpful. I hope that my recipient likes it, the parcel was posted yesterday. Here's hoping it gets to the UK before we do.

20 comments:

MrsVikkitoria said...

I do so like the idea of flowers & chocolates & thank yous to all the women simply well, for being women. Think we should ditch Valentines and go with International Womens Day instead.

MD x

Michelloui said...

Wow, thats really interesting that Women's Day was celebrated so actively in Bosnia! And cool! I hardly noticed it in the UK except for a few tweets and blogs. Is there an International Men's Day? Must Google it...

Iota said...

I like the sound of that art shop.

Unknown said...

I thought every day was Womans Day? I shall be ducking and running about now.

Manicmum said...

I have very fond memories of celebrating Women's Day in Greece - they go in for it in a big way. It takes a women to appreciate another woman, methinks. Love this idea. X

nappy valley girl said...

I never heard of International Women's day before this year - all hail the world of blogging. Certainly didn't seem to be any marking of it at all over here.

Anonymous said...

International Woman's Day...now that's something that's been swept under the carpet here in the UK...never heard of it!

and a message to Goonerjamie..so you should duck and run mister!

Nicola said...

I can't believe that I had no idea it was International Women's Day yesterday...I saw nothing about it in Chicago at all. Makes me feel like I am obviously living in a cave.

Amelia said...

found you via BMB link at bottom of post - so much easier!!

Love this idea of sending off a parcel and receiving one. Also, would really like to see some images of the art work you talk of sounds very interesting.

Am doing a give-away over at mine which may involve some art and some posting ;) - if you know anyone that might be interested send them over (celebrating 100 today)

Amelia.x

Amelia said...

Oh and forgot to say, what great shows of respect for women's day - what on earth happened over here? . . . . .

A.x

Calif Lorna said...

Sounds like yesterday was just wonderful, what a lovely idea.

Really like the sound of the Secret Post Club - am heading over to take a look.

Paradise Lost In Translation said...

Thnx for the mention brit:o)
I LOVE this idea, parcels, surprises & presents......What's not to like?
my only anxiety, nayhesitation, is that I wdn't know what/how to buy somethign cos shopping here is hopeless. My parcels wd be like 1950s boarding school parcels; full of stationery & sweets. not much else I cd buy here. Oh, kitchen utensils & lots of plastic containers imported from china. A parcel from me wd be a very short straw indeed:o) as for the local craft, you wd have to like red flags with a double headed eagle on it, as thi s is put on every craft item

Babies who brunch said...

I was really missing Tbilisi yesterday because they went to town on the whole Women's Day thing too. You wouldn't know it existed here. Not really. Although I'll just give the Indy on Sunday a plug here because at least they went to town on the subject...

Dorset Dispatches said...

ModernDilemma - I like that aspect of it too. Although they don't do mothers day here so it is a bit of mothers day and valentines day rolled together. Valentines is still pretty big though.

Michelloui - It is weird, not like the UK and US to pass up an opportunity like this to get people to buy stuff. No idea if there is an international mens day... let me know if you find out!

Iota - it is pretty special.

GJ - DUCK. And then RUN very fast. I cannot guarantee your safety.

Manicmum - Albania does too. It is obviously a big Balkan affair.

NVG - I enjoyed it last year but that was the first time that I had heard of it!

Mummmeeeeee - So surprised that the UK and US don't make more of it. Gooner Jamie, I told you I couldn't guarantee your safety!

Nicola - Don't know why we don't celebrate it more, but they don't do mothers day here so I guess it is instead of that and opened up for all women.

Dorset Dispatches said...

Amelia - Join Heather's Post Club, it is terrific fun.

CalifLorna - join, it is great.

Paradise - Join. I keep putting recipes in my parcels because there isn't a whole lot of stuff here either. Also I have a rule that my parcel must fit into an envelope as I am not doing battle at the post office to get the agreed size box with special writing on that would be required.

BwB - Yay Indy on Sunday. Is it an ex-communist thing then? We established it was big in the Balkans. Shall have to ask Potty Mummy whether the Russians went big on it too. People here looked at me as if I was mad not knowing much about it.

Anonymous said...

I hardly noticed International Women's Day in the UK either, like Michelloui says. So pleased you liked your parcel and that it eventually arrived!

Metropolitan Mum said...

I really need to sigh up for the parcel club. I love surprise parcels !! (what a surprise...)

Muddling Along said...

Isn't the secret post club a wonderful thing - how nice to get something nice in the post rather than bills (which is all I seem to get these days)

gifts to delhi said...

International Woman's Day,By giving the gift,we can celebrate the womens day

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