(2007/02) February

huskie,
yah, i did find that you lost too much weight when i saw your photo in your blog.... must take care and eat more
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hope u can sole your maid problem soon.

I really wonder how catz and PVL cope all by yourself with the 2 kids. Im going crazy already, to think if my in-laws not ard to help, I would have killed my 2 kids by now.
 


hi mummies. so long no come in. been busy meeting up with friends and having gatherings. congrats to all mummies who have given birth recently ie. chocbabe, jojo and who else ah?? :p

regarding taking care of 2 kids, i think life is much easier once TR hit the magical 2 mths. Thereafter, i felt like my life is back on track and i could go out meet my friends as before and still go shopping etc. Now everyday i'll be out having coffee, shopping n lunching with friends and noon time normally we will have gatherings at one of our homes so that the mummies can have our gossip session and the kids play together.

I actually feel more free now than when i only had YR. weird..or maybe my body has already gotten accustomed to taking care of the kids as a norm.

Catz, u good lah can lose weight so easily just by being happy. hahahahahaa I am still on my mission to lose weight sensibly lor so been going to the gym more often.

eh, wanna ask the mummies here. TR is about 5 mths now n i have given him solids already for a few weeks and he feeds very easily and well. However, i notice whenever i feed him vege based things with his rice cereal, he spits it out and keeps crying. But then when i mix some fruit puree into it, then he's feeding super fast again and eats a lot. Based on your experience with feeding your young ones, will they change later on and like vege?????????????????????
 
huskie,
That mom is well known in the homeschool circles. She even had a homebirth of her latest baby.
Yes, you can even make pasta sauce, with everything in it (nutritious and balanced), then freeze the individual portions. Just cook the pasta and reheat the sauce when you want to eat.

My hb's office gave me a bottle of EYS ginger wine, so I'm using that, since I don't want to drink the wine neat.

My steaming is very low tech type - in the wok, or with the rice, or on another pot
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. The less electrical stuff I have the better
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. Don't like to have to put away appliances all the time. Hehehe. No space.

Nice to feel baby move. I miss that feeling
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. My hb & I were discussing having babies last night. NOOOO, we're not going to have another, though we thought if we were younger, we would certainly have more
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. Our friend is now preggy with #6, that's why we were discussing the subject.

huskie, Catz,
I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT!!!! Help! I have a protruding tummy. Must try to be more diligent to wear the binder.

Catz,
Sarah has recovered. I think the heat is making us all tired.
 
huskie, yah I eat when I am stressed and unhappy.. I'm a born snacker :p Now not much snacking going on.. haha.

PVL, thank goodness Sarah is OK. So Ben and Gab have the worst of it? Your friend is pregnant with #6 intentionally????? And I so agree with the appliance thingie.. scary the way kitchen stuff takes up so much space! Oh and don't sweat the weight loss lah. When you're back into the swing of things with your 3 in tow, the weight will melt off, I'll bet!

huskie ah, better eat more leiiii. You're already so stick thin!

chocbabe, oh I think I have a monster temper.. haha. Now my temper's a lot better with the help. But you're right, it's not easy. The kids really stretch my limits but honestly, even without the maid, it's still manageable just that now I have nicely ironed bedlinen and spanking clean house. Haha.
 
Kindergarten,
Been searching around for a kindy for Ryan next year, St James is crazy... waiting list is like 136. I'm going to be a crazy mother and register for Sarah for 2012 enrolment. Apparently, parents really register 2-3 years early!

As for Ryan, I might go with some church kindy while waiting for a place at St James, which may take afew years, but the scary thing is all the morning sessions at other church kindys are totally full and afternoon sessions have very few vacancies too. So i gotta decide fast. This is not just 1 kindy, I've called afew and its all like that.

Might let Ryan attend a chinese kindy from Term 3 this year (June09) first, cos i really dun want him to go childcare but i dun think my MIL can cope with 2 when i go back to work in Aug. This is only kindy that can accept kids from 2.5 yrs.
 
