(2007/03) March 2007 MTBs


hey mummies, i have a weird question to ask.. my maid wants to handwash our clothes even tho I told her can machine wash.

i told her no need to handwash my hb's clothes.. just machine wash once a week.. but on Friday night, she go handwash everything. Cause I think she is too free. She said she got nothing to do! (we were not at home and went out.. by the time i came home, she finished washing le). Then I am at a loss for words.. cos I dunno if I should insist she machine wash or just let her handwash. I find this situation a bit weird for me.. my maid said, her previous employer wants her to handwash everything, including bedsheets! For the 2yrs she is there, she never use the washing machine before!

how? should i just let her continue to handwash clothes? For bedsheets, i will definitely get her to use washing machine la.

Also, does hand-washing clothes save more water/electricity, as compared to machine-wash? or is both about the same?
 
Autum, oh.. that is a surprise cause i hate washing clothes with hands. but hand wash can make clothes v clean.
as for water saving or not,. i am not suree or can be less water consumption. but she can use washing machine to spin dry the clothes.
my general feel is that she can use the last rinse water to water plants la, wash toilets, etc, should be able to save some water bah.
 
Pax: I understand exactly what you mean by "got to shop".. I got the bug too..
My cherry culture spree bo seng li.. The thread has been archived.. What do u want to buy? To get the 20% off, need to have $100. Can we achieve that? IF we're getting gifts then I believe this is achievable..

Mist: You wanna order from cherry culture?

Ash: Got but closed already. Paiseh didn't know you're looking to buy. How much orders do u have roughly?

SQ: Did you set up a christmas tree? To the kids, this is a sure way of creating atmosphere.. Better than with food..

HN: My BIL can make very very nice and cripsy roast pork too (using the 3-layer pork). He's so perfected the skill that now his standard is better than any of those we've bought outside before.

Autum: Not sure about the savings or not.. I see it from another angle.. Is her English ok? If yes, then insist on using the washing machine, and with the spare time she has, ask her to play with and read to the kids, or to think of creative games for the kids. If not, get her recipe books, and let her learn to cook new dishes.
 
Ash, Pax: You like stamps? Take a look at these.. http://www.unityopportunity.blogspot.com/

Ippty Stamps - sister company of Unity. These stamps are available wholesale and online only (ie not found in any stores), but we have to purchase in a min of 3 per style to qualify. Wholesale price is 50% off the retail price. Very good deal. Unity stamps cost over S$60 in lss here!

Let me know if there's any you like.. Here's the list of what some others would like to order.. Remember, need to have 3 of each style in order to place orders..

Cherish Your Dreams
Love In Return
Delightful Little Things
What Matters Most
Authentic Man
A Moment In Time
 
AAA
ever since i got redesignated to a new role, i h' nt been scrapping much... too bz. Will pass on the stamps
If we order cherryculture, will we get in time for xmas?
 
AAA
We brought the kids out on Friday night so she was left alone thus quite free. Anyway I think she is the type who likes to be kept busy.

QQ
Ya she is hardworking. She cleaned my shoe cabinet n all my shoes. Think I leave to her whatever she wants to clean bah. Haha.
 
Autum: That's a good trait. So it's up to you how you want to keep her busy. Question is do u want her to do that hand washing your clothes if she's capable of doing much more??

Ash: The promos at joann changes as quickly as the weather on mountain tops. Haha..
 
AAA: will pass on stamps.

autum: but she knows how to use washing machine right? mine will handwash if not too many pieces of clothes. n u hv to specifically tell them to keep the water from last rinse if u want to use to wash toilet. i dun think they know cos water in phil is free i think. keke!!
 
AAA,

I hvn't look at cherry culture yet leh... no time.... hahaha try today. u collating huh?

Autum,

same as my ex maid, she hand wash everyting in our hse... clothes, n bedsheets! she also say she's free n nothing to do. Anyway, i let her handwash our clothes lah, for bedsheets, still go to washing machines.....Up to u loh, in terms of water, i feel more ex when my maid is ard... hahaha... When my maid not ard, i use washing machine for everything. ;p
 
Autum,

This maid fr Grace also? i feel tt they train their maids well leh.

