Wisdom from the Road #52

On exits #2

What should you do after you have checked in your hotel/hostel/guesthouse? Jump on the bed to test its springs? Wrong. Fluff up the pillows? Wrong. Familiarize yourself with the emergency exits? Right.

I never do this. Check where the emergency exits are. Never.

The fire alarm went off on the 3rd floor of the hostel my friends and I were staying in in Kyoto. One of my friends had gone in the (common) shower before the alarm went off. I went out of the room (saw there were still people milling about in the hallway) to the shower rooms and called out to my friend to check if she was still in there or had gone down. I went back to the room to get three things: wallet, passport, camera. When I went out, I had no idea where the emergency exit was. I only saw people going in the same direction and I followed them. When I reached the ground floor, the firemen were already there. Were they really quick or was I just really slow?

Now I do this. Check where the nearest emergency exits are. First thing. Always.

Guests out, fire hoses ready

So was there a fire? The firemen thoroughly checked the building and no, there was no fire. Building was clear. Whew. Wipe the sweat off our brows...if there was any sweat—we were shivering in the cold November night with our fingers and toes exposed. My freshly showered friend, still holding her wet towel, sheepishly said it was probably the steam from the shower. Her very hot shower.


For more lessons from the road, please visit Go Learn.

Japan

Know Before You Go
Single Entry Tourist Visa for Japan
Roam Around Japan with a Swagger
An Ignoramus in Japan: Vending Machines
An Ignoramus in Japan: Bathrooms and Toilets
An Ignoramus in Japan: Manhole Covers
I Spy With My Little Eye: Japan's Fashion Contradictions
I Spy With My Little Eye: On the Go in Japan

From Tokyo to Hiroshima (2015)
10D/9N | Tokyo, Toyama, Kyoto, Hyogo, Osaka, Hiroshima
Tokyo Accommodation: Shinjuku Airbnb
Tokyo: Memorable Tokyo Eats
Tokyo: Odaiba
Tokyo: Doing Touristy Things in Tokyo
Toyama: A Hamlet Called Ainokura
Kyoto Accommodation: K's House Hostel Kyoto
Kyoto, Japanecdote: Wisdom from the Road: On exits #2 (you're here!)
Kyoto: By the Thousands (Kyoto Imperial Palace, Sanjusangendo, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove)
Kyoto, Japanecdote: Turning Japanese
Kyoto: Braving the Crowds at these UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji)
Hyogo, Japanecdote: If Only I Could Speak Nihongo
Hyogo: Day Trip to Himeji: Himeji Castle and Shoshazan Engyoji Temple
Hyogo, Japanecdote: Am I an Alien?
Hiroshima: Strolling and Snacking in Miyajima
Hiroshima: Remembering the Past in Hiroshima
Osaka, Japanecdote: How to Lose Friends
Osaka Accommodation: Osaka Airbnb
Osaka, Japanecdote: Where is Bentencho Station?
Osaka: Osaka Castle and Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai
Osaka, Japanecdote: Learn From Your Mistakes