Hi Mummies,
Need some advice. Me hubby and Xinfaye actually plan to visit my sis in Melbourne in October but have to change now as I am pregnant and due date is in november. Wonder if it will be okay for me to travel right after my first trimester. If go have to go 23rd onwards in May as June is already winter. Also worried that weather will be too cold for Xinfaye. Any mom travelled to overseas during pregnancy?

By the want I want to salute to all the full time mom. Really takes a lot of patience
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About loosing temper. I try not to loose temper infront of Xinfaye as I find that she picks us our behaviours very fast. Instead I release it to my hubby when cannot tahan. Ha ha!
 
Sap,

I travelled to Australia with hubby and Xi last Aug when I was 4 months preggie. We were on free and easy and spent many hours on the road as we went to places like Grean Ocean Road, Port Campbell and Grampians. We also went to Tasmania. It was not that bad afterall except for the winding road to Craddle Mountain that almost made me puke. Xi enjoyed her first oversea trip as well. But do apply moisturiser and sunblock to Xinfaye. Xi had bad skin peeling on her face during and after the trip.

smurfy, thanks for the link. Gonna order a few tubes too.
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garfield, I am sure ur kids especially Jasper will enjoy Australia more now that he is older. Xi was still blur blur that time when we brought her but she did remember kangaroo loh. Haha...
 
jelly, yes of cos. this is the time where our children can express themselves better than when 1 and half yrs . I always amazed when he start to say complete sentences...

but i guess i will wait till mei mei is older lor when she can walk.
 
chocbabe,
Yeah, this afternoon another auntie at my estate saw me and started telling me to cook cordyceps to bu body cos I look tired and "colourless"!
Went to sinseh just now and bought some pao sheng and cordyceps from him.

You're so lucky to have your inlaws to help. My inlaws already declared that their retirement is not to look after kids, so I never dared to propose them to help me look after kids - only sort of asked my MIL for a short term few weeks favour with Soph when I needed the bedrest during first tri.

PVL,
You wanna take over my maid? Sure formula to lose weight! :p

And yes, I read about that mommy's homebirthing experience - quite amazing!
Noted about ginger wine, thanks.

As for steaming, I definitely need appliances with auto-timer. I've burnt dunno how many pots and pans over the stove, all cos I totally forgot about them... including some of my WMF ones
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Yeah, I also wanna have more kids if I am not so old already... sometimes I wish I had started earlier, but I think it's better this way cos then I would not resent anyone from "stealing my youth" from me since I've done what I wanted to do already.

Catz,
I eat alot already! But I think the stress caused by the maid really affects me... body cannot absorb much.

Eh, I'm the opposite of you. I don't have much of a temper normally, but with the maid around, I tend to be a more angry person!

smurfy,
Thanks for the first teeth link - I'm gonna order some too. Seems like the manufacturer sold it to some other company, so they're in the midst of transition and webbies like luckyvit has no stock of them too.

milkie,
Long time no see! Wanted to tell you that your YR is looking so pretty now, and your TR is such a chubby baby!
 
Hi Jelly,
Which part of Aus were u staying. How was the weather then? Was it very cold. I may be able to make only when it is winter. Wonder if Xinfaye will be okay with the cold weather.
 
Eh, today this thread very quiet. Where's everyone? I've been out this morning, then too busy in the pm
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huskie,
Heh heh. I think I'd rather keep the weight.
 
PVL, yah hor, v quiet. Think the heat has gotten to everyone!

Had a busy busy busy morning and a busy evening so no time to log in properly till now.

Hehe.. think huskie v stressed now, poor thing.

Guessed as much that First Teeth is transitioning. Nil stock always happens when they change packaging for any product!
 
PVL, Catz,
What are you guys busy with?

