news shmews

I don't know how to find out if these laws are legit, but I found them interesting enough to pass on (I hope I'm not spreading rumors).

1 - Women 25 and over and men 28 and over living in Macedonia have to pay fee of 200 euros a year if they remain single. I thought I didn't understand, so I asked for clarification 3 times - and was pretty shocked...having to pay a penalty for not marrying. (is this even true?)

2 - The police in our city are paying people with hunting licenses to shoot wild dogs. The price - 5 euros a head. I think I would've been appalled by the idea a few years ago - but I'm growing more and more appreciative of the measure. So...dogs can be scary beasts. I recently had a crazy one chase me while I was on my bike (by the way it was acting, there had to have been something wrong with it - which is the scariest part). Then, 2 weeks ago, an 11-year-old boy in another city got attacked by 21 dogs. It was all over TV, and what was shown would scare anyone... Anyhoo - interesting new law.

In other news, today is "Bajram e vogel" - the feast celebrating Allah's provision of a lamb in place 0f Ishmael. There were a whole slew of sheep in a field near my house when I went to play ping-pong for a friend's birthday, and there were a whole lot less when I returned a few hours later.