starshadow_rivaulx (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starshadow_rivaulx) wrote2011-02-24 12:23 am
starshadow_rivaulx) wrote2011-02-24 12:23 am
In which actual text occurs
The world has certainly turned since I last wrote a proper post, and quite spectacularly in some instances. My mind is caught up in PMS fuzziness, so this will be a post of expanded bullet points as the topics occur to me.
1) The domestic help situation: seems to have finally settled down. We have followed Ma's wishes in the matter of who should be the household help, and while three of us (Dad, Ramon, and myself) are not particularly happy with one of said choices, we are (a) working around it, and (b) laying down the law as we see fit. As far as I remember, I am still the one who decides what cleaning and kitchen supplies work best in our home, and you will use what I buy and learn to like it.
This pronouncement is brought about by the request of Malou the Maid for the local broom called walis tambo. Fine. Except that when I got to the supermarket, there were no tambo brooms worth the price. Plus, I remembered that over the course of three months, I'd bought at least eight such brooms at Php97 each. So here were these plastic bristle brooms with hollow stainless steel handles priced at Php112 each, and likely to last for more than 1.5 months under normal usage. Bought the plastic brooms after testing the bristles (just as soft as the tambo, and in cosplay neon colors, too) on the supermarket floor, with great success.
Came home, showed the new brooms to Malou the Maid, whose face fell several feet when she saw them. Two days later, she shows me her swollen wrist and says the new broom is heavy on the hands and doesn't clean well. Cue my eyebrows skating sky-high as I tell her it's just a matter of getting used to it. In an effort to be fair, I brought the broom in question to Ma, who was enchanted with it. I asked her to hold it, and then asked her if it was heavy. Cue Ma going *snork* as only a true-blue lady can do it. *grin* She has instructed me to pay Malou the Maid no mind in the matter of the broom - not that I was going to do so in any instance.
I asked Ramon to hold the broom for me, and asked if he found it heavy - and he was like to swat Malou the Maid on the butt with it. He has definite opinions about the maid, and not all of them complimentary. As of this writing, there have been no more complaints about the broom.
As for Lanie the Cook...suffice to say that I make sure she cleans the sink strainers after washing the dishes, and that said dishes are towelled off and stored properly before she is considered off-duty for the day. Also, that she remembers that when meats are set to boil, one does not leave the pot uncovered AND unattended on HIGH heat. One is supposed to lower the heat once boiling point is reached, and the pot covered.
Am puttering about in the kitchen rather more than is desired - but when my refilling of the sugar jar turns into a wholesale inventory of the pantry cabinet, that is an occupational hazard they will have to accept as I tidy up the storage area and discover a whole new world of foodstuffs that ought to be used. Life is slowly returning to a steady routine, now that I have my nap times and my writing back in hand, which means a less sour outlook on daily events.
2) Kittens: we haz wee bebeh kittehs! Pica's twins are fat and adorable. Walker's quads are thinner and equally adorable. All six are toddling about their respective mothers' areas of influence, and the older cats have given them the once-over and accepted them into the household. Pickles is likely preggers by now, but as she is scheduled for spaying within this week, we will not be as attached to her babies. They're not that big in her tummy to sink hooks into our hearts - but I've got to move fast with that spaying.
3) News, local: 3 Filipinos were sentenced to death after being caught with drugs in their baggage about two years ago. They were tried and sentenced according to Chinese law. After the sentence came out, there was much hue and cry and the vice-president was sent to China to see if the sentence couldn't be commuted to life imprisonment. The Chinese government postponed the executions; not changed the sentences, just postponed. But at least those three aren't dead yet and "while there's life, there's hope" as the saying goes.
For those most nearly affected, a huge sigh of relief. For myself, I'm not sure it was such a good idea to "arrange" things. The Filipinos were caught with drugs, and more telling, admitted they knew what they were carrying. So say the reports. They were caught in a country not known for its benevolence with crime, let alone drug trafficking. They have no defense that I can see, based on what I heard from the TV. Theoretically, the Chinese have every right to punish them according to Chinese law.
Yes, it's a horrible thing, to leave our citizens to a fate like that. But...that's supposed to be the deterrent aspect of the death penalty, isn't it? People are supposed to be less inclined to take risks when their very lives are at stake.
We were lucky, I think, that the Chinese didn't consider VP Binay's efforts as heavy-handed interference. I've seen speculation that some sort of trade-off was agreed upon in exchange for the postponement of the executions. Government denies - but then denial is pretty much second nature for government, and does anyone really believe that the Chinese won't get anything in exchange?
4) This will have to take up a new post. It's past midnight, and it's dangerous to ramble about issues when sleepy. Catch you all whenever!
1) The domestic help situation: seems to have finally settled down. We have followed Ma's wishes in the matter of who should be the household help, and while three of us (Dad, Ramon, and myself) are not particularly happy with one of said choices, we are (a) working around it, and (b) laying down the law as we see fit. As far as I remember, I am still the one who decides what cleaning and kitchen supplies work best in our home, and you will use what I buy and learn to like it.
This pronouncement is brought about by the request of Malou the Maid for the local broom called walis tambo. Fine. Except that when I got to the supermarket, there were no tambo brooms worth the price. Plus, I remembered that over the course of three months, I'd bought at least eight such brooms at Php97 each. So here were these plastic bristle brooms with hollow stainless steel handles priced at Php112 each, and likely to last for more than 1.5 months under normal usage. Bought the plastic brooms after testing the bristles (just as soft as the tambo, and in cosplay neon colors, too) on the supermarket floor, with great success.
