Maid OR Mem???

Mindian · Jan 18, 2010

Friends, I just HAVE to tell you about this rather interesting character who has entered my life. My old maid left suddenly without any warning and I got a call from this girl called "Mina" asking me whether I wanted her services. I told her that I needed a part time maid thrice a week, for two to three hours each time and that I would pay her on an hourly basis but she said she would come for an "interview".

I was wondering what else am I supposed to ask or tell her ,when she came and had a "look" at my house and said she was willing ,that she normally charged 20 Rm per hour but considering that my house looked very neat in the absence of a maid she would settle for 15 rm per hour. Well, I sort of softened at the compliment when suddenly I realized that it was the other way round and that SHE was the cleaning woman, the one being interviewed. :bonk

She is a Filipino lady, and the second wife to a Sardar. That explains the "thujhe dhekha tho yeh jaana sanam " ringtone on her mobile, I thought. Her age is hard to guess but she looks very slim and nice. She dresses up very stylishly in tight fitting tees and pants, reeks of perfume, and OMG her shoes match her handbag, a MUST in the fashion world, I hear. She always has her umbrella too, saying she doesn’t want to get tanned. Like most Filipinos she speaks English, for which I am grateful.

I usually do the dusting and cooking myself and leave the cleaning part to my maid. I finish all my work before she comes and leave it to her to sweep, mop, clean the toilets, kitchen etc. The first day I was very happy to see that her work is not just “clean “but "Mindi" clean and that’s saying something.

The next day I was so immersed in my computer that I am sure she did not mop the bedrooms but told me "yes ma’am, finished it when you were busy in the study" I had to let it pass since it was my mistake in letting a new maid work without any supervision. The next time onwards I decided to sit at my dining table which gives me a view of all the rooms. So I sat there correcting some tuition work but she apparently thought it was an invitation for her to talk and asked me if I was doing my "Masters". I was amused but said" No".

The third day she went on to tell me about her house which was ground plus first floor and since it was just the two of them she had rented out two bedrooms to girls from her own community doing domestic work, "and, when my husband is away, No need to feel lonely La….we three girls go out" she laughed. Enterprising, I thought.:thumbsup

A friend of mine also wanted help so I asked Mina if she was willing. She refused saying that one house was enough for her and when I asked her if she was tired doing just her own house and mine she laughed and confided "No Ma’am, I actually have a part time maid myself, I only work for time pass La, so that I can get out of the house". Well, THAT left me quite stunned.

Another day she wanted to know what I was doing on the computer. Before I could even think of what to say she started" Face book-a ???? Yeah Ma’am, me too... always into face book, I like it very much ...but my husband says he will not give me the internet"
"Hahaha! Mina, that’s what husbands all over the world are saying ", I thought.

And today I told her she needn’t come on Wednesday as I was planning to go out and whether it was okay with her? "Yeah ma’am, no problem…I will go to my husband's office, La…he has some tax problem….I do that for him and also the payroll. All his employees like me but are scared of him"

Now isn’t that just too much for a jobless chartered accountant to take on a Monday morning?

Padmini · Jan 18, 2010

Dear Mindi,
hats of to that lady and to your beautiful narration!!! Really I feel that the lady stands as the personification of : dignity of labor"Dignity of labour is how much we respect all types of jobs and how we don’t feel that one job is less or greater than another. Although this is one of the most essential things we as individuals should develop within ourselves, it is rarely the caseI.n some countries, someone who works two or more jobs (just so he/she could make some more money) is considered perfectly fine and no one bothers about it. But sadly, if someone who holds a decent position in a company does after hours part-time in a place like McDonalds serving food… it is looked down upon by society.
During my shopping, , I notice a well dressed, corpulent woman with a mobile hanging from her hip, parking her Scooty; slipping on her’ green jacket; picking up a long-handed besom and trolley; and getting on to sweeping the road. I find ‘dignity’ in her attitude to her work.
The finishing touch of yours is excellent!"Now isn’t that just too much for a jobless chartered accountant to take on a Monday morning?"Now buddy I should also say like that but I am not a C.A. .
with love
pad

iyerviji · Jan 18, 2010

Dear Mindi

I was going to give the first fb but by the time I finished typing and clicked on submit reply my net went off. I was also going out so put off the computer. I dont know why I am thrilled to give the first fb.