Just called the agency today - they said it's no problem that we cannot adapt to the maid.
To be frank, she is quite OK for a freshie, but I guess I really cannot stand the constant nagging/reminding and having to put up a stern face all the time... so much so that I didn't want to come home during the 1.5h that Sop was in playgroup... I just wanted to stay out of the house to get my breather.
Agency said transfer maids are in demand all the time, and anytime I decide to take her back to the agency and sign the release form, they'll start finding her another employer, so I don't have to feel bad in any way.
And I have my 6mths of free replacement (having paid my agency fee), so anytime from the day I collected maid till end of the 6mths (ard Sep), I can always ask them for another maid again if I decide I cannot cope with the pregnancy and housework
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huskie, oh today was Timo's school excursion to T3 so we rushed to school so as not to miss the excursion bus. Then I had to hang around United Sq for about an hour plus waiting for Beth's ELC class to start.. she was very grumpy and badly behaved. Then after ELC, rushed to the airport to meet Timo's class when they lunched at Macs to bring him back home. Didn't want him to take the bus, too exhausting. My eyes were practically shutting from the long drive to/fro the airport :p Can't believe I used to make that drive twice every single day when I used to live in Pasir Ris!!! Then after the kids' naps, rushed over to my mom's place to help out with my sister's baby 'cos she and BIL are both down with fever.

So you're confirmed sending her back liao? Well, why not try another maid.. maybe this time you'll get lucky and find the helper that you need?
 
Catz,
Wah, you even went to help your sis & BIL babysit!
It was probably the heat making you so tired. I too am sooo tired. Fall asleep whilst breastfeeding Gabriel! I feel so hot all the time, I have to run one aircon in the house at all times. So it turned out to be the boys' room, cos Gabriel & Ben had to nap anyway. Then during homeschool I also turned on the study aircon. Die, my electricity bills are going to be astronomical.

huskie,
Morning, my Punggol SAHM group had a breakfast gathering at Punggol Plaza. Ta bao-ed lunch home. Then pm was a flurry of catching up with the housework, homeschool and cooking whilst the 2 boys had their nap. I turned on my comp just to find out what household chore was scheduled for today, never got to log on til just now.

So you sending your maid away ah? I can't help feeling so uncomfortable with the way maids are 'traded'. No offence intended. It's just the language these agents use, and the way the whole business is run.
 
Catz,
Wow,seems like life is really busy with 2 kids! I'd better be prepared for something like that
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Yep, I think most prob I'll send her back. I will still keep my option open about getting another maid if I really cannot copy with a huge tummy, but for now, I would prefer to stick it out on my own.

Hee, the night before last, it rained right? And my maid had to wake up to help shut the windows inclu the area where she sleeps. My place is usually quite cool and windy at night so we sometimes do not even need to turn on the fan. Then last night she kept all the windows closed (inclu her sleeping area) and blasted the fan directly at herself just so she doesn't need to wake up and close the windows in case it rains. She's quite "smart" hee, but I really cannot imagine my electricity bills even though it's just the fan.

PVL,
Hey, do you follow a certain method for your homeschooling? Like Charlotte Mason or anything?

Yep, think I will send her away. I feel bad for her too, but each time I am less stern and try to be an equal with her, she climbs over my head... very tough to manage. I used to smile to her each time I "bump" into her in my tiny flat, but the agent said I cannot do that cos they will think I am easy to bully. Woah, it's really tough to keep a straight face or smile to her or to treat her like an invisible in my tiny flat!
I also don't feel right about maids being "traded" and told agency I feel bad, cos this situation could be partly my fault for not being able to manage her in the stern way that I am supposed to, so the agent told me not to feel bad, but that I could write her a testimonial about her good points e.g. yesterday she could go wet market to buy my stuff, inclu black chicken which she prob has never seen before.
Of course I had to write it in Chinese for the uncle and in my broken Bahasa for her to know what she is buying.
 
PVL, yah aircon drives the power bills sky high. But yesterday was just disgusting plus there's a funeral in the block opposite so we had to keep the windows shut due to the burning of the stuff. DISGUSTING HEAT!

