Well, the adventure continues...
Test 73: Plumbing in a foreign country:
French plumbing, like many things in this country, doesn't make a ton of sense to me. In my bathroom (which does not contain a toilet but rather just a sink and shower), a random faucet head protrudes from the wall. It has no basin, no temperatue controls, and looks more apt to be connected to a garden hose than next to my hair spray.
Well, early this morning after a good bike ride, I exited the shower to find this estranged faucet dripping to the tile floor. So I quickly grabbed a large used popcorn tupperware and placed it below the leak as I tried to turn the the faucet closed. Turning the handle clockwise increased the flow. Ok weird... So I turned the hande in the other direction to find that it too, opened the flow further.
Uhhh...now what! My heart rate began to increase at the thought of a watering stream cascading the two stories beneath me.
As I continued to fiddle with the handle, and more and more water continued to pour from it and onto the floor, and I realized I had gotten mysel into another French Test. Eventually, I began seeing pieces of my faucet show up inside the tupperware...Oh no!! I ran to the appartment next door and tried to explain the scenario that was taking place merely 10 feet away, but I realized very quickly that my plumbing vocabulary is not very strong in English let alone in French. I ran back into the bathroom to empty the bucket and then ran back out to my neighbor for further council and a lesson in French vocabulary.
Just as my neighbor was about to walk her daughter to school she mentioned, "You should probably shut off the water valve to your appartment."
Great Idea! Where's that?
After leaping down the steps to our "cave" to find the vaguely described and quit unmarked valve, I shut what I guessed to be mine. Flying back up the steps, I found I had actually beat Murphy at his laws and got the right one the first time.
A quick Google search provided me with a good enough grasp of the vocabulary I would need to call the associated persons to get this issue fixed. But of course no one answered the phone. Why make just a simple phone call when you can go sort everything out in person?!? (Oops, that would be the American in me again - I have to suppress those notions)
To skip ahead a bit, I returned from work during my lunch break to find an Italian plumber knocking on my door. I suppressed the desire to sing the Mario Brothers theme song or to join Monsieur Luigi in his exploits against King Koopa (Ok, so I never got his first name but we can imagine can't we...). And with a smile and few wrenches he had my problems fixed up and ready to go before you could say Mario Kart. And it cost me nothing...
Off Monsieur Secci went with his wrenches and a few well-wishes, and that my friends is how we made it through Test 73.
Here comes 74...
Cheers,
J
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4 comments:
Jamie - (I could have sent Carl your way - but you would have waited even longer!) I finally got an upgrade to my computer which allows me to actually watch your videos...so I went back through all your postings here. Great! Now I understand more of what your mom and Brenda, etc. share. Thanks for the posts. Keeping you in prayer! Dove L
jamie, barb,sherry and i wonder----whwew is youe toliet? brenda
I thought someone might ask about that. In true European fashion, I have my toilet separate from my bathroom is what they call a "W.C." (British English for "Water Closet") which is basically just a tiny room with only a toilet. Kinda strange but you get used to it.
I hope to have video up of my little place very soon.
Thanks for posting! - J
The separation of toilet from sink makes me thinking washing hands isn't as highly promoted over there. Just think of all the things you'll be an expert at soon! :)
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