Not quite 911
This happened to one of our friends who works here at the school over the weekend. We just had to share it!
Right now, it is burning season in Thailand. That means that everywhere you go, they are burning the fields and brush from them. So smelling smoke is not terribly unusual. Jeanette smelled smoke but didn't think anything of it, until she came outside and noticed a fire in her yard. This is only a few feet from her house.
She looked around, knowing that there should be someone watching this fire. But no one was there. She tried her hose-no water. Hmm...so she started walking around talking to the neighbors. All the westerners agreed with her-it's a fire! we should do something! but no one knew quite what to do. The thais she talked to did not seem concerned in the least.
She went up to the school (she lives very close) and talked to one of the guards. She told him, "There's a fire at my house!" In all seriousness, he asks, "Were you cooking?" After she explains that no, the fire is not her fault, he came by to look. He also wasn't concerned and didn't really do anything.
Still feeling that the 2-3 foot flames in the yard needed to be addressed, she went back to the school to talk to the Thai principal. She called the fire department and explained what was happening, and they agreed to come.
Some time later, a fire truck right out of a 1950s movie pulls up. The firemen get out-dressed in their tshirts and flipflops-and look at the fire. They are not too concerned-in fact, they only douse a little water on the fire at the Thai principal's request. Then they leave.
Two days later, the fire is still smoldering.
Needless to say, she was not terribly impressed!! But the house didn't burn down and everything seems to be okay. Now she thinks it's a great story to bring home!
Right now, it is burning season in Thailand. That means that everywhere you go, they are burning the fields and brush from them. So smelling smoke is not terribly unusual. Jeanette smelled smoke but didn't think anything of it, until she came outside and noticed a fire in her yard. This is only a few feet from her house.
She looked around, knowing that there should be someone watching this fire. But no one was there. She tried her hose-no water. Hmm...so she started walking around talking to the neighbors. All the westerners agreed with her-it's a fire! we should do something! but no one knew quite what to do. The thais she talked to did not seem concerned in the least.
She went up to the school (she lives very close) and talked to one of the guards. She told him, "There's a fire at my house!" In all seriousness, he asks, "Were you cooking?" After she explains that no, the fire is not her fault, he came by to look. He also wasn't concerned and didn't really do anything.
Still feeling that the 2-3 foot flames in the yard needed to be addressed, she went back to the school to talk to the Thai principal. She called the fire department and explained what was happening, and they agreed to come.
Some time later, a fire truck right out of a 1950s movie pulls up. The firemen get out-dressed in their tshirts and flipflops-and look at the fire. They are not too concerned-in fact, they only douse a little water on the fire at the Thai principal's request. Then they leave.
Two days later, the fire is still smoldering.
Needless to say, she was not terribly impressed!! But the house didn't burn down and everything seems to be okay. Now she thinks it's a great story to bring home!
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