Maid Ban

Guess who is affected?

US!

For those who are not aware, Indonesia on 25 June 2009, banned its domestic helpers from making a beeline to Malaysia. It was so sudden & the definition so unclear that according to my agent, those in the airport awaiting to board their plane to Malaysia were also turned away!

With that stroke of pen went all my happy thoughts from the holiday breaks with my kiddies!

And I'm now faced with a gigantically huge problem...I'm due back to work on the 15th. A job that I've delayed starting once already due to this unsolved domestic issue.

So there's no way I can delay again. It is either saying bye-bye to the job or just step up to it.

My in-laws can't help throughout the weekdays as they need to alternate their time between my sis-in-law's place and our place. My mom already has her own commitments & moreover, recently her health is not that great, so she won't be able to step in indefinitely without help.

And I can't change my maid application yet. The agent says their contacts in Indonesia is 'working out something'. So if we change now, we'll need to reapply all over again. And we probably have difficulty getting our money back...as our agent has paid their Indonesian contacts.

After a few days of massive headache mulling over it, I decided to keep the job offer & call the one other person left that can help out. Kor-Kor's ex-babysitter.

I'm very, very, very hesitant about this because:-

her 'working hours' is up to sharp-sharp 7pm. So that means I've to rush home like mad. And from the heart of most jammed KL to PJ, that means I would need to run down all that get into my way (if I drive) or run like siau car bo (mad woman) to the bus & then the train (if take public transportation)!

nobody will be around to prepare the boys for class/pre-school in the morning as daddy & mommy need to leave the house by 7.30am.

last but not least - transporters - need to re-arrange & beg, if necessary. But thank god, though not so convenient for them, the babysitter's place is not that far off.

So that means I'll need to:-

wake the boys up by 7am & out of the house by 7.15am so that the babysitter can prepare them for school. Poor boys...

bring for Kor-Kor:- change of clothing, water & bag for morning language enrichment classes; uniform, socks & shoes, school bag with all his books-of-the-day for his afternoon primary 1. Must remind babysitter to give him water & snack for teatime.

bring for Di-Di:- pre-school uniform, socks & shoes, bag with bottle water & a change of clothing for daycare. Yes, Di-Di will stay at daycare until 5pm, as I know he's not keen on the babysitter's place (not that he's keen on daycare too). Moreover, the babysitter's place is rather small & she's now sitting a 2-year old boy & very recently, a 4-month old baby.

ensure that the private transporters do not screw up. Since I'm relinquishing my role as a private car transporter, starting today Di-di got 1 new (to pre-school) & Kor-Kor got 2 new (due to a change we made for his morning activities) & 1 existing (to primary school).

remind their sitter on the pick up times! With a new baby to take care of, her main challenge would be to get them to hustle in the morning...

rush back to pick them up by 7.30pm. This additional 30 mins is an extra from the huge favour I already calling.

What else did I miss out ? I know there's something else.... (think! think!)

I know I'll have slight jitters on the first day, but with all these...I'll be a wreck by the time I reach work!

I wonder if it's worth it...

Two Toilet Rolls A Day

Grrrrr!!! Geram!!! 'Kek Sei Ngoh'!!! Pissed!!!

When they shot water at and disintegrated one toilet roll during their daytime bath, I already told them off. Sternly.

Then comes night time bath, when I was cleaning up after dinner (no more 'tai tai' mah), they had the cheek to do that again. This time up until making paper mache out of the toilet, or is it toilet mache out of paper @#$%^&!!!!!!

The disintegrated toilet paper were plastered everywhere - walls, window, toothbrushes, toilet brushes, floor, clogging the drain like this:

Hello boys, you messed up, mommy have to clean up le...now no auntie or kakak to pick up after you le. Just so you two know when you are older - mommy is giving up a trip to Hong Kong/China & not shipping you to your ex-babysitter or any relative that will have you - just so mommy can cook for you & clean your shits le. So no more this kind of stunt please. Otherwise, please don't blame me for going berserk. Again. OK??????@#$%^&!!!!

Cut Queue

Today, when I went to pick up Di-Di, the first thing his teacher said was "Yr son told me today that mommy cut queue when paying money. He said this when I asked him to stand in line & don't jump queue!"

I was flabbergasted, speechless & so, so, so embarrassed!

Thank god I didn't have to stand there and be embarrassed further by her expression, as it was pick-up rush hour. I quickly racked my brain to see when did I set this bad example.

Not that I know of. May be...subconsciously, or does cutting queue while driving thru traffic lights count ? (What to do, need to get them to school in time mah. We are always 5 to 10 minutes behind time...)

I quickly asked Di-Di to explain why he told his teacher I cut queue.

"Mommy...got. That day ah..."

"Which day? Where got?????" Still in denial mode.

"That DAY, sar-sar ma-lam (pasar malam or nite market). Jelly!!!" Getting frustrated with mommy.

Rummaged thru tons of undone housework in brain again. "OOOHHHH...when I paid for the jelly, instead of letting u pay hor!"

"Yes, u cut queue....!!!!"