Mine also kept finding things to wash initially! and when nothing to wash liao, she clean the sewage pipe in toilets, till they are shiny!! tt time, i find her good lah. But seriously, cannot let yr maid mix ard w other maids lah, cos once they do, all the pattern come out liao. Mine was a good example. sigh!! maybe dun allow her to go out w my mil to fetch xavier, she will still be w me... aiyah, but really, I'm jus not fated to hv maid lah.
 
Autum, Mist: No one is perfect. Applies to maids too. Mine will clean everything without being told to too, incl the curtains and the garden drains! But she tore the night curtains cos she stuffed too much load into the washing machine.
And since she came (abt 6 weeks), she's spoiled a kitchen drawer - the handle came off, the vaccum cleaner, one window, and one curtain ledge - pulled too hard that one end came off...
So you see.. It's liddat lah..
But I really appreciate that she can teach the indo maid (the indo maid is really SLOWER in her understanding).. But then again, she got the indo maid to give her massages leh..
There you go.. No one is perfect..
 
oh, my maid is not so hardworking, she is ok ok. i mai hiam buey pai but not to that extend la. haha!! really got difference the training.
i prefer my maid play more with my baby. but i dunno if she really plays with him when i am not around. my maid likes to cook, though her standard stillnot v good. so so, ok nia.
 
QQ: My maid's cooking is also soso only.. She likes to add a lot of things into her soup. I believe if allowed, she will add EVERYTHING in.. :p
The other day she added dumplings into ABC soup..
And when she boiled white fungus soup, she used half a big pack of white fungus (I think there're at least 15 whote bunch of white fungus!!) She said she didn't expect them to balloon to this size! Haha.. I just feel very sayang abt wasting food.. We could have cooked 4 times of soup using the same amount of white fungus.
 
Ash,
I think my maid doesn't know how to use washing machine. She never use before! But then, washing machine very easy nowadays.. just dump everything inside. I will show her how to use bah.

AAA,
I don't particularly want or need her to handwash clothes.. my worry is more of, will she be bored cause she has nothing to do! And being bored, I worry will lead to hu-si-luan-xiang. haha.. and since both my kids attend full-day CC, I don't really need her to think of any creative materials for them either. The only thing left I can think of is cooking and sewing. But that requires interest. Think I will ask her again.

Mist,
yes, from Grace also. hmm, I don't think they particularly train them to do houswork. It's more of the "mind" training they give them.. like reinforcing the right values of why they are here to work etc.. what i like about their maids in general, is that I feel their maids are all rather honest and hard-working type. Even my previous emo-maid who left, I also find her honest and hardworking.. it's just that mentally she is not mature enough yet.
 
AAA,

hahaha... well, if my ex-maid guai guai n didn demands so many things such as time off, off-day, secretly hv hp, call every weekend. I would hv still keep her. I am even willing to agree to let her hv hp, of cos use only after she retires to her room.

Last time, i feel tt it's normal for them to go chat ard when they meet each other. But after my maid's experience, i think i shdn't allow her loh. For the fact tt my mil didn stop her, she probably thot it's okay bah. aiyah, i also dun know... So many if's... hahaha
 
Autum: Hey, you want to enrol her to take up courses for baking or something? Yah, need to check her interests ..
Or plan for #3? Hahah.. I've discovered so many of my friends are having #3. It's like a new trend..
Or you just let her be... Doesn't matter if it costs more if she hand washes the clothes, as long as it keeps her occupied and stays away from trouble-making..
 
Mist: One thing I discover after changing sooo many maids is this..
The stricter the requirements (such as no day-off, no hp, have experience in handling young children etc), the lesser the pool of available maids, and therefore the lesser the good ones..
If we loosen our requirements, we're widening the universe of available help..
 
QQ,
your case different cos u have baby now.. of course your maid's priority must be Ah-will.. My maid got no kids to look after, that's why can be so eng to clean everything..

