I had a maid when I was in Primary 5. She was from a plump woman in her late twenties but looked no where near that. I remembered teaching her how to refill the tissue box and nothing else actually. I remembered she only stayed with us for two weeks and then decided to pack her bags and leave abruptly.
My mum was a really great employer. She taught her basic house keeping skills and even bought her the food and clothes she liked. Yet, she had far greater aspirations. She wanted to work in a large house. A bungalow to be more specific. It came as an irony since she could not even clean my four-room HDB flat well enough.
Perhaps some things are just not meant to be.
The government has recently introduced a compulsory one day off for all maids. I think this is a good move by the government and should be applauded. This move is not only a simple recognition of the work maids have to do but also is a move which give maids their due respect for the work they have to do. The job scope of maids today is not confined to just cooking and cleaning. Some even have to run errands for their employers and in some instances unknowingly become the surrogate mothers of their employer's children.
Employers should treasure their maids and work towards a harmonious relationship.
Perhaps, some things just need a little more work.