I have given Di-Di RM1 to pay for the jelly. But after all the hoo-haa of them choosing color, I unintentionally paid instead. Might have said something like ooops, cut queue! Sorry!

Like that also 'chong ciu' (Cantonese slang for striking the opposite of lottery). That lil' monster! There's really no telling what they retain in their heads for their uses at later date.

But I gotta admit, its kinda funny:)

Undomestic Goddess

U know the book, Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. Though I think the book is a tiny wee bit far fetched, I still kinda enjoyed it.

Becos...I really, really CAN relate to the heroine. I really, really suck BIG time at household chores & cooking!!!!

2 days after my maid ran away, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer...I would need to mop the floor.

Just thinking about it makes my back ache already. So I did what any sane person would do. Go buy a really high tech mop (though we have several already ie the conventional ones, the flat longish one which I'm not very sure whether its a mop or for dusting, the yellow stripe fibre ones).

But hey, why stop at one, why not buy 2 at that, 1 for upstairs & 1 for downstairs.

Still after a day on my own (1st day got Daddy to help out) running about after the boys, sweeping, mopping, washing clothes, etc, I not only got back ache. Leg very pain as well - can hardly walk by night time!

Then there's all that episodes of blanking out. No, not fainting. Just old age forgetfulness. So far I have burned the soup (forgot to turn off gas when re-heating the soup, resulting in charcoal black old cucumber...which I didn't force the boys to eat, in case anyone think I did:), forgot to cook rice (until eating time), forgot to boil water, forgot to turn the water on for the washing machine to work, forgot to take in the clothes, forgot whether to put in garlic or onions or both....(u get the picture).

However, I also conveniently forgot to take out the trash. And forgot to iron the clothes. So that Daddy would do it mah! (Sneaky good, rite ?)

The upside is that the boys now do not seem so helpless & manja (whinny) already. Though previously, I did ask the maid not to do everything for them, she still did cos its actually easier than yelling at them. Though now I still do need to remind them (IN A LOUD VOICE), they'll do it quicker. Not so many delay tactics. And they get it now that the floor don't eat rice - not so messy.

Di-di also doesn't cry anymore when I scold him. Previously, I'm the bad guy & he'll go running to the maid to whine & cry. Now he got nobody to run to, hahaha!

But still, it's very, very, very tough...being down-graded from 'tai-tai' (I like to tell people that...more glamour though I don't always go out 'yam cha'/shopping/spend money) to full fledge HOUSEWIFE!!!!

(I think my brain is still not processing 'me being alone without help' so well!):P

Dramatic Maid

This is going to be my one & only post about my domestic helper a.k.a...maid. (Since this blog is supposed to be about my 2 lil monsters mah.. and sometimes me... NOT HER!). Just want to send this out 'here' as a reminder to myself not to be SO gullible in the future, as well as a warning to those who came by this.

My maid, her name is G, from Philippines, & she has been with us 7 months. She's hardworking, looks honest & seems to love my 2 boys. My previous one, M, was also from Philippines & was with us since Di-Di was born till he was 3 years old. M was very efficient & I didn't have to worry a thing while working long, long hours.

Though G was a bit blur comparatively & will go a bit panicky if got too many things on hand, I still thot we were quite lucky to have her. However, one month down the road, she received a text mesg from hubby. Seemed that her hubby got into accident & broke his leg. Can't go to work. No money to eat & for medicine. No money for daughter to go school. So we sympathised & sent RM500 back for her, when in actual fact, we didn't have to give her salary yet as we have paid her 4 months' salary in advance to the agent as fees for bringing her over.

We continued sending RM500 monthly for the subsequent two other months, as the hubby texted that he was still out of work.

Then, more family tragedy followed. Her father passed away, on the first day of our Chinese New Year Celebration at that! We felt very bad for her, so we sent for her RM1,000, with RM500 as 'pak kam' (condolence money to help with the funeral cost).

Though there was no tragedy in Feb, came Mar, like clockwork, her hubby texted again, that he was still not working as his leg has not fully recovered & he needed more money for food, medicine, schooling fees. We should have suspected then, but G does not look like the type who would tell such big lies. So again, I sent RM500 as advance of her salary back home for her.

Then one & hf weeks ago, I received text mesg from her hubby informing her that their home was burglarised, & they lost their appliances, food & money. By now, Daddy & I had already decided to give her RM500 as advance salary each month (& used the balance of her salary to slowly pay us back for the first 4 months' advances we paid the agent). So we are ok then to send RM500. But she wanted additional RM150 to help out her mom & promised this is one time thing only. So gullible me, gave her RM650 this time around.

Just when I thot things could not get any worse, this Tues past, I received text mesg that her 7-year old only daughter has been hospitalised & was in critical condition. After her call back to her sis-in-law, she came running to me, (beating her own head like a craze person) telling me thru her wails that her sis-in-law informed that her daughter had got denggi & now got 50%-50% chance of living only. I told her to call again to talk to her hubby as her sis-in-law could have exaggerated. I mean, denggi only mah, here the chances of pulling thru is higher, rite ? And quit that crying.

