Clogged toilettes

Toilette is what the toilet is called here. I think that is the way you say it in French too. It sounds so pretty. However, today I went to a bathroom that was anything but pretty. Oksana called it "exotic". I can think of another phrase for it - "thoroughly disgusting". This bathroom was in the social services building in Nikopol and the toilet was black with filth, did not flush, and of course there was no toilet paper. The bathroom was littered with cigarette butts and beer bottles and I was appalled that this was located in a government building. They must not get much foot traffic there?

Anyway, what brought up the toilet subject was that the toilet in our Kiev apartment was clogged (I really just thought it needed a plunger, but couldn't find one anywhere in the apartment). So, the landlady came and called a plumber, who stuck a "snake" down the toilet and pulled out a piece of plastic. Luckily, Oleg happened to be there and the landlady proceeded to tell Oleg that she thought we had flushed the plastic down the toilet since the toilet was working perfectly well until we got there and of course wanted us to pay for the repair. Oleg told her she was crazy - why would we put plastic down the toilet and that what happened is that before we got there the plastic was in the toilet but was turned in such a way that the water was still able to flow through without any problem and when we used it the water and toilet paper caused the plastic to turn and block the water flow. Needless to say, we didn't have to pay for the repair but the landlady stayed there after Oleg left and cleaned the kitchen in a "huff" (we could hear her slamming dishes around), which made it so we couldn't go anywhere because we didn't want to leave all of our stuff in the apartment with a crazy lady! We subsequently found out that the lady's favorite dog had died and that partly explained her foul mood. I guess there is a story behind almost anything. Like the story behind why Elena likes the ride the scary elevator, instead of taking the stairs. Apparently she fell down the stairs (I believe it was actually the stairs at our apartment building). Poor Elena - she from there on out came to referred to as "the translator that broke her leg"! NOTE: As Wendy pointed out in her comment, Elena broke her leg in a snowboarding accident and that is why she doesn't like to walk down the stairs. :)