*signs of spring.

I opened my kitchen window today for the first time in 4 months. And I went outside without a hat, although I was definitely the only one to do so. Slowly but surely, signs of spring are emerging in Kazakhstan. Temperatures have been hovering around freezing, which when compared to -30 certainly feels like spring.
Another sign of spring is "International" Women's Day, the 8th of March. "International" is in quotation marks since when the Soviets decided to create the holiday they took "international" to mean the USSR, which to them was the whole world. As a result, everyone I know here becomes confused when I tell them we don't celebrate Women's Day in America. "But it's International Women's Day!" they exclaim with surprise. And I just shrug my shoulders in response, rather than explain to them that not everything the Soviet government told them was entirely true. Which probably leaves them thinking that America views itself as an exception from the international community.
We celebrated the holiday as we do all holidays, with a school concert and a teachers' lunch. The concert was the usual (once you've seen one, you've seen them all) song, dance, skits lineup it always is, but it wasn't torturous. The lunch, however, was far more entertaining thanks to the one-man show provided by my school principal. She is a highly efficient, down-to-business, serious person, but she also happens to be an alcoholic. This doesn't normally cause any problems or issues, save for holidays, when I'm pretty sure she wakes up, pounds a couple shots, and then comes to work. By lunch she was pretty toasted, and then they cracked open the vodka and cognac. She was a one-man dance party, until we all felt a bit awkward and got up to dance with her, at which point she lifted up her shirt and flashed us. So I celebrated Women's Day by seeing my principal's bra. Fun.