AAA,
ya, the cost is secondary.. u know sometimes, I feel that I worry too much. haha. like I told her no need to handwash, thinking of making life easier for her.. but she still did it. So i will think, if i don't allow her to handwash, am I actually making her more miserable, cos she then has nothing to do.. u know what i mean.. hahaha.. i know a bit boliao to think so much.. but sometimes I will also second guess myself this way. Cos at the end of the day, I truly want her to be happy working for me. Else so miserable, then no point.
 
Autum: I know what you mean.. So sometimes we have to take the "men" approach. Don't get bothered with everything, til it's necessary to step in.. Easier said than done for women..
 
AA: wah.. i like ur 'discovery'.. :p
<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

One thing I discover after changing sooo many maids is this..
The stricter the requirements (such as no day-off, no hp, have experience in handling young children etc), the lesser the pool of available maids, and therefore the lesser the good ones..
If we loosen our requirements, we're widening the universe of available help..<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
 
AA: i meant.. why i like it.. I didn't think in that way before.. all i thought was Titu's statement (trust who you want to use) and my own beliefs,.. i never thought of it as a 'down to earth' probabilty issue.. heh :p
 
I told hubby the indo maid massages the philly maid, and asked if I shd interfere.. Hubby said, they're getting along ok, so long as the indo isn't being forced to massage the philly maid, we should leave the matter alone..

Astro: Yah, it's logic actually..
 
AA: having said that.. sometimes we need to put in those filters to get the maid who might have the skill set we want.. but yeap.. then it becomes the employer's job to discern what are the must haves.. and which ones the good to haves. in our fomulation of the rules for them....?
 
AA: i will laugh when i see that wor.. :p
i will joke and ask the philly to massage me then... since there is now this hierarchy in existence :p
 
Autum: ha.. :p but seriously.. it really came to me in that manner: indo massages philly, phily massages me, i massage miser.. miser... massages.. hmmm. teng?!
 
Hello!

AAA
wat mystery code? ON?
is anyone organising any ON spree?

Autum
your new maid is here?

mummies
a bit busy these days. year-end and i need to handover a lot of things. found a gal to replace me by early Jan and I still havent find a job. headcount freeze i heard.

i get upset a few times when interviewers ask me about my age. it seems like an issue to them
sad.gif
 
Pink,
Yep, she is here since last Wed. She is tons better than the young one who left. So I feel much more relieved now. Just hope that she continues to be good.
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Astro,
Then Teng massage Bally?
 
pink, great to see u back here.
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Astro, u too! that day, saturday i think. tian said she long time never see teng liao. i passed her my phone, i said she can call teng, but dun come kacau me. i was v busy then.

AAA, u are quite right. i was down to no choice then i took up someone with hp and off days. but my initial requirement was no hp no off. quite a big difference hor. anyway, so far so good. and her hygiene level is not as high as jay, but i am ok.. alamak. haha!
 
autum: bingo! u completed my order perfectly! whahahahha :p and i thought i would just leave it and see who can see that it is 'imcomplete'...:p
in that order. the hierachy.. hahahha
 
QQ: call teng ah?! whahahaha.. can can.. these days he uses an Iphone wor. ha!

this bally really v cute.. cuter than teng.. teng i can really lose my temper at thim.. but bally.. i lose a bit. then i see his face. i can't stay angry for long.. ops..
and i think.. QQ.. it is likely going to be the same for you when it comes to tian and ah will liao.. ops :p
 
and before i run for class.. that day i ask miser.. want to try for a ting?.. then his reply was this.. 'i a bit scared.. what happens if another didi?'..
wahahaha. i found his reply v funny.. :p dunno if it due to the fact we have two boys.. or the fact that we have ONE bally which makes him exclaim 'what happen if another DIDI?'..
(we call bally, didi)... hah!
 
autum
good to hear that! importantly the kids have to like her.
i really adopt the men's attitude. otherwise, life will be hard for me, esp when it comes to dealing with 1 maid, 1 MIL and 1 mum :p

QQ
are u still ordering the avalon conditioner? im thinking of trying out the conditioner. i suspect something wrong wif my hormones, recently i keep getting eyes and nose allergy + hair's dropping again.
 
pink, you want mine? the avalon conditioner and shampoo set? coz i just opened the nixoin .. i still have teh avalon set looking at me :p i could sell them to u if u want..
 
pink, oh. not ordering so soon. i have a spare conditioner though cause i am still using my 1st set . u can have it first. if not take astro one also can.
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i ordered ON liao. got 40% discount then order filled v quickly so i just went ahead liao. scare many things oos mah. haha!
so check your email for code.

