il Giardino Romantico

This is the second time since I got here that the fire alarm had gone off in the halls.  This is the second time THIS WEEK that I have personally been in a 'fire drill'.  The first time it went off in the halls, I did not run out of my room.  Seeing that I just got here, and was still trying to get over my jetlag... I did not even get out of my bed because my sixth sense told me: THERE IS NO FIRE!  Fortunately, the fire engine arrived and soon left. 

On Tuesday, I was suppose to meet up with my MA mates at the library after lunch.  I walked by the library and saw a big crowd gathering in front of it.  Of course, I heard the fire alarm too.  But seeing no smoke, I figured 'it was a drill'.  Although, the fire engine did arrive, it left shortly after.  I found my MA mates standing outside the building, but the people wouldn't let us back in, so we left.

This morning, UK time, of course, the fire alarm went off AGAIN!  This time, it really got on my nerves because I had just woken up, and I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE MY ROOM!  I thought to myself, (here's the advantage of having your room facing the main road) if I see the fire engine arrive, then I will rush out.  However intolerable the sound was, I remained in my room.

However, my plan was interrupted by a knock on the door from the girl next door.  Along with another girl from Vietnam, we reluctantly headed out of the building after seeing everyone gathering outside.  We were accosted by some woman on our way out.  She reprimanded us as if we were toddlers, "This is a fire alarm!  Why haven't you come out of your rooms?"  What answer did she expect?  I couldn't possibly retort and say, "Well, it's just a drill, ain't it?"  I just stared back at her, thinking you should either let us back in, or let us out.  Don't just stand there and expect an answer for your rediculous question.  After writing down our room numbers, wooo~~~ now I'm in trouble!, she finally let us disperse ourselves amongst the others. 

You can't blame us, really.  This is an awful time to do this drill.  Most of us are still in bed, or had just gotten out of bed.  One Indian girl was FREEZING! because obviously, we had been requested repeatedly to 'leave the building immediately'.  Some of them didn't even lock their doors, because they had to 'leave the building immediately'. 

What I would like to say, is that, I think fire drills are ridiculous.  They do this not to prepare you in case of real fire, but to frighten you.  There is no fire.  There is not going to be one.  Not while I'm here.  So stop 'drilling' and do something practical, like put up recycle bins for cans and stuff.  You do this often enough, people are not going to 'leave the building immediately' when they hear the alarm next time!

今天早上的火警已經是我來這第三次響起了。第一次響起，是我剛到的那天晚上。因為我正熟睡，而且不想擾亂我調整時差的計畫，所以我根本連爬都沒爬起。我從窗外看到消防車來，不過沒過多久就走了。好家在。這星期二，我跟同學說好要在我回家吃完午餐後碰面。結果我走到圖書館看到一群人從圖書館裡走出來。後來才聽到火警。我終於在茫茫人海中找到我同學們。看到消防車來了又走。當然就表示沒事。不過他們還是不讓人進去。等了幾分鐘之後，他們就放棄想要再進去的念頭。

今天早上火警又響了。我才剛起床，那警報器在房間裡超級大聲的。可是第六感告訴我根本沒有火，所以我不想出門啊！我想說，如果看到消防車來，我在出去好了。等了半天，根本沒消防車。我只好嗚著耳朵等整個警報器熄掉。不過我的計畫被一聲『叩叩』破壞了。隔壁的大陸女孩敲門問我發生什麼事。接著另一個越南女孩也加入我們。我看情況不妙[因為已經被看到啦！]，只好跟著他們一起悠悠哉哉的走出去。

在走廊遇到一個中年婦人，很兇的對我們說：『這是火警！為什麼你們沒有從房間裡出來？』我的天啊？你要我們回答什麼？我該跟他說我沒出來的原因是因為我知道根本沒有火嗎？想也知道不可能。可他就站在那等我們回答。你要讓我們回房？還是讓我們出去？因為你不會得到任何答案的。後來問了我們房間號碼後，他用筆寫下來，才讓我們出去。感覺好像幼稚園小朋友做錯事情被抓到一樣。

我的想法是，真的有火，沒有人會不逃。你演習做多了，到最後大家根本就厭倦了。反而是因為演習的關係，讓人家『不知道該不該逃』。而且在這種清晨的時候做演習，大家都會抱怨的。站在外面的一個印度女孩，根本連大衣都沒穿就出來。站在那冷死了。還有多人根本連門都沒鎖。因為從小就知道有人會『趁火打劫』，又加上這根本不是真的火警，我穿了大衣，鎖上門才出去。

其實打了一連串，只是要說：不要再防火演習啦！擾亂人家的生活...

碎碎念：你看！人家今天起來本來要先做瑜珈再來唸書的。因為這個演習，害我又多浪費半小時....防火演習真是害人不淺啊！