Advice on Myanmar Maid


have one Myanmar maid who's been with me for 4mths by this wkend. everything is ok so far. she listens and asks if she doesnt know. but language (or rather pronunciation wise) is quite a problem. still trying to understand her. she understands the instructions very well. just that we have more problems understanding what she's trying to say sometimes.
 
Hi fushiastar

have PM-ed you. But just bear in mind that when it comes to maid, I think largely depends on luck?? Mine only with me for 4 mths so still observing her....
 
Hi TLC,

Can PM me too?

I totally agree getting a good maid is like "tikam tikam"...don't believe everything that is written in their biodata.

Thanks =)
 
TLCare,
I have PMed you for the maid agency & the charges. Please email me. Thanks!

I have interviewed 2 Indo maid few days ago. The communication is really bad. They can't really express what they want to say. So, Indo maid is out of my mind.
 
Hi SuperHappyMum

Have PM-ed you.

I must say that the communication is also a problem for Myanmar. But whenever I don't understand, I will ask her to spell. I know she is making an effort to express herself in such a way that we understand. What is good is she picks up Mandarin pretty fast and is able to understand my mother in law's basic instructions in Mandarin and tend to my older son's needs. Now she is able to help out with taking care of my newborn as well. So far so good. But 4 mths only, must continue to observe.
 
TLCare,
Is Myanmar maid also well educated as Philipino maid? High school? Diploma?

Actually, I don't really want a stranger to stay in my house but I have no choice as I am going to have my 2nd baby. Is your maid helping you during the night?
 
Hi SuperHappy Mum

I dont think the Myanmar maid is as well educated as Filipino maid. Should be about high school only. Their wrttien English is not bad tho their spoken is a problem cos they pronounce more towards the American style sometimes.

I face the same situation as you. With a 2nd baby, have no choice but to sacrifice privacy... but frankly speaking, if u get a good one, will really be able to relieve you of your housework.
 
TLCare,
Thanks for all the information.

Yes, I have to hire Myanmar maid partly is because my SIL is having a Philipino maid and my MIL is staying with her now. I don't want the 2 maids to become "friend" and talk without our understanding.
I really have to pray for a good maid now.
 
SuperHappyMum

You are welcome. By the way, forgot to answer your question - my maid is not helping me in the night tho she is prepared to but she mentioned she will need to rest for a while in the afternoon if she relieves me for the night time feedings sometimes. But personally, I still feel safer (no matter how tired I am) to take care of the baby in the nights myself. Maybe I am just too cautious, but I would rather do it than to regret if anything happens.

By the way, my Myanmar maid is a Buddhist, so she has to have a short prayer (think should be about 10minutes only) in the morning when she wakes up and before she sleeps at night.
 
hi
i had a myanmar maid too but we had to let her go as really cannot make it. Language was a huge problem even though she was a graduate. She cant really understand wat we wan and always forget abt things as well. Plus she was really slow with her tasks. Now we changed to Indon maid, so much better. Salary and agent fee so much cheaper! My previous agent fee was $788 and maid salary was $320 (no experience at all). My current agent fee only $38 and indon maid salary is $290 (with two years exp n no off day).

My previous maid oso brought a small buddha to place beside her bed. My mum even brought her to a myanmar temple to pray.
 
Hi i have a part time myanmar maid who comes to my place once a week and minimum 4 hrs work paid her $40 so far she can understand english and spoken not dat bad either. been with us almost 2 years and so far so good the house is sparkle clean.
 
I have selected a Myanmar maid this afternoon.
I pray hard she will be a good maid. Bio-data says she has degree in History. Don't know how true lah but I use university standard to assume her English is acceptable
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Hi SuperHappyMum

Hope to hear good news from you. Just give yourself and the maid some time to adapt to each other (say about 2-3mths?), especially the language. By the way, where did you get your maid?

cheers
 
TL Care,
I have PM you the answer. I am surprise the know some of the maid are even University graduated. The agent advices to take U or High school graduated as their English will be better.
 
Hi Superhappymum

never rec'd your PM leh. anyway, it's ok lah. think no matter what, we really shouldnt expect too much of their spoken english. i can see my maid (whenever she has a bit of time to herself), she is learning new words from the dictionary. think tt's why she understands our instructions but couldnt really pronounce very well when she speaks. but now 4mths+, getting better lah. of course, I still have my reservations about the initiative on her part. seriously, I think initiative is something that cannot be helped/taught. seems like it is an in-born trait within a person.
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Hi mummies,

Looking to hire a Myanmar maid for my MIL's place. Would like to find out more on good maid agencies and their charges. Please PM me any recommendations. Thanks for sharing!
 