Now a days Maids are very smart, well dressed and up to date. As Padmini says you have narrated so well. Good to know that the maid is up todate. Our servant is also very smart and knows everything only thing she cant speak English. She dresses up well especially when she comes for marriage reception she wears designer saree given by someone.

love
viji

Tubelight · Jan 18, 2010

It was fun to read about your enterprising maid !:thumbsup It really tickled me that she has a maid of her own !
Even in India, now a days, domestic helpers turn out well dressed and pleasant mannered.
There are also agencies that provide "Housekeepers" who are literate, can understand english, and can handle phone calls, handle gadgets, take messages etc. Just another job - and better paying too, let me add. ( Here in our locality, Rs.1000 for half day ) So there's no longer any stigma attached to being a "servant maid" like in old days.

Jpatma · Jan 18, 2010

Dear Mins,
So you have a filipino, they are smart, well organized , expensive and often clean.

I remember my SIL had a filipino, she was highlly educated, she insisted that she must have access to internet , as she needs to chat with her boy friend.

Well there was another German friend of my DH , we invited him for a dinner and his wife was "once filipino maid". As i was talking to her ( anyway her status has gone up as madam) and she said she still works in few houses and she said she prefers caucasians. She admitted that her boy friend (german) supports her family in Philipines and that she is working to earn a bit of pocket money.
Another friend had a filipino who is horticulturist as maid , and she was treated more like a member of the family.

RM 15/-is a good rate, grab it. While the Indons have a different sense of values , they just love to sleep around with any guys be it a drunkard.

While the Indian and srilankans loved to watch TV and bit of lazy and not professional in their work.

Story of maid - its never ending story.
Jaya

Padmasrinivas · Jan 18, 2010

Dear Mindi,

Oh La! That sure was a funny one, had to hold my sides :rotfl,

Well, seems like i have to say 'same pinch'! My maid also quit all of a sudden, leaving me in the lurch... well... seems like a topic for a blog too, now there's a thought!

Too much work now with the new delightful addition to the family, so can't do without a full-time maid, else here I am running between the kitchen and nappy-changing sessions and little pleasureable tasks of the same kind!

Good one, Mindi!

LnBBHs,
Paddu

Sriniketan · Jan 19, 2010

Mindi,
Gone are the days, where we see 'maids' as someone who are illiterate, and know nothing..
I don't know whether it is an advantage or disadvantage, we don't have a maid in our house...all is being taken care of by a 24 hour job person, who always writes about cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning..:biglaugh(that's me!)

sriniketan

knot2share · Jan 19, 2010

My dear Malaysian Beauty Mindi

I loved reading your post La.... Like Pad ma'm said rightly, dignity of labour is what she stands for. That is something I learnt to respect after moving to Australia. Any job one does, it is perfectly fine. I remember once when I had hired the services of a couple (Greek I think) to get our garden cleaned up, pruning etc and to get all the glass windows and doors cleaned. Very sweet both of them were. They got me some home made sweets and pasta to eat and I was not sure what to offer or should I offer something or not. So asked them and offered coffee once. The husband was so taken by it that every one hour or so he would take a break and say to me "Jaya love, can you make that coffee for me again? ". He loved it - BRU instant coffee! He said I would be a good daughter-in-law to him and all I needed to do was make the same coffee every two hours!! . I had their lunch with them and offered some Indian sweets, which they totally loved again. They both narrated stories of their kids and grand kids and once all work was done, the lady left with a warm hug and said " Take care beautiful. Come home anytime and I will make you some good Greek food". They waved good bye and drove off in their luxury 6 cylinder car.......

susri · Jan 19, 2010

:-(Hi Mindi,
What a great write up. Me too having same kind of servant maid for me. I cant refer her as a servant maid, rather, I can tell her as my helper. She is working only for me, for her pocket money. She will come well dressed. Her DS have joined recently in a good college & she have paid money in lakhs for his admission. So can guess her status.

The meaning of Servant maid is changing a lot.............