Astro, tian also can use iphone. though old pattern one. haha!
if u want ting, start now cause next year rabbit mah. if not kena dragon liao, then go cc, go everywhere also fully booked de.
yes i find that it is a bit unfair to tian., last time with tian, we train her this and that.
this ah will, midnight wake up thousand times i am still ok with him.
he sees my face then smile at me liao. haha! see jay's worst, kept smiling and wanna get his attention.
 
Astro: Agree with you. It's for us to discern the filters, the need-to-haves vs the good-to-haves, and with the universe outcomes from our selection, choose the maid and pray for the best.
Re the massage, my thinking is such. It's her free time and time to rest. I don't want her to exert any more strength that is beyond her job scope that will take away her recupertaion time, which may affect her work.
Secondly, if she has to massage someone, then why not me?? I sure need a good massage.. Wahahha!!

But what hubby said is true also lah. They're getting along well enough. So I take it as this is a favour between friends, though I don't see the indo being massaged by the philly.

QQ: Yah. And there're always 2 sides to everything..
For eg, if the maid has jie2 pi4, good point on the surface. But then it comes a point when we will wonder is it too much? Cos it's really a waste of resources - water, electricity, cleaners etc.. to keep washing and cleaning.
Or for eg, if she is a gourmet cook, again good point on the surface. But do we really need the maid to cook up 10 dishes everyday, knowing we'll have to be supplying her with the ingredients to whip up the dishes.

So at the end of the day.. Give and take.. Even the man we've (so carefully) chosen to spend the rest of our lives has flaws we live by, let alone a miad.

CK: Take care. By the way, I've received the hairbands.. How much do I owe you?
 
Oh yah.. Share a story that sort of sums up the diff between philly and Indo maids..

My agent brought out 2 maids (those brought back for transfers, one indo, one philly) for breakfast..
They sat down at a table and she asked them, "You all want to order drinks?"

The indo one shook her head, almost vehemently, and said "no need mdm, have coffee at home," her one hand doing the stirring action. "I go back and make."

The philly one smiled coyly, tilted her head slightly, and said "Coke pls."

Haha!! When my agent told me this, I laughed!
 
Pink: u let me know.. how.. for the conditioner.. sms me faster for reply. i dun check my pm email one
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QQ: ha... bally has this cheeky.. and charming look in him.. i melt when i see him.. teng was also cute as a child. but he wasn't as cute.. ops.. i think jay smitten with ah will liao? given that ah will is the boy he wanted and somemore all out to get his fancy.. jialat.. ok..we must tell ourselves.. no to favouritism!

AA: u put it quite nicely in ur story. ha.. yeap.. philly DARES to ask..
well. then we need to be able to say no.. i just said no to ellie's request to come back home by 9pm last night.. her christmas additional day off.. i am going to half it to half a day.. good enough i feel.. having already respected the importance of christmas to filipinos...
 
QQ: dunno if want to start now or what.. iseriously feel maternity leave is kinda of distruptive.. when it comes to work.. barely back into the swing of things.. and need to be away again for another 4 mths?.. haiz.. but then again.. i am not young anymore.. plus dragon bbs.. omg..
then as usual.. weight.. overweight!
 


astro, tian is also cute. but not as cute as before cause she is making noise now cnd then. haha! but i still love her, and i abandon ah will most of the time. no wonder he dun like me. huh!!
anyway, jay dotes on both of them bah. but he din say he wanna buy exp camera to take photos for tian last time, this time he says buying one to take for both. sigh! see the difference?

when i shop for ON or outside, i keep buying gals stuff. i seldom buy boys de. he will remind me, ah will needs this needs that. i said i already buy la, so noisy. he just ORH.
he wanna make sure i remember to buy for ah will, and none of them can be pink.
 

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