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 fire 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.
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.
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