TLCare,
How's your Myanmar maid so far? I have just pick up my maid this morning. I hope she will be good. The agent says she is ok as she can understand English. Like you maid, she also brings her Oxford English dictionary.
 
hi SuperHappyMum

My maid is coping so far so good as she is beginning to pick up our lifestyle habits. Her initiative is not as good but close one eye so long as she keeps my place clean and can take care of my baby while I nap in the afternoon. I still have problems understanding what she's trying to say to me, but she has no problem understanding me tho'. Whatever the case, if she does anything not to my satisfaction, I will point out to her immediately in a nice way. I must say she does her things very fast. If you dun understand her initially, get her to write it out or spell out for you. Have to give them a couple of mths to adapt to our expectations as well.
 
TLCare,
Do you give your maid your hp and address? My husband is going to give her our hp # in case she get lost while we are out. At least she can call us. Please advice. Thanks!
 
hi SuperHappyMum

yes, I do. In fact, I gave her my hp no., address, my MIL's address as well since she goes to my MIL's place when I'm at work. But told her it's only for emergency, I dun entertain home calls.
 
hi, i've just employed a myanmar maid and waiting for her to come.. anyone knows where to find a myanmese english dictionary? i've been searching and can't find at popular, borders or kinokuniya..
 
TLCare, fushiastar,
My maid has myanmese-english. She brings it with her from Myanmar. Why do you have to buy the dictionary? Are you planning to learn to pronounce it and talk to your maid? I think she should learn english.
 
SuperHappyMum

think she is holding one but just wondering if there is any better ones around rather than the little one that she brought along with her...
 
oic....you are buying for your maid.
My maid was reading a book and suddenly ask me some chinese words. I realized that the book that she is reading is a book that teach her mandarin....with mandarin words, english & myanmar explaination as well as myanmar way of teach her how to pronouce the chinese words. Wah, i need to be careful when I speak with my hubby then.
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fushiastar,
you can try the myanmar book store at peninsula plaze. i hv bought the myanmar to english and english to mayanmar dictionary for my maid when she first came 1yr ago. she is a university graduate in mayanmar but of course their standard is much more lower. the dictionaries really help alot during her initial period in spore. whenever she doesnt understand, she will check back dictionaries & we can communicate better. slowly she pick up her english & mandarin during this 1yr.

she is still abit slow in tasks & sometimes forgetful. but so far no major faults. she is submissive in nature. she's a buddhist. she has a small buddha statue in our study room & pray before she sleeps. I am a christian but i am ok with this becos this is her religion. we need to respect individual.

in the contract, she is not given any days off. but i allow her 1day off every mth. she often goes to the famous temple at ah hood road (near toa payoh) to pray & helpout in the temple. then go out with her friends.

i notice that by nature, myanmar girls are submissive, soft spoken, gentle. of course not all are good. but at least mine is considered not bad. she takes care of my 11mth old gal (my fil staying with us) while we off for work. she also cooks lunch for my fil & dinner for us. she follows instruction diligently. sometimes not flexible. strictly follow only...i should not have any complaints as she takes care of my gal well
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SuperHappyMum, : oops i meant english myanmese
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Happymum: Thanks! do you have the name of the bookshop? my maid coming next week Good that your maid is working out well
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hi happymum

do u think your myanmar maid understand Mandarin better than English? oh yes! Pls share with us the name of the bookshop if you can recall. And how much does the dictionary cost? Thanks
 
Hi fushiastar & TLCare,
Myanmese like to hangout at Peninsula plaza. so there's alot of Myanmar shops there. Sorry I cant remember the shop's name. But I am sure you can find one. Think 1book cost less than S$10 bah. My maid also TT back money in one of the shops there :p
 
hi happymum

didnt know Myanmese like to hang out there...thanks for sharing!
do u know which remittance co she goes to? cos it seems like many dont do remittance to Myanmar leh....
 
When I bring my maid for shopping (1st time), she will check the price of the dress. Do you allow your maid to do so? I am thinking of stopping and wait for her but then....I remember that...hey, I am the boss. Lucky that when I walk away, she will follow. That's why I have a feeling that she is not from rural area of Myanmar. Once check with her, I find out that my Myanmar maid is from Yangon, the capital. It's really no choice that we have to have a maid. I really find that we dont' have much privacy now. Sigh!
 
Hi,

How's your myanmar maid coming along?

My sis' myanmar maid no hope already. Been with us for 6 mths. Is also a grad (history also). Lies, slow and slip-shod in her work, talks back to you rudely and has excuses for every other thing.

Will be switching back to Indon maid.
 
Liaw May Hun,
I would say she is quite good. Speak softly. MIL says she is slow as compared to SIL's Phil maid but I am okay with it as long as she is obedient.
 
hi mummies,
I'm looking for myanmar maid too. can email me the agency that u guys choose? justc alled one agency and they dun do myanmar and focus only filipino. The agents ays not taking myanmar cos they treat s'pore like 'holidaying'..that's a total different feedback i heard abt myanmar maid. so far heard they are good but language problem. true?
 
