diff --git a/storage/filesystem.py b/storage/filesystem.py
index 87a2c9e..f23f777 100644
--- a/storage/filesystem.py
+++ b/storage/filesystem.py
@@ -49,11 +49,12 @@ class FileSystemStorage(object):
 
     def getDir(self, address, subDir=None):
         subDir = subDir or self.subDir
+        subDir = str(subDir)
         if self.rootDir is None:
             if subDir:
                 return os.path.join(subDir, address)
             return address
-        return os.path.join(self.rootDir, subDir, address)
+        return os.path.join(str(self.rootDir), subDir, address)
 
     def setData(self, address, data, params={}):
         subDir = params.get('subdirectory')
diff --git a/util/format.py b/util/format.py
index da20356..388117a 100644
--- a/util/format.py
+++ b/util/format.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def toStr(value, encoding='UTF-8'):
     return str(value)
 
 def toUnicode(value, encoding='UTF-8', fallback='ISO8859-15'):
+    # or: fallback='CP852'
     if isinstance(value, unicode):
         return value
     elif isinstance(value, str):