huskie, I guess I've got a little more privacy 'cos she stays downstairs and we're upstairs and we usually don't bump into each other unless I seek her out in the kitchen since I've already told her to finish whatever cleaning she has to do upstairs when I go out to send Timo to school. Hope you can work something out for yourself lah, best is to go it yourself but honestly it's so nice that somebody else is in charge of all the household chores. I used to get so grumpy whenever we go out for the entire day 'cos I knew that once we get home, there's heaps of laundry, dirty dishes etc to do!!! :p
 
huskie
err u know i was quite nice to my high classy last time right? somehow, she took advantage of the situation... and climbed over me.. and with all the maids stories i heard these days right? i am just soo sick and tired of them... so in a way, i have to say i am quite mean to maid#2. i am very strict with her.. always tell my mum to find things for her to do (Rather than to let her look at window)... and always find a chance to "correct" her.. and always spot check on her work... kekeke then i have a reason to scold/pinpoint her.. :pppPp.. very mean i know.. but somehow things work out this way.. food is cooked the way i want... house is cleaned the way i want.. only thing now i suspect is that QY noticed the way i talk to her.. therefore he oso dun like her tat much...
 
catz
i oso try to avoid her on weekends lar.. by going out with hb and QY... at least i know maid#2 will tidy/clean the house nicely when i am back... not like the high classy who expect us to bring her out oso..or snake ard when we r not at home.
 
Sap,

I have pm you my blog detailing our Ozzie trip.
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Catz,

Wow, u have a busy day!!! Ya, pretty long journey from ur place to Changi Airport. I was very tired lately, sometimes almost dozed off while driving my gals to and fro Clementi and Pasir Ris. Really no joke.

Huskie,

Poor u... We thot of having a maid too if my aunt can help watch after her. But since i m gg to China soon, so we put this idea behind for the time being. Really very tough to take care of the kids and housework myself every evening, even though my sister is a great help. I basically dun have time to read and play with them in the evening and before i realise, time to put them to sleep liao. Haiz...
 
catz, u enjoying the extra help hor. ya i agree on the part. when u come home n no need to follow up on household things....

toking abt maid, qn: do u all allow maid to do their own things once they finish their work? like going out to chit chat, or do other ple household for extra cash?
 
Thank you jelly fot the link. Xixi is so so sweet. Hope I will be able to enjoy the trip as much as you do. Looking foward to Go Melbourne this May end
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Garfield
no no no... the next u will hear is that ur maid bringing a guy over to ur place for free lance.. when u send zz to sch in future.. and meimei naps at home.. NEWPAPER reported that a few maids in CCK area doing free lancing lor... why let them chit chat and compare ur households with other households.. then she might not be happy with her pay or workload... get her english or recipe books lar:p
 
Catz,
Yeah your place is so much bigger, so you don't have to feel weird bumping into her at every corner.
Heh, actually I like doing dishes and laundry, so maybe I can cut it out without a maid
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smurfy,
Soph is also starting to imitate me when I speak to the maid a little more sternly! That's why I really don't think I can take it anymore... not very good vibes everyday. Hubby says he feels more negative energy because of the "stern-ness" and constant nagging/reminding.

jelly,
No point for you to get a maid, esp. if your auntie is also the kind who prefers to do everything herself. She may end up being the one having problems with the maid.
But things will get better for you soon, I hope... when you get to China, you can get those Ah Yi who can help you out during the day and early evenings with household chores.

garfield,
Working for other household for extra cash is illegal leh - if get caught, I think you may get implicated? Better not allow that.

Going out to chit chat - lots of Filipino maids at my estate always gather around to chit chat. I can see their little charges running around putting soil in their mouths and going too near the cars in the carpark... very dangerous.

Hey, your maid is Indo right?
Yesterday my agency was shocked that I asked my maid to do marketing by herself... the lady told me that it's not recommended esp for a freshie like mine, cos the Indo maids are less streetsmart than the filipinos, and will get influenced very easily, then after that very hard to turn back.
I asked them what kind of bad influence, and the lady felt a bit uncomfortable telling me details... just said it's things I won't want to know(?).
I wonder issit those bringing guys back kind of influence that smurfy mentioned - esp. since there are qiute a fair bit of construction going on near my place.
But then I told the agency, what good is a maid to me if I have to do all the marketing myself?
 
