Door Knob

Humour happens in the smallest situations.

This morning, the outside door knob to my classroom was very loose. The lock mechanism was working just fine, but the handle wouldn't grip.

After lunch, one of my students inadvertently and to her horror pulled the handle off on her way into the classroom. I made a mental note to send an email to the maintenance department.

In the middle of a late afternoon poetry study with my grade 10s, I looked up. The headmaster's face was framed in the window of the door, and in her hand was... the door knob.

I started to laugh uncontrollably. Why is it that we are so prone to laughter at the most inappropriate moments?

I tried to regain my composure, and proceeded to open the door from the inside.

In walked the headmaster - followed by a large group from China! She was taking them on a tour of the school and instructed me to carry on and pretend they weren't there.

I, who was struggling to collect myself, teach English to the International students. Thankfully, they were not in the throes of laughter!

And so went day two of post-Christmas-vacation-week. I wonder what sort of impression we left on the Chinese contingent?