She called again. Her hubby didn't want to talk to her, too upset wor. This time, her sis-in-law told her, the doctor said her daughter would probably not live thru the week. G started beating her own head again, so I told her to go downstairs to calm down.

I called the agent to find out what next I should do. I also told him all the money we sent. Ok, the gist from the agent was 'chances of her stories being true were as high as I strike the Big Sweep'! (But her drama really real le, honest!)

The agent said he would 'kau tim' (take care of it) & asked me to bring her over on Thursday so that he can 'talk' to her. This also meant I gotta suffer her crying spree for another 2 days - she begged to be allowed to go home for a week or two. Dead or alive, she'll be back here, as she needed the money (I actually thot of doing that, but the agent says if she goes home without cancelling her contract, we are screwed ie penalised, if she did not come back (as he needed her passport to do the 'cancel the contract' paperwork).

But I told her I'm not sure of the process, and we are to check out the procedure with the agent. I also found that I still want to believe her, cos being a mother, lying that your daughter is at near death is NOT a thing to do.

Come Thurs, the agent tried to get his local contacts to get hold of her hubby, but he was nowhere to be found as he supposedly lost his hand phone in the burglary. In the meantime, the agent tried one of the numbers G said was her sis-in-law (nos from the few text mesg. I received) and asked for the hospital that the daughter was in. While waiting, the agent told G that if it's true, her daughter has denggi, he would fly both the hubby & daughter over here for treatment. When G heard, she cried harder still, insisting this can't be done & she wanted to go home for a short while only. And for the first time, bells were ringing furiously in my head, cos if I'm her, I'll be jumping with joy. Right ?

Then, the agent managed to get hold of the sis-in-law again. She tried to give him a hand phone number, said its the doctor. The agent insisted on having the hospital's. She sounded very hesitant. He then insisted to talk to the hubby. She said she can't get hold of the hubby as he sold his phone to pay for his daughter medical treatments. (Hey, hold on, didn't he lost his phone in the burglary!!!) He then asked how long was the daughter in the hospital already. The SIL said a week. (Hey, hold on again, wasn't it only last week their house burglarised. There was no mention of daughter in hospital then!!!)

With that, I cannot take it anymore & left for a cup of coffee. When I came back, the agent said he 'kau tim' already. He suspected the hubby was stringing G along, hoping to squeeze as much money out of her or us, as possible. He said after being caught at a few bullshits, the sis-in-law admitted that the daughter, though hospitalised, is suffering from dehydration, not denggi & that the daughter was fine after treatment.

G was to continue with us & finish her contract, moreover she needed to repay us for all those 'advances'. But throughout journey home, she continued wailing saying that the agent lied & that her daughter is still hospitalised. She said the agent roughed her up & threatened her life if she still brings the issue up.

I can then see that it was gonna be a long, long, long, long... months ahead WITH HER, if she continues to act like this....

To cut the story short, we went out for dinner (without her, as cannot stand her wailing) when we came back, she was gone...

I admit I'm not a saint employer (as I tend to have 'certain' standards), but with her gone, not only we lost a lot of money (a lot... cos we are not covered for replacement after 6 months), the worst is that we...I...felt like the BIGGEST SUCKER OF THEM ALL!

Ben 10 Groupie

If they see this, they are SO gonna kill me when they are older...

Major Ben 10 Alien Force groupie:-

Not to be outdone, Di-Di following closely behind...
Well, who ask them NOT to listen to ME when I ask them to....
...eat..don't play with the food...don't chew & talk!
...go take bath NOW!
...go sleep NOW!
...don't run, don't play at the escalator.
...switch off the tv & get into the car NOW!
...wear your seatbelt.
...don't switch channel, mommy want to watch American Idol!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! (Evil laugh)

Mead Johnson Should Be Proud

Do you know how much you spent on your child's milk powder ?

I recently took out all the Mead Johnson's Enfa milk tin foils and bar codes that I have saved (or rather my personal assistant a.k.a maid saved for me) for the past 5-6 years!(Never gotten around to redeem gift from Mead Johnson cos mommy's been too lazy busy!)

Mind you, I think some of your children (which are not on mama's milk) could have consumed more. Kor-Kor, for 1, is such a difficult baby. When he was a few months old, and upto about 2 yrs old, I had to hold the milk bottle in one hand & a toy in the other to distract him, just so he would continue to drink some milk. Even with all this hoopla, he would only drink 4 oz! And that's only 8 oz per day- one shot in the morn & one at nite, cos the babysitter had no patience to keep up this clown act.

Di-Di drank more. After I stopped breastfeeding him at 10 months, he has been drinking holes to our pockets.

That would mean approx. 5 Mead Johnson years from Kor-Kor (start at 1, stop on own accord at 6) & approx. 3 Mead-Johnson years from Di-Di (& still going strong). From that, my collection totals 71 tin foils and 166 bar codes.

Assuming each tin foil/bar code cost circa RM50 (though those 1.4kg Enfagrow cost >RM60 now), Daddy & Mommy had spent......

RM11,850*!!!

Why so much ah ? I also don't understand, but I recalculated, really that many tin foils & bar codes wor...(p/s. this can be downpayment for an apartment!!!)