Plombier

n. – plumber

Five days after arriving I had my first visit from a French plumber for what we thought was a leak under the sink. Turns out it wasn’t a leak at all, but rather caused when we take our baths because the shower head while resting in its cradle drips water slightly over the side of the tub.

We conducted the whole conversation in French and the only time I made an error was when I referred to “taking a bathroom” rather than “taking a bath.” I realized right after I said it, but since I wasn’t expecting him and he woke me up, I was a bit caught off guard.

My favorite part of the conversation was when I asked him why more French bathrooms don't have shower curtains because it's true that you have to be careful not to have the water go everywhere when you have a hand held shower head that must be navigated with one hand while soaping and lathering with the other. His simple explanation – shower curtains aren’t pretty - “les rideaux de douche sont pas jolis.” He did however agree that they're practical (I suppose because he was young and more forward thinking) and that a wet floor isn’t pretty either!