Planning my trip to Korea, my American friend wanted to know the dates I’d be staying at her apartment, so she could let her weekly house cleaner know. As soon as she sent off that e-mail, she sent another saying how weird she felt writing about a house cleaner and that she hoped I didn’t think she was being snobby.
Of course I didn’t, but her nervousness is pretty representative of middle-class, middle America (but in her case, Hawaii)…the places where housekeepers and nannies aren’t common. Where stay-at-home moms are really stay-at-home moms and don’t also hire a housekeeper, nanny, and a chef to assist them.
But I knew that wasn’t the case everywhere. The East and West Coasts, as well as many places in the South have middle-class neighborhoods where every house has a cleaner and nanny. And I knew that domestic workers in Asia were pretty common too.
However, I guess I’ve not really experienced it first-hand so much until my arrival here in India. As the office is providing my room and a living stipend, they also take care of so much more for me. Honestly, I do nothing for myself. There are girls who manage the office and wash all the dishes as well as cook any foods we might request (and who are mighty good cooks, I should add). There are two women who come every Monday to do the laundry and clean up the bathrooms. There are even two girls who come every day between 11:30 and 1 to serve us piping-hot morning tea…and then come back at around 4 to collect those dirty cups and pour us more hot tea in fresh cups.
Part of me wants to feel bad that these women/girls must do domestic service for the classes above them. But the other part of me knows that the city is swelled with people who aren’t working but had to come here because it is one of the few “safe” cities in the North East; so hiring these women/girls means they’re able to make a living away from the violence that is prevalent in many other places.
And then the other part of me is just happy that I can be lazy about cleaning up after myself. While becoming addicted to tea in the meantime.
Wow. I’ve never experienced such service either.
I definitely understand your friend’s trepidation at telling you about her maid. My husband’s family has one and they live next door. So ocassionally Seba will call during the day and ask if I can run some of his shirts over there for her to wash and iron…and I can’t do it! I just feel WAY too weird asking anyone to do something for me that I am fully capable of doing myself. BUT, then one day we got to talking about it, and we decided that we’ll pay here an extra $40 a month to do our laundry. And that’s like an extra week’s groceries for her so I don’t feel as bad anymore. Even though it’s lower than what I think is a fair wage, and would expect to pay for that kind of service, it’s higher than they pay here, and at the same time I know that its much better for me to give money to someone who is actually working and not out on the streets begging.
Well, unhipla, that’s because you’re from OH, not the OC. Hehehe.
And that’s a good deal, Kyle…I know it’s weird for us…you, too are from the Midwest, right?
btw, what is that food thing by the tea cup?