Hmm... my maid's hubby just called her again on my housephone 5 mins ago.
Seems like they don't understand that the rule is to call on Sat night between 830pm to 9pm?
*sigh*
 
smurfy, huskie, of cos i wun allow that lar! one of my fren told me she will allow tat n I nearly quarrel w her but her son was crying so we didn't continue thru phone.

she say if she got maid, the maid bascially is v free so she will allow tat rather than keep her at home doing nothing... wau lau... how can do nothing? sure got something to do... i told her wait till she got 2 then she know... she argued tat there no such things tat r urgent to attend to. so if she really wan maid to do, she wait for her to come back... *faint...

tat y ask for yr opinion... looks like u all think like me
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anyway, i told her it illegal...
 
huskie, aiyah you should have made her hang up! You like doing dishes? My skin is so dry, my nails keep breaking off.. but laundry I like
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garfield, you are right.. it's illegal!! I would be too scared to let her do so. End up like my friend, treat her maid well, renew her passport then the maid ran away on day 2 of new contract.. told tall tales to MOM and end up my friend under investigation. MOM sent officers to spot check a few times 'cos the maid claimed she was made to work in her MIL's household too.. which is bullshit. So better to err on the side of caution. Besides, she could fall into bad company. I'd rather let her watch TV at home or read or whatever.
 
ya lor catz, for my fren, her opinion is once the household chores r done, wat for keep maid inside house n do nothing? act i think she employ part time is good enough liao if she think so lo. i think she still dun know wat maids r up to yet... haha
 
huskie,
I'm mostly using a curriculum I bought years ago when Sarah was just 2 YO. It's called the Christ Centered Curriculum. It comprises of phonics and maths for 3-4 years of pre-school. You can start at 3 YO and use til 6+. The later maths even has fractions etc. I'm adopting a few of Charlotte Mason ideas like copywork, and narration for Science and reading (I read, Sarah narrates). For Chinese I read those CHinese children's newspapers and do some workbook.
 
garfield, yah lor, your friend could end up in a sticky situation if she's not careful! my maid was just telling me that day at lucky plaza when she went to remit money, she saw this filipino maid wearing bra and jeans only. yikes.. luckily mine is v decently attired. my friend's helper yesterday... wah lau.. she wore tight white top, can see bra straps and tight SHORT shorts.. plus she's chio too. *fainted*

PVL, wow I don't know how you do it!!!! So you won't register Sarah for P1?
 
Catz,
The hubby kept calling... he doesn't understand English at all! The first time he called, I told him to wait and then he didn't understand and hung up. Then he called a second time. He is the kind who will keep calling till he gets to talk to her.

After she hung up, I reminded her that the rule is to call only on Sat evening. And she told me it's because the hubby wanted to find out if she got his letter which contains a pic of her daughter. Aiyoh, I felt so bad after that. We haven't been opening letterbox for past 2 days cos they were hacking the wall tiles around the letterbox area and sort of put up some scaffolding around that area.
But still, a rule is a rule. Once I let her break 1 rule, there would be no more respect for rules already right?

Then dinnertime, she just anyhow cook my spareribs... not the way I taught her! And hey, it's not as if I never taught her well. What I do is teach her once, then ask her to write down if she cannot remember, then for the next 2 days, poor hubby and me will eat the same thing so she can practise it. And I will make the same dish once a week so she can remember it. So when I ask her how come it's short of some ingredients, she just laughed really loudly, said she forgot and sorry that's all.

That's it - I've had enough mental torture. Yesterday night I still thought I'd give one more chance over the weekend, but I guess she really screwed it up today. I'm taking her back to the agency tomorrow.
 
PVL,
I'm amazed at how you manage all this homeschooling!
Where do you get Children's Chinese newspapers?

And yes, I am also wondering if you intend to homeschool your kids in Primary School too?
 
huskie, oh no.. so she has no idea that she's going off? Her hubby is really er.. persistent hey? :p

Freakin' hot weather! Spent the whole morning at Sembawang Shopping Centre (not in the splash park) to avoid the heat.
 
Aiyoh, maybe go for a transfer maid who has her own phone, less hassle. My maid only SMS's, she doesn't call back v often.
 
Catz,
Agency told me not to tell her that she is going off leh. Till tomorrow itself.
Nasty right? But they say no choice... this is just in case she runs away.