I had a myanmar maid who really treated her stint here like a holiday! she has a degree in zoology (or so she claims) & is supposed to be conversant in english.

she stayed with me for 4 mths before asking to go back claiming tat her father is ill. before that i was already thinking of sending her back. my mistake was in not checking her luggage when she 1st arrived as I was tied down wtih looking after my boy who was abt 7mths old then.

in her luggage, I found an open bottle of Christian Dior J'Adore perfume (100ml). more expensive than my perfume. also found 3 handbags, many working skirts, shoes etc. she also brought over a huge winnie-the-pooh soft toy to hug when she sleeps at night. this is obviously the luggage of someone who's here for holiday, not to work as a maid.

her work std is sloppy & she does everything fast but on the surface only. during wkends when I wake up abt 9-10am, she would haf finished washing & ironing my hubby's & my clothes for the entire wk and claimed to have cleaned the whole house as well. she'll then spend the rest of the day lying on her bed reading her book.

she also brought along a card with a buddha image on it to pray 2x a day morning & night. we are a catholic family but we let her do her praying as we deem ourselves to be open-minded & we wanted to be fair to her. we also refrained from taking beef out of respect for her as we didn't want to force her to cook beef.

she insisted on leaving when my hubby was still overseas claiming tat her father was ill. me tinks its more like she couldnt stand the "stress" of being a maid. I pleaded with her to stay for 1-2 more wks so that I can find a maid to help me. she refused & insisted on leaving.

when she left, I found out to my shock & horror that her room was filthy. I had thot that no matter how lazy a maid is, she'll ensure that her own living quarters will be the cleanest in the entire house. I was so wrong. there were cobwebs in the corners & under the cupboard. there were sand particles at the edge where the floor meets the wall! how can anyone live in such filth???

I also realised that her housework knowledge is worse than mine. I hardly did any housework before I got married so my housework knowledge is deplorable. hers is much worse & yet she wanted to come be a maid???

as for her english, whenever she panics or gets stressed, her brain will freeze & anything I say will not go into her brain. she'll literally give me a blank look. I had a horribly stressful 4 mths when she was with me. I had to micro-manage her at every step & each time I let loose a bit thinking she shd know how to cook or do stmg, she screws up big time.

I got a fili maid with no experience after she left. thankfully she's workign fine so far. she's a widow & thus knows how to take care of my boy. I was touched when she quietly cried when my boy got hospitalised for high fever 2 mths ago. the fact tat she secretly cried showed tat it was not for show.

anyway this will be the 1st & last time I hire a myanmar maid. it was truly a nightmare for me!
 
hi, have jus selected a myanmar maid.. like to know which shop in penisular sells the eng to myanmar dictionary?
 
Myanmar maids are slow and not very smart, they don't want to do too much, their english is not good(eventhou they have so called degrees) most of them are not good with kids. Bottom line don't expect too much from them, especially when you have had maids before. Indonesians and filipinos are much better!
 
any idea how to select a gd Indo maid or advice which agency is better off ??? I am currenlty looking for a maid also to take care of my child....oso know that have to take a course from SP and must pass before can apply for the maid....any idea is the course easy to understand...
 
Hi, duno abt which maid agency is good.. so far havent encounter a good one.. :p but the cos is very easy la.. i nv even go read the materials. jus logged in and take the test.. its all very simple common sense question.
 
aiya, burmese maid, too much culture difference liao. U c, my Burmese maid appear to be honest and decent.

1st day - bathe, never close the bathroom door.

3rd day - called her Burmese cousin and speak for more than 1 hour from my house when I went out and asked to buy hp & asked for off days.

3rd week - she went out without my permission to call agent to cry and ask for transfer saying that she can not get along with my two kids (7 & 5 yrs old) and my kids beat her.

She also told my daughter that all men are bad and she hates men.

Waited for agent to send biodatas for replacement, very slow.

2nd month - now, the Burmese maid told my daughter that my house got ghost from day one that she was here, every night, kept disturbing her for a few times.

U think she is making up stories or some mental problem and have hallucinations?

My house has been blessed by a pastor and got no such problems!

She also have the same dream very often, food chasing her, so i told my daughter to tell her next time, chased the food back and eat them up. From that day, onwards, she stopped telling my daughter about this dream.

This maid came from a broken family, father got second wife and abandonned her and mother/brother/sister.

She only bathe once a day and sometimes never bathe at all, washes her hair every few days and never wash her hair for the whole week that she has her menses. My daughter asked her about it, she said her mother said can not wash hair. Well, her mother is not here in my house to monitor that.

Burmese - too much culture difference and find them too weird.

Now, i getting filipino, coz burmese maid too much culture difference liao
 



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