Halloween in School

Though the actual Halloween was on 31st October, the school celebrated it one week earlier. All the children as well as teachers came in funny Halloween costume. AS had worn a black sweeping cape with a black jeans and a Halloween locket type something in her neck. She looked the best as the costume suited her very much according to her usual powerful, commanding and somewhat boyish persona. Cl had worn black top and jeans with blood red lipstick and black spider web designs on her either cheeks and heavily tousled hair. H's teacher Ad had worn a beautiful deep necked elegant gown with long broad sleeves and a hood and looked very graceful.
Unfortunately due to misunderstanding I didn't know the teachers too had to dress up so I had no costume and H also was without one as his costume was not fit to be worn the whole day.

I have heard that Halloween is a day between the living and the dead and that this day bad spirits, ghosts, vampires etc roam about the earth so the people believe that if you yourself dress up like one of them they get confused that you belong to their category and spare you; your dressing up can even frighten them away.
Now,what I always wonder about Halloween is that how the hell do you know that ghoulish vampire with plastic teeth or that little ghost with a mask of skull is only a boy in costume and not a real vampire or ghost?

A Horrible Parents Teachers Meeting

Parents Teacher Meeting over here are so different, I had no idea.
I was told that all the parents would come and sit together in a room with all the teachers together and we all would discuss issues - no, not about your student - shan't be so much time; you only have to talk about what you plan to teach your children this year there in roughly three minutes time.
I kept wondering at the insanity of such an organization which seemed downright stupid to say the least.Why,
aren't PT meetings supposed to tell about student's progress and discuss issues related to him? What I plan to teach in an academic year is something that can be printed out and given to them, no?

Well, the Meeting began at the appointed time with all the parents and teachers and the heads of the school sitting together in a crammed room. When all the teachers had finished giving their introduction the fireworks commenced.
It so happened that parents were largely dissatisfied with the management over several issues like appointing non native English speaking teachers, having frequent teacher changes, inside politics, not informing about the children's progress etc etc. and felt no restraint in addressing their opinions in heated argument.
At the end of three uneasy hours instead of 3 minutes I had been told, it was decided on parents suggestions that the school will now have an internet community group where all the lesson plans, holidays, activities etc will be posted for all the group members i.e. parents to see and not only this for any other info exchange as well ( read it teacher bashing or personal inquiry about children).
I was shocked that parents appeared to have no respect or decorum for the school, head or teachers and though had so much sarcastic things to say for things they didn't like, had no words of simple praise for the things that they liked.Most of all, I hated that new Indian child whose mother is a big trouble maker. She didn't have time to come and speak to me regarding the child when she was repeatedly being called and then showed up in the meeting to complain that there is no communication or wrong communication in the school ! I almost wanted to wring her neck...!

The meetings in Indian schools are so different and make a lot of sense. All the parents of a class come to speak to the teacher about  their children and save management issues for management or separate meeting.

UPDATE
1 months later
So I was completely wrong in my perception of this meeting. To begin with this was not the parents teacher meeting which is convened to exchange information about the student. The schools in Germany have a parents association which consists of some members from amongst the parents group. The work of this association is to assist the school in small activities and to act as a regulatory agency to see that the school is functioning properly. Means the schools cannot take a step wrong anywhere without explaining to the committee.
I dare say, this feature is rather nice and has plenty of advantages for the interests of the school, students and of course the parents.

UPDATE
4 months later
So now I know that whatever that happened on this parents meeting day was just and deserving to the very last degree. By now, many of the teachers in the school have discovered that the parents were absolutely right in fighting with the management. The management does in fact follow certain practices which are wrong but the school covers it up neatly with pretty excuses.
It uses right methods to do wrong things.