My domestic helper, Ana, told me last evening that she doesn’t want to go back home this March.  Despite the fact that I’ve planned to let her off for two weeks.  She’s just not confident that she’ll want to come back to work again if she heads back home.

Well, I can understand the feeling.  After all, she has been working for two years away from home, and saying that she misses her home is just an understatement.  The fact that she is single however, simplifies matters.  If she has a husband or a child waiting for her at home, that would be tough.

Frankly those maids who are mothers, but are here working as a surrogate, really have the worst bargain.  At the end of the day, the kids they care for are not theirs, and when it’s time for to say goodbye, I am sure the maids feel sad.  On the other hand, they have to spend like two years or even more separated from their own children, and by the time they return to their hometown, their own kids may not even recognise them.  Just how tragic is that?  

Which is one of the reasons I only hire maids who are single.  I think it’s cleaner, emotionally.  I also find that younger maids are more enthusiastic and energetic with younger children.  Some of the older ones could already be jaded with caring for their own.  

So Ana is going to continue with us for another two years, uninterrupted.  Which is good news for us.  Seriously, I was worried that the dynamics would all go wrong after a trip back home.  My mind is definitely at ease now that she has made up hers.  I’ve also decided to give her a bonus to send back home.  I suppose this is probably the best I can do for her given her decision.

 

I’m beginning to love my Nokia 6111 a lot.  Somehow, the snapshots taken using this phone are much more picture perfect.  Like these I’ve taken on Gavin recently. 

I was plesantly surprised at how the photographs turned out when I was downloading them yesterday.  The quality is definitely better than those produced using my digicam.  And the best part is that I didn’t even need to do a lot of manual adjustments using this phone.  Very idiot-proof and definitely my kind of toy!

San has been bugging asking me to join this Melaleuca business.  It’s MLM, for goodness sake!  MLM IS NOT MY CUP OF TEA! 

It’s not like she has just got acquainted with me.  We’ve known each other for almost 20 years and she still doesn’t get it.  I have made it crystal clear that I AM NOT cut out for an MLM business the last time she tried getting me to join Belair.  Now, she’s still trying her luck. 

Now, I don’t mind supporting her in terms of joining as a sub-member or something just to help her get going.  But I am not going to get my hands dirty by joining as a full-fledged member.  

Well I am quite sure MLM can make some people rich.  But I am very sure that I will never belong to this group of people because I can NEVER sell anything.  It is just not in my blood and I certainly have too much pride.  So I am not about to throw in a couple of thousands just to try my luck.  No way!

As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think she’s cut out for such business as well.  It requires a lot of persistence, and networking.  Something both of us do not have.  However, since she has made up her mind, I am not about to dissuade her.  But why doesn’t she respect my stand? WHY? 

What a great way to spend the weekend! All stressed up because NOTHING serious has been accomplished. Panicking now as I can’t seem to meet my deadlines. Definitely feeling dreadful because the weekend came and went with me not getting my priorities right at all.

I am one atrocious procrastinator who is simply fond of putting off matters of significance until the very LAST minute. Exactly the sort who likes to wait until the shit is almost oozing out, then desperately go and dig a shit hole. The worst is sometimes I can even forget to dig. So imagine the situation getting awfully messy and really foul.

I feel so sorry. Gavin has one screwed up mummy who idled the entire week away and then had to rush work during the weekend, at the expense of time with him. Which is truly a shame.

Luckily, the weather was fine and he managed his favourite sport. Otherwise, it would really have been a completely wasted weekend.

He didn’t say it, but it’s obvious. 

It started with small tantrums of not wanting to wear his PE attire.  Then this morning, he wanted to put on his home clothes.   

I know.  He doesn’t want to go to school. 

Monday morning, he clinged on to me and refused to stepped into the classroom.  He cried a little when I went to the toilet but was fine thereafter. Wednesday and Thursday morning, same thing happened.  This morning, his cries turned to sobs and he was visibly distressed. 

I stood outside his classroom the whole time to observe him.  He was fine last week, even happy.  So what had happened?  

Then it dawned on me.  He was trying to please me the whole time because I had asked him not to cry and to behave himself!  Oh…my silly little boy! I so much wanted to stepped in to comfort him.  But, I refrained myself and left the school instead, feeling a little disconsolated.

Darn! This is just so difficult.  On one hand, I hate to see him so unsettled.  On the other hand, I do want him to learn to become more self-reliant.

Then I picked up my copy of John Gray’s ”Children Are From Heaven” and read a bit, hoping to make sense of my feelings. 

Children need compassion and help, but they also need their unique challenges to grow.  Their unique obstacles to overcome are actually necessary for them to become all that they can become. 

Yeah, that made sense.  But I can’t say for sure it helped me feel any better.