Earlier this week I was suffering from a slow-flow toilet. It wasn't blocked, but it was on the cusp and I decided to try and do something about it before it got to a dire situation. Unable to get my traditional plunger to work on my non-traditional toilet (it's a low-flow and has a different 'mouth' shape on it so it doesn't create the needed seal with the plunger), I decided to head downstairs and try my luck with the security guy. A couple of dictionary look-ups later to indicate the problem, he sent me on my way with a different kind of plunger which also proved useless. For the same reason.
Dejected, I headed back downstairs to return the plunger and beg for help when I ran into Tim, one of the other public school teachers who lives in my building. As I was carrying a plunger, he astutely guessed my problem, and given the pouty-face I was making also astutely guessed how the fixing part was going. And then he offered some advice:
Take a large, plastic soft drink/water bottle and fill it with water. Quickly turn it upside down in the toilet, with the neck of the bottle in the mouth of the toilet. Give it a quick, hard squeeze. The water in the bottle with be forced out in a jet and hopefully unblock the problem.
Skeptical, but willing to give anything a try, I headed back upstairs and grabbed a bottle out of my recycling. Within minutes I had a perfectly working toilet again! I plan on keeping that little do-it-yourself tidbit stored safely in memory! Brilliant!
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At school yesterday, while working on materials for my upcoming winter camps, the phone at my cubicle rang. Usually I don't answer it because 99.9% of the time the caller doesn't speak English and they are calling for another teacher in the office. Given that I was, and still am, the only teacher in my office required to be working this week, I took a chance and picked it up. It was my vice-principal. Merry Christmas! This week, I received the above card with "last but not least" written inside. I've got quite the collection of gel gems now, and when the holidays are over, I'm going to safely tuck them away to bring back to Canada and enjoy for many Christmas' to come. Thank you Younes'! In the weekend leading up to Christmas, I have fallen drastically behind in my countdown. Oops! I was doing so well too! Well, a quick update...
Yesterday, I decided to give the Nandaemun market a second chance. First time I went it was crowded and chaotic. Yesterday it was still crowded and chaotic, but I warmed up to the place a little - maybe it's somewhere that'll gradually grow on me over time. One thing that helped me develop a mild fondness for the place was the general explosion of Christmas throughout the market. Shops were overflowing with everything you could ask for: baubles, Christmas arbors and even giant mechanical skiing snowmen. I was particularly fond of the wrapping paper displays, but unfortunately you couldn't buy just one piece. Minimum purchase was 10 sheets at $3 a pop, so I took a picture instead. Another outdoor department store Christmas display, this one at Lotte Department Store in my neighbourhood: Nowon-gu. I don't know about anyone else, but when I think Christmas, large, white woodland creatures are not the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, they are about as obscure to me as the Christmas armadillo from Friends.
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Recently Updated...03.25 - Two posts! About Me...Out and about in the world, teaching others and educating myself. Stuff I Like...Traveling. Cuddling a cat. New toothbrushes. Friends. Socks of the Joanne Younes variety. The smell of sun-dried laundry. Baking. Archives
March 2008
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