Came home, showed the new brooms to Malou the Maid, whose face fell several feet when she saw them. Two days later, she shows me her swollen wrist and says the new broom is heavy on the hands and doesn't clean well. Cue my eyebrows skating sky-high as I tell her it's just a matter of getting used to it. In an effort to be fair, I brought the broom in question to Ma, who was enchanted with it. I asked her to hold it, and then asked her if it was heavy. Cue Ma going *snork* as only a true-blue lady can do it. *grin* She has instructed me to pay Malou the Maid no mind in the matter of the broom - not that I was going to do so in any instance.
I asked Ramon to hold the broom for me, and asked if he found it heavy - and he was like to swat Malou the Maid on the butt with it. He has definite opinions about the maid, and not all of them complimentary. As of this writing, there have been no more complaints about the broom.
As for Lanie the Cook...suffice to say that I make sure she cleans the sink strainers after washing the dishes, and that said dishes are towelled off and stored properly before she is considered off-duty for the day. Also, that she remembers that when meats are set to boil, one does not leave the pot uncovered AND unattended on HIGH heat. One is supposed to lower the heat once boiling point is reached, and the pot covered.
Am puttering about in the kitchen rather more than is desired - but when my refilling of the sugar jar turns into a wholesale inventory of the pantry cabinet, that is an occupational hazard they will have to accept as I tidy up the storage area and discover a whole new world of foodstuffs that ought to be used. Life is slowly returning to a steady routine, now that I have my nap times and my writing back in hand, which means a less sour outlook on daily events.
2) Kittens: we haz wee bebeh kittehs! Pica's twins are fat and adorable. Walker's quads are thinner and equally adorable. All six are toddling about their respective mothers' areas of influence, and the older cats have given them the once-over and accepted them into the household. Pickles is likely preggers by now, but as she is scheduled for spaying within this week, we will not be as attached to her babies. They're not that big in her tummy to sink hooks into our hearts - but I've got to move fast with that spaying.
3) News, local: 3 Filipinos were sentenced to death after being caught with drugs in their baggage about two years ago. They were tried and sentenced according to Chinese law. After the sentence came out, there was much hue and cry and the vice-president was sent to China to see if the sentence couldn't be commuted to life imprisonment. The Chinese government postponed the executions; not changed the sentences, just postponed. But at least those three aren't dead yet and "while there's life, there's hope" as the saying goes.
For those most nearly affected, a huge sigh of relief. For myself, I'm not sure it was such a good idea to "arrange" things. The Filipinos were caught with drugs, and more telling, admitted they knew what they were carrying. So say the reports. They were caught in a country not known for its benevolence with crime, let alone drug trafficking. They have no defense that I can see, based on what I heard from the TV. Theoretically, the Chinese have every right to punish them according to Chinese law.
Yes, it's a horrible thing, to leave our citizens to a fate like that. But...that's supposed to be the deterrent aspect of the death penalty, isn't it? People are supposed to be less inclined to take risks when their very lives are at stake.
We were lucky, I think, that the Chinese didn't consider VP Binay's efforts as heavy-handed interference. I've seen speculation that some sort of trade-off was agreed upon in exchange for the postponement of the executions. Government denies - but then denial is pretty much second nature for government, and does anyone really believe that the Chinese won't get anything in exchange?
4) This will have to take up a new post. It's past midnight, and it's dangerous to ramble about issues when sleepy. Catch you all whenever!
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I've been a proponent of the death penalty for drug dealers in the USA for years. Why not? Their chemical crap destroys more lives than a single bullet and we have (in most states) the death penalty for murder!
With all the headaches you seem to have out of the maids it only underscores my belief that they are superfluous. You have to monitor everything they do and essentially babysit them through every step; might as well just do the work yourself and make sure it's done right.
I find scrubbing the bathroom floor or the baby's crib to be therapeutic after a week of mentally taxing office work.
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We used walis tambo in our first apartment because of the hardwood floors but when we moved into a place that had linoleum (or worse the place now which is concrete) they just don't get the job done and, as you said, they wear out too quickly.
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Totally agree that a good session of cleaning is incredibly therapeutic. When I get started with our bedroom, hubby knows enough to flee the premises. *chuckle* And the monthly declutter of the office space is great exercise too, since no one touches those boxes and cabinets except me.
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She's 10 months now and I stand by my decision. Aishah (my wife) is happily a stay at home mom and I'm grateful for her taking care of the house while I'm working to provide for us.
It's a good arrangement and I know that we'll never miss any of Shamsa's firsts.
However; when we can afford it I think I will hire a maid to come in once a week and help out for some of the heavier cleaning.
*sigh* Maybe by June...
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You have that wonderful setup known as "a domestic arrangement that works to the satisfaction of all concerned", and that is what matters most. I agree with your idea for a "weekly" maid to help out with the heavier cleaning, should your circumstances require it in the future.
My Ma hired a distant cousin who was going through hard times, to be my yaya when I was around 1.5yrs old. Ma was finishing out a teaching contract, so obviously someone had to keep an eye on me while she was at school. After about a year, yaya had saved enough from her salary to go home to the province and Ma was done with her contract. It's been me and Ma ever since. *grin*
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Hearing about her experience from her side, Ma's and her aunties I knew that there was no way I wanted my kid raised by anyone but us.
My parents did it. In the States it is highly unusual to have any sort of home help like a maid or a yaya. That's only for the wealthiest 5-10% of the population.