You want me to put the what in the what?

I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one.  I have plumbing issues.  Not just a “I can’t flush much tissue down the toilet”; it’s more of a “I can’t flush ANY tissue down the toilet”. Ever.  I was warned about this horrible plumbing issue from the previous teacher who occupied the space and I think my Western brain couldn’t process the concept of not flushing any toilet paper down the bowl.  I just nodded my head with a slightly agape mouth and said, “Ummm, okaaaayyy”. 

Naturally I presumed she really meant that I wouldn’t be able to flush a whole boat load of tissue but I soon found out that even the minuscule amount of TP causes it to stop working.  I immediately went to the director of my school the following day to report the problem.  I assumed I would get a maintenance man sent to my apt to fix the problem but she sent the head assistant who handles all of our apt problems to my place to check out the damage. 

The head assistant comes over that evening and highly confuses me when she whips out a bottle of Drano.  From the looks of it, this problem has passed the point of Drano and needs plumber assistance.   After she pours the drano, she says, “Okay done”.  Yes done for that day but what about the next day and the next?  She speaks limited english so I figure I will re-explain to my director that I need an actual plumber dispatched to my apt and the confusion will be settled.  Not so.  

The next day, my director tells me the head assistant told her my toilet stopped up because I flushed tissue down the drain and to never put tissue down it again.  What do you mean, never put tissue down the toilet again?  That’s insane right?  Well no, it’s actually not insane here.  Apparently, Korea has plumbing issues and many people still don’t flush much tissue down the bowl.  They put the used tissue in a bag in the trash next to the toilet.   I hate to sound negative but I was severly grossed out and I didn’t want to get down with this. 

But unless I want to use a plumbing device every time I go to the toilet, I am being forced to get down with it.  I use to always throw around the term, “I have an open mind” and can deal with mostly anything but my “open mind” is quickly losing ground with this toilet fiasco.  

I just got a bit unlucky though because some toilets can handle tissue while others simply cannot.   So when you guys are having a tough day, say a prayer for me and be happy that you can flush TP.  We gotta count the mini-blessings right…