Yes, weather is crazily HOT! Hmm... Sembawang Shopping Centre? I went there once and yes, the splash park is quite eeky... it's got a funny smell.

Transfer maid or not - I think I will decide at a later date
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huskie, Catz,
I got the chinese weekly newspaper from someone in church who didn't want them anymore. Got the whole set from last year, but they are for P1 and P2. However, can read lah. I also got another year's set from my hb's nephew.
Yes, our plan is to homeschool her (and the 2 boys too) through primary school if we can. We're going the Classical way. We're beginning to do research on how to adapt the philosophy and methods to our Singapore needs. http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/contents.html
 
catz, have u ordered the desitin? If not, 8 tubes of creamy for me pls + 2 tubes orajel. if you have already ordered then its fine
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i have not been posting on forum lately as i was really busy at work. Did i share that ashley got a long scratch/cut on the face? maid said she scratched herself but i find it too deep to be a scratch that she has done to herself. told hb we will install the camera at mil's plc since most of the time its only 2 maids at home.
 
catz, can also order 1 tub of cadendula cream for me? Thanks.

wat happened? WW between who and who?? btw, does your inlaws know your hb will be going for the mission?
 
cherry, OK noted
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WW between my two kids lah! Who else? Hehe. Yes my husband told them last week when they did surprise spot check and found out we had a maid so the truth had to come out. They didn't go nuts though..
 
catz, thanks, let me know how much to TT okie?

We are going shopping today! Garfield/Catz, do u feel that your girl has lesser things/gifts compared to #1?

Ashton has lots of presents and still get toys from grandparents and daddy all the time, while meimei has zero! The only thing that she has a LOT is clothes
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courtesy of mummy. Feel that she is so poor thing. So today I am going to buy more things for her
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cherry, YES YES PRECISELY! No new toys right? All the big ticket items were bought for #1. Ah well :p Even Timo's new bike was bought in 'neutral' yellow so she can inherit it later on. Haha.

Will tabulate costs later.. busy weekend.
 
PVL,
Thanks for the info and link!
What made you and hubby decide to homeschool the kids through Pri Sch? Cos I remember when we were expecting out Feb'07 babies, you mentioned you will probably put your kids in a nearby school.
 
Catz,
Yep. Yesterday we all went to the zoo in the morning with her and my MIL, then when we came back after after Soph has gone into the room for her nap, we spoke to our helper.

Fri night her hubby called again at 1015pm. And that is after calling her in the afternoon at 1230noon. Sigh, I think her hubby is really not automatic lah. Hope her next employer will not give their number to him, else he really beh zi dong... will surely ruin her job!

Anyway, we parted on good terms - told her my hubby is getting a pay cut, which is actually the truth but we don't know when.
She was very calm, or maybe shocked? Just went about packing her things, and wanted to return those stuff I got for her like clothes, new toiletries, slippers and towels, but I just told her to keep them... really no point for me to keep. Also asked her to keep the stamps, envelopes, and stationary she would need to write home/to hubby. And asked her to keep the phonecard I bought for her and once at agency, asked her to call hubby to tell him that she is no longer working for me, so he should not call my place anymore. And gave her an angbao for her coming birthday in May, cos I had wanted to take her out for a meal and give her an angbao anyway... and she looked like she was going to cry!

Funny - I felt a bit sad that she is leaving... even though she really stressed me out during these 3 weeks. But I wrote a testimonial for her, and agent said she should not have any problems looking for another employer.

I think the agency knew the pay cut wasn't totally the reason we didn't want to retain her, and asked me if I wanted another maid! That must be a trick question ;)
Think agency was also shocked that I allowed her to make phonecalls (whether incoming or outgoing), cos they told me that writing letter is sufficient... but I thought it's so inhumane not to be able to contact your family if there is an emergency yeah?
 


Hmm... hubby just went to clean out the back of the kitchen and her toilet.
He told me she's never touched her roll of toilet paper at all!
Dunno if she followed their traditional method and use water only... although I kept telling her must use paper.
Or maybe it's a coincidence that she just changed a new roll of paper yesterday.
 
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