Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Surviving my first Hungarian fire drill...

Yesterday (yes, I was ACTUALLY notified of something, and a day in advance), I was told there would be a fire drill today during 4th lesson. At 11:35, the alarm would go off, and I was to take my kids to the courtyard with the others. Great, I can handle that. I have my great little 1st graders who worship the ground I walk on and who would behave great, just to make me happy. Super. Well today came around, and of course their teacher wanted to take the whole class "so they wouldn't be stressed out about the fire alarm" with me. I was a little miffed that the person who the children are truly, truly afraid of every second thinks they'll be less stressed with HER than with me. I'd make a bet they'd be fine with me, and I don't even speak their language. Whatever, I could catch up on other work that needed to be done. 11:35: alarm goes off, and I proceed with a couple of other teachers on breaks to the ONE stairwell to the ONE entrance to the school. Ok, another source of culture shock...the kids were SORT of lined up with their teachers, but were they quiet and good-mannered like in the States? NEM. They were making fake siren sounds, fake cries for help and pretending they were dying. Yea, you're all awesome and hilarious. Congratulations. After a good 5-6 minutes, I realized I was on the 2nd floor, and we were still only on the 1st floor stairwell. Oh God, if this were a real fire...first of all, there'd be mass chaos and stampeding down these stairs, AND I would be dead most likely if the timing is like it is now. I ACTUALLY found myself looking around out the windows to plan my own escape (along with my favorite little ones, of course), should a fire ever break out. Therefore, I survived my first fire DRILL...but should there be a real fire...out the windows and acrobating it down to the ground it is for me.

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