A bad idea....

huh? What's a bad idea?

Having both maids go back at the same time! That's the bad idea! In fact, a VERY BAD idea! *grin*

Our new maids (my MIL's and mine) finally arrived on Saturday evening together with my SIL's maid (her current maid is also going back at the end of the week). Boy! Aren't our planning and timing bad! And I call myself a good planner? LOL! I must be dreaming! LOL!

Anyway, the maids arrived and we got our first dose of shock! Yep! The maids told us that they came here to work as restaurant helpers! Can U imagine our shock, or shall I say, their shock too? Though I dn't think they look that shock. Maybe they were playing us around?

A call to the local agent straightened things out..well..kind of. We were told by the local agent that it was made perfectly clear to them that they are here in Malaysia to work as domestic help. Their passports clearly stated that. If they had come in to work as anything else other than domestic help, their visas would have been stamped differently.

My maid now says that they had been lied to by the agent in her home country. Hmm..ok..now who's lying here? *sigh* I hope that this is the last lie we hear from them. We are hoping for trustworthy maids whom we can entrust our kids in their care and make them like their own. Well, ok, one of them is not married, but, you get what I mean, right? *grin*

Anyway, here's the story.....

My maid has been here before. She just went back to her home country less than a year ago. She has worked with a socially elderly couple who likes to entertain at home. She knows basic household chores and has experience assisting the former employer in the kitchen. Can she cook? It does not really matter as long as she is willing to learn and can help me with the dishes. I love cooking, so, as long as I have someone to help prepare the ingrediants, I should be ok, God willing.

I spent the weekend training my new maid while attending to my sick son who was coughing non stop and running high fever that seems to be fluctuating throughout the weekend. I thank my hubby who sacrificed going to work that weekend (yep! His boss so much love to have working workshops on weekends!) - I love you, hubby! muaaaah! *grin* Hope I didn't get U into trouble with the boss! - so that he can take care of our son while also giving me moral support, as I try to get my maid and myself adjusted to each other and the new tasks ahead of us (?).

Did I tell U that my maid has never taken care of a child b4? Yep! She's married with a 4 year old child, but her mom has been taking care of the child since birth. In fact, she was a bit apprehensive when she 1st saw my son, and I think d feeling is mutual, since my son looked very nervous when he 1st met her. But, then again, it cud also be that he was not feeling too well.

Back into history, my son and the former maid hit it off even after only a few minutes of meeting each other, which I took as a good sign. It was a good sign, because the former maid, though not good at showing her affections for my son, never fails to buy my son his favourite food each time she goes on her day offs. She plays simple games with him that makes my son laugh.

This new one just stares at my son........get the picture? I hope with time, she will learn to love kids. My son tries to get close to her but I think it's going to take a while for her to warm up to him. I would think it would have been the other way around. But, at least, she looks as if she's trying.

Another crude diamond to polish, though I hope not as much work needed as the last maid, I hope that she will be a good maid and a trustworthy one. At least she is better than the maid my MIL got. I think had I gotten the one my MIL got, I wud hve cried all day!

The important thing is that, she will take good care of my son while we are at work and not give my MIL too much headache.

My MIL has enough headaches already trying to train her own new maid. Did I tell U about my MIL's new maid? Well, she's 38 years old and this is her first trip to Malaysia. When we met her at the airport, she looked very lost and scared. She looked kind of blur too. I think she just went into a culture shock! LOL! *wink*

It seems, according to my MIL, she (the maid) does not knw how to cook and has never done any housework at all. And that's according to d maid herself. Can U believe this?

How can someone at that age has never cooked and never done housework b4, and she's married! How do U live b4 this? M puzzled. I cannot imagine myself not knowing even the basic task of cooking and housework. I think had I been one really lazy wife, I wud still knw how to cook rice and sweep d floor, or at least, knw how to wash my own clothes, even though it might not be that clean! LOL! *wink*

Hmmm..M going to try to imagine being one lazy person to see if I cud go thru one day without eating and wearing dirty clothes all day.....*grin*

What irks me is why agents are very irresponsible to send someone with no basic training at all in household chores. Are they just trying to make fast bucks because training cost time and money?

MY MIL has a big task ahead of her, and we will have to give her all the moral support she needs. Luckily, my MIL is a very patient women. I wish her all d best, and us too, since my MIL's maid is supposed to be the head butler! LOL! Ironic, huh?

I am glad for one thing though. I am glad that at least my SIL's soon to be former maid is still around to pass on some knowledge and help to get the new maids adjusted to the new life, task and routine. I am sure it helps my MIL a lot to be able to get her (the maid) to ease some of the training task. If before this, she (the maid) has not been much help in house (she's the most junior of all the 3 former maids and spends most of her time taking care of only my SIL's youngest child), this week she will be very much appreciated! Even though she will be around for only another week, it helps ease the transition. I am counting my blessings!

Today is the first day that I have sent my son and my new maid to my MIL's house since her arrival. I hope that everything is ok. I hope that God will give us strengh and patience to survive this challenging times.

Today is also the first day I am back in the office after a week of absence ( I was away outstation for work on Tuesday right through Thursday) and came back home to a very sick child late Thurday evening. Took Friday and Monday off to care for him.

The last two weeks went by in a blur of activities and today, I feel very much in a daze and feeling like a zombie! LOL!

We have learnt one MAJOR lesson, and that is never again shall we send back all the maids at the same time!

Thank you to Lillie, June and Cheeze, who have offered me kind words to help me survive this part of my life...........I truly appreciate them. Hugs!