The Visitor

An interesting visitor showed up at school today. I was just going to start a class when Sunny called me over and pointed down the hallway. I ran to get my camera while Sunny beckoned to a bunch of students to come have a look.


Pigeon!
Just after I took this picture, the kids advanced - shrieking - down the hall toward Mr. Pigeon, who flew straight up into the uncovered fluorescent tubes in the ceiling. Twice. Hard.
I muttered, "Ouch!" and then bellowed, "YA!" which stopped the kids. "Back to school!" I said, gesturing behind me at the door. They sort of listened for a moment or two, long enough for me to be the only one following the bird, who headed to the men's washroom. I was trying to capture the bird when the kids caught up again and were shouting and ducking as the bird flew around trying to find a way out. I was shouting back at the kids to go away, worried that the pigeon was really going to injure itself in its panic.

I finally got Sunny's attention and she corralled the protesting students back into the school while Mister Pigeon hobbled over to the Lady's Room. While he flew up and perched atop a stall, I took another picture.


Damn! He knocked his head on backwards!



Oh, no. Wait. I guess he's got that rotating Exorcist-head thing going on. Ok. I slipped my camera into my back pocket and extended my hands slowly toward the bird, who regarded me with his cool bird eyes. He didn't fuss too much as I got ahold of him and brought him over to the window, put him through, and then just opened my hands. He flew away with a flash of white and grey feathers.


See why he couldn't get through the window on his own? These windows are always open, but they only open so much.

I'm glad Mister Pigeon didn't have to spend too much time trapped in the bathroom. It's not a pleasant place to be. (Plus the kids from our school, taekwondo, and the music academy would have surely played "Screaming Pigeon Pinyata" with him until he was dead.) The bathroom's freezing, what with the open windows and all, and after you've done your bid'ness you're treated to a hand wash in ice cold water. (Soap provided by moi.) There's only one sink available as well.
These


and this

have been all plugged up since before the New Year. And it's a good thing I took the picture in the daylight, since the lights have been broken since before Christmas. I try to make sure I visit the loo before sundown because I freak myself out imagining some swamp hand jerking out of that poo-black sink and grabbing my wrist as I wash my hands in the dark.
I've asked the boss a couple times a week to fix things, and am assured she'll get right on it, but nothing's happening.
I've been here long